The Best Lightweight Vacuum for Your Home

You either love or you have to vacuum. However, it’s a necessary household chore that you have to do, so why not make it easier on your body? The best lightweight vacuum cleaner is easy to maneuver, and it can make your life easier each time you take it out to tackle this chore. You’re also spoilt for choice since there are hundreds of vacuum cleaners available. Our top 10 picks for the best lightweight vacuums will help you narrow down your choices and find the vacuum cleaner that will power through your cleaning routine and leave you with a sparkling floor. 

Shark APEX Upright Vacuum Cleaner – Top Pick 

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If you want to have a bagless vacuum but don’t want to lose the ability to filter out tiny, unhealthy particles from the air as you work, this lightweight vacuum is a fantastic option. It offers extremely good cleaning performance on bare hard flooring and carpeting with a seamless transition that allows you to cover every area in your home without a problem. It’s also an extremely quiet model, and this allows you to vacuum earlier or later than normal without disturbing everyone else in your home or your neighbors. 

With the press of a button, this lightweight vacuum will effortlessly convert from an upright to a canister model, and this allows you to vacuum the stairs and get those pesky dust bunnies that like to lurk behind furniture or in corners without having to fight to fit the vacuum in. The entire vacuum comes sealed, and this helps you retain dust once you suck it up. Also, it has a HEPA filter installed to help trap and lock allergens, and it’s washable so you can use it longer. The brush roll on this vacuum comes designed to pick up pet hair without clogging too. 

Benefits:

• HEPA filter
• Converts from an upright to a canister model
• Quieter than other vacuum models
• Brush designed to not clog
• Works on carpet and hard flooring
• Vacuum is completely sealed 
• Reputable brand

Drawbacks: 

• More expensive than other models

Miele Complete C3 Vacuum for Soft Carpet – Step-Up Pick 

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This lightweight vacuum from Miele earned the 2019’s Good Housekeeping Seal Star because it is effective for deep cleaning every type of flooring you have in your home. It comes with a telescoping wand to help you reach all of the corners in your home and stairs, a dusting brush, crevice tool, and an upholstery tool to help you deep clean in no time. Even having a thicker and more plush carpet won’t slow this vacuum down much because it comes with a power nozzle and brush roll that you can quickly adjust to give different levels. 

These different levels allow the vacuum to get to the bottom of a dense pile and pull up dust, dirt, and pet hair. The high filtration bag on this lightweight vacuum is perfect for those who suffer from allergies because it can trap and lock allergens. As a bonus, it also comes with a HEPA AirClean filter attached that prevents the vacuum from releasing dust back into the room. You get two options when you order, and the vacuum comes in a sleek red coloring with gray accents. 

Benefits:

• HEPA AirClean filter
• Five power settings
• Comes with a host of tools
• Works on all flooring types, including dense pile
• High filtration bag
• Sleek red and grey coloring 
• Telescoping handle

Drawbacks:

• Challenging to maneuver due to two-part design 

Bissell Clean Ram Air – Mid-End Budget Pick

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This is a lightweight vacuum that features a cordless stick design, and it also earned the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for the run-time. On average, you can run this vacuum for up to 35 minutes without needing to replace the battery or allow it to recharge, and this is more than enough time for a smaller or medium-sized house. It also runs very quietly, and this allows you to clean up after a sleepover without waking the kids. It stands upright for storage purposes too when you finish with it. 

The handle on this lightweight vacuum can lay flat to the ground by rotating it at the base, and this makes it much easier to vacuum underneath all of your furniture and any other areas that are hard to reach. The dust cup is very easy to empty and out of the way, but it doesn’t come equipped with any attachments or convert into a handheld unit. However, it’s very simple and strong with a nice, slim design. 

Benefits:

• Handle rotates to lay flat
• Easy to maneuver over different flooring types
• Cordless stick design 
• Runs for 35 minutes on a single charge 
• Quiet operation 
• Dust cup is conveniently located and easy to empty 
• Stands for easy storage 

Drawbacks:

• Won’t convert to a handheld unit

Worx 20V Power Share Cordless Cube – Bargain Budget Pick 

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This isn’t your typically handheld vacuum, but Worx put out a lightweight vacuum that is sleek and affordable for almost any budget. It has a very compact and boxy shape to it, and the removable battery fits neatly into any other Worx tools you may have lying around at the top of the handle. You get a set of brush and crevice tools that store neatly right on the vacuum, and the flexible hose is built right into the design and it can reach up to four feet away when you extend it. 

