The very best vacuum for hardwood flooring is an important buy should you’ve rejected carpet in favor of extra strong flooring, and need to make sure that it retains on wanting good for years on finish. Hardwood flooring are quite a bit simpler to keep up than carpeting just because they do not soak up mud and filth the best way that carpet does, however they nonetheless want common cleansing, and it pays to select the appropriate vacuum.
Not all the best vacuum cleaners are a good selection when you’ve got hardwood flooring. Many characteristic bristles on their brushrolls that’ll finally scratch up your shiny flooring, whereas working heavier upright vacuums over your onerous flooring commonly could be equally damaging. The best vacuum for hardwood flooring is one thing comparatively light-weight with a gentle brushroll, and it would not must pack an enormous quantity of suction as a result of it isn’t having to suck mud out of a deep carpet pile. (Our information to how to clean a hardwood floor is price testing should you’re undecided how a vacuum matches in within the first place.)
We have picked out 5 nice vacuums for onerous flooring, with choices for many necessities and budgets. Every one has been put via its paces by one in all our skilled reviewers, and we’ll clarify precisely what’s so good about each mannequin, to not point out mentioning the explanation why it may not be best for you. Acquired all that? Then learn on to find the most effective vacuums for hardwood flooring.
The short listing
1. Shark Detect Professional Cordless
Greatest total
The Shark Detect Professional Cordless may fall brief on suction in contrast with different choices, however on onerous flooring it will clear up a deal with. It is versatile sufficient to succeed in wherever and it will even empty its personal bin.
Greatest premium
With a Fluffy Optic floorhead designed particularly for onerous flooring, plus laser illumination, unbelievable suction and a battery that lasts for ages, this high-end Dyson is an impressive selection should you can stretch to the upper worth.
3. Shark Stratos Corded Stick
Greatest price range
The ability twine on this nicely-priced Shark may put some off, however should you can address being tethered to an influence outlet you may be rewarded with versatility, a lot of energy and fresh-smelling flooring.
4. Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni
Greatest robotic
For minimum-effort repairs of your hardwood flooring, think about forking out on this succesful robovac. It’s going to not solely vacuum your flooring however mop them too, when you get on with different issues.
Greatest for pet hair
The Samsung Jet 85 may not look very thrilling nevertheless it’s gentle, maneuverable and excellent for selecting up pet hair, and whereas it isn’t so good on carpet it is sensible at leaving onerous flooring spotless.
The very best vacuum for hardwood flooring in 2024 – as chosen by specialists
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Greatest vacuum for hardwood flooring total
We price the Shark Detect Professional Cordless because the best cordless vacuum, and whereas this does not essentially imply that it is also the most effective vacuum for hardwood flooring, it performs equally properly on onerous flooring and carpet. This makes it a wonderful selection no matter whether or not you may have solely hardwood flooring or a mixture of onerous flooring, carpets and rugs.
The Detect Professional Cordless mechanically adjusts its energy relying on the ground kind its cleansing, so it will not miss a factor on onerous flooring, and its LED headlights imply you could simply spot areas that want specific consideration (observe they’re much much less shiny than these on the Dyson at #2). Our reviewer discovered that the Detect Professional Cordless did job of cleansing edges and corners, and was happy to famous that its versatile wand made it simple to get underneath furnishings the place mud, hair and particles have a tendency to assemble when you’ve got largely onerous flooring.
One other welcome characteristic with the Shark Detect Professional Cordless is the non-compulsory auto-emptying base station, releasing you from the never-pleasant job of emptying its dustbin your self; as a substitute you may merely need to cope with a extra handy dustbag each few weeks.
It is price noting, although, that for all its advantages, the Detect Professional Cordless will not provide the sheer suction energy of a corded vac, however that issues quite a bit much less on onerous flooring than it might on carpet. It is also just a little gentle on attachments with only a crevice device included with the bottom mannequin, and no devoted onerous flooring floorhead as is included with the pricier Dyson (#2).
