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Our expert team tested the eight best canister vacuums on the market. After making huge messes on various test surfaces, we set the vacuums to work, noting how well they did along the way and which were the easiest to use.
The Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline performed the best overall. This powerful vacuum is great on low-pile carpet and hardwood floors. Plus, it is a breeze to use.
We continue to be impressed by the budget Eureka Mighty Mite. This mighty little machine is a fraction of the cost and weight as most, but that doesn't stop it from doing a great job. Pet hair is no match for this powerful canister vacuum.
We have tested lots of vacuums here at GearLab. If you are not set on a canister vacuum, check out our review on cordless stick vacuums. Want the vacuuming to get done for you? Consider a robot vacuum. Or, if you are looking for something more traditional, an upright vacuum is what you are searching for.
Editor's Note: On November 28, 2024, we updated this review after completely redoing our test plan. We devised more in-depth procedures to ensure our recommendations are the best. We reordered this entire lineup to be freshly tested.
We were continually impressed with the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline. This vacuum tackles almost everything and seamlessly transitions from carpet to hard floor. When on low pile carpet, the bristles on the brush head can be tucked away with just a flip of a switch (that's easily done by your foot). Then, when you travel back to hard floor, simply flip the switch with your foot to pop the bristles back out. We love how simple this is, as we don't necessarily want to spend our time switching out attachments. The C1 performed exceptionally well on hard floor. As the bristles brushed across the floor, the debris was swept in and sucked right up. Even on slated floors and right corners, we managed to pick it all up. In our hard flooring tests, this vacuum picked up a whopping 99.5% of the mess we created. This vacuum is incredibly easy to use, weighing just 13.1 pounds. If you have stairs in your house, this vacuum will gladly make the trek up and down them to get them clean. Back on normal floors, it has large wheels that allow the canister to glide gently behind you as you move around the room. The handle weighs just 2.2 pounds and has a reach of four foot two inches. So if you need to reach up high, you won't need to worry about lifting anything too heavy or standing on chairs to do so.
The C1 does well on low-pile carpet. We made a mess of Cheerios, rice, and sand to test, and it managed to clean up 90.87% of it. However, we can't say the same about high-pile carpet. This type of flooring is notoriously difficult for canister vacuums and finding a model that can tackle it all is hard to find. If you don't have any shag or high-pile, we wholeheartedly recommend this product. If you have high-pile that needs to be cleaned often, the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly Canister is the only vacuum in our lineup that excels at cleaning it. Additionally, the C1 is on the pricier end of vacuums, and the replacement bags aren't the cheapest either. However, it's worth considering how much vacuums go up in price from here. The premium model in this line is the Miele Complete C3 Calima PowerLine, which offers unique features like internal attachment storage and premium materials. The C1 doesn't have a rolling brush head as some of the other top models have, like the Miele C3. On the one hand, we like the simplicity of having one main attachment; on the other, the brush head is nice on carpet. Still, we are very impressed by the Miele C1 and recommend it to anyone searching for a versatile canister vacuum.
The Miele Classic C1 was our favorite canister vacuum thanks to its consistently good performance across the board.
There is a lot to love about the Eureka Mighty Mite beyond its favorable price tag. It is one of the lightest of the bunch at just 9.4 pounds. It was easy to hold in one hand while the other maneuvered around with the handle. That said, stairs are no trouble for this mighty little machine. If you find yourself vacuuming a considerable amount of steps, this is one we highly recommend. It has a very powerful suction that can be adjusted based on the surface you are cleaning. This vacuum was also the best for hard floor performance. We created a mess of Cheerios, rice, and sand and sprinkled it across hard floor and within a creviced bamboo mat. The Eureka picked up an impressive 99.3% from the hard floor and 98.1% from the crevices. We were also blown away by its edge-cleaning performance. It ate up absolutely everything along the wall edge, and it did so with ease. While the Mighty Mite doesn't have a plethora of attachments, it has a very effective combination tool, with exposed bristles on one side and hard plastic on the other. We found this to do very well as an upholstery tool in our testing.
While the Mighty Mite impressed us in many ways, there are some considerations to keep in mind. This budget-friendly model doesn't have the same bells and whistles that the more expensive models offer. There is no place to dock the canister on the handle so storing it is a little tricky. Additionally, the long handle shaft is not adjustable and the plastic tubing falls off easily during use. The construction quality between the Mighty Mite and the Miele C1 is noticeable. We preferred the attachments and features of the Miele, like the quick rewind function, which the Mighty Mite doesn't include. Additionally, we accidentally bumped the variable suction valve open or closed a handful of times. Like most other canister vacuums, this one struggled with high-pile carpet. If you have any high-pile carpet in your home, we highly recommend the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly Canister. However, we still think this option is a steal, especially if you need something lightweight. Other budget-friendly options in the lineup, and even some premium models, couldn't hold up against the Eureka Mighty Mite.