It can easily pick up a host of debris and pet hair, despite the compact size. It doesn’t lack in power, and you can switch between power settings to match your current cleanup job. The hose makes it easy for you to get into tighter areas or higher spots, and it can run for just over 20 minutes on a standard charge. This is adequate for smaller homes or projects. This is a slightly heavier model than other options on the list, but you don’t have to hold it up in the air to use it. 

Benefits:

• Has a very compact, boxy design 
• Worx battery goes in any other Worx tools you have 
• Four-foot hose
• Very stable and durable 
• Thicker handle
• Several different power settings 
• Works best in smaller homes 

Drawbacks:

• Battery only lasts 20 to 25 minutes per charge 

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus – Best for Pet Hair

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For pet owners, you know how hard it can be to get dirt and pet hair out of the carpets or upholstery. This vacuum helps to tackle this problem, no matter if you have one pet or several that routinely shed as they run around the house. It comes fully loaded with a nice host of features to ensure it sucks up pet hair on the surface and ground down into the fabric. You’ll get a tangle-free brush roll that stops the hair from clogging the bristles as you work, and it also won’t let the hair spool inside the machine to burn anything out. 

The canister on this lightweight vacuum will adequately contain the mess until it’s time to empty it back out into the garbage. There is also a sealed allergen system on this vacuum that will trap and lock in fine particles as you vacuum to keep them out of your indoor air. The filter comes with Febreze technology to help eliminate those stale odors that you can get when you vacuum up pet hair to leave your home smelling clean and fresh after every time you do it. 

Benefits:

• Picks up a lot of pet hair
• Tangle-free brush roll
• Hair won’t spool in the machine
• Canister is lightweight and sealed 
• Sealed allergen system 
• Filters uses Febreze technology 
• Easy to maneuver 

Drawbacks:

• Cord winds oddly 

iRobot Roomba s9+ Robot Vacuum  – Best for Running Without Supervision

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This lightweight vacuum performed very well in cleaning tests, and  it can pick up a large range of items from your hard flooring, including baking soda, uncooked oatmeal, sand, small screws, and small nuts you drop the floor. This robot vacuum can easily map and remember the layout of several rooms in your home and floor plans. In turn, this can help prevent it from getting stuck. It also beats out most other robot-style vacuums for effectively and quickly spot cleaning smaller areas in your home. 

The lightweight vacuum will detect when it hits carpet to automatically switch to a higher suction power to clean effectively. It has dual rubber roller brushes equipped that won’t clog when it picks up pet hair like more traditional bristle rollers do. When it gets done cleaning, this vacuum will return to the charging base. The dirt gets automatically transferred to a large-capacity bag to make disposal a mess-free process. The bag will seal by itself before you throw it to ensure you don’t accidentally spill anything, and this is great if you’re in a hurry and need to clean it so the vacuum can run again.  

Benefits:

• Maps floor plans and rooms
• Automatically returns to the charging point
• Switches to higher suction with carpet
• Runs on all flooring types 
• Dual rubber roller brushes 
• Large-capacity collection bag
• Bag seals to prevent spills 

Drawbacks:

• More expensive than others on the list

Dyson Cyclone V10 – Best for Versatility 

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In spite of the fact that this lightweight vacuum has a very slim and slender look to it, you’ll get a 2-in-1 cordless machine that is strong enough to keep up with a full-sized upright vacuum when it comes to getting ground-in dirt out of your carpeting. It’s a stick vacuum that is very easy to use and intuitive, and it comes with two heads. You put one head on when you need to use it on carpeting and swap it out for the second head when it comes to bare flooring. This way, you can ensure that both flooring styles get as clean as they possibly can. 

This is a very lightweight model. When you remove the wands, you can easily convert this lightweight vacuum into a handheld vacuum to make it even more versatile. There are three power modes on this unit to allow you to customize your power level based on the flooring, and it has a combination upholstery/dusting tool, mini motorized tool with a rotating brush, and a mini soft dusting brush that allows you to clean both carpeted stairs and fabrics. 

Benefits:

• Comes with two head attachments
• Three power levels 
• Several cleaning brushes included
• Slim and slender design
• Converts to a handheld unit 
• Easy to maneuver 
• Convenient to store 

Drawbacks:

• Can’t adjust the wand

Bissell AirRam Cordless Vacuum Cleaner – Best for Small Homes

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Every purchase of this lightweight vacuum helps save pets by donating a portion of the proceeds to the Bissell Pet Foundation. This is a very compact and lightweight vacuum cleaner that weighs in at less than eight pounds, and this makes it very easy to move up and down stairs without struggling. It also has a collapsible handle that makes it easy to store in your laundry room, hall closet, or any small open area you may have. It has a lay-flat handle too that makes it very easy to clean underneath all of your furniture. 

