You’ve probably been there, staring at your floor and dreading the chore. Maybe your old machine just isn’t cutting it anymore, leaving more behind than it picks up. That’s where a powerful vacuum upright vacuum cleaner can be a total game-changer for your weekly routine. It promises serious suction and easy storage, but does it actually deliver on that hype?
We put one of the latest models to the test in a real, lived-in home (complete with pet hair and cracker crumbs, of course). I’ll walk you through how it handles on carpets and hardwoods, whether its easy to empty, and if its worth your hard-earned cash. Get ready to see if this cleaner can make your floors sparkle without the struggle.
Product Comparison Table: 11 Best Vacuum Upright Vacuum Cleaner
| Image | Why We Like This Product | Editor’s Rating | |
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Shark | Upright Vacuum Cleaner | Navigator Lift-Away |…
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9.9 |
Read Review |
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Shark Upright Vacuum, Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe with Large Dust…
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9.7 |
Read Review |
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Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum, Hepa Filter,…
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9.6 |
Read Review |
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Bissell CleanView Compact Turbo Upright Vacuum with Quick Release…
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9.4 |
Read Review |
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Amazon Basics Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner for Carpet and…
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9.2 |
Read Review |
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Eureka NEU10AE5 Powerful Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner Carpet and…
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9.1 |
Read Review |
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Bissell 2252 CleanView Swivel Upright Bagless Vacuum with Swivel…
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8.9 |
Read Review |
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Shark Upright Vacuum, Navigator Lift-Away with Self-Cleaning Brushroll, HEPA…
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8.7 |
Read Review |
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Eureka Lightweight Powerful Upright Vacuum Cleaner for Carpet and…
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8.5 |
Read Review |
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Shark ZU102 Rotator Pet Upright Vacuum with PowerFins HairPro…
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8.4 |
Read Review |
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Bissell CleanView Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner with Active Wand,…
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8.2 |
Read Review |
Quick Review For Top 11 Vacuum Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Shark | Upright Vacuum Cleaner | Navigator Lift-Away | Swivel Steering | HEPA Filter | Vacuum for Pet Hair | Crevice Tool & Dusting Brush Included | For Carpets & Hard Floors | White/Silver | NV356E
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV356E upright vacuum cleaner is designed to tackle the common challenges of home cleaning, especially in households with pets. Its core feature is the Lift-Away functionality. You can detach the pod from the vacuum’s body, which gives you a portable, powerful canister for cleaning stairs, upholstery, and other above-floor areas without having to lug the whole unit around.
Maneuverability is a key focus.
The swivel steering lets you navigate smoothly around furniture legs, through tight corners, and under tables with minimal effort. For different floor types, the brushroll shutoff is essential. On carpets, the brushroll spins to deep-clean fibers, but you can instantly shut it off for a gentle, effective clean on hard floors, preventing scattered debris.
For pet owners, this model is particularly relevant. It’s built to pick up pet hair from carpets, floors, and furniture.
The included Pet Power Brush works with the vacuum’s strong suction to pull embedded hair and dander from upholstery. This is complemented by the Anti-Allergen Complete Seal system. It works with a HEPA filter to trap 99.9% of dust and allergens inside the vacuum, so they’re not released back into the air you breath, which is a big help for allergy sufferers.
Practicality extends to its capacity and accessories.
Shark Upright Vacuum, Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe with Large Dust Cup Capacity, HEPA Filter, Swivel Steering, Upholstery Tool & Crevice Tool, Blue, NV360
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe NV360 is an upright vacuum designed to handle the varied cleaning tasks in a modern home. Its core strength is multi-surface powerful suction, which means it can deep-clean carpets and effectively tackle bare floors without needing a separate machine.
A key feature of this model is its lift-away functionality. The main cleaning pod detaches from the vacuum’s body with a simple click.
This lets you easily clean under low furniture like beds or sofas. You can also detach the nozzle to carry the lightweight pod for cleaning above-floor areas, making it ideal for stairs, upholstery, and furniture.
