Did you know, according to the Vacuum Cleaners Manufacturers Association, 98 percent of U.S. households own a vacuum? If you're part of the remaining 2 percent, it's time you joined the crowd. And the best vacuum for hardwood floors is a great place to start.
Vacuums are perfect for cleaning floors, and many can also clean ceilings and other surfaces. But if you want the best vacuum for hardwood floors, you need one that can pick up dirt without leaving scratches or streaks.
With that said, there are tons of vacuums out there. So where do you even begin?
The Neverending Battle Against Dust, Dirt, and More
There are many ways to clean hardwood floors, and a vacuum may not be the first thing that comes to mind. After all, you can sweep or mop. To many homeowners, vacuums are just for carpet.
However, the best vacuum for hardwood floors can be a versatile tool because it can work on all different floors.
If you want to simplify your cleaning routine, a vacuum is the way to go. But you can't just spend your money on any vacuum. Before you vacuum wood floors, you first need to find the best vacuum for hardwood floors.
Why do you need a vacuum for hardwood floors?
Carpet can take quite a beating and still look pretty good. Unfortunately, that's not the case for hardwood floors.
If you want to keep your hardwood floors looking nice, you have to protect them. This means some vacuums can be too harsh on hardwood floors, particularly if they have harder bristles.
True, a regular vacuum could work in a pinch. But if you plan to vacuum hardwood floors regularly, you need the right tool for the job.
The perfect vacuum will have soft bristles or even no bristles at all. Rollers are great for cleaning carpet, but they can scratch hardwood.
If you're lucky, you may be able to find a vacuum with multiple rollers. That way, you can switch out the rollers based on whether you need to vacuum hardwood or carpeting.
How is this different from sweeping or mopping?
If you need to clean hardwood floors, you have a few methods to choose from. Along with vacuuming, sweeping and mopping are popular options.
First, there's sweeping. Sweeping is quick and easy since all you need is a broom and dustpan. You can sweep a small corner or an entire room.
Next, we have mopping. Mopping is great for washing your hardwood floors. It can pick up small bits of dust, and it's great for making your floors look new.
Then, there's vacuuming. Vacuuming is the one method out of these three that you can use anywhere in your home. You simply can't sweep or mop carpet.
But when it comes to hardwood floors, vacuuming is a great compromise between sweeping and mopping. A vacuum can pick up the small pieces of dirt that you can miss when sweeping. But you don't have to go through the hassle of using a mop.
Can you use the same vacuum for hardwood and carpet?
Whether you want to save money or space in your home, there's definitely an appeal to using one vacuum for everything. You can take your vacuum from room to room and clean your whole place in less time.
However, using the same vacuum on carpet and hardwood flooring may not be the best choice.
You see, you need one that's strong enough to suck up dust from your carpet. But you also need it to be sensitive enough that it won't harm your hardwood floors.
Realistically, the perfect vacuum is hard to find. However, they do still exist!
What should you look for in a vacuum for hardwood floors?
Whether or not you want to spring for a vacuum with multiple rollers is up to you. This feature can definitely make your vacuum more versatile.
But if you already have a fantastic vacuum for your carpets, you can instead focus your search on the best vacuum for hardwood floors.
You should also make sure the vacuum you choose has good suction. While any vacuum can catch dirt and dust on the surface, dirt can also make its way in between wood planks.
A vacuum with strong suction will be able to get between the planks and clean what a weak vacuum or broom might miss.
What types of vacuum should you avoid?
While you might have your eyes on a powerful vacuum that's perfect for carpet, it may not work for hardwood floors.
We can't stress enough that the best vacuum for hardwood floors is one that won't scratch the wood. Unless you want scuffed and damaged wood floors, you need to do everything you can to be gentle on them!
When should you use the best vacuum for hardwood floors?
Ideally, you would be able to use the best vacuum for hardwood floors as often as you need. If you have pets, you probably know you need to vacuum pretty often.
But even if you don't have pets, it doesn't hurt to vacuum regularly. After all, humans also shed hair on a daily basis, and we also track in dirt on our shoes.
So whether you schedule vacuuming into your routine or not, you should vacuum your hardwood floors when it makes sense for you.
And since the ideal vacuum won't scratch your hardwood floors, you can use it as often or rarely as you like!
