I love using an upright vacuum for heavy-duty cleaning, and the AZ2002 packs the punch you need for tackling messes on carpets, couches, and floors. This model has two brushes: a soft roller brush and a foam-paddled brush. These work in tandem to increase contact with flooring and rugs, and I think it gives the vacuum a significant boost compared to models with just one traditional brush roll. The AZ2002 successfully picked up cat litter, dirt, and crumbs on a textured area rug.

All the cleaning modes are accessible right on the handle, so I was able to swiftly transition between carpet and laminate flooring without having to stop my cleaning session. The LED headlights brought attention to any dirt and gunk I missed during my initial swipes, too.

The AZ2002 also easily converts from an upright to a motorized canister vacuum. I especially liked using this functionality with the powered pet brush for cleaning couch cushions, so I didn’t have to haul the entire vacuum around. The hose and stick attachments extend to clean crevices and curtains, which I normally wouldn’t be able to reach.

The vacuum is on the heavier side, weighing a little over 16 pounds, but because it functions as a canister vac, I'm not too upset about sacrificing a little portability.

Full Shark AZ2002 Vertex Upright Vacuum Review

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I’ve had this vacuum from Shark for six years, and it has proved to be a reliable choice for apartments with hardwood, tile, area rugs, and two cats—so plenty of hair, litter, and dirt to go around.

I appreciate the Rocket for its lightweight build, convenient features, and usability. It transitions between hardwood and carpets using a switch right above the handle, and the base also detaches to become a handheld vacuum. The dustbin capacity is small, but that’s not uncommon for a stick vacuum. I just empty the dustbin whenever it gets too full by using the quick-release button.

The Rocket is easy to move around and underneath furniture, and it comes with useful attachments like a crevice tool, upholstery tool, and anti-allergen dusting brush for sucking up fine particles. The only bump in the road I’ve come across over the years is when I had a really shaggy carpet—the brush roll would often stop rotating and I’d have to untangle any fibers that got stuck.

You don’t get a ton of new tech with the Rocket, but I’ve found that it performs well on multiple surfaces. It also stores easily, and doesn’t require any hands-on effort emptying a bag or figuring out how to pair the appliance with a compatible app.

Full Shark Rocket Ultra-Light Corded Stick Vacuum Review

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The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser has a tangle-free brush roll, and even after using the vacuum on two large area rugs and hardwood floors, I didn’t find any hair wrapped in the bristles. What I did find, however, was plenty of pet hair, dirt, and dander in the dustbin because the suction power is strong enough to agitate carpet fibers and pick up debris that might not be completely visible.

I use the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Hand Vacuum on an everyday basis, so I was excited to see that this upright model comes with a dedicated pet hair attachment for the hose wand. I tried it on my couch cushions, and a couple pushes back and forth removed a majority of the mess. Plus, the canister detaches from the base so you can carry it around as you clean.

The vacuum only has two settings, plush carpet and low carpet/bare floor, so it isn't as versatile as other vacs for different floor types. But I liked being able to manually turn the brush roll on and off with a control switch on the base, which helped me tackle different cleaning tasks.

As a whole, this vacuum is a great option if you have pets. The combination canister-upright design adds maneuverability, and the attachments included are helpful for more intricate cleaning.

Full Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Allergen Lift-Off Vacuum Review

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When I think of canister vacuums, Miele comes to mind, and I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one. The brand is known for its powerful, well-designed canister vacuums, and the Classic C1 Turbo Team is, well, a classic.

It has six suction power settings, including options for hard floors, rugs, and even furniture. The floor head has a toggle switch that you can operate with your foot, switching between cleaning carpeting and hard floors easily.

The hose is long, which I found helpful because I didn’t have to lug the entire vacuum around as I cleaned. The cord is retractable, and the hose is completely detachable, so the C1 stores easily in a closet or laundry room. There’s also a removable component that holds the crevice tool and brushes.

The suction was impressive on low-pile carpets, but we wouldn’t suggest using this model on dense, thick carpets. The floor head also often lost suction during our tests. I particularly liked using this vacuum on furniture—it glided across the seat cushions, and the attachments came in handy for cleaning in between cracks and seams.

This style of vacuum captures dirt and other messes in self-sealing dust bags, so you’ll be able to clean for longer before needing to do any maintenance.

