We’ve tested hundreds of vacuums—these are our favorites for preventing damage while cleaning your floors.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/bhg-product-dyson-omni-glide-at-dyson-hwortock-013-725d9933608a4f25a73a53b9367eea11.jpg "Dyson Omni-Glide Vacuum displayed leaning on a couch")
Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock
If you want to ensure your wood floors remain scratch-free while optimizing the cleaning experience, you’ll want a vacuum that specifically caters to hardwood flooring. Details like rubberized wheels and soft bristles will pick up debris without causing damage.
But which vacuums are the best for hardwood floors? We’ve tested hundreds of vacuums, including many of the most popular models for hardwood flooring, for up to six months to see which ones performed the best.
We also spoke to Prerna Jain, owner of Ministry Of Cleaning, to understand exactly what to look for when selecting a wood floor-friendly vacuum for your home.
What We Tested
We evaluated vacuums for hardwood floors based on performance, noise level, battery life, maneuverability, portability, and ease of emptying. For more on how we tested these models, see our testing process below.
Best Overall: Dyson Omni-Glide Cordless Vacuum
Why You Should Get It
In addition to great suction, it has a swiveling floor brush that helps with maneuvering into nooks and crannies and transitioning between surfaces.
Keep in Mind
The handle is a bit awkward as it doesn’t have a natural place to put your hand.
If you’re looking for a vacuum that takes the effort out of cleaning, consider the Dyson Omni-Glide. The premium stick vacuum earned the top spot in our books during the testing process thanks to its powerful suction and user-friendly design.
It performed very well on hardwood flooring as well as on grouted tile flooring without requiring multiple passes to suck up hair and debris. We appreciated that the Dyson was easy to maneuver, with a swiveling floor brush that helped us vacuum stairs and corners.
We also like that it comes with all the accessories you’d need to deep clean every nook and cranny of the house, including multiple head attachments that help you get into hard-to-reach places. The handle folds down flat, enabling us to get all the way under couches and chairs.
The battery only lasts about 21 minutes on a full charge, which might not be enough for your entire home depending on the size. That said, the Dyson is efficient, and for quick clean ups you can get pretty far on one charge.
Our main complaint is that the handle is not the most ergonomic—it’s straight up and down without a loop or angled part for a comfortable grip. This made maneuvering slightly awkward at times, but it’s otherwise so lightweight and easy that it didn’t detract much from the experience.
Product Details: Vacuum Type: Stick | Weight: 2.52 lbs | Battery Life: 21 minutes Accessories: Double Fluffy cleaner head, combination crevice tool, mini motorized tool, light pipe crevice tool, docking station, charger
Best for Pet Hair: Tineco Pure One S15 Pet Smart Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Why You Should Get It
The tangle-free brush head actually lives up to its claims and prevents long hairs from tangling in the brush roll.
Keep in Mind
The smart feature speaks very loudly, which is jarring.
It’s not easy to find a vacuum that can handle the day-to-day messes and constant pet hair build-up when you live with a furry friend. The Tineco Pure One S15 Pro ticks off all the right boxes and then some.
This vacuum includes a HEPA filter that helps trap dust and dander—which is a major perk when dealing with pets—while the lightweight design is very comfortable to hold and maneuver. We found that it worked just as well for cleaning upholstery as it did on hardwood floors.
The main selling point for us is the tangle-free brush head, which prevents our dog’s fur from getting stuck in the brushroll. We only experienced one hair-related clog in six months, after we vacuumed some long human hair in the bathroom. It was easy to fix, thanks to an included cutting tool.
It’s whisper-quiet, to the point where we couldn’t hear it running in the next room, which is a plus for homes with skittish pets that react badly to the sound of a vacuum. The vacuum easily picked up more than 90 percent of the debris in just one pass during lab testing.
LED lights on the head were essential for seeing our white dog’s hair when using the vacuum at home. We love that the digital display shows the remaining battery life—it prevents the vacuum from unexpectedly dying on you because you can see exactly how much juice it has left.
One con is that the vacuum talks to you in a very loud voice when announcing changes in modes or battery life as part of the smart features. It’s a jarring contrast to the near silent vacuum operation, and there’s no way to lower the volume or turn off the voice.
Product Details: Vacuum Type: Stick | Weight: 6.8 lbs | Battery Life: 40 minutes Accessories: Mini power brush, 2-in-1 dust brush, crevice tool
Best Stick: Tineco Pure One S11 Smart Stick/Handheld Vacuum
Why You Should Get It
It transitions well between hardwood floors and carpet, making it a nice option for homes with rugs.
