Choose a cordless stick vacuum if you want to grab it quickly for small clean-ups, a robot vacuum if you’d like to delegate regular floor care, or a cylinder vacuum if deep cleaning and larger areas are your priorities. A robot still needs its route cleared and the results checked. Whatever type you’re considering, compare test results on your own flooring rather than relying on a single advertised feature.
If you mainly need to pick up crumbs or spot-clean between full cleans, a cordless stick vacuum is worth considering. UFC-Que Choisir describes it primarily as a handy extra vacuum. Check that its run time in the mode you’ll use is long enough for your usual clean-ups.
If you’d like your floors vacuumed while you get on with other things, a robot vacuum could suit you. You’ll still need to clear its route, empty and maintain the machine, and check how well it cleans the floors in your home. UFC-Que Choisir notes that results vary depending on the flooring.
If you have a large area to clean or several floor types, including rugs and carpets, look at cylinder vacuums and their brushes. UFC-Que Choisir describes them as suitable for larger areas. The trade-off is that the cord, weight and storage require more space and handling.
Start with the clean-up you want to make easier most often, then check how well the vacuum performs on your floors and what maintenance it requires.
| Your priority | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quick clean-ups and easy storage | Ease of use and storage; run time in the mode you’ll actually use. | If you need to quickly pick up crumbs or spot-clean, being able to take the vacuum out and put it away easily matters most. Around 40% of consumers prioritise this kind of quick, occasional clean-up. |
| Hands-off floor care | Results on different floor types and around edges; clearing the route and maintaining the dust container. | The priority is to have the floors vacuumed regularly while you get on with other things, even if some tasks still need your attention. Around 30% of consumers prioritise delegating their vacuuming. |
| Deep cleaning | Test results on hard floors, rugs and carpets; brushes suited to the surfaces you need to clean. | If you have a large home or a mix of floor types, cleaning surfaces thoroughly matters more than making a quick pass. Around 30% of consumers put deep cleaning at the top of their list. |
Voltage and advertised power don’t tell you on their own how well a vacuum will pick up dirt from your floors. UFC-Que Choisir also points out that the maximum run time shown is generally measured at low power.
Compare test results on your flooring and the run time in the mode you’ll need, especially if you have rugs or carpets.
According to UFC-Que Choisir, robot vacuum results vary depending on the floor type and aren’t always convincing. Rugs, edges and corners need particular attention.
Decide which areas the robot will clean regularly and which will still need a manual clean. Look for test results that cover your type of flooring.
UFC-Que Choisir found mixed mopping results in its tests of robot mops. The test protocol cited did not include use on solid wood flooring.
Check the guidance for your exact floor type and the mopping results for the model you’re considering before changing your wet-cleaning routine.
A bagged cylinder vacuum needs compatible bags. With a bagless vacuum, you’ll need to empty the dust container and maintain the filters and brushes.
Check the references for any consumables and make sure they’re available. Also find out what maintenance the model you choose requires.
Worth considering if you’re comparing all three types of vacuum.
Worth looking at for cordless stick vacuums and some cylinder models.
A brand to consider if your priority is hands-off cleaning with a robot.
Worth considering among robot vacuums, especially if you’re looking for a docking station or mopping function.
Worth considering if you’re choosing between a stick vacuum for quick clean-ups and a cylinder vacuum for larger cleaning jobs.
This selection includes a cordless stick vacuum for quick clean-ups, a bagged cylinder vacuum for manual cleaning and robot vacuums for regular floor care. Compare each model with your flooring and think about how much of the cleaning you want to do yourself.
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Worth considering for quick clean-ups and if you’d also like a vacuum you can use as a handheld. The product title lists 550 W, 55 kPa and up to 55 minutes of run time; the latter figure is for bare floors. Check the run time in the mode you’ll need and how well it performs on your flooring.
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Worth considering if you prefer to do a more thorough clean yourself. This is a bagged cylinder vacuum, so check which brushes are included, the reference for compatible bags and how well it picks up dirt from your floors, particularly rugs and carpets.
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Worth considering if you’d like to delegate regular cleaning and are happy to maintain the docking station too. The product title mentions a mopping function, 25 000 Pa of advertised suction power and mop pad washing at 75 °C. These specifications don’t tell you how well it will perform on your floors, rugs and around edges.
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Worth considering if you want to schedule floor cleaning. The product title lists LiDAR navigation, a mopping function and 8 000 Pa of advertised suction power. Check its vacuuming and mopping results separately on your flooring: the advertised figure alone doesn’t measure how well it cleans.
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Worth considering for scheduled cleaning with a docking station. The product title lists 8 000 Pa and up to 180 minutes of run time, but these figures don’t establish how well it will clean your floors. Before choosing, confirm the station’s dust collection system and which consumables it needs: the information given on this point is contradictory.
Not necessarily. UFC-Que Choisir found that robot vacuum results vary depending on the floor type. If you need to deep-clean rugs, carpets, edges or corners, compare test results for these areas and keep a way to clean them manually if the robot doesn’t do the job.
Check the run time in the mode you’ll actually use, rather than looking only at the maximum figure. UFC-Que Choisir says this is generally measured at low power; vacuuming a rug with a motorised brush may require a different setting.
With a stick vacuum, you’ll need to empty the dust container and maintain the filters and brush. A robot also needs its dust container or docking station looked after. Depending on the model, a cylinder vacuum will need a new bag or its dust container emptied, as well as maintenance of its filters and brushes.
Before choosing, check the information for the exact model and its spare parts. The French decree of 22 April 2022, published by Légifrance, sets out the criteria used to calculate the repairability index for battery-powered vacuum cleaners. Make sure you don’t rely on the index for a different variant.