The 5 Best Canister Vacuums - Summer 2024 Reviews

The Miele Complete C3 is the best canister vacuum we've tested, and if you want the best of the best, check out the flagship Brilliant PowerLine variant. It isn't always in stock from major retailers, though you can get it directly from Miele. Like most C3s, it has seven levels of suction power adjustment, a power cord that retracts at the press of a button, an allergen-sealed body made of high-quality plastic, and an onboard storage compartment for three of its included attachments. The Brilliant goes a couple of steps further and features an additional surface-sensitive automatic power adjustment mode, additional sound insulation for its already quiet motor, and the brand's flagship HEPA AirClean post-motor filter. This variant also comes with three floorheads: a parquet head for cleaning hard floors, a universal pure suction floorhead with retractable bristles for cleaning low-pile carpets, and the height-adjustable SEB 236 powerhead for cleaning various types of high- and shag-pile carpeting.

If the Brilliant is a little too pricey, you could consider the C3 Kona model. It comes with two floorheads instead of the C3 Brilliant's three, and it lacks the Brilliant's automatic power adjustment system, additional sound insulation, and handle-mounted controls. Otherwise, it'll deliver near-identical performance on most surfaces. If you aren't convinced by the C3 and want something with a longer range, check out the SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium. The SEBO delivers similarly superb performance and feels remarkably robust. It also incurs lower recurring costs than the Miele since it uses higher-capacity dirtbags that you won't have to replace as often and longer-lasting filters. However, it's also noticeably heavier and bulkier than the Miele, and its stiff hose can make it a nuisance to maneuver in tight spaces.

If you're shopping for a canister vacuum at a slightly lower price point, the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog PowerLine is a great choice. Unlike the Miele Complete C3, the C1 lacks an onboard tool storage compartment and has a slightly less sturdy construction. That said, the C1 lineup offers similarly excellent performance at a cheaper price point, with all variants equipped with the same powerful 1200W motor as the C3.

The C1 Cat & Dog is a particularly good and slightly more budget-friendly alternative to medium- and high-end C3 variants. It sits near the top of the C1 lineup and sports Miele's height-adjustable SEB 228 powerbrush, making it a solid option for a wide variety of carpet types, as well as a lightweight parquet tool for cleaning hard floors. The C1 Cat & Dog also has a miniature turbo brush tool for cleaning pet hair from upholstered surfaces.

While this variant doesn't include the top-of-the-line HEPA AirClean filter, it does come with the brand's Active AirClean filter, which uses activated charcoal to trap odors as you clean. Besides, you can purchase the higher-end HEPA filter separately if you have very serious allergies, though filtration performance with any post-motor filter is still very good overall. Unfortunately, its power cord is shorter than that of the C3, so you might need to swap outlets when cleaning bigger rooms or areas that are far away. Like many other Miele canister vacuums, the ownership cost is higher since it uses relatively small 2.5L dirtbags that'll need to be replaced fairly often.

If you aren't willing to spend as much on the Cat & Dog variant of the C1, look at the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction PowerLine, the entry-level model in the C1 lineup. From the outside, the two C1 models look almost identical. However, an important difference between them isn't immediately apparent: the C1 Cat & Dog has an electrosocket at the base of its hose that allows it to use a powered floorhead, while the C1 Pure Suction doesn't. While this is a huge disadvantage if you have a lot of thick carpeting in your home and need a powerhead, this entry-level Pure Suction model is a significantly better value if you mostly have hard floors, where you don't need a powerhead with a spinning roller. The SBD 365-3 floorhead isn't as lightweight as the secondary parquet tool included with the Cat & Dog model. However, it's still great for dealing with debris on surfaces like vinyl or hardwood, and you can retract the bristles to clean low-pile area rugs.

This model comes with the entry-level AirClean filter, which does a pretty good job of capturing allergens. However, you can always swap in a HEPA AirClean or Active AirClean filter if you want even better air filtration performance. If you want a similarly priced canister vacuum that uses larger dirtbags, the NaceCare HVR 200 Henry is a great alternative with a remarkably sturdy, easy-to-maintain design and a longer range. However, it has a less powerful suction motor and doesn't do as well on low-pile carpeting as the Miele.

The best canister vacuum cleaner we've tested at a budget-friendly price is the Eureka Mighty Mite. Given its very low price point, it's no surprise it isn't as well-built, quiet, or packed with convenience features as a more premium canister model like the Miele Classic C1 or Miele Complete C3. That said, its 12-amp motor puts out a good amount of power for something this cheap, allowing it to easily clear away solid debris on bare floors. You can retract the bristles on its straight suction floorhead to improve contact on low- and medium-pile carpets. Its compact, lightweight design also makes it a breeze to maneuver in tight spots or to pick up and carry around your home.

Unfortunately, this vacuum feels pretty cheap in places, especially its wand, which is made of a pair of plastic tubes and can fall apart if you don't force them together tightly enough. You also can't expect class-leading filtration performance from this vacuum; some newer Mighty Mite models lack the requisite mounting clips to use aftermarket HEPA filters. The Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister is a good option if you want to avoid the expense of replacing filters and dirtbags completely; however, it has an even shorter overall range, so you must swap outlets when cleaning bigger rooms.

If you want to avoid buying new dirtbags periodically, consider the Dyson Cinetic Big Ball. It doesn't offer the same level of performance as the similarly priced Pure Suction variant of the Miele Classic C1, as it struggles with bulky debris and material embedded deep in carpets. However, unlike the Miele, ownership costs are practically nonexistent if you maintain it according to manufacturer recommendations due to its bagless design and the lack of conventional fabric or paper filters. Dyson advertises its cyclonic filter system as being capable of providing HEPA-level filtration. However, it still won't be your first choice if you suffer from serious allergies; shaking out its dustbin can release a cloud of dust into the air, making it a much less hygienic process than disposing of a sealed dirtbag.

This compact vacuum is easy to store and maneuver in tight areas, thanks partly to its lightweight plastic wand. The canister body is rather heavy but carries most of its weight very low to the ground, so you don't need to worry about the vacuum tipping over when pulling it around on uneven surfaces. Unfortunately, static buildup can cause some debris to get stuck on its floorhead's wheels.