Discover The Best Vacuum Cleaner For Your Home

It’s time to buy a new vacuum cleaner, and this seems like an easy task – right?

In reality, it’s not as simple as going to the store and picking up the first model you see; there is actually a lot more thought that needs to go into what you are buying.

After all, you want something that is going to clean your home effectively and keep everything looking tidy.

There are thousands of models out there, as well as a whole load of brands that anyone would struggle to list completely.

This is part of the reason you need to put thought into your purchase, as some brands work better than others, and there are companies that make vacuum cleaners that are suited to specific tasks. In addition to that, you need to look at the type of vacuum (cordless, upright, pet-friendly, to name a few) as well as any features that it has that could benefit your home.

At this point, you are probably feeling a little nervous and overwhelmed, but there is no need to worry. The UK may be filled with an endless list of vacuums, but we are here to help you out. This guide is perfect if you are trying to find your lifelong vacuum cleaner, and it will detail what makes each type good, bad, and the things that you should be looking for.

These are our top three picks for vacuum cleaners up to £100. If you want to read more details about each model, alongside our other expert picks, be sure to stop and read our Best Vacuum Cleaner Under £100 Guide.

We’ve all seen and know upright vacuums, and why shouldn’t we? After all, they are the most popular type in the UK. Pretty much every manufacturer has a few different upright models – whether you are looking at Dyson or Vax. They are efficient, save space, and also excellent value for money, three things that most would want in their vacuum cleaner.

They tend to be really manoeuvrable, so you can slide them across the floor and turn them at the flick of your wrist. Of course, not every model has this level of flexibility, but it is an ever-growing trend within the market.

They weave around furniture with ease, and the suction tends to be excellent – making them ideal for homes that have one or more pets roaming around. They make cleaning quick, and the large dust canister means that you empty them less frequently to save time.

Most of the time, they have a motorised brush in the floor head, and this works to give your carpets a really deep and thorough clean, removing more dust and dirt than other vacuum types. They often come with plenty of attachments too, and these can be stored on-board, another feature that makes these vacuums really easy to pack away after use.

Of course, there are a couple of downsides to the upright models. They do tend to be a lot heavier than cylinder vacuums, which can put strain on the elderly, and you will also find it is harder to clean the stairs with them (some do come with tools to fix this though).

They are also noisier on average, and many have shorter power cords than their cylinder counterparts. Below, however, we have a few uprights that really bring the positive features to light, similar to our best upright vacuum guide.

Many people are left wondering what a cylinder vacuum is and why they haven’t heard of them before. This could partly be because they aren’t as popular in the UK as they are in Europe, but if you have owned or seen a Henry vacuum before, you have experienced a cylinder model.

In many ways, they are the worker bees of the vacuum cleaner community – doing all the heavy lifting and working at an industrial level to keep your home as clean as possible.

The body of the vacuum and the main floor head are separated by a long hose, so you pull the vacuum behind you instead of pushing the whole thing across the floor.

Usually, the floor head it comes with does everything (and all floor types), but some models come with extras and attachments. They tend to be more compact than their upright counterparts, and the long hose means that it is easier to reach difficult places or low areas.

They are also better for cleaning the stairs due to the long hose, and while they may seem a lot bulkier, they are actually lighter than uprights most of the time and are less expensive on the whole. However, pulling it behind you does mean that there is more risk of it bumping into walls and furniture, as well as the fact that the hose can be tricky and untidy to store.

Cheap models can also find suction tricky and may struggle with things like pet hair. However, the models we have chosen for you to view are guaranteed to suck well – just like the ones in our best cylinder vacuum guide.

In many ways, they used to be a bit of a joke in the vacuum world as they had poor battery life and suction. However, in recent years they have begun to surge in terms of popularity, becoming a top choice for those who want something slim and compact, while still being good at cleaning the home.

A lot of this praise comes from the fact that battery life has been increased, and the suction has been improved as well. Most of the leading brands have at least one cordless vacuum for you to choose from.

The main reason people love them is that they are convenient and easy to store – with many of them being mounted on the wall. The lack of a plug means you don’t have to search for a socket, or worry about loose wires. They also tend to be really lightweight for easy portability, and they are usually ideal for cleaning the stairs and getting areas that tend to be harder to reach.

While they all have a similar set of advantages, it is important to remember that they have different designs. There are models, like the Gtech AirRam, that have been made in such a way that they can replace an upright vacuum.

On the other hand, most Shark cordless vacuums are simple sticks that make cleaning more convenient and can be turned into a handheld model for the stairs and furniture. Due to this, you need to make sure you are picking the right one for your home.

As with any vacuum, there are some downsides as well. Cordless vacuums need to be charged up, as they run on a battery and it will need to be replenished after use – this can take a few hours.

They tend to have smaller dust canisters as well, which means they need to be emptied more frequently, and you may find that the cheaper models struggle when picking up dirt as they aren’t as powerful. We have picked some great models though, and they certainly rival their corded cousins in terms of power. Plus, we have a best cordless vacuum guide you can check out.