For households with pets, this vacuum is a practical choice. It includes specialized attachments like the upholstery tool, which is designed for powerful pet hair pickup from couches, chairs, and car interiors.
The crevice tool helps you get into tight spots along baseboards and in corners. Maneuverability is enhanced by swivel steering, allowing you to navigate smoothly around table legs and other obstacles with minimal effort.
Cleaning different floor types is straightforward thanks to the brushroll shutoff feature. When you’re cleaning carpets, the brushroll agitates to lift dirt.
Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum, Hepa Filter, Anti-Allergen Technology, Swivel Steering, Ideal for Carpet, Stairs, & Bare Floors, with Wide Upholstery & Crevice Tools, Lavender
The Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum is designed to be a versatile and effective cleaning partner for your home. Its core feature is the Lift-Away functionality, which lets you detach the main pod from the upright body with a simple click. This means you can easily carry a powerful, self-contained vacuum unit to tackle stairs, upholstery, or even your car interior without dragging the whole machine behind you.
It’s a game-changer for multi-level homes and those hard-to-reach above-floor areas. This model takes air quality seriously with its Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology. It works in tandem with a HEPA filter to ensure that the dust, dander, and allergens it suctions up are trapped inside the vacuum, not expelled back into the room you’re cleaning. For households with allergies or pets, this is a critical feature that helps maintain a healthier environment.
Speaking of pets, the included wide upholstery tool is specifically great for lifting embedded pet hair from sofas, chairs, and curtains, making regular clean-ups much more manageable. Maneuverability is a strong point thanks to the Swivel Steering. The vacuum head pivots smoothly, allowing you to navigate around furniture legs, into corners, and through cluttered spaces with minimal effort.
Bissell CleanView Compact Turbo Upright Vacuum with Quick Release Wand, Full Size Power, Compact Size for Apartments & Dorms, 3437F
The Bissell CleanView Compact Turbo Upright Vacuum with Quick Release Wand, 3437F, is designed for those who need serious cleaning power without the bulk of a full-sized machine. It’s built with apartments, dorms, and smaller homes in mind, where storage space is tight but messes are just as big. At only 10 pounds, it’s remarkably lightweight, making it easy to carry up stairs or maneuver around furniture without feeling like a workout. Don’t let the compact size fool you, though.
It packs full-size suction power to tackle dirt and debris embedded in carpets and rugs. One of the standout features is the Scatter-Free Technology. If you’ve ever tried to vacuum crumbs on a hard floor only to watch them blow away from the brush roll, you’ll appreciate this. It helps capture those dry messes on tile, laminate, or wood with significantly less scatter, so you clean it up on the first pass. For cleaning beyond the floor, the quick-release extension wand is a total convenience.
With a simple button press, the wand detaches, allowing you to easily reach ceiling corners, window sills, upholstery, or those dust bunnies under the couch. It’s versatility that doesn’t require a separate tool. The design is all about functional simplicity. The dirt tank is easy to empty, and the filters are washable, which helps maintain performance and saves you money on replacements over time. Its slim profile means it tucks neatly into a closet corner or a small utility cupboard.
Amazon Basics Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner for Carpet and Hard Floors, With Crevice and Upholstery Tools, Detachable Handle, Lightweight (8.4 lbs), 1.7L Dust Cup, 720W, 25ft Cord, Black/White
The Amazon Basics Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner is designed to be a straightforward and effective solution for keeping your carpets and hard floors clean. Its core appeal lies in its simplicity and practical features, aiming to make a routine chore a bit less of a hassle.
One of the first things you’ll notice is how easy it is to move around. Weighing just 8.4 pounds, this vacuum feels noticeably lightweight when you’re pushing it across the room or carrying it up the stairs.
The 25-foot power cord gives you a generous reach, meaning you can often clean an entire room from a single outlet without having to stop and switch plugs. This combination makes for a cleaning session that’s less about wrestling with equipment and more about getting the job done.
