A vacuum cleaner is a must-have appliance in every house. There are many types of vacuum cleaners on the market, each is suitable for a particular need. Carpets and rugs need one type of vacuum cleaner, wood floors need another type, stairs need another type. I’ll review some good powerful vacuum cleaners for some purposes of use.
Here are my top picks for the most powerful vacuum cleaners:
Most Powerful Upright Vacuum Cleaners
- Bissell Cleanview Upright Bagless 1831 – Best overall
- BISSELL Cleanview Swivel Pet Upright Bagless 2252 – Best for pet hair
- Oreck Commercial XL Commercial Upright XL2100RHS – Furniture friendly option
- Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet NV752 – Best for allergy sufferers
- Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright – Best for high pile carpets
- Shark Navigator DLX Upright Vacuum – Strongest
Most Powerful Canister Vacuum Cleaners
- Compact C1 Pure Suction canister vacuum cleaner – Best overall
- Kenmore 600 Series Bagged Canister Vacuum – Best for pet hair
- Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Canister Vacuum Cleaner – Best for large home
- Miele Electro+ Canister Vacuum Marine Blue (Compact C2) – Best for carpets
- Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum – Self-righting design
- Severin Germany Nonstop Corded Bagless – Quiet option for allergy sufferers
Most powerful upright vacuum cleaners
Upright and Canister are the two most common types of vacuum cleaners. Both of them have pros and cons. First, upright vacuum cleaners have the motor and the suction head put in the same upright unit. When cleaning, you’ll have to push the whole unit.
Upright vacuum cleaners are cheaper than canisters. They, especially the bagged models, have higher suction power, which is suitable for cleaning carpets and rugs. They are also easier to store as they stand up on their own.
However, uprights tend to be heavier and you have to push and pull it while using. Uprights are not suitable to clean corners and stairs. They are also noisier.
Bissell Cleanview Upright Bagless 1831 – Best overall
- Powerful and Efficient
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Easy to clean
- Nothing to complain
Bissell 1831 has multi-level filtration with a washable filter, keeping your house away from dust and allergens. It also has a large dirt tank (2 liters) with bottom, Easy Empty for easier emptying.
Bissell 1831 is recommended for Bare Floors, Carpet, Sealed Hard Floors, Low Pile Carpet, Stairs, Upholstery. However, it can work on almost all surfaces.
Despite all the great features, Bissell 1831 is really affordable. This is the desired vacuum cleaner for all purposes.
Specifications
| Suction Power | 8 Amps |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagless |
| Cleaning Path Width | 13.5 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | 2 liters |
| Cord Length | 25 feet |
| Weight | 15.4 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Multi-Cyclonic Suction System, OnePass Technology, Multi-level filtration, Large capacity dirt bin, Lightweight design |
Bissell 1831 is a lightweight, powerful, efficient, and affordable upright vacuum cleaner.
BISSELL Cleanview Swivel Pet Upright Bagless 2252 – Best for pet hair
- Design for pet hair pick up
- Easily maneuver around
- Suitable to clean edges and corners
- Easy to clean
- Lightweight
- Small dust cup
The swivel steering lets you move the cleaner around more easily, with the stretch hose and specialty tools, making it easier for you to clean hard-to-reach places like above-floor and corners.
Like Bissell 1831, Bissell 2252 is equipped with the Multi-Cyclonic Suction System, the Multi-level filtration system with a washable filter, and a dust tank with bottom, Easy Empty. However, the capacity of the bin is quite small, only 1 liter, which you might need to empty it more frequently.
Bissell 2252 is recommended for Area Rugs, Bare Floors, Carpet, Sealed Hard Floors, Low Pile Carpet, Pet Beds, Stairs, Upholstery.
Specifications
| Suction Power | 8 Amps |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagless |
| Cleaning Path Width | 13.5 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | 1 liter |
| Cord Length | 25 feet |
| Weight | 14.5 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Triple action brush roll, Scatter free technology, Swivel steering, includes pet hair corner tool and pet tool |
Bissell 2252 is a lightweight upright vacuum cleaner for pet hair pick up and corner cleaning.
Oreck Commercial XL Commercial Upright XL2100RHS – Furniture friendly option
- Ultra-lightweight
- Extended cord length
- High bag capacity
- Easy to use
- Quite expensive
- The motor is not so powerful
Oreck XL2100RHS is super lightweight, only 8.2 lbs, with a low profile design, making it’s super easy to move the cleaner around the house and under the furniture.