Sucking It up for Our Review
We'd be willing to bet that you probably don't like vacuuming. Maybe you don't hate it, but you probably don't look forward to it either!
But sometimes you just have to suck it up — literally.
If you're going to clean your wood floors with a vacuum, you obviously want the best vacuum for hardwood floors. To find this vacuum, we started with some expert recommendations.
Once we found some ideas, we looked for other vacuums with similar specifications. And to make sure our selections really were the best, we referenced countless customer reviews on Amazon, too.
Of course, we also had to compare the vacuums ourselves. We looked at the features, power, and size of the different vacuums. With that, we're able to share our list of candidates for the best vacuum for hardwood floors.
Our Top 9 Picks for the Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Whether you live in a tiny apartment or a massive house, you need to keep your floors clean. While you can sweep or mop your wood floors, you also might be thinking of upgrading.
For that, you need the best vacuum for hardwood floors. After all, no one wants scratched floors, do they?
So, what is the best vacuum for hardwood floors anyway? Here's our list, in no particular order!
Miele Blizzard CX1
[amazon box=”B079PBYLCV”]
The Miele Blizzard CX1 vacuum is a bagless canister vacuum and is extremely versatile for throughout your home. It has an electric-powered brush and a floor twister.
This vacuum also comes with a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and an upholstery tool. You can use the crevice tool to clean hard-to-reach corners, and the vacuum itself works on all surfaces, including hardwood and plush carpet.
The Miele Blizzard CX1 can collect coarse and fine particles easily. You can adjust the cleaning power with the four-setting rotary dial so that you can optimize the suction for different surfaces.
This vacuum has a fine dust filter, which traps dust and other allergens. It also has a HEPA Lifetime filter which helps the vacuum trap dust as efficiently as possible.
Also, this Miele vacuum has a hygienic release system that lets you empty the canister directly into the trash. It also keeps dust from getting back into the air of your home.
Pros
- Multiple dust filters
- Versatile for use on all floors
- Comes with helpful accessories
Cons
- High price tag
- Bulkier than some vacuums
Shark APEX DuoClean with Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Upright Vacuum
[amazon box=”B07FX5PCMN”]
This Shark APEX DuoClean vacuum is an excellent choice for anyone who wants one vacuum for everything. This vacuum has an array of fantastic features that make it easy to use on both hardwood and carpet.
Shark's proprietary dual-brushroll system can deep clean your carpets and, of course, make your hardwood floors look polished. You can also lift the canister off of the vacuum to clean hard-to-reach places, like underneath furniture.
That same feature also allows you to vacuum stairs more easily. The vacuum even has lights so that you can see where you're cleaning, even in dimly lit spaces.
This vacuum features a self-cleaning brushroll that removes hair continuously. It also includes a HEPA filter, so it's great if you suffer from allergies.
Pros
- Great for a range of floor surfaces
- Removable head to reach corners
- Includes lights to see where you clean
Cons
- More expensive than some competitors
- Not specialized for cleaning hardwood
Shark Rocket Ultra-Light Corded Stick Vacuum
[amazon box=”B00DFBDALC”]
If you're tired of bulky vacuums, consider the Shark Rocket Ultra-Light Corded Stick Vacuum. It doesn't use bags, which cuts down on the weight and bulk that you often find with other vacuums.
This model is light enough to maneuver all over your home, though you will still need to plug it in. It can clean hardwood floors and other areas of your home, such as tile and carpet.
This Shark vacuum won't lose suction or power, so you can keep cleaning for a long time. And the swivel steering feature makes it easy to maneuver around a room as you vacuum.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to steer and move
- Bagless
Cons
- Needs a cord
- Doesn't have a HEPA filter
Dyson Cyclone V10
[amazon box=”B0798LCJK9″]
The Dyson Cyclone V10 is fantastic for pretty much anyone. It's a cordless vacuum that works wonders on hardwood floors and carpeting.
You can use it for up to an hour on a single charge, but it will take over three hours to charge it the first time. This vacuum has an instant release trigger so that it only uses power when you're actually cleaning.
Now, the bristles on this model are stiff, so it might not be the best for brand new hardwood floors. However, there are different suction modes you can choose from to best fit your home.
