When it comes to household chores, everybody needs one of the best vacuum cleaners to quickly suck up dirt and get our floors spotless. But with so many different types on the market, it can be tough to find the right one for your home.
As Homes editor, I've spent countless hours reviewing vacuums (so you don’t have to) around my house. From leading brands such as Shark, Dyson and Tineco to more sustainable brands such as Halo, I’ve put these all to the test.
But while I’ve had some good contenders, there are a few winners that have caught my eye. Whether it be for their incredible power to tackle any stubborn stain, ease of use or impressive features, these are my top 3 vacuum cleaners of 2024.
1. Dyson WashG1 wet floor cleaner
Great at washing my hard floors and leaving it dry
Since I have mainly hard flooring and tile to keep clean, the task of mopping was often the bain of my life. And after testing a handful of wet and dry vacuums this year, I wasn’t entirely convinced they did a better job than my traditional mop and bucket.
That was until I reviewed the Dyson WashG1 wet floor cleaner for a few weeks in my home. This wet and dry vac comes with a capsule-style tank that is divided in two parts — one for clean water and a dirty water tank. Essentially, it works from counter-rotating motorized rollers (instead of vacuum suction), to shift and remove spills, debris, and stains in one swoop. It also has a debris tray that slides out to empty after use.
With its stylish and slimline design, I liked the initial look of the Dyson WashG1. And despite feeling slightly heavy, it was surprisingly easy to push over my hard flooring. Since I’m all about simplicity, there are no complicated instructions for setting up, and everything you need to know is displayed on the LCD screen on the handle bar. It will even tell you when to fill or empty the water tank.
I was impressed by its powerful suction power to quickly wash the floors and remove touch stains with ease. All of which took less time than my pitiful, manual work!
I particularly liked its swivel-head mechanism and edge cleaning that tackled the edges of baseboards better than expected. More importantly, it didn’t leave behind unsightly dirt streaks or puddles on the floors — which I’ve often found with wet and dry vacuums. What’s more, the floors had a quick drying time — which is always handy, and my marble kitchen floor tiles had never looked so white. With a battery life of 35 minutes, I was able to clean my home in under 20.
Best of all, I didn’t have to carry a bucket of water around or even get my hands dirty. You just simply empty out the contained water tank once you’re done, with no messy spills.
If you have plenty of hard floors to clean in your home, and don’t want the back-breaking task of mopping then, then the Dyson Wash G1 is my winner for the year.
You might want to check out mopping vs wet and dry vacuum — which is better for your floors?
2. Shark Clean & Empty Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Super lightweight and the self-emptying is a bonus
Another pet peeve of mine is carrying a weighty, cordless cleaner up and down stairs or around the home. Plus, once I’ve transformed my cordless stick into a handheld to tackle corners, awkward spots and stairs, it can start to feel heavier over the course of cleaning.
Finally, I found a super lightweight, cordless vacuum cleaner after reviewing the Shark Clean and Empty stick vacuum. In fact, this is 30% lighter than Shark's other models, which is why it was a breeze to lift and handle with one hand. And while it doesn’t have any smart features, it boasts all the handy features that you need.
I particularly liked the multi-surface cleaning to detect and adjust to the levels of dirt, the bright LED floor light, and (my favorite), its auto-emptying and charging base, which saves you the hassle of emptying a dirty dust canister after each use. Unlike other models, it doesn’t have a trigger operation, and you’ll need to press a separate button to activate the motorized roller head.
But how did it cope on my floors? Despite its lightweight appearance, I was impressed by its mighty power to quickly suck up debris and dirt in no time. It had even picked up some stubborn dirt wedged in the crevices of my living room, wood flooring.
Although the vacuum will automatically boost the suction to make sure everything gets picked up, it also did a good cleaning job on Eco (lower suction) mode. The only caveat is that it might be noisy for some (and it gets louder the more grime it tackles), however, this was a minor issue for me. My carpets and hard floors were left spotless.
My favorite thing by far was how superlight the Shark Clean and Empty stick vacuum was to handle, and easy it was to zip around the home — which made my cleaning chores less of a chore.
3. Halo Capsule X Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Don’t let the bags put you off
Honestly, I would never have considered buying a bagged cordless cleaner for my home. In fact, it reminds me of my childhood, watching my parents having to swap out the dust bags of their trusted vacuum cleaner.
However, it seems as though bagged vacuum cleaners are having a modern-day resurgence. If you’re concerned about sustainability, or simply want a powerful clean, the Halo Capsule cordless cleaner is my unsung hero of 2024!
The Halo Capsule range are bagged, capsule-style vacuum cleaners, with eco-friendly, dust pouches. Of course, this means that you’d need to change the dust bags once they get full and spend money on replacement bags. However, the sealed bags trap dirt and allergens more effectively, which is great for those with dust allergies like myself!
Easy to assemble with a simple click, the Halo Capsule X was surprisingly lightweight to lift. I just had to remember to fit a dust pouch inside the capsule first before use. One impressive thing was its 60-minute battery life, and I liked the fact that it comes with a spare battery — amongst the endless accessories in the box.
Compared to its high-spec, fancy counterparts, the Halo Capsule X looks a little lacklustre with a basic, three button operation. However, it packs in a powerful punch when cleaning my hard floors and carpets. It did a superior job of picking up visible dirt — even on Eco mode, and tackled grains of rice.
And I made use of the countless accessories to suit every task, such as the motor head brush that lifted up visible dirt and hair strands ingrained in my beige carpet and stairs.
What’s more, there was no messy dust canister to empty afterwards, and the air was notably fresh. If you’re not too fussed about fancy features, and just want a powerful cleaner, this Halo Capsule X is definitely one to watch out for.
More from Tom's Guide
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- Avoid these things you should never vacuum
- 9 tips and tricks to cut your cleaning time in half
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