Versatility is a key point here. The vacuum comes with two handy attachments: a crevice tool and an upholstery tool.
The crevice tool is perfect for getting into the tight spaces along baseboards, in between couch cushions, or in the corners of your stairs. The upholstery tool lets you quickly refresh sofas, chairs, and car interiors without needing a seperate machine. Plus, the handle detaches easily, turning the main vacuum into a portable spot-cleaning tool for above-floor areas, adding to its flexibility.
You won’t have to interrupt your cleaning to empty the dust cup constantly.
Eureka NEU10AE5 Powerful Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner Carpet and Floor, AirSpeed Ultra-Lightweight Vacuum Cleaner, w/ Replacement Filter, Blue
The Eureka NEU10AE5 Powerful Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is designed to be a straightforward, effective cleaning partner for your home. It focuses on core functionality, making the chore of vacuuming less of a burden with its thoughtful design and practical features. A central benefit of this vacuum is its powerful all-floor suction. It tackles both carpets and hard floors without needing you to adjust settings manually.
The 10.5-inch wide cleaning path means you cover more ground with each pass, helping you finish rooms faster. Whether its pet hair, dust, or everyday debris, the suction power is built to pull it up effectively. The whole unit is remarkably lightweight at just 7.7 pounds, so moving it up stairs or around furniture is genuinely easy, and your arm won’t feel fatigued. Its compact shape also means it tucks away neatly in a closet or corner without taking up much space.
For cleaning beyond the floor, the quick-release handle is a key feature. Simply detach the handle from the main body, and you can attach the included crevice tool or dusting brush. This lets you clean ceiling corners, window sills, upholstery, and other above-floor areas without needing a separate, handheld vacuum. The tools store directly on the vacuum itself, snapping securely into place so they’re always with you and never get lost.
Bissell 2252 CleanView Swivel Upright Bagless Vacuum with Swivel Steering, Powerful Pet Hair Pick Up, Specialized Pet Tools, Large Capacity Dirt Tank, Easy Empty
The Bissell 2252 CleanView Swivel Upright Vacuum is designed for homes with pets, focusing on practical cleaning and easy manueverability. Its core feature is the swivel steering, which lets you pivot around chair legs, under tables, and through tight spaces without constantly repositioning the whole machine. This makes the physical task of vacuuming less of a chore, as the vacuum follows your path with minimal effort. A major highlight is its performance on pet hair.
The Triple Action Brush Roll works in three steps: first it loosens embedded hair and dirt from your carpet, then it agitates the fibers to lift the debris, and finally it suctions it all away. This system is built to handle the stubborn hair that pets seem to shed everywhere. For hard surfaces like wood, tile, or laminate, the Scatter-Free Technology aims to contain dry messes instead of blowing them across the room, so you can clean up kibble or litter in one pass.
The included specialized pet tools are key for above-the-floor cleaning. You can use them on upholstery, stairs, or in your car to remove hair and dander from fabric surfaces. The vacuum also features Edge-to-Edge cleaning, meaning the suction path extends to the very side of the brush roll. This helps you get the dirt and dust that accumulates along baseboards and in room corners, areas older vacuums often miss. Maintenance is straightforward with this bagless model.
Shark Upright Vacuum, Navigator Lift-Away with Self-Cleaning Brushroll, HEPA Filter, Swivel Steering, Upholstery Tool & Pet Crevice Tool, Perfect for Pets & Multi-Surface, Teal, ZU503AMZ
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away ZU503AMZ is an upright vacuum designed to tackle the common headaches of home cleaning, especially in households with pets. Its core feature is the self-cleaning brushroll, which is engineered to pick up more pet hair while actively preventing hair from wrapping around the roller. This means you spend less time cutting hair off the brush and more time actually cleaning.
The vacuum operates at 1200 watts, providing strong suction for a thorough clean across various surfaces.