Keep in Mind
The canister can be a bit tricky to empty—you might need two hands.
The Tineco Pure One S11 Tango Smart Stick/Handheld Vacuum is our top stick vacuum pick for hardwood floors. It’s incredibly user-friendly thanks to its 40-minute battery life and included accessories designed to make cleaning quick and painless.
We were particularly impressed by how quiet this vacuum was compared to other options, and also appreciated the built-in HEPA filter that helped purify the air while cleaning.
The ergonomic and lightweight design made this vacuum easy to move while the impressive suction power meant that we didn’t have to pass over the same spots again and again. Though it struggled with larger pieces like Cheerios, most debris came up with 35 seconds to 1 minute.
Due to its ability to transition well from hardwood floors to carpet, we think this would be a good choice for homes with area rugs over hard floors or different flooring from room to room. It also converted easily from a stick to a handheld vacuum and worked well on upholstery.
One issue we noticed is that the canister can be a bit tricky to empty compared to other options. While some vacuums are so easy to empty you can do it with one hand, this one required two hands and a bit of finagling to get it open.
Product Details: Vacuum Type: Stick | Weight: 5.84 lbs | Battery Life: 40 minutes Accessories: Mini power brush, 2-in-1 dust brush, crevice tool
Best Robot: Ecovacs Deebot T9+ Robot Vacuum and Mop
Why You Should Get It
This vacuum does a very good job of learning the layout of your home and avoiding obstacles.
Keep in Mind
The self-emptying feature can stick with larger debris.
Robot vacuums were a game changer when they first hit the market, and the technology has only gotten more advanced over the years. The Ecovacs T9+ Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo is a great example of a high quality robot vacuum that gets the job done efficiently.
We immediately noticed how well the vacuum learned the layout of our space and avoided obstacles. We never worried about finding the vacuum stuck on under a low piece of furniture or wedged into a corner. It would even reroute around our dog when he sat in its path.
We liked how easy it was to set up and start using, especially for a smart vacuum. The vacuum was incredibly capable when it came to larger debris—it even picked up chunky items like screws and zip-ties without any issue.
The self-emptying feature is fantastic, but we did notice that larger debris would sometimes get stuck and prevent the vacuum from completely emptying. We also found that we needed to run the vacuum twice over areas with lots of pet hair in order to get it all up.Product Details: Vacuum Type: Robot | Weight: 7.9 lbs | Battery Life: 180 minutes Accessories: Auto-empty charging station
Best Vacuum Mop Combo: Dreametech H11 Max Wet and Dry Vacuum
Why You Should Get It
This option is extremely efficient at cleaning both wet and dry messes thanks to an automatic adjustment feature.
Keep in Mind
It leaves a bit of streaky residue behind.
The Dreametech H12 Pro Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner is an updated model of the previously-tested H11 Max. The dual-purpose device seems gimmicky at first glance, but during testing we found the vacuum/mop combo to be one of the good ones.
We were impressed by how quietly the H11 ran and expect that the new version will be similar. It wasn’t at all disruptive, even when running on the highest mode. We also liked the long battery life, both of which helped us cover a large surface area in one go.
Both the H11 and the newer H12 have a “messes detection” feature that adjusts the suction to match the debris that the machine senses. We found that it was effective at cleaning wet and dry messes alike, such as minor food spills, mud/dirt, and bits of damp clay in a ceramics studio.
Although the device is excellent at both mopping and vacuuming, it did leave our floors streaky compared to manual mopping. We’d still take convenience over aesthetic perfection. We found that it was less effective at cleaning grouted tile because it didn’t get into the crevices as well as we would have liked.
Product Details: Vacuum Type: Stick | Weight: 10.56 lbs | Battery Life: 35 minutes Accessories: Charging base, brush roller, cleaning brush, cleaning solution, accessory holder, back-up filter, power adapter
Best Upright: Shark AZ1002 Apex Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum
Why You Should Get It
This option is thoughtfully designed with small bristles and powerful suction.
Keep in Mind
It doesn’t maneuver as well on hardwood as it does on carpet.
The Shark AZ1002 Apex Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum is our favorite upright vacuum for hardwood floors. During testing, we found that it worked very well on both hardwood and carpet, which is great for homes with a combination of flooring types or rugs.