The Eureka Mighty Mite has a very strong suction that cleans hardwood and pet hair with ease.
Think about the space you need to vacuum. Is there lots of carpet? You're going to want the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly on your side to keep it clean. This impressive machine is equipped with the PowerMate spinning brush head that sucks up larger debris. High-pile and shag carpets are notoriously difficult for vacuums, but the Kenmore Elite didn't disappoint. We created a mess of Cheerios, sand, and rice in the carpet. Impressively, this canister was able to pick up a majority of it, especially when we spent more time with it. A large part of this is thanks to the height adjuster, which can be controlled by a tap of your foot. We love how the spinning brush head almost propels the machine forward. While many canister vacuums can feel tough to push, this one feels more like a traditional upright vacuum without the weight on the handle. It gently tugs on the canister making it glide along as you go. The Kenmore is also one of the best on hard floors. We simulated another mess on hardwood floors, and this vacuum was able to pick up a whopping 99.3% of it. This vacuum cleaner has a triple HEPA filtration system, and when tested, we found very few particles escaped from the machine. The machine was one of the easiest to use, with the power button located on the handle, as well as a button to turn off the brush roll. Additional features located on the canister itself were also easily switched on and off with just a tap of the foot.
The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly is the heaviest option in our lineup at 25.3 pounds. If you have stairs keep this in mind, as you will need to carry it up and down. However, if you don't need to vacuum multiple stories, the canister vacuum is actually very maneuverable thanks to its large wheels. The telescoping handle is also on the heavy side with the PowerMate attachment, weighing in at 8.9 pounds. This weight is significantly lessened with different attachments, but it still isn't the lightest of the bunch and has a long reach of four foot one inches. Additionally, the PowerMate head is bulkier than most and, therefore doesn't fit under tight places as well. This doesn't necessarily have to be a tradeoff for a brush head, though. The Miele C3 includes a roller brush that is more low profile and can fit under most furniture. Even though the Kenmore Elite suggests it is pet-friendly in its name, we didn't find it to be the best for pet hair. Instead, the Eureka Mighty Mite is worth taking a look at if you have shedding pets. All things considered, we highly recommend the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly Canister to anyone with a considerable amount of carpet, especially if any of it is high-pile.
We love how well the Kenmore Elite does on carpet but it also cleans hardwood exceptionally well too.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
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How We Test Canister Vacuums
We have been testing vacuums of all sorts for many years. We have gone even deeper with this canister vacuum review, testing them on various surfaces, assessing suction strength and attachments, and considering how easy they are to use. We designed a state-of-the-art vacuum-specific testing space in our lab. There, we have both low and high pile carpets, hard floor, bamboo slated mats, and plenty of edges to clean. For our carpet and hard flooring tests, we combined a half cup of each: Cheerios, sand, and rice. Then, we sprinkled them on our specified test surface. We spent 24 seconds vacuuming the space. While 24 seconds might sound a little odd, we determined this is the average time spent vacuuming a surface of this size. After we were done vacuuming, we weighed the debris collected by the vacuum and compared it to the pre-vacuum weight. For edges and upholstery, we used coffee grounds to see how much each machine could pick up. We even tested the suction power of these canister vacuums. We opted to test unsealed suction to give a more accurate depiction of how they will perform in your home. While sealed suction is great, it just isn't as realistic as unsealed. Vacuuming might not be the most fun chore to do, but it doesn't have to be unbearable. With that in mind, we also considered how easy each vacuum was to use.
Our tests are grouped into five key testing metrics:
-Carpet Performance (25% of overall score)
-Hardwood Performance (25% of overall score)
-Ease of Use (20% of overall score)
-Pet Hair (15% of overall score)
-Filtration and Suction (15% of overall score)
Our series of tests was designed to find out which canister vacuums were the best.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Why Trust GearLab
This review is brought to you by Lesley Robinson and Becca Glades. Lesley has a meticulous eye for detail, making her the perfect person to lead our canister vacuum tests. She has spent many years in the food sciences, where a detailed and measured approach is essential. Her expertise ranges from kitchen appliances to household appliances and much, much more. In her time with GearLab, she has developed test plans for some of the most complex items, including vacuums. Becca has been with the GearLab team for many years. She has tested everything from mesh wifi systems to tablets for kids. She loves all things tech, including vacuums. Years ago, her first vacuum was the cheapest one she could find. Frustratingly, the hose fell off every time she turned it on. After months of vacuuming with one hand holding the hose and the other the handle, she began diving deeper into the intricacies of vacuums. She is now a vacuum pro and knows just what to look for. She is often vacuuming the mess her toddler and two shedding dogs make and appreciates an option that quickly turns on and stores away easily.