Key Specs

It might seem like cleaning is my favorite thing to do, given how many vacuums I’m testing regularly, but even I need a bit of a break sometimes. The Roborock Qrevo Series QV 35A has automated the process for me, so my weekly deep cleans don’t take nearly as long.

I have an 850 square foot apartment, and it took about 30 minutes for the vacuum to map out my entire home. It worked its way over thresholds, across varied floor types, and in tight spaces with ease. I was impressed by how well it differentiated between carpet and hard flooring, so I didn’t have to worry about my area rugs getting wet during the mopping cycle.

It took 61 minutes for the QV 35A to vacuum my entire apartment. It worked around the perimeter first, and then moved in a zigzag pattern around the rest of the interior. There are a few different power options, and I ran it on turbo for most of the cleaning cycle because I have two pets. I felt like the suction power delivered, but it did kill the battery relatively quickly.

Mopping is equally as satisfying, and it took roughly half the time to do all my laminate floors. The QV 35A automatically refills and empties its water reservoir, so I don’t really have to do anything besides turn it on and let it do its thing.

The robot vacuum attempted to work its way over the legs of my kitchen island chairs, and after a few tries, it got stuck. Obstacle avoidance was mostly accurate otherwise, but I had to manually add a no-go zone in the app so the vacuum avoids this spot in the future.

Key Specs

If a corded stick or upright vacuum isn’t the best choice for your home cleaning needs, then check out the LVAC-300 from Levoit. It’s a cordless stick vacuum that switches between hard floors, rugs, and tiles without skipping a beat or losing suction power. According to our tester, the vacuum uses three different modes to take on an array of cleaning jobs like picking up cat litter or fine dust, without spreading material around your floors.

It only weighs a little over six pounds so it’s easy to lift and maneuver, and the vacuum lays completely flat for cleaning under furniture. The LED headlight on the floor head illuminates any lingering messes in areas with less visibility.

The LVAC-300 is designed with a five-stage HEPA filter with as much efficiency as an air purifier, and it’s also washable and reusable. The dust container releases with the touch of a button, and it empties just as easily.

We’re keen on the LVAC-300’s handheld vacuum capability and the various attachments it comes with, like a mini motorized brush for couch cushions and beds, and a crevice tool that is slender enough for car seats. A minor inconvenience is that there’s nowhere to store these accessories, which might occasionally interrupt your cleaning session if you have to change tools.

Full Levoit LVAC-300 Cordless Stick Vacuum Review

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Dyson remains a top brand when it comes to cordless stick vacuums, and I’ve personally tested several of their latest models. The Gen5detect stood out to me because it offers 10 minutes more battery life when compared to the V15 Detect series we've previously tried, and that extra time goes a long way when you’re reaching the tail end of a cleaning session.

The vacuum comes with a laser cleaner to illuminate hidden dirt, dust, and debris on hardwood floors, and this feature has proved to be very useful for me, even in well-lit rooms. The traditional-style cleaner head works well on carpet, and neither head feels lackluster in suction power.

The cordless-to-handheld structure is nice for going from longer cleaning sessions to quick or more detailed cleaning, and I like using the hair screw tool for removing pet fur from couches, cushions, and more. Better yet, there is a built-in dusting and crevice tool that is great for quick cleanups.

An LCD screen on the handheld portion shows what size of particles you’re cleaning up in real time, along with battery levels and overall cleanliness status. The HEPA filtration is added peace of mind that you’re getting a thorough clean.

My main gripe is that this model doesn’t come with a trigger button to start and stop the vacuum like other Dyson’s, which is a feature I missed during testing.

Key Specs

We recently added the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum to our cleaning tool arsenal. It looks like something from the future, but it actually solves a lot of the problems cordless stick vacuums face in the present, namely when it comes to maneuverability and small-capacity dustbins.

The flexible center pole bends at a joint, which made it much easier for our tester to get under furniture and in tight spaces around his apartment. This vacuum uses detection technology to automatically adjust suction power based on the type of flooring and size of mess, so you don’t have to change manually and potentially miss spills or hidden debris. The floor head light helped illuminate dirt better, too.

Another useful feature is the docking station. Once our tester was finished cleaning, he locked the vacuum back onto the base, and it automatically suctioned collected dirt, hair, and dust out of the main dustbin. This doesn’t entirely offset the small dustbin capacity on the vacuum itself, but it’s nice not having to manually empty the receptacle after every clean.

Full Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum Review

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