One of the most versatile aspects is the Lift-Away functionality. With a simple release, the pod detaches from the vacuum’s base. This allows you to easily clean under low furniture like beds or sofas. You can also detach the entire nozzle and carry the lightweight pod to clean above-floor areas such as stairs, upholstery, and shelving.
It effectively converts your upright into a portable, powerful hand vacuum in seconds.
For air quality, this model incoporates Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology combined with a HEPA filter. This system works to trap 99.9% of dust and allergens inside the vacuum, preventing them from escaping back into the air you breathe.
Eureka Lightweight Powerful Upright Vacuum Cleaner for Carpet and Hard Floor, PowerSpeed, New Model,Blue,black/New Model
The Eureka PowerSpeed Lightweight Upright Vacuum Cleaner is designed to be a straightforward, effective tool for keeping your carpets and hard floors clean. Its upgraded cyclone system is a key feature, working to capture everything from large debris to microscopic dust, which is great for maintaining air quality as it traps 99.9% of dust, dander, and allergens inside the machine.
You’ll find the powerful suction does a thorough job.
It penetrates deep into carpet fibers to pull out embedded dirt that other vacuums might leave behind. Despite this strength, the vacum remains pleasantly lightweight, so moving it around your home or carrying it up stairs isn’t a chore. It’s easy to maneuver and store.
Adjustability is simple with five height settings. You can quickly switch from cleaning a low-pile hard floor to a plush shag rug, ensuring the brush makes optimal contact for the best pickup.
The wheels are designed to roll smoothly on delicate surfaces like hardwood to prevent any scratches or marks as you go about your cleaning.
For jobs beyond the floor, this model comes with several handy accessories. The quick-release handle connects to a stretch hose for above-floor cleaning. You get a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and an upholstery tool right on board.
Shark ZU102 Rotator Pet Upright Vacuum with PowerFins HairPro & Odor Neutralizer Technology, Charcoal, 2.9 L Dust Cup
The Shark ZU102 Rotator Pet Upright Vacuum with PowerFins HairPro & Odor Neutralizer Technology is designed for households with pets and the unique cleaning challenges they bring. This model focuses on tackling hair, odors, and allergens with specific technologies to make maintaining a clean home more straightforward. A central feature is the PowerFins HairPro brushroll. It actively grips and captures stubborn hair from both carpets and hard floors, whether its long human hair or short pet fur.
This system works in tandem with a self-cleaning brushroll, which is engineered to minimize hair wrap. This means you spend less time cutting hair off the roller and more time actually cleaning, a significant benefit for pet owners who deal with constant shedding. Beyond hair, this adresses indoor air quality. The Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology creates a sealed system that works with a HEPA filter.
It traps 99.99% of dust and allergens inside the vacuum, preventing them from escaping back into the air you breathe. For odors that can accumulate from pet accidents or dander, the integrated Odor Neutralizer Technology helps guard against bad smells inside the vacuum itself, contributing to a fresher-smelling home after you clean. Practicality is a key theme. The large 3XL capacity dust cup holds 2.9 liters of debris, allowing for longer cleaning sessions without frequent stops to empty it.
Bissell CleanView Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner with Active Wand, 3536
The Bissell CleanView Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner with Active Wand, 3536 is designed to tackle your everyday messes without the hassle. It’s a straightforward, powerful tool for keeping your carpets and hard floors clean. We’ll break down what it does so you can see if it fits your home. A key feature is the Active Extension Wand. This wand extends up to 10 feet, letting you clean ceiling corners, under furniture, and along stairs without bending or straining.
You can quickly switch from floor vacuuming to above-floor cleaning, which is a real time saver. It stores right on the vacuum, so its always ready when you need it. For carpets, the CleanView uses OnePass Technology. The idea is simple: strong suction and a specialized brush roll work together to aim to clean thoroughly in a single pass. This means you might not need to go over the same spot repeatedly, making your cleaning sessions more efficient.