The swivel steering on this lightweight vacuum cleaner allows you to effortlessly maneuver around your furniture without getting stuck. The easy empty dirt bin is removable, and it has an Easy Empty slider on it that will push out all of the dirt, hair, and debris to make cleanup mess-free. There are also LED lights on this vacuum that are very bright and will illuminate fine debris and dirt on any hard flooring to help you clean more effectively. It also works well on both carpeting and hard floors. 

Benefits:

• Proceeds go to the Bissell Pet foundation 
• Weighs less than eight pounds 
• Collapsible handle 
• Swivel and lay-flat handle capability 
• LED lights 
• Easy Empty slider on the dust bin
• Slim design 

Drawbacks:

• Doesn’t work well on thick carpeting 

Oreck Upright Vacuum Cleaner – Best for Allergy Elimination 

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A lot of people think that a large range of upright vacuum cleaners are simply too heavy to push around or carry up stairs. However, this lightweight vacuum can change that as it comes in at just eight pounds. This makes it light enough to easily carry from room to room or between floors when you vacuum your home. It does a great job when it comes to cleaning everything from hard flooring to deeper carpet piles, and it’ll quickly and effectively pull dirt and debris out. 

This upright vacuum does have a self-sealing bag on it to help contain any allergens to keep them out of your indoor air, but there aren’t any attachments when you purchase it. You can adjust the brush roll speed to match your floor type, including slow for bare or laminate flooring or fast for carpet. You adjust this speed using a switch on the handle. There is a very low profile to this vacuum, and it lays out flat to help you clean under your furniture without a lot of bending on your part. 

Benefits:

• Weighs under eight pounds
• Lay-flat handle 
• Works on a range of flooring types 
• Self-sealing bag to trap allergens 
• Adjustable roller speed to match your flooring 
• Low-profile design 
• Easy to store 

Drawbacks:

• Doesn’t include any attachments 

Dyson V11 Outsize Cordless Vacuum – Best for Large Homes

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You may notice some similarities between this lightweight vacuum and the Dyson FV10 Absolute vacuum we reviewed earlier, but they are completely different. It comes with several nice updates that work well if you have a larger home with expansive flooring to try and clean. The extra-wide cleaning head allows you to cover more area in a single pass, and the extra-large collection bin will take a decent amount of time to fill. So, you’ll empty it less often without negatively impacting how well the vacuum runs. 

There are three power levels on this lightweight vacuum you can cycle through, including eco, medium, or auto, and there is a boost feature too. You can adjust the suction up or down to get heavy dirt or protect your delicate rugs. If you switch it to auto mode, the vacuum will sense the switch from hard to carpeting flooring, and it’ll adjust the runtime and power levels. The head easily maneuvers around any furniture you have and into tight areas without a problem. It’s a cordless design that comes with a backup battery pack for two hours or run-time. 

Benefits:

• Extra-large brush head
• Automatically adjusts suction and speed
• Three power levels 
• Extra-large collection bin
• Can use on delicate rugs 
• Cordless design 
• Easy to maneuver 

Drawbacks:

• Have to press the trigger constantly to use it

The Best Lightweight Vacuum Cleaner – Buyer’s Guide

Now that we’ve gone through our list of the best lightweight vacuums and gave you a short review roundup, we’re going to walk you through the important buying considerations you can apply to each vacuum cleaner to find the one that suits your needs the best. 

Reputable Brands

One of the most important things you can look for when you shop for a vacuum cleaner is the brand. Buying from a reputable brand makes it easier to get in touch with their customer support, and they usually have thousands of reviews backing them. For this reason, we recommend the top three brands of vacuum cleaners: 

• Dyson – Dyson has become a frontrunner as a high-quality manufacturer of powerful stick vacuums that can rival and even beat traditional uprights. They have longer run times, and they use quality parts to make the vacuums last longer. 
• Oreck – Oreck is very well-known for being one of the only companies that offers upright vacuums that are very lightweight. These best lightweight vacuums usually weigh in at less than 10 pounds at the most, and they come packed with nice features that keep the unit well balanced. 
• Shark – Shark is another popular manufacturer of stick vacuums and lightweight upright models. People know Shark vacuums are affordable without sacrificing performance or power. They produce everyday vacuums and pet-specific models. 

A reputable brand is much easier to gauge than an obscure one, and they usually have a long history of producing the best vacuums available on the current market. 