Our suction test uses a manometer attached to a hole in a test surface.
We even tested cord length.
We did a lot of vacuuming during our tests to ensure we recommend the best canister vacuums.
We test each and every model with our very own hands to see how well they perform in various evaluations.
Analysis and Test Results
Regardless of the space you need to clean, a good vacuum needs to be by your side. We put our lineup through the wringer to see how well they could vacuum various surface types.
What's the Best Value?
The Eureka Mighty Mite is small but mighty. It is all business when it comes to hard flooring and pet hair. Plus, it is a fraction of the cost of the top performers. For a budget option, we highly suggest looking into this one. However, if you are willing to spend more, the Miele C1 is worth your consideration. It did the best across the board, yet its pricetag isn't the most premium of the bunch. While you certainly can spend a lot less than this, it is a model we will happily use for years to come, while some of the cheaper options have less impressive designs.
The Eureka Mighty Mite doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive models, but it is still a well-performing canister vacuum.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Carpet Performance
Canister vacuums have been around for over 100 years (yes, really), and as you can imagine, they have been redesigned and improved through the years. It was once the case that canister vacuums weren't the best on carpet, but that simply isn't the case anymore. Many have a pile height adjustment feature, and some even have carpet-specific spinning heads. We found that many in our lineup tackled low-pile carpet with ease. Much of that is due to the exceptionally high suction power of canister vacs. However, high-pile carpet continues to be a challenge for canister vacuums, along with most others.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Low Pile
Low pile has a short height of carpet fibers, typically less than half an inch. Most modern homes are carpeted with low pile, and many rugs are also low pile. This type of carpet is typically easier to clean because the vacuum can get closer to the debris without any interference from long fibers. Because low-pile is typically tighter and has less space between fibers, larger debris has a tougher time making its way down deep within the carpet - this is easier to clean.
We dumped a cup and a half of a mixture of Cheerios, sand, and rice on our test carpet. We then switched on the vacuums to see how much they could pick up in a 24-second window. This might seem like an oddly specific time to vacuum, and it is. We tested and trialed, finding that the average person vacuums a standard area for 24 seconds. So, to see how these vacuums worked for the average person, we kept it to this time limit. That said, should you choose to spend more time vacuuming, you'll likely get slightly more picked up. We then weighed the collected amount and compared it to the original weight of the debris.
The Kenmore 600 tackled low pile carpet with no trouble. The 600 Series picked up about 93.3% of the mixture, the most out of the lineup. The roughly 7% not picked up was mostly Cheerios, as the low-pile setting on this model is so low that it mostly pushes the cereal around. We simply switched this to the high pile setting and were able to suck up most of the remaining Cheerios. The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly also did well here, sucking up 91.3% of the mess. The Pet Friendly did better with larger debris like Cheerios but required more time to pick up the rice. Both Kenmore models have a roller brush, much like a traditional upright vacuum. This head is removable for when you switch to hard flooring.
The Kenmore 600 has a spinning brush head, much like an upright vacuum, which is effective on low-pile carpet.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Instead of a spinning brush head, the Miele C1 has a traditional style attachment that can tackle hard flooring and carpet. Though it doesn't have the spinning brushhead, the bristles along the edge can be tucked away with a switch for easy transition between various floor types. It proved to be very effective at cleaning low-pile carpet, cleaning roughly 90.1% of the mess we created. The Miele C3 includes an additional carpet-specific spinning head, as well as the standard hard floor attachment. However, this brush head does not have a height adjustment. For low pile carpet, we were able to pick up 90.1% of spilled debris with the C3. However, we found both vacuums performed much better with slower strokes. When quickly rolling over an area, the C3's roller brush would throw the rice, and we even had it clog once with a high concentration area of debris. That said, if you have the spare time to move slightly slower, these models clean low-pile exceptionally well. Both models have an adjustable suction power, which is handy for varying carpet and floor types. If you find it too hard to push across your carpet, you can always bump down the suction.
Before TestingAfter Testing
This before and after shows how effective the Miele C1 is on low-pile carpet.
The Koblenz Centauri did a decent job picking up the mess we created with Cheerios, sand, and rice. It cleaned 88.2% of debris, mostly leaving behind sand. Though it did a decent job picking up the rest, rice would lodge itself into the filter holes, which proved to be fairly challenging to remove. The Eureka Mighty Mite followed closely behind with 87.6% picked up. However, roughly 9% of this never made it in the bag but was located within the inner cavity of the canister. While this still picked it up off the floor, it made for a clean-up job later on.
