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Our best carpet-cleaning pick
Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner
Credit: Bissell
Why we love it: While not technically a vacuum, this easy-to-use carpet cleaner is compact and has a strong suction that sucks up wet spills and dispenses a cleaning solution to prevent staining and refresh the desired area.
Our Lab tests showed: Stains are no match for one of our pros' favorite portable carpet cleaners, which "totally erased a peanut butter stain" on the side of a tester's couch. Older, set-in stains were faded after using this appliance, and Forté found it to be "a handy, convenient and effective way to promptly address carpet stains and clean upholstery more often."
RELATED: As a Cleaning Expert, Here's Why I Recommend Bissell's Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner
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Our Best Shark Handheld Vacuum Pick
Shark WANDVAC Handheld Vacuum
Why we love it: Our experts appreciated the pet tool and crevice tool attachments. The slim, compact design makes it easy to store.
Our Lab tests showed: Our testers were impressed by the vacuum's suction power. They appreciated how easy it is to use and that the dustbin was large enough for multiple cleaning sessions.
RELATED: The Best Shark Vacuums
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Our Best Overall Vacuum for Pet Hair Pick
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus
Credit: Bissell
Why we love it: This pet-friendly vacuum has three attachments, two of which are specifically designed to clean up pet hair. This corded upright vacuum also features a sealed filtration to trap allergens.
Our Lab tests showed: Our Lab pros were impressed by this vacuum's ability to pick up pet hair, its easy-to-empty dust cup and the convenient LED-lit crevice tool that makes it easier to see dust. You can also take 46% off the Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Lift Off, (a similar model) for a price of $150.
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Our best robot vacuum pick
Bissell SpinWave Hard Floor Expert Robot Vacuum
Credit: Bissell
Why we love it: Our experts rated it as Bissell's best robot vacuum for its ability to vacuum multiple floor types (hardwood, tile, carpets and rugs). Plus, it can scrub and mop floors for a beautiful shine.
Our Lab tests showed: This 2-in-1 robot vacuum effectively cleaned tight corners and edges and sucked up pet hair we didn't initially see.
RELATED: The Best Bissell Vacuums
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5
GH Cleaning and Organizing Award Winner
Kenmore Pet Friendly Pop-N-Go Bagged Canister Vacuum
Now 25% Off
Credit: Carolyn Forté/Good HousekeepingWhy we love it: Our Cleaning Lab pros were impressed by this model's ability to pick up hair from all surfaces, including hardwood floors and carpets. Ranked as one of our best vacuums of 2024, this Kenmore vacuum minimizes odor thanks to its disposable dust bag and sealed system that prevents debris from escaping. Plus, the HEPA filter on the exhaust traps allergens.
Our Lab tests showed: It aced all our floor cleaning tests and demonstrated powerful suction. The vacuum successfully picked up dry oats from our test carpets and hard flooring without problem.
RELATED: The Best Vacuums for Pet Hair
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Our Best Lightweight Dyson Vacuum Pick
Dyson V12 Detect Slim
Why we love it: While we love the V15 (which is also in this roundup), the V12 Detect Slim is a less expensive, smaller and lighter version that offers similar performance at suction, pet hair pickup and edge cleaning. It still has multiple attachments, a laser on the fluffy bare-floor roller attachment to illuminate dust, and in our tests, it ran for a whopping 50 minutes in between charges.
Our Lab tests showed: The V12 earned high marks in our performance evaluations for bare floor cleaning.
RELATED: The Best Dyson Vacuums
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GH Cleaning and Organizing Award Winner
Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Why we love it: "We like the clear LCD screen that shows battery life and the number and sizes of the particles being picked up," Forté said. We also love the filtration that traps allergens and the auto-adjustment of speed as you switch floor types throughout your home.
Our Lab tests showed: This vacuum has an innovative fluffy roller brush attachment with a laser to illuminate dust and debris on the floor.
READ OUR FULL REVIEW: Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Stick Vacuum
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Our Best Canister Vacuum Pick
Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum
Why we love it: Forté called this canister vacuum "well made" and "designed to last for years." We were impressed by the five power settings, HEPA filter and the sturdy metal telescoping wands. It works on all carpet types and the design is storage-friendly.
Our Lab tests showed: In our tests, this vacuum did "an excellent job" of picking up and trapping debris, according to Forté.
RELATED: The Best Canister Vacuums

Isabella (she/her) covers commerce and product-related content in the home, lifestyle, fitness, technology and beauty. She graduated from Binghamton University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in English: Literature & Rhetoric. Before joining GH, she was an editorial assistant at Prevention, where she covered health topics and celebrity news.

Tested byCarolyn FortéHome Care & Cleaning Lab Executive Director
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
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