It has Non-Marring Bumpers to protect your walls, baseboards, and furniture from damage. Side Edge Brushes to clean corners and edges more effectively.
The cord length is extended to 35 feet. The bag has top fill design and is very large – 11 quartz of capacity. All are made to make your work easier.
However, the motor is not so powerful, 4 Amps, which is half of the two models above.
Specifications
| Suction Power | 4 Amps |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagged |
| Cleaning Path Width | 12 inches |
| Dirt Bag Capacity | 11 quartz (10.4 liters) |
| Cord Length | 35 feet |
| Weight | 8.2 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Helping Hand handle, Low Profile Design, Top fill bag design |
Oreck XL2100RHS is a super lightweight vacuum cleaner, suitable to reach under the furniture.
Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away TruePet NV752 – Best for allergy sufferer
- Super powerful
- Large dirt cup capacity
- Anti allergen technology
- Canister detaching ability
- Heavy and big
Shark NV752 has a large dirt tank (3.1 liters), a dynamic swivel steering, fingertip controls, and LED lights for your convenience. You can also detach the vacuum and use it as a canister vacuum cleaner to reach hard-to-reach places or to carry it around/upstair.
However, Shark NV752 is quite heavy and big (16.7 lbs).
Specifications
| Suction Power | 9.5 Apms (1150 watts) |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagless |
| Cleaning Path Width | 12 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | 3.1 liters |
| Cord Length | 30 feet |
| Weight | 16.7 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Anti Allergen Complete Seal Technology, HEPA filter, Dynamic swivel steering, Fingertip controls, LED lights, TruePet Mini Motorized Brush. |
Shark NV752 is a super powerful vacuum cleaner with great Anti-allergen features.
Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright – Best for high pile carpets
- Designed for premium and thick carpets
- Digitally controlled motor for different purposes
- Other safety and convenient features
- Does not come with additional tools
Soniclean has jam protection feature, Hospital-Grade HEPA filtration, Digitally Controlled Motor, and Full Bag indicator for user’s convenience and safety. The cord length is about 35 feet – long enough for you to clean across the room.
Specifications
| Suction Power | 5.2 Amps |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagged |
| Cleaning Path Width | 12 inches |
| Cord Length | 35 feet |
| Weight | 10.5 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Sonic cleaning technology, EZ-Push design, Jam Protection, Hygienic Sealed HEPA Filtration, Digitally Controlled Motor |
Soniclean Soft Carpet Upright is the best upright vacuum cleaner for all types of carpets.
Shark Navigator DLX Upright Vacuum – Strongest
- Super powerful
- Extra-large dirt tank
- Easy control and maneuvering
- The cleaning path is not so wide
The cleaner is also featured with the Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology and a HEPA filter to trap 99.9 percent of dust and allergens inside the vacuum.
For your convenience, Shark Navigator DLX has a swivel steering and a long electric cord, providing you with excellent control for easy maneuvering.
Specifications
| Suction Power (W) | 1200 watts (10 Amps) |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagless |
| Cleaning Path Width | 11-½ inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | 2.9 liters |
| Cord Length | 30 feet |
| Weight | 15.2 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Anti Allergen Complete Seal Technology, HEPA filter, Swivel steering |
Shark Navigator DLX is a super-powerful upright vacuum cleaner for deep carpet and gentle bare floor cleaning.
Most powerful canister vacuum cleaners
Canister vacuum cleaners are usually lighter and quieter than uprights. They are better than uprights when cleaning bare floors and stairs, hard-to-reach places like ceiling, cabinet top, under furniture, and the attachments are suitable for cleaning drapes and upholstery.
However, canisters are bulkier and harder to storage than uprights.
Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction canister vacuum cleaner – Best overall
- 6 different suction power settings
- Super lightweight
- Unique AirClean Sealed System
- Quiet operation
- 7 years of warranty for the motor
- Nothing to complain
Miele Compact C1 is equipped with Miele-Made Vortex Motor that works to increase power efficiency to the selected power level. The rotary dial lets you adjust the power level at 6 levels to fit the surface being cleaned. The AirClean Sealed System and the self-sealing collar ensures all the dust and allergens inside the dust bag.
More impressively, Miele Compact C1 comes with a great warranty program – 7 years on the motor and 1 year on parts and labor.