The Koblenz did a decent job on low-pile carpet, leaving behind a small bit of sand.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
High Pile
High-pile carpets are notoriously challenging to clean. Debris gets lodged down in the long fibers, and over time, these fibers begin to knot, locking in dirt. Still, high-pile carpets exist and need to be cleaned. We spread the cup and a half mixture of Cheerios, rice, and sand into our test rug. We noted the before and after weight of the mixture, taking the after weight from what was caught in the vacuum. We then translated that into a percentage, which is what you see below.
The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly had a noticeably better performance when cleaning shag carpets among its competitors. It picked up 68.7% of the Cheerios, rice, and sand mixture. While this percentage doesn't sound as high, keep in mind that shag and high-pile carpets are hard to fully clean, especially with smaller debris (like sand) that can make its way deep into the fibers. The vacuum did much better here thanks to the spinning brush head and adjustable height, much like a traditional upright. While the spinning brush head has much to do with how well it performed in cleaning high-pile, it also got stuck a few times by the high-pile, requiring us to reset the vacuum with the button on the head. Still, if you own a shag carpet, consider how much better the Kenmore Elite performed than others in the lineup.
Before TestingAfter Testing
This before and after shows how effective the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly tackles high-pile carpets.
The next best was the Kenmore 600, picking up 57.5% of spilled debris. This vacuum mostly picked up the Cheerios and left behind the rice and sand. The rest of the lineup struggled to pick up half of the mess we made, and that is just the reality with canister vacuums and high-pile carpet. The Eureka WhirlWind cleaned 56.7% of the mess on our high-pile test rug, but struggled to effectively clean any specific item type within our mixed debris.
Overall, we were the most impressed with the Kenmore models when it came to carpet cleaning. Both have spinning brush heads that tackle carpet much like a standard upright vacuum cleaner. The Kenmore 600 Series did the best on low pile carpet, while the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly tackled high pile the best. If you have any high-pile or shag in your home, we highly recommend the Kenmore Elite.
Some of the vacuums in our carpet performance tests picked up the debris with ease, while others struggled a bit.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Hardwood Performance
We took the same approach with hardwood floors as we did with carpet, spilling a cup and a half of mixed Cheerios, rice, and sand all over the place. We then vacuumed the floor for 24 seconds and measured how much we were able to clean. Then we tested how well the vacuums could clean in crevices. We placed 21 grams of red sand within a slated bamboo mat, again measuring how much each vacuum could pick up. Finally, we tested each vacuum along a wall edge, noting how much coffee grounds it could pick up.
For our crevice test, we measured and sprinkled bright red sand into a slot in our bamboo mat. Then, we assessed how much was left over in the end.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Hardwood Cleaning Performance
Canister vacuums excel at cleaning hard floors, and many in our lineup proved this to be true. After dumping a cup and a half on the floor of debris, we were able to clean up 99.5% of it with the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction. We had absolutely no trouble with this vacuum on hardwood flooring. The bristles can be exposed with a tap of the foot, and they help to funnel the debris into the large opening and strong suction.
The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly and Eureka Mighty Mite each followed closely behind vacuuming up 99.3% of our spilled mess. The Kenmore Elite picked up all Cheerios, leaving behind only a small amount of rice and sand. The Mighty Mite also left behind minimal debris. It has a very strong suction that can be adjusted by a valve on the handle. Both vacuums smoothly traversed our hardwood floors.
We made a huge mess on our test floor then put the Eureka Mighty Mite to the test.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Miele Complete C3 Camila plowed some of the debris at first, but was able to ultimately clean up 98.8% of the mixture. The Kenmore 600 Series Pet performed similarly with 98.1% of the mixture cleaned. It also plowed some debris at first, but was able to pick almost all of it up when pulled backwards. Our lead tester said, “I got so much the first few passes that I had time to go back over the area once more.” The Kenmore 600 only had a few grains of rice left behind.
The Miele Complete C3 ultimately picked up most of the debris on the floor, but it plowed the Cheerios around a little bit first.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Koblenz is also worth a mention here, cleaning 97.9% of the mess. It pushed some of the larger pieces around at first but was able to get most of the debris within our 24 second test window. It has a well designed brush head that has gaps in the bristles. This effectively acts as channels for larger debris to pass through and get sucked up.
To switch between carpet and hard floor mode, just flip the switch on the head with your foot to expose the bristles.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Crevice Test
Our crevice test was fairly simple, but showed us exactly which vacuums could handle cleaning tricky places. We placed 21 grams of sand under a slated bamboo mat. Then, we sealed the base of the bamboo mat and ensured no sand could escape. We then passed over the mats four times to and fro, measuring how much we were able to pick up.