Learn our full Shark Detect Pro Cordless vacuum cleaner review
Greatest premium vacuum for hardwood flooring
The Gen5detect is Dyson’s most technologically superior vacuum cleaner, which additionally signifies that it is the most costly stick vacuum within the lineup. However when you’ve got a much bigger price range, the most effective vacuum for hardwood flooring is undoubtedly the Dyson Gen5detect.
What issues is the truth that the Gen5detect excels at cleansing onerous flooring, and that is largely because of its purpose-built Fluffy Optic cleaner floorhead. This floorhead incorporates a super-soft, washable brushroll that will get proper up near your hardwood flooring with out scratching them up, and likewise packs laser illumination that can assist you spot mud and filth that you just may in any other case miss. This, mixed with distinctive suction energy, makes the Dyson Gen5detect an absolute whizz on hardwood flooring.
In our assessment we additionally discovered that the Gen5detect is sort of heavy and somewhat awkward to make use of in handheld mode, and whereas it has a whole lot of fancy options, together with real-time monitoring of what it is choosing up by way of its LCD display, you may discover all of it just a little overkill if all you need is one thing to maintain your flooring clear. By which case there are different choices that clear as properly for a cheaper price. The mannequin down can be properly price contemplating for hardwood flooring – examine it in our Dyson V15 Detect review or see what you are sacrificing for the (barely) cheaper price tag in our Dyson Gen5detect vs V15 Detect comparability.
Learn our full Dyson Gen5detect review
Greatest low cost vacuum for hardwood flooring
Whereas cordless vacuum cleaners appear to have develop into the de facto commonplace as of late, if you need most suction on the lowest worth then a corded mannequin is the best way to go. What you lose in cordless freedom you may acquire in energy (in addition to by no means having to fret in regards to the battery dying mid-clean), and you may additionally discover that the shortage of a built-in battery makes a corded mannequin lighter and extra maneuverable. And if you need an reasonably priced choice that excels on hardwood flooring, we might suggest the Shark Stratos Corded Stick vacuum (offered because the Shark Stratos Corded Stick Pet Professional within the UK).
Its LED-lit floorhead options two brushrolls – one with bristles and a gentle cloth one for onerous flooring – and the Shark Stratos Corded will run in both carpet or onerous flooring mode to present you optimum outcomes on any flooring kind. Our reviewer was significantly impressed by the vacuum’s energy and the way properly it picked up every part from high-quality mud to bigger particles, and was equally delighted by the Stratos’ odor-neutralizer know-how, which left his flooring feeling and smelling much more contemporary than he anticipated.
The Shark Stratos Corded’s modular design means it may well work as a stick vac and as a handheld, and it is gentle sufficient to make use of comfortably in any configuration. The one actual draw back is its small mud canister that is fairly fiddly to detach, one thing you may need to do quite a bit over the course of a deep clear.
Learn our full Shark Stratos Corded stick vacuum review
Greatest robotic vacuum for hardwood flooring
A robotic vacuum could be a actual time-saver for staying on high of cleansing with next-to-no effort required from you. They virtually all the time have much less suction than handbook vacuums, and are designed for staying on high of standard, gentle cleansing somewhat than deep cleans, however that usually will not be a problem for onerous flooring, which are typically undemanding to scrub. Our best robot vacuum information has all our favorites, however for the needs of this roundup, the Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni is our high choose for hardwood flooring.
It delivers reliably good vacuuming however may also mop, that means you may care for extra demanding cleansing duties. Some mopping robots can sling a whole lot of water round (which is dangerous information in case your flooring are actual hardwood somewhat than wooden impact), and the standard of mopping could be variable, however on check we discovered the Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni persistently did job.
Our reviewer famous that it isn’t fairly often that you’re going to discover a robotic that each vacuums and mops properly, however the Deebot T20 Omni does simply that. Not solely does it choose up all method of filth and particles in an orderly trend, it additionally mops evenly with out leaving streaks or swimming pools of water, because of a pair of mopping pads that each spin and apply downward stress. They’re going to additionally raise off the ground when not in use, and the Deebot T20 Omni’s base station will even wash them utilizing sizzling water so you may ensure they don’t seem to be merely spreading filth about.
