The 5 Best Hardwood Floor Vacuums to Buy in 2018
Sweetdiyhacks.com supports our readers with thousands of hours of research and testing to find the right products for living better. You support us when you buy our editorially chosen picks, which earns us an affiliate commission.
Most people business partner vacuums with carpet, but they can be a convenient, quick and a better alternative to brooms and dust mops when it comes to cleaning hardwood floors, too. Of course, you’ll need to make sure your vacuum is much-improved for wood floors before putting the broom back in its closet.
Features to check for include non-marking wheels – rubber is better than plastic, for instance – and a revolving brush that can be turned off so that it doesn’t scratch the floors. There are even better attachments specially made for hardwood floors with softer bristles or microfiber that can easily grab dust.
Here are some of our favorite wood-floor-friendly vacuums :
This is the best overall. If you’ve got mostly wood floors and want a vacuum that delivers superior cleaning power for a fair price, reviewers say you can’t go wrong with the Shark Navigator Lift Away Professional NV356E.
Features include a dust-away hard-floor attachment and two washable microfiber pads that can easily grab dust and dirt. Experts say it’s extremely high quality on bare floors, but don’t worry if you have carpet – it’s also great on that, too, they say.
This Shark is a 2-in-1 model, allowing the metal container to be removed from the base so you can tackle cracks and cracks impossible to clean with a traditional vacuum.
There is a complete-seal technology and a HEPA filter to grab dust and other allergy triggers, though experts note you’ll still have to manually empty the bin, which can release dust into the air. The vacuum weighs 13.7 pounds and also comes with a dusting brush, crack tool and pet power brush. It’s supported by a one-year warranty.
If you prefer a smaller, lighter metal container vacuum to an upright, the Bissell 1161 Hard Floor Expert Fancy is much-improved for wood. The rubber and felt wheels won’t mark up the floors, and the hard-floor tool has soft bristles that are also gentle on wood but effective at loosening and grabbing dirt.
Other features on the Bissell 1161 include an easy-empty tank that opens from the bottom. Simply hold it over the trash; no need to scrape stubborn bits of dust and hair out with your hands. There is a convenient automatic cord rewind, fingertip suction control, and an 8-foot hose. A dusting tool, crack tool, telescoping extension wand, and low-pile carpet tool come standard. Owners love how lightweight this model is at just 9 pounds, saying it’s easy to move from room to room. Some complain that it started losing suction over time, however, and others say the 16-foot power cord is too short. It’s supported by a two-year warranty.
A limited budget doesn’t mean you have to give in to using a broom and small pan with a handle for picking up floor dirt. Inexpensive stick vacuums like the Dirt Devil Power Air SD20505, improved for quick touch-ups of wood and other hard floors, can add a little oomph to your cleaning. And at 6.7 pounds, this model is a breeze to take anywhere in your home.
You won’t get a ton of features or attachments at the Dirt Devil’s sub-$50 price, but it does the basics. 10-amp motor powers through messes, the metal container opens easily from the bottom with the touch of a button, and a 20-foot power cord is long enough for users not to have to switch outlets too many times. It’s supported by a two-year warranty.
If you want the convenience of a cordless vacuum without sacrificing power, the Dyson V6 Cord Free Vacuum could be for you. Experts give its performance on both bare floors and carpet top marks, so it would be a great pick for homeowners with a mix of hardwood floors and area rugs. Got pets? It also earns raves for its ability to suck up pet hair. Finally, it’s under 5 pounds, making it the lightest model on our list.
You’ll get about 20 minutes of cleaning power from the V6 Cord Free before needing to charge the lithium-ion electrical storage device, and it comes with a convenient charging dock that can be mounted on the wall of a utility room.
The wand detaches from the vacuum so that it can convert to a handheld model ideal for hard-to-clean areas like stairs or car upholstery.
However, if you want included attachments like a crack tool or dusting brush, you’ll need to upgrade to a more expensive Dyson like the V8 Animal or Complete and total. Owners say the suction on this model is hard to beat, and they love the cord-free convenience, but some report issues with quick-draining electrical storage devices. It’s supported by a two-year warranty.
The relatively new iRobot Roomba 690 picks up where its well-loved person or thing that came before, the Roomba 650, leaves off, but it adds smartphone compatibility and can even be voice controlled by the Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
More importantly, it’s ideal for all floor types, including a mix of hardwood, rugs, carpet, tile – just about anything your home can throw at it – and it runs for up to an hour before it needs to dock and recharge.
Experts with PC Magazine say the Roomba 690 is a cinch to set up, schedule, and control with voice commands or your smartphone, but more importantly, suction was impressive during testing. And since it’s only 3.6 inches tall, it can easily move under beds and furniture to grab those hard-to-find dust bunnies.
It comes with a virtual wall that lets you block off certain areas or rooms, or users can choose “halo mode” to protect certain items in a wider area that needs to be cleaned.
Users love the convenience of this “set it and forget it” robotic vacuum, and while they note that the dust bin needs to be emptied often, most say it’s still far easier than using a traditional model. It’s supported by a one-year warranty.
Leave a Reply