This comparison shows how some vacuums had no trouble picking up the red sand within the crevice while others struggled and began to pick up the mat.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
We were the most impressed by the Eureka Mighty Mite in this test. It has a very strong suction that quickly and easily picked up 98.1% of the sand from the crevices. The Miele Classic C1 also has excellent suction strength and sucked in 96.6% of the sand. Not only that, but it moved over the gaps fairly smoothly.
Crevice Cleaning Perfomance (%)
Product
Percent Cleaned
Eureka Mighty Mite
98.1
Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction
96.67
Bissell Zing Bagless
95.2
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly
90.48
Koblenz Centauri
79.52
Eureka WhirlWind
72.4
Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate
65.71
Miele Complete C3 Calima
59.05
The Bissell Zing was another strong contender here, cleaning 95.2% of the sand. However, the suction was so strong that is began lifting up some of the slats. Not to mention, it struggled with the rest of our hardwood tests, often clogging when too many Cheerios were picked up at once as the suction hole is much smaller than others.
The Bissell Zing does well with smaller debris, but quickly clogs when too much large debris is picked up at once.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Miele Complete C3 was less than impressive here when we used the standard parquet twister head. It only cleaned 59.05% of the sand from the slats. We switched out the attachments to the crevice tool and were able to quickly and easily clean up the rest of the sand it missed. While we love the inclusion of the crevice tool, we want a machine that can perform well without necessarily needing to switch attachments every time.
The Miele Complete C3 did much better in our crevice test when using the crevice-specific attachment.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Edge Cleaning
We sprinkled two tablespoons of coffee grounds along a 16-inch stretch of baseboard. We conducted two sub tests here. One, we plowed into the grounds head on, perpendicular to the wall. The second was us running parallel along the edge of the wall. Some vacuums perform well one way, while other perform well another. However, some tackle the grounds both directions, like the Eureka Mighty Mite. We had absolutely no trouble getting this vacuum to clean up all the coffee ground, no matter how we approached it.
The Mighty Mite left nothing behind when moving parallel to the wall.
When moving head-on the Eureka Mighty Might managed to grab all the coffee.
Regardless of the direction we approached the coffee grounds, the Mighty Mite picked it all up with ease.
Both the Miele C1 and Miele C3 performed above average here and roughly the same. When approached head on, they picked up almost all the coffee grounds leaving a small amount behind. When run parallel to the wall, they picked up everything. The same was true for the Bissell Zing. Just a small amount of grounds were left when hitting them head on, and with a second pass, we would have been able to get the rest.
When approached head-on, the Miele almost cleans the grounds. However, when moving parallel to the wall, we got it all.
Credit: Lesley Robinson
We tested the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly with both the standard floor head and the PowerMate attachment. The standard floor head was able to clean up almost all the coffee grounds. It pushed the coffee grounds forward as we ran across the edge parallel. We paused for a second before turning off the machine and it was able to pull in all the grounds. The PowerMate head cleaned everything head on, but left a small amount of grounds along the edge, though.
The Kenmore Elite got all the coffee grounds when moving parallel to the baseboards.
With the PowerMate head, we weren't able to get as tight to the wall.
The first photo shows the parallel performance of the standard attachment, while the second shows the grounds left behind by the PowerMate attachment.
With all things considered and tested, the Eureka Mighty Mite was our top performer on hard flooring. It plowed through the debris and picked up just about all of it. The Miele Classic C1 and Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly follow closely behind with impressive performances. All of these models were smooth and easy to use on hard flooring.
With just a tap, the bristles on the Mighty Mite become exposed and are ready to tackle hardwood flooring.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Ease of Use
Canister vacuums have some major perks when it comes to ease of use. They don't contain the entire motor on the handle, so they can typically reach under furniture much easier than the alternatives. They also are quite lightweight, making them a great choice for traversing staircases. The hose is typically long, while some models have telescoping handles for the perfect height. However, we found they have shorter cords than most uprights, which is often because they roll up within the unit instead of being exposed externally.
Canister Vacuum Measurements
Cord Length
Hose Length
Cleaning Width
Max Reach
Bissell Zing
15' 5"
5' 1"
10.1"
3' 6"
Eureka Mighty Mite
20'
6' 9"
10.5"
4' 3"
Eureka WhirlWind
15'
4' 8"
10"
3' 10"
Kenmore 600 Series
28'
6'
14"
4' 3"
Kenmore Elite Pet
25' 7"
6' 8"
13.75"
4' 1"
Koblenz Centauri
14' 5"
4' 10"
9.75"
3' 9"
Miele Classic C1
17' 6"
5' 2"
11.25"
4' 2"
Miele Complete C3
24' 1"
5' 10"
11'
4' 10"
Maneuverability
We had the easiest time getting the Miele Classic C1 around our test space. When transferring from carpet to hard floor, or vice versa, you don't need to stop and switch out heads. Instead, you simply switch the mode on the brush head with your foot. This either exposes or tucks away the hard floor bristles. The head itself is stiff enough to hold its position but moves well around objects, like table legs and chairs. The system weighs just 13.1 pounds, with the tubing and floor head weighing 2.2 pounds. Unless you have stairs, you won't necessarily need to pick up the unit. And even if you do, it feels lightweight in hand, and the handle isn't overly cumbersome. The C1 has various suction settings, but this is located on the canister, which isn't as easy as if it were on the handle.
