New bagless carpet vacuums come on the market every year, and I’ve made it my personal duty to find the best vacuums for y’all. It’s something I get asked all the time in DMs and emails. This time (Spring 2025) there is even a Dyson vacuum in the running, a top request from my followers. 

The results might surprise you! 

My upright canister vacuum priorities may not be the same as yours, but here are some of the features I look for and how I test them.

Carpet Vacuum Requirements:

1. Suction. If a vacuum doesn’t suck, it just sucks to use. It’s the number one thing I need in a vacuum. It is going to pull the dirt and debris from deep down in the carpet fibers? I tested these vacuums against sand, popcorn, dog hair, human hair, crackers, and kitty litter.
2. Beater Bar. You need a beater bar in a carpet vacuum. Period, full stop. Without it, you will not be able to agitate the fibers to get the dirt out. Features I look for in a beater bar are: height adjustments for different types of carpet, and hair detangling. If your beater bar becomes full of tangled hair, it’s just not going to be able to perform well.
3. Attachments. Some of my personal favorites are a crevice tool, an upholstery brush, and a powered stair attachment. I’m finding that these stair attachments are getting harder and harder to find. (Are you listening, vacuum manufacturers?) With most vacuums you need to use either the upholstery tool (not very effective), or struggle with holding the big vacuum precariously on each stair (not safe).
   Bonus points for vacuums that have dedicated spots to store these attachments so they’re always handy, and vacuums that have the capability to detach from the beater bar creating an easy to carry pod for stairs and other awkward spots.
4. Cord length. You’d be surprised how often we find ourselves unable to reach a far corner of a room or staircase landing. 
5. Weight. Lightweight vacuums are becoming increasingly popular and have their place, but I personally find that a vacuum needs a bit of weight to be able to grip onto the carpet and get a deep down clean. 
6. Ease of use. Is it easy to put together? Do I struggle emptying the canister? Is it easy to switch to the wand and attachments?
7. Canister size. Like goldilocks, the canister should be not so big that it’s clunky and cumbersome, but not so small that I need to empty it after vacuuming half a room. I like bagless vacuums so there aren’t any costs to upkeep. Just empty it and keep going (plus they are usually washable!).

Let’s watch these 7 vacuums in action and see how they stacked up:

And the Winners Are:

The Bissell®, Dyson®, and Shark® vacuums are the best of the bunch. Dyson did a very good job, almost tying it up with the Bissell. But, because the Bissell did just as well at a fraction of the price, it is the best bang for your buck (is anyone surprised that it was my top choice?). The Shark also gave them a run for their money, and has been reliable for everyday cleaning at work.

Bissell® Cleanview Swivel Rewind Pet (USA) (Canada)

Dyson® Ball Animal 3 (USA) (Canada)

Shark® Navigator Lift-Away Professional (USA) (Canada)

To check out all the vacuums we tested, head to our Amazon shop (USA) (Canada). 

For more vacuum reviews, see our playlist on YouTube here. 

Sarah