The vacuum boasts a very good self-cleaning brush roll so you won’t have to worry about hair or pet fur getting stuck and clogging up your vacuum. It sucked up the hair on the hardwood floor in 29 seconds, getting the rest of the debris within about 93 seconds.
We found that the vacuum was particularly well designed and appreciated the small bristles and powerful suction. It was very gentle on hardwood and left absolutely no scratches.
One downside is that it didn’t maneuver quite as well on hardwood floors as it did on carpet—it seemed to have trouble swiveling smoothly. It also felt a bit top heavy when vacuuming on the hard surfaces, and we needed to press the power button pretty hard to turn it on and off.
Product Details: Vacuum Type: Upright | Weight: 16 lbs | Battery Life: NA Accessories: Brush roll, upholstery tool, pet brush, crevice tool
The Bottom Line
When it comes to ease of use and convenience, the Dyson Omni-Glide is the best vacuum for hardwood floors. It’s easy to use right out of the box and the lightweight and ergonomic design makes the cleaning process comfortable and efficient.
Our Testing Process
In order to find the best vacuums for hardwood floors, we evaluated hundreds of vacuums that we’ve tested over several years using predetermined methodologies.
We tested each vacuum by timing how much debris they could pick up within 1 minute in our lab; we continued to evaluate ease of use, maneuverability, performance, and design by using the vacuums in real world situations for up to six months.
Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson
What to Know About Vacuums for Hardwood Floors Before Shopping
Vacuum Type
Consider the type of vacuum that works best for your space and preferences. Cordless stick vacuums, for example, are great for quick grab-and-go cleaning, whereas upright vacuums are great for tackling larger spaces without having to stop and recharge half way through the job.
Robot vacuums take the work out of keeping your floors clean, but they often aren’t as powerful as manual models. Hybrid vacuum/mop models can be great for hardwood floors as they tackle a variety of wet and dry messes, often at the same time.
Weight
The vacuums on our list range from well under 10 pounds to over 20 pounds. Heavier vacuums like manual uprights tend to have larger dustbins, or they can be dual purpose (vacuum/mop combinations usually weigh more). Lighter options are more ergonomic and portable.
Power Source
Cordless vacuums are easier for quick clean ups, but corded vacuums never need to be charged. Battery life for the cordless models on our list ranges from about 20 minutes to 180 minutes (for the Ecovacs T9+). For corded vacuums, you’ll want to pay attention to the cord length.
Accessories and Attachments
Accessories and attachments can take a vacuum to the next level. Crevice tools are great for getting into hard-to-reach places while dust brushes and anti-tangle brush rolls are additional features that can improve performance on different surfaces.
Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock
The vacuum’s main head easily picked up larger chunks of pet hair on shelves during our testing.
Other Vacuums for Hardwood Floors We Tested
Bissell 1984 Air Ram Cordless Vacuum
While we were impressed by the 41-minute run time, this vacuum fell short in the suction department. It struggled to pick up larger debris, and we often had to go over the same spot multiple times.
Hoover Complete Performance Advanced Vacuum
This vacuum did a great job of picking up hair and pet fur—but it struggled with larger debris. It was also quite a bit louder than the others we tested, to the point that it was disruptive to the rest of our household.
Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock
Your Questions, Answered
Do you need a special vacuum for hardwood floors?
“Yes, it is important to invest in a vacuum specifically designed for hardwood floors,” explains Jain. She recommends “machines with rubberized wheels and gentle suction settings to avoid scratching the floor. Some of these vacuums even have brushes that are created with soft bristles or felt strips on their heads.”
Is it better to sweep or vacuum hardwood?
Jain actually recommends vacuuming over sweeping hardwood floors. “Pushing debris around and sweeping can cause scratching or leave residue behind. A vacuum that has a soft-bristled attachment or a setting for hardwood flooring is best because it collects dust and dirt faster.”
Do vacuums scratch hardwood floors?
It’s possible, but using the right vacuum and attachments should cut down on the risk, Jain says. In addition to rubberized wheels and gentle brushes, she recommends “regularly cleaning the wheels…and checking them for debris” to avoid scratches. “Investing in top-notch tools made specifically for your type of floor pays off eventually.”
Who We Are
This article was written by Kaitlyn McInnis, a former lifestyle editor and freelance writer for Better Homes & Gardens. She used testing results and her own research to put together the best vacuums for hardwood flooring. She also consulted Prerna Jain, owner of Ministry Of Cleaning.
What is BHG Recommends?
Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they’re worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn’t an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.
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