The Miele Classic C1 moved well through our living space, fitting around tight corners and under couches.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Miele C3 also effortlessly slid across the room. The roller brush is specifically meant for the carpet, but does a reasonable job on various surfaces. We suggest swapping out the brush heads on hard surfaces, but if you're in a pinch for time, keeping it to one brush head is just fine. All buttons on the machine are easy to tap with a toe, so you won't need to bend over, even when retracting the cord. Both Miele models quickly retract the power cord with a button - no more wrapping up the cord when you're done cleaning. The swivel of the C3 is very smooth, effortlessly making its way around furniture and tight spaces.
The lightest vacuum in the line is the Bissell Zing, which weighs 9.3 pounds, with the tubing and floor head weighing just 0.80 pounds. Our testers mentioned, “This machine is so lightweight that it's easy to hold the canister by the handle and carry it around while vacuuming. It also rolls pretty well on the two large wheels if you leave it on the ground.” As you are headed up and down stairs, this lightweight can be very helpful and prevent a tumbling vacuum.
The Bissell Zing is the lightest in our lineup at just 9.3 pounds.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Some in the lineup were quite heavy, like the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly, which weighed 25.3 pounds. If you frequently need to vacuum a lot of stairs, this unit isn't the best for the job. However, it has a long reach, and is otherwise very pleasant to use. It glides over various surfaces without trouble. The brush head almost propels it forward, so you don't have to push much at all. The canister gets lightly pulled along with the large wheels allowing for smooth movements.
The Kenmore Elite made its way through our obstacle course with ease.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Ease of Cleaning
When we talk about ease of cleaning, we aren't referring to how well the vacuums clean the floor. We are talking about how easy it is to clean the vacuum itself. Meaning, how easy it is to take the vacuum apart, change out bags, clean filters, and so forth. The Kenmore 600 Series and Miele C3 were by far the easiest to clean. The Kenmore 600 has a HEPA filter that occasionally needs to be changed, which was incredibly quick and easy to do. It can't be washed, so new replacements will need to be acquired.
Canister Vacuum
Bag
Bagless
Bissell Zing
✖
Eureka Mighty Mite
✖
Eureka WhirlWind
✖
Kenmore 600 Series
✖
Kenmore Elite Pet
✖
Koblenz Centauri
✖
Miele Classic C1
✖
Miele Complete C3
✖
For both the Miele and Kenmore models, the replacement bags simply slide into place. These are disposable, so you'll want a few extra on hand depending on how much you vacuum. Both the Miele C1 and C3 have an indicator light on the canister to let you know a bag change is needed. Neither the Koblenz nor the Bissell Zing have disposable bags. This makes them much more involved in cleaning, but you won't need to buy replacement bags.
The Koblenz empties by unclipping a hinge and dumping its contents rather than removing a disposable bag.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Upholstery and Attachments
It's great to have attachments, but if they aren't effective at cleaning, they aren't very useful. We took note of all the attachments offered by each model. We also considered how easy they were to store on or within the machine. Then, we tested them out. We sprinkled coffee grounds on a cloth throw pillow. We used the upholstery tool offered by each vacuum to clean it up and rated based on how effective it was.
The pricey Miele Complete C3 Calima has all the attachments you could possible need, including a spinning brush head.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Miele Classic C1 and Miele Complete C3 had the best performance when cleaning coffee grounds off the test pillow. With just one swipe, both were able to vacuum all the grounds with the upholstery tool. Additionally, both have an upholstery setting that kicks down the power. These two related models have almost the same attachment options, with the C3 including the TurboTeq spinning brush head. The C3 also has storage for its attachments within the canister itself. We preferred this as it was more compact and we were less likely to lose an attachment. The C1 houses its attachments on a holder that attaches to the hose either at the handle or the base.
The Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline doesn't have internal storage for its attachments. Instead, they sit on an external holster.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate and Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly both include a Pet PowerMate attachment that picked up almost all of our spilled coffee grounds. This is a smaller brush roll that is meant for pet hair, but does well at cleaning other messes too. We also tested the dusting brush that is included with these models. Both performed exceptionally well, vacuuming most of the coffee grounds.