Specifications
| Suction Power | 1200 W (10 Amps) |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagged |
| Cleaning Path Width | 13 inches |
| Dirt Bag Capacity | 3.5 liter |
| Cord Length | 18 feet |
| Weight | 6 lbs |
| Highlight Features | AirClean Sealed System, Miele-Made Vortex Motor, Self-sealing collar, 6 different suction power settings |
Miele Compact C1 is an impressively lightweight and powerful canister vacuum cleaner for all purposes.
Kenmore 600 Series Bagged Canister Vacuum – Best for pet hair
- High performance
- Ideal for pet hair pick-up
- Comes with versatile accessories
- Very heavy
With that such power, Kenmore 600 is effective for pet hair pick-up. Dual motor system enhancing airflow, high-frequent vibration technology, and The rotating brush lifts stubborn pet hair, dander, and dirt quickly. Triple HEPA filter system traps 99.97% of debris inside the dirtbag.
Kenmore 600 comes with many attachments. The aluminum click-in attachment helps you reach to 10.5 feet. 4 Cleaning Tools gives you more flexibility of use.
Specifications
| Suction Power (W) | 12 Amps (1450 watts) |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagged |
| Cleaning Path Width | 14 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | |
| Cord Length | 28 feet |
| Weight | 22.6 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Pet PowerMate, Pop-N-Go Brush, Dual motor, HEPA filter, 4 Cleaning Tools |
Kenmore 600 Series is a super powerful and versatile canister vacuum cleaner, ideal for pet hair pick-up.
Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Canister Vacuum Cleaner – Best for large home
- 6 different suction power settings
- HEPA filter
- Big dirt bag and long operating radius
- 7 years of warranty for the motor
- Heavier and more expensive than the C1 Compact version
As an advantage, the Complete C2 version is 100% sealed air filtration and HEPA filter, which means it has greater dust and allergen filtering ability. The C2 Complete version also has a bigger dirtbag and a larger operating area with a 33′ radius. Besides, The Complete C2 has a full bag indicator, which lets you know when to change/emptying the dirtbag. However, the Complete C2 version is bigger, heavier, and more expressive than Compact C1.
So, when it comes to large homes, I recommend paying a little more to purchase the C2 version.
Specifications
| Suction Power (W) | 1200 watts |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagged |
| Cleaning Path Width | 13 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | 4.5 liter |
| Cord Length | 18 feet |
| Weight | 13.5 lbs |
| Highlight Features | AirClean Sealed System, Miele-Made Vortex Motor, Self-sealing collar, 6 different suction power settings |
Miele Complete C2 is a great canister vacuum cleaner with an extended operating radius.
Miele Electro+ Canister Vacuum Marine Blue (Compact C2) – Best for carpets
- 6 different suction power settings
- Lightweight & Quiet operation
- HEPA filter
- 5-height electric power head for intensive deep cleaning
- 7 years of warranty for the motor
- Heavier and more expensive than the Compact C1
The Compact C2 version also has a little longer operating radius than the Compact C1 (33 ft. vs. 29.5 ft.).
However, The Compact C2 is heavier and more expensive than the Compact C1.
Specifications
| Suction Power (W) | 1200 watts |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagged |
| Cleaning Path Width | 13 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | 4.5 liters |
| Cord Length | 18 feet |
| Weight | 11 lbs |
| Highlight Features | 6 stage variable speed, Miele Made Vortex silence motor, HEPA air clean filter, electrobrush |
Compact C2 with the electro brush is an ideal canister vacuum cleaner for high-pile carpets.
Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum – Self-righting design
- Unique design with the self-righting ability
- HEPA filtration and Two-tier radial cyclones
- Carbon-fiber turbine floor head
- Expensive
Dyson Big Ball is certified asthma & allergy friendly with the whole-machine HEPA filtration. Two-tier radial cyclones and a carbon-fiber turbine floor head help remove all the dirt and allergens. The ratted output suction power is 250 air watts, which is powerful enough for all purposes.
Specifications
| Suction Power (W) | 250 AW |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagless |
| Cleaning Path Width | 12 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | |
| Cord Length | 21 feet |
| Weight | 17 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Self-Righting design, Radial Cyclones, HEPA filtration, Carbon Fiber Turbine Floor Tool |
Dyson Big Ball is a great canister vacuum cleaner with a smart design that maximums user’s satisfaction.