Pros
- Light and cordless
- Only uses power when you want
- Lasts up to an hour
Cons
- Stiff bristles
- Takes time to fully charge the battery
Samsung POWERbot R7260 Pet Plus Robot Vacuum
[amazon box=”B07R4W2Z24″]
If you have a busy schedule, consider letting the Samsung POWERbot R7260 Pet Plus Robot Vacuum do the cleaning for you. This vacuum can clean your floors more efficiently than any other robot vacuum.
It has a soft-action brush that detangles and removes hair. Yet it can also easily pick up fine dust and get in tight crevices. This vacuum connects to your Wi-Fi so that you can control it with your smartphone.
An onboard camera and improved sensors help the robot create the most efficient cleaning path. This feature helps reduce the time it takes to clean your home. It also has a rubber blade that extends out to clean areas that are harder to reach.
Pros
- Automatic with smartphone controls
- Detangles and removes hair
- Can clean hard-to-reach places
Cons
- Large power brick
- Steep learning curve
iRobot Roomba i7+
[amazon box=”B07GNPDMRP”]
The iRobot Roomba i7+ is another robot vacuum that you can use on hardwood floors. It offers powerful suction so it can pick up more dirt and hair in less time.
This vacuum has a navigation system so that it can clean an entire level of your home more efficiently. It can even map your home so you can clean specific rooms or areas with ease.
You can also connect the iRobot Roomba i7+ to an app on your phone or to your Alexa device. The vacuum will even empty itself, so you don't have to worry about maintaining or cleaning out your robotic vacuum.
Pros
- Automatic with smartphone and Alexa connectivity
- Can navigate through a whole floor
- Automatically empties its own canister
Cons
- On the more expensive side
- App connectivity issues
BISSELL CrossWave Wet & Dry Cleaner
[amazon box=”B01DTYAZO4″]
Can't decide between vacuuming or mopping? Well, the BISSELL CrossWave Wet & Dry Cleaner can do both at the same time!
This is the best vacuum for hardwood floors that also need a good wash. The brushroll has a microfiber and nylon brush to mop your floors and vacuum up dirt and dust.
It has two tanks that separate clean water from dirty water, which means you won't spread dirt around your floors. Plus, you can hit a button at any time to trigger a release of the cleaning solution.
Pros
- Vacuum and mop combo
- Washes floors
- Separates clean and dirty water
Con
- Can leave streaks
- Not the best for everyday use
BISSELL CleanView Swivel Rewind Pet Vacuum Cleaner
[amazon box=”B07F6MXJ9X” image_alt=”best vacuum for hardwood floors”]
The CleanView Swivel Rewind Pet Vacuum Cleaner from BISSELL is a nice choice if mopping isn't your thing. It looks like a traditional vacuum, with the canister and everything. But this vacuum has some cool features.
The brushroll keeps hair, dirt, and dust from scattering as you use the vacuum. And its power cord extends 27 feet, so you can use it all over your home.
Also, the swiveling handle makes it easy to get into hard-to-reach corners. Special pet features help it pick up more animal hair.
Pros
- Traditional vacuum design
- Traps in hair, dirt, and dust
- Long power cord
Con
- Quality control appears to be an issue
- More affordable than many competitors
Hikeren 3 in 1 Stick & Hand & Car Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
[amazon box=”B07PQK4WG7″ image_alt=”best vacuum for hardwood floors”]
Finally, we have the Hikeren 3 in 1 Stick & Hand & Car Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. As the (long-winded) name suggests, it doesn't rely on a cord, so it's easy to use in all areas of your home.
This vacuum has two modes, one that's better for carpet, and one that makes it the best vacuum for hardwood floors. You can rotate the vacuum up to 180 degrees, which is great for reaching in corners.
It can last 30 to 40 minutes on a single charge, but it can take 3 to 4 hours to fully charge.
Pros
- Cordless
- Easy to use all over your house
- Plenty of versatility
Con
- Can take a while to charge
- Not the best on carpet
Keep Your Wood Floors Looking Shiny and New
We all want a clean place to call home. But with all of the tidying and dusting you may do, it can be easy to forget about cleaning your floors.
Luckily, there's more than one way to clean your hardwood floors.
Of course, you can always sweep or mop. Or, you can cut your cleaning time in half by investing in the best vacuum for hardwood floors! What more could you ask for?
Which do you think is the best vacuum for hardwood floors? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
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