The Kenmore 600 left behind minimal coffee grounds.
The Kenmore Elite left behind almost no coffee grounds.
Both the Kenmore 600 (left) and Kenmore Elite (right) cleaned up most of the coffee grounds off our throw pillow
The Eureka Mighty Mite only includes three tools, the crevice tool, combination tool, and floor tool. However, this was enough for our upholstery tests. The combination tool is two sided, with one side having exposed bristles and the other having a hard plastic edge. Because the bristles are longer the tool was farther away from the upholstery surface so the tool wasn't stuck like a suction cup on the surface.
Overall Ease of Use Score
Product
Manuverability
Cleaning
Upholstery
Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction
7.5
9.0
10.0
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly
7.5
8.0
9.0
Miele Complete C3 Calima
7.5
7.0
10.0
Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate
6.0
9.0
9.0
Eureka Mighty Mite
6.0
7.0
9.0
Eureka WhirlWind
7.0
5.0
6.0
Bissell Zing Bagless
6.0
5.0
6.0
Koblenz Centauri
4.0
5.0
5.0
This chart breaks down the scores (1-10) for each of the submetrics discussed above.
Overall, the Miele Classic C1 did the best across the board in our ease of use tests. However, the Kenmore Elite and Miele Complete C3 follow closely behind. Keep in mind the Classic C1 does not have internal storage for its components, nor does it have a spinning brush head. If these features are something you want, be sure to check out the other two options mentioned here.
The Miele C1 has external storage for its attachments, which rest on the tubing in a holster.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Pet Hair
Ever finish cleaning to turn around and see a ball of pet hair floating across the floor? Us too, and fueled by this frustration of feeling like you never cleaned, we devoted an entire testing metric just to pet hair. Our cats and dogs gladly lent us some hair for our tests. We combed it in to low and high pile carpets. Along with this, we threw in some human hair extensions to see how well the vacuums could handle the hair combination. We measured the weight of hair massaged into the carpet and compared it to the weight sucked into the vacuums.
Pet Hair Cleaning Perfomance (%)
Product
Low Pile
High Pile
Eureka Mighty Mite
86
94
Koblenz Centauri
90
80
Bissell Zing Bagless
94
62
Eureka WhirlWind
82
66
Miele Complete C3 Calima
82
64
Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate
70
74
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly
68
76
Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction
22
68
On mixed carpet surfaces, the Mighty Mite plowed through the most hair, picking up 86% on low-pile and 94% on high-pile. This was the best performance of all for high-pile. The bristles effectively worked the hair out of the carpet, where the strong suction was able to pull it in. This vacuum doesn't have a brush roll, so we never had any trouble with the hair getting stuck.
The Eureka Mighty Mite picks up most pet hair on low-pile carpets, with what is left behind being unnoticable.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Low Pile
Alone on low-pile, the Bissell Zing and Miele C1 actually did better than the Mighty Mite. The Bissell grabbed an impressive 94% of the hair we deposited into the carpet. Our lead tester noted, “The short bristles on the front of the head acted as a brush to lift the hair off the carpet surface and then got pulled in when the head was lifted off the carpet.” The Miele followed closely behind capturing 91% of the hair. Visually, just a few strands appeared to be left. With performances like the Zing and C1, we were more than happy with the results. Our test carpet looked and felt clean, even though a handful of strands were left behind.
Pet hair was no match for the Mighty Mite, especially on low-pile carpet, though a little did get stuck in the bristles.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Koblenz and Eureka WhirlWind also performed well with picking hair off of low pile carpet. The Koblenz specifically grabbed the hair extensions, leaving behind almost exclusively pet hair. The bristles on this brush head are much shorter than others and struggled to “brush out” the pet hair. The WhirlWind also offered decent performance with 82% of hair picked up, though the hair gets wrapped around the filter in the dirt cup, and requires disassembly to get cleaned.
Before TestingAfter Testing
The Eureka WhirlWind did a great job picking up pet hair in our tests.
On high-pile carpet, the Mighty Mite was the obvious winner, collecting 94% of the hair massaged into the carpet. If you have a shedding pet and a high-pile carpet, this vacuum is worth checking out. The rest of the vacuums struggled to clean up pet hair off of the high-pile carpet. The next best was the Miele C1, which picked up 80% of the pet hair. The 20% left behind wasn't overly noticeable, but still not as impressive as the Mighty Mite.
Before TestingAfter Testing
The Miele C1 did an impressive job cleaning pet hair off our high pile rug, with minimal left behind.
We want to make sure that your air is clean during and after your vacuum session. We developed state-of-the-art tests to determine how many particles are escaping these vacuum cleaners while they run. Additionally, a weak vacuum isn't going to be much help, and we went through many trials to perfect our suction tests. Below we outline how these canister vacuums performed at filtering dust and debris, along with our results from extensive suction testing.
