Corded, cordless or a robot vacuum?

List hard floors, thick carpets, rugs, upholstery and pet hair. Check whether the supplied head is suitable for your floor’s care instructions and whether a powered brush can be switched off. Seek pickup tests on similar surfaces and along edges. Electrical watts and advertised suction describe different things, and neither alone measures how much dirt the complete machine removes.

With a bagged vacuum, you dispose of collected dirt with the bag. You empty and clean a bagless container yourself. Check how this works and how much dust is released. A HEPA filter captures fine particles, but whole-machine performance also depends on seals. Look for tests that measure how much dust the complete vacuum releases back into the air.

Try steering, lifting on stairs and reaching under furniture. A stick vacuum’s weight in your hand may feel different from a cylinder trailing behind you. Compare cable reach, hose length, bin capacity, noise and whether the trigger must be held continuously. Make sure the attachments you need are easy to change and store.

Compare runtime with the floor head and power mode you will actually use; maximum claims may describe a low-power mode without a motorised attachment. Check recharge time and whether batteries are removable and available separately. For robots, inspect map controls, no-go areas, obstacle handling and what still works without a cloud connection.

Check access to tangled hair, washable parts and filters, including required drying time before reassembly. Price replacement bags, filters, brush rolls and batteries. Make sure the charging dock fits near a socket. Choose the model whose cleaning performance and maintenance routine you can live with, then compare the price of the correct accessory bundle.