Make no mistake, the Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni is an costly choice and it will not do every part for you; it isn’t superb at cleansing edges, which implies you may often need to get out a full dimension vac for a correct deep clear, and washing the mop pads generates a whole lot of soiled water that you will have to empty commonly. You will wrestle to discover a robotic vac that does a greater job on hardwood flooring, although.
Learn our full Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni robot vacuum and mop review
Greatest vacuum for hardwood flooring and pet hair
In the event you share your own home with a whole lot of pets, retaining on high of all that unfastened hair is a continuing wrestle, and the Samsung Jet 85 is the most effective vacuum for hardwood flooring that copes properly with pet hair. We reviewed the Pet model of the this vacuum, which comes with a mini motorized pet device for eradicating fur from furnishings, however what it is advisable to learn about should you’re cleansing hardwood flooring is the Full model, which incorporates a cleansing head designed for onerous flooring.
The Samsung Jet 85 delivers a complete lot of suction; in actual fact our reviewer discovered that its most Jet mode was so highly effective that you just’d be onerous pushed to search out any actual use for it. In its much less highly effective modes it did a wonderful job of choosing up all method of filth on onerous flooring, though it struggled with finer detritus on carpets. The Jet 85 is properly maneuverable, too, and will get underneath furnishings easily; it really works simply as properly in handheld mode, too. It additionally incorporates a five-step filtration system that is excellent news for allergy victims, and its well-sized dustbin is straightforward to take away and empty with out having to fish bits out together with your fingers.
The Samsung Jet 85 is obtainable within the UK however not within the US. In the event you’re within the US, the Samsung Jet 75 gives comparable efficiency at an identical worth.
Learn our full Samsung Jet 85 Pet vacuum cleaner review
How to decide on the most effective vacuum for hardwood flooring
Whereas the Shark Detect Professional Cordless at #1 in our listing may be the most effective vacuum for hardwood flooring total, it may not essentially be the best choice for you. To decide on a vacuum that’ll provide the greatest outcomes, you may want to consider a couple of issues.
Firstly, think about simply what kind of hardwood flooring you may have. When you have strong wooden flooring that is not coated or sealed, you may must deal with it gently, and meaning selecting a light-weight stick vacuum with a gentle brushroll. When you have wood-look flooring or coated/sealed wooden, you may afford to make use of a bigger upright mannequin, which additionally means you may profit from additional suction and a bigger bin capability.
Secondly, take into consideration how a lot of your flooring is hardwood and the way a lot is carpet or rugs. It is doubtless you may have no less than some carpet in your house, through which case you may want a vacuum that may clear properly on all surfaces; most vacs have adjustable flooring settings and a few will mechanically change energy settings relying on flooring kind.
Lastly, take a look at how properly every vacuum cleans round edges. Whereas on carpet, filth, hair and dirt tends to remain the place it’s, when you may have onerous flooring it tends to assemble alongside edges, so that you want a vacuum with robust edge efficiency. One other place all of the filth tends to build up is underneath furnishings, so be sure to choose a vac that is versatile sufficient to scrub beneath your couch.
Is vacuuming good for hardwood flooring?
Holding your hardwood flooring clear is unquestionably an effective way to make sure that it appears good and lasts a very long time, however is vacuuming one of the simplest ways to do this? As our information to how to clean a hardwood floor explains, the best strategy to hold a hardwood flooring clear is to brush it each day with a gentle broom or a dry microfiber mop to see off mud, and to hoover it extra completely on a weekly foundation.
Choosing the right vacuum signifies that you are extremely unlikely to scratch or harm your hardwood flooring whereas cleansing it, and all of our picks will hold issues spotless with out ruining your onerous flooring’s floor. So go forward and vacuum (but additionally take into consideration often mopping and, much less usually, sharpening your hardwood flooring in order that it appears even higher).