We used two Dylos monitors to determine how many particles were exiting the canister vacuums.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Filtration
As you vacuum, debris gets pulled in and ideally trapped within the unit, whether it be a disposable bag or the canister itself. However, particles can continue to make their way through the system and back out into the open air. This essentially spits out allergens and potentially harmful particles right into the air you breathe. As such, most vacuums have a filtration system to catch these escape particles and keep them within the system. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are becoming increasingly common in vacuums and typically have the highest level of filtration. To test the effectiveness of each filtration system, we used a Dylos Air Quality Monitor to count particles that escaped. We double-checked our work with an extra particle counter, testing for small particles (2.5-0.5 µm) and large particles (>2.5 µm). The lower the number of particles, the better. This means that the filtration system is working to keep it all in, and keep your air healthy while you vacuum.
Canister Vacuum Filtration System
Average Peak - Small Particle
Average Peak - Large Particle
HEPA Filter?
Bissell Zing
1,952.67
60.00
✖
Eureka Mighty Mite
335.17
12.67
✖
Eureka WhirlWind
159.50
21.17
✖
Kenmore 600 Series
62.00
37.67
Kenmore Elite Pet
57.67
27.67
Koblenz Centauri
203.17
25.33
✖
Miele Classic C1
57.00
16.00
✖
Miele Complete C3
26.00
14.50
The Miele Complete C3 had the best filtration in the lineup. Our testing only picked up 26 small particles on average and an average of 14.5 large particles. The debris makes its way into a HyClean GN filter bag. After this, there is an exhaust filter and HEPA motor filter to prevent most debris from escaping the unit. The Miele C1 also performed well here, though it does not have a HEPA filter. Still, it only 57 small and 16 large particles.
The Miele Complete C3 is one of the few with a HEPA filter in our lineup.
Credit: Chris McNamara
The Kenmore 600 and Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly also have HEPA filtration systems within their design. As such, they both do exceptionally well filtering out small and large particles.
Every so often the filters need to be replaced, which isn't a huge chore, but worth considering.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Suction
If there is one thing canister vacuums are known for, it is their impressive suction. For our evaluations, we tested unsealed suction. Unsealed suction gives us a clear representation of how these vacuums perform during real use. We created a wood platform with a hole in the center that is connected to a manometer, or a fancy tool to test pressure. We use this value in pascals to get a clear reference for which vacuums have the most suction power. The higher the value, the more suction it has.
The Miele C1 has the highest suction of any in our lineup, with 3957 pascals. This is almost double the suction strength of the next best. However, a huge amount of suction isn't always needed and can be troublesome. For example, washable rugs and curtains can get sucked in if the suction is too high. The C1 has a suction strength dial, so you can cut back the strength when needed. So, for those tricky curtains or bathroom rugs, you won't have to worry about sucking up the whole thing. This also makes it easier to coast along carpet. When you need that oomph of power, the C1 totally has it.
We tested unsealed suction, as it is during normal use. The Miele C1 has the highest suction power of any in the lineup.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Bissell Zing has the next highest suction score at 2090 pascals. The Zing also has variable power options located on the handle, so less power is available for softer items that can easily get sucked in. We also needed to turn down the suction power on carpet as the high setting was too difficult to push. However, this high setting smoothly brushed across hard surfaces. The Koblenz follows closely behind 1767 pascals, but we found this vacuum is easier to pull rather than push due to its high power and stiff brush head. This model also has variable power settings, including curtains, fabrics, upholstery, high and low pile carpets, energy saving, hard flooring, and heavily soiled carpets.
As we moved over the hole in our test surface, the unsealed suction pressure was able to be read.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Noise
Finally, we gave a nod to the noise output from each machine when used on high. Let's face it, vacuuming is a noisy task, so we didn't put much weight into this subtest, but we still consider it useful information.
The quietest models, the Eureka WhirlWind and Bissell Zing, weren't necessarily our strongest models in performance and suction. Our best-performing models ended up towards the middle of the pack, including the Miele C1 and Eureka Mighty Mite. The Miele C1 includes a “quiet” mode, but it was hard to actually tell the difference. Because all the vacuums have close noise levels, we suggest choosing a model based on its cleaning performance and ease of use over the level of noise it makes.
There's lots to consider when choosing a vacuum. Lucky for you, we have done the testing to find out which are the best.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Conclusion
We know there is a lot to consider when choosing a vacuum. If you still aren't sure what style of vacuum you want, we have compiled a list of the best vacuums on the market today, of all styles. Regardless of what you choose, we hope we have made it easier to choose a vacuum that is right for you.