These started out as a sci-fi vision of the future, but it is here and ready to help you clean your home. In the beginning, they were not the favourite vacuum cleaners on the market, but their popularity in the UK has risen massively as the technology continues to advance and the cleaning becomes more reliable and accurate.

No more are they considered to be a gimmicky piece of tech; now they are advanced machines with detailed navigation systems that map out your home’s layout for a better clean.

They are perfect for those that lead busy lives, with most of the mid-range and above models having a scheduling system that will allow you to programme when the vacuum should start cleaning.

There is usually an app to accompany them as well, so you can tell it to get started and keep track of its progress while at work or out with friends. They are able to avoid obstacles and won’t hit the walls thanks to the mapping system, and there are even some models that use brushed to clean along the skirting.

They have decent suction, although not as much as an upright or cylinder model, and they will keep your carpets and hard floors looking really good. Of course, they aren’t the cheapest models out there, and some of the top range models can cost in excess of £800 (like Dyson), with the mid-range ones being around £300-£400 (namely brands like Roomba).

If you want a robot vacuum that is able to do an excellent job, you need to pick up one of the mid or top range models, otherwise, you could end up with something that does half a job.

Most models are able to return to their base when they finish cleaning your home so that they can charge, but they cannot use stairs or clean upholstery, so your need to vacuum is not completely removed.

You will also need to empty the dust canister each day so that it can carry on, and these tend to be quite small due to the compact nature of the robot vacuum. You can check out our best robot vacuum review guide, as well as these brilliant models below.

These are excellent vacuums that can solve the issue of both wet and dry messes. After all, it can be pretty frustrating when you have a large spillage and not enough paper towels to soak it all up.

They are incredibly versatile, as they can be used indoors or outdoors, and are able to clean up everything from building debris to spillages made by your guests at dinner parties. Some can even be used to unblock the sink! They make for a great all-rounder, with top brands like Numatic and Vax.

It is even possible to pick up handheld wet/dry vacuums, but these tend to be made for small kitchen or car spillages as opposed to large ones.

As they are made to tackle a whole range of messes, they are way more durable than most vacuum cleaners, and they are not subject to any power restrictions which means that the suction is incredible. They also tend to have large capacities because of the fact they are made to clean up large and tricky messes.

They are not ideal for those with allergies or asthma though, as the filtration system is not nearly as good as an upright or cylinder vacuum. Plus, while they are able to remove water from carpets, they cannot actually clean them, so you may need a second vacuum for that particular task.

They can also be quite bulky to store and use. However, the models below are great if a wet/dry vacuum is something you need in your life, and you can check out our best wet and dry vacuum review guide for them here.

Also read our best pond vacuum cleaners review here.

It's not always easy to find a vacuum cleaner that will be able to clean your car efficiently, especially with a corded model (unless you have an incredibly long extension cable).

Plus, with the cordless versions, you will need to make sure that the suction is really good and that the running time is over 10 minutes in order to get a really good and thorough result.

You will want something that has the ability, whether built-in or with attachments, to reach into tight corners to remove dirt, debris, and pet hair that has accumulated over time.

They should also be comfortable to hold during the cleaning period – and all of this rules out most standard handheld vacuums. We have picked three of our favourite models on the market for you to look at, but you can also check out our best car vacuum review guide here.

These can be a real pain to clean effectively, and so you need a vacuum cleaner that is going to be able to cope with the awkward angles and not fall down the stairs while you clean.

There is the choice between corded and cordless models, and the variety is actually quite large. While cylinder vacuum cleaners are typically excluded from this section, the Hetty from Numatic does actually have a hose extension included so that you can vacuum the stairs safely.

Cordless stick vacuum cleaners tend to be the best option, especially those that transform into handheld models. This is because they are smaller and very lightweight, which is ideal for stair cleaning. They also tend to have good suction and will let you really scrub the carpet.

A classic handheld model would also work well, and they are usually very affordable as a companion for your main vacuum. Below, we have a selection of top picks for stair vacuum cleaners that you can browse through. If you want more information on each, or want to look at even more models, make sure you take a look at our best vacuum cleaner for stairs review guide.

Generally speaking, most vacuum cleaners are able to tackle hard floors without much of an issue. A good number of vacuum cleaners will let you adjust the floor head’s bristles - either with a foot control or a button on the side of the machine. There are even some in the top range that will adjust automatically to save you the trouble of switching it yourself.

There is a huge selection of vacuum cleaners available for wooden and hard floors, so you have a great choice between corded and cordless models. The thing with hard floors is that they don’t require as much suction as carpets, so you can get away with a standard cordless model to keep things clean.

Below, there are three of our favourite and expertly selected hard floor vacuum cleaners. If you want to learn more about them, as well as the other models we recommend, you can read our best hard floor vacuum cleaner guide.