Buying Considerations

Once you narrow down the brand you want for the best lightweight vacuum cleaner , it’s time to narrow down the various vacuums themselves. This is where buying considerations come in. You have to decide what features are more important than others. 

Cleaning Power

Cleaning power is one of the most important parts of buying the best lightweight vacuum cleaner. It won’t do you any good if it’s not powerful enough to pick up all of the debris and dirt around your home. Consider how well your vacuum will hold up to daily use, and see if it’s built well enough to withstand it. Does it have the power to pick up pet hair? What about ground-in debris? Does it clean the surface or go lower? Maybe it has specialty attachments that enhance the cleaning power. 

Ideally, your vacuum cleaner will have a HEPA filtration system to help clean your air and filter out contaminants each time you vacuum like pet dander, mold, and dust. Finally, take a look at the dirt cup. It should be big enough to handle larger spaces without having to empty it between rooms. 

Storage Capabilities

If you’re buying the best lightweight vacuum cleaner on the market because you don’t have room to store a full-sized one, double-check the profile. If it’s slim enough, it may be able to fit into a small closet. Some offer the ability to hang on the wall with a sleek wall mount system. Another option is to get a vacuum cleaner that easily folds up when you finish with it to store in a cupboard or smaller space. 

Small houses with minimal storage space force you to get creative with your vacuums and other cleaning items to find storage for them.

Weight

Granted, most of the best vacuums on our list weigh in at under 10 pounds. However, there’s a world of difference between a vacuum that weighs three pounds and one that weighs over nine. However, if the vacuum cleaner is under five pounds, it can be challenging to move around on carpet. 

Think about your home and where you’re going to use it. Do you have difficulty carrying things up and down stairs? Maybe you have arthritis and can’t adequately move heavier vacuums into small bedrooms or spaces. Try to find a vacuum cleaner with a weight between 5 and 15 pounds at the very most. This will give you enough weight to use on carpets while not making it too heavy to get up the stairs. 

Budget

Unfortunately, your budget is going to play a key role in the best lightweight vacuum cleaner you choose. Our list has vacuums on every end of the spectrum ranging from under $40 up over $400. Before you start shopping for your new vacuum cleaner, figure out what you can reasonably spend. Going into the shopping process with a set budget will help you immediately rule out some vacuums over the others. 

If the vacuum cleaner comes with filters, make sure you check how much they are if you have to buy new ones. The filters can get expensive to replace, especially if it’s a HEPA filter. They may also be difficult to find, and this makes them more expensive to ship to you. 

Setting a budget will eliminate several different vacuums at once, and it’ll ensure you have money left over for other essentials. 

Unique Features

If you’re not looking for just a basic lightweight vacuum cleaner, pay attention to any unique features they have. If you have a dog or cat that sheds and leaves hair everywhere, make sure you vacuum can pick it up. You might want to pick out a vacuum that converts from a stick to a handheld so you can vacuum off your furniture and suck up all the stray hair. 

Does your vacuum cleaner come with attachments? If so, what are they? Some vacuums have crevice tools, upholstery cleaners, extendable handles, and a host of other accessories that could be difficult for you to store. Figure out what unique features you have to have before you start comparing products. 

Corded or Cordless

Do you want a corded or cordless vacuum cleaner? If you choose a corded one, make sure the cord is long enough for you to easily maneuver around the room without having to stop and unplug it. Retractable power cords are another possibility, but it also represents another moving part that could potentially break and have to be repaired before you use it again. 

Cordless vacuums are popular because they give you a greater degree of flexibility when you work around your home. However, you’re limited on the run time by the battery life. Batteries can last anywhere from 20 minutes to 80 minutes between charging, but they can take two to six hours to charge between uses. 

Corded and cordless vacuum cleanrs can run around the same price and have many of the same features, so you have to decide which one is more important to you before you buy.

Flooring Types 

The flooring type in your home will play a pivotal role in the best lightweight vacuum cleaners you pick out. Some vacuum cleaners simply don’t have enough power to tackle thicker carpeting or a lot of area rugs, and others can’t get a good seal on hard flooring. If you have both types, check that your vacuum cleaners can transition from one to the other relatively easily. If it can’t, you’ll end up having to go back over certain parts of your floor several times to pick up any stray dirt or debris. 

Bottom Line

Finding the best lightweight vacuum cleaners can take time and energy on your part, but it’s worth it in the end due to the results you get. If you have an RV, smaller home, or apartment, you should seriously consider shopping for a lightweight vacuum cleaner to help you save space.