It’s built to handle common debris like pet hair, crumbs, and dirt embedded in the pile. Cleaning hard floors can sometimes just push debris around. The Scatter-Free Technology adresses this by helping to capture messes on surfaces like tile, laminate, or wood with less scatter. This means you can suck up cereal, dust, or coffee grounds without chasing it across the kitchen. It’s a small detail that makes a noticeable difference in the result.
Vacuum Upright Vacuum Cleaner Buying Guide
Choosing teh right model can make cleaning faster and more effective. Focus on the features that match your home’s specific needs to get the best results.
Brush Roll Design & Performance
When considering a vacuum upright vacuum cleaner, assess its brush roll and hose system. Is it a basic brush or a motorized one for deep carpet cleaning? Many models now feature a brush roll shut-off, which is essential for switching from carpet to hard floors without scattering debris. Ever tried to vacuum a rug fringe and had it get hopelessly tangled? A brush roll designed to resist hair wrap saves you from that frustrating chore.
Maneuverability & Weight
How easily does it pivot around furniture legs? A heavy vacuum can make cleaning stairs feel like a workout. Look for a balanced design and smooth-rolling wheels. Lightweight models are easier to carry, but sometimes sacrifice suction power—it’s a key trade-off to consider for multi-story homes.
Filtration & Dust Management
If allergies are a concern, the filtration system is non-negotiable. A sealed HEPA filter traps the finest dust particles inside the vacuum, preventing them from blowing back into your air. Check how easy it is to empty the dust cup, too. No one wants a dust cloud in their face every time thay empty it. A bagless model with a simple, mess-free release is a major plus.
Corded vs. Cordless Runtime
Corded models offer unlimited runtime, which is great for large areas. But a cordless vacuum provides unmatched convenience for quick clean-ups. The real question is: does the battery life match your home’s size? Always check the manufacturer’s stated runtime, but remember, using max power on carpets will drain it faster. For a whole-house clean, a long-lasting battery is crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vacuum Upright Vacuum Cleaner
What’s teh main advantage of an upright vacuum?
They are great for cleaning large carpeted areas quickly. Their design makes them easy to push back and forth. You don’t have to bend over as much, which is easier on your back.
Are upright vacuums good for hard floors?
Many newer models are! Look for one with a switch to turn off the brush roll. This stops it from scattering debris. Some also come with special hard floor attachments that work really well.
How important is the cord length?
Very important. A longer cord means less plugging and unplugging as you move room to room. Look for one thats at least 25 feet. It makes a big difference in a larger home.
What about bagged vs. bagless models?
Bagged vacuums tend to hold more dust and are less messy to empty. Bagless models save you from buying bags, but you’ll need to empty the canister and clean filters more regularly. It’s a personal preference.
Do I need a HEPA filter?
If you have allergies, a HEPA filter is a great idea. It traps very tiny particles like pollen and pet dander. Just remember, the filter needs to be replaced once or twice a year to keep working properly.
Can thay handle pet hair?
Absolutely. Many uprights are designed specifically for pet owners. Look for a powerful motor and a brush roll designed to pull hair off carpets without getting tangled. A good tool attachment for furniture helps alot, too.
Where should I store an upright vacuum?
Most stand on their own, so a closet corner works fine. Some have hooks for the hose and tools. Just make sure the cord is wrapped up neatly so you don’t trip on it.
How often should I empty it?
For best performance, empty the bag or dust cup when it’s about 2/3 full. A full vacuum loses suction power. Also, check and clean the brush roll every few months to remove wrapped hair and string.
Quick Recap
Your classic cleaning workhorse is ready to go. It’s built to handle your everyday messes with straightforward power and reliability. You get a tool that covers large areas quickly and tackles carpets with ease. It’s a simple, effective choice for keeping your home looking its best without any fuss.
When you choose a vacuum upright vacuum cleaner, you’re choosing a proven performer. It’s a reliable partner for your regular cleaning routine. Just plug it in, and you’re set to make quick work of floors. You’ll appreciate it’s no-nonsense approach to getting teh job done well, season after season.