Severin Germany Nonstop Corded Bagless – Quiet option for allergy sufferers
- Ultra-quiet
- Constant Multicyclone technology
- Easy and comfortable to use
- 10-year durable
- High energy efficiency
- Low power
The vacuum is equipped with multi-cyclone technology and the HEPA filter to perfectly remove all the dust and allergens from ard-floors and carpets. Despite the high performance, Severin Germany Nonstop has very good energy efficiency.
The biggest pro of Severin Germany Nonstop is that it operates quietly. The noise is measured at about 77 dB – as quiet as a normal conversation in office places.
However, the suction power is not so impressive – just 950 watts.
Specifications
| Suction Power (W) | 950 watts |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagless |
| Cleaning Path Width | 13 inches |
| Dirt Cup Capacity | 1.8 liter |
| Cord Length | 19 feet |
| Weight | 20.9 lbs |
| Highlight Features | Constant Multicyclone technology, high energy efficiency, quiet operation |
Severin Germany Nonstop is an ultra-quiet canister vacuum cleaner with impressive energy efficiency.
How to choose the most powerful vacuum cleaner (buying guide)
To choose a suitable vacuum cleaner, you’ll need to pay attention to the following specs:
- Upright or Canister: As mentioned above, upright vacuum cleaners are suitable for carpets and rugs, while canister vacuum cleaners are suitable for hard-to-reach places, hard floors, and stairs.
- Bagged or Bagless: Bagged-type vacuums can hold more dust and are easier to empty. Bagless-type vacuums require no bag replacement so you can save money, but you’ll need to clean the dirt tank and the filters regularly.
- Suction power: An important spec as it will determine the cleaning performance of the vacuum. For general and home purposes, you’ll need about 900 watts of suction power (7.5 Amps).
- Weight: You’ll have to carry the vacuum along when cleaning, so you’d rather choose a lightweight one. Under 10 lbs is the best.
- Filtration technology: A good filtration system helps the vacuum cleaner trap all the dirt and dust inside the bag or tank, keeping the air cleaner and protecting the motor from dust jams. HEPA is the best filtration filter for a home-use vacuum cleaner. Or at least, the vacuum cleaner should be featured with a multi-level filtration. For more information about HEPA vacuums, please check Home Cleaning For You, this website has collected a wide range of products that suit different needs and also provides you with basic knowledge on how to use the vacuum properly.
Who makes the most powerful vacuum cleaner?
There are so many brands that make good vacuum cleaners. I’ll list my top 3 picks:
Bissell
Bissell is one of the leading brands in cleaning industry. They makes great upright vacuums cleaners, such as Bissell Cleanview Upright Bagless 1831 and Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Upright Bagless 2252 reviewed above.
Their vacuum cleaners are well-known for pet-hair pick-up ability. Bissell also donates $1,000,000 every year to save homeless pets.
I strongly recommend this 140-year brand.
Miele
Miele is famous for their canister vacuum cleaner lines – Compact line and Complete line. Besides vacuum cleaners, they also famous for their other lines of household appliances.
Like Bissell, Miele has a long history as they are founded in 1899. Now, Miele is one of the most trusted brands.
Shark Clean
Shark is another trusted branding. They are well-known for their innovative designs and technologies. They produce many types of vacuums, from upright to stick and even robot vacuums.
FAQs
Do bagless vacuums have more suction?
Bagless vacuums use cyclonic mechanism so it won’t lose their suction, while bagged will lose their suction when the bag getting full. Bagless vacuums don’t have more suction, but they maintain the suction throughout your cleaning.
Are bagless or bagged vacuums better for allergies?
Bagged vacuums are better at hygienic, simply because when the bag is full, you just need to replace the bag – no dust or allergens can get back to the air. While bagless vacuums require you to clean the tank and the filter regularly.
How do you increase vacuum suction?
How long can you expect a vacuum cleaner to last?
Vacuum cleaners can last for decades if you use and maintain them properly.
Why does my vacuum cleaner smell bad?
Odors in vacuums may come from pet hair or moldy food. You can use dryer sheets to get your vacuum fresh.
Can I put a dryer sheet in my bagless vacuum?
Yes, you can. Dryer sheets can get your smelling vacuum fresh.
Conclusion
Bagged or bagless, upright or canister, lightweight or powerful… There are all types of vacuum cleaners for you to choose from. I hope this article would help you find a suitable one.
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I’m James J. Decker, a hobbyist and DIYs and also a big of home improvement and gardening tools. I immensely enjoy how these amazing products improve productivity and efficiency, and allow me to do jobs for which I would’ve otherwise needed professional help.
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