These vacuums filter out airborne allergens like dust, dander and more.
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Vacuuming is essential for removing dust, dirt, dander and pet hair from your floors and furniture, but a poorly sealed vacuum cleaner can send dust and debris into the air. Before settling back onto the floor (and every other surface in your home), airborne particles diminish indoor air quality, and they can even trigger asthma and allergies.
A good vacuum will keep dust trapped inside rather than spewing it back into the air. The best way to catch dust and dirt once and for all is to use a model with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which will prevent small dust particles from escaping through the vacuum’s exhaust.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we're always testing vacuum cleaners. In the last few years alone, we've tested close to 75 vacuum cleaners, including stick vacuums, cordless handheld vacuums and plenty of HEPA vacuums too. After our top-tested picks, stick around to learn how our Lab tests vacuum cleaners and what you should consider when shopping for one.
Whether pulling dirt up from the carpet or cobwebs down from the ceiling, this two-in-one upright and canister vacuum from Shark may just have the versatility you need to handle all your home cleaning needs. In our last Lab test, the Shark Apex earned high performance scores on both carpeting and bare floors, and it was one of the quietest vacuum cleaners we tested.
The conversion from an upright to a canister vac happens with the press of a button, so it's got convenience on its side. We like that the entire vacuum is sealed for better dust retention and that the HEPA filter is washable, unlike others that need replacing. The included pet brush is designed to minimize messy hair tangles by combing hair off the brush roll as you vacuum. The days of snipping stubborn strands with a scissor may finally be over. Plus, it comes with a five-year warranty. Needless to say, the Shark APEX is one of our all-time top-tested vacuums.
This vacuum cleaner is bagless, however, so care should be taken when emptying it to try to contain any airborne dust, especially if there are allergy sufferers in your home. Emptying the dustbin regularly can make for less mess.
RELATED: Why the Shark APEX Vacuum Is Our Top-Tested Vacuum
We have tested several Kenmore vacuums in our Lab, and they usually ace our performance tests. While we are yet to test this exact model, it passed Asthma and Allergy Foundation's (AAFA) tests for low emissions both while vacuuming and when changing the bag. Even as the bag fills up and clogs with dirt, the filter still holds up. We know and trust the rigid standards of the AAFA and are impressed with their certification criteria.
The Kenmore Elite also packs in several helpful features at a great price. It includes a powerful motor, a telescoping wand, a five-position adjustable height nozzle for easier pushing across all carpet styles and an air-powered hand tool with a rotating brush to more easily remove stubborn pet hair from upholstery, bedding and stairs.
If there's any downside, it's that it clocks in at about 20 pounds. This may be a bit heavy for some, especially if your home has a lot of stairs to contend with.
Keeping floors clean can be a chore, and lugging a heavy machine around only adds to the burden. Luckily, there are plenty of vacuums that have cut down on the weight of the vacuum without sacrificing cleaning power. Weighing in at just 5.2 pounds, the Dyson V12 is one of the lightest vacuum cleaners we have ever tested.
We also included this pick in our list of best cordless stick vacuums, thanks to its high performance and unique laser attachment which illuminates dust and dirt that might be hard to see under regular lighting. As it cleans, the LCD display shows both the size and number of particles it picks up. The vacuum then uses this information to adjust its suction level for optimal cleaning. The screen also displays the current power level, provides maintenance alerts and remaining runtime.
Its low weight and small base make it easy to move and store, but one drawback of its slim design is that it is prone to tipping when not on its wall-mounted charging dock. We wish this model included a spare battery, but the 50-minute runtime should be enough for most users.
RELATED: Dyson vs. Shark: Which Vacuum Brand Is Better?
While canister vacuums can be unwieldy in tight spaces, they have one clear advantage over upright vacs. Because most of the heavy components are built into the canister rather than weighing down the handle and hose, they allow for lower-effort cleaning. When a model has a full complement of attachments like this one, there’s practically no surface you can’t clean. There's a separate bristled floor brush for cleaning hard floors like wood, vinyl and tile (not all canisters come with one) and a motorized rotating brush head that works like an upright vacuum when cleaning carpets.
In our tests, we found the swivel casters on Miele canister vacuums made them easy to wheel around, the ergonomic handles were comfortable to hold and a rotating hose connection kept the vacuum stable and tip-free at virtually any angle. And with a tap of your foot, you can raise and lower the suction to clean delicate surfaces, like throw rugs and window treatments.
Though the price tag is hefty, the telescoping stainless steel wand, AirClean filter bag, motor filter, HEPA exhaust filter and sealed body make the Complete C3 Kona a worthwhile investment.
This vacuum from Miele packs many of the features of its larger models into a smaller appliance which is great for those with less space.
It sports a HEPA filter, four adjustable suction levels and a telescoping wand. In our tests, we found it performed very well on bare floors and on medium- and low-pile carpeting. We've also found that Miele vacuums in general are consistent standouts when it comes to filtration. What we especially like about this model is the dedicated large parquet hardwood floor brush, which deep cleans crevices of wood floors safely and without damage.
Oversize wheels make it a breeze to maneuver and the dust bin is large and easy to remove, clean and replace. Unlike other Miele models though, the Boost doesn't have a completely sealed canister body.
Cordless vacuum cleaners are an excellent choice for anyone bothered by the restricted range offered by traditional corded vacuums. That said, cordless vacs require charging, and their runtimes can often be short. But this model has all the benefits of a cordless vacuum, plus it ran for well over an hour in our Lab tests, avoiding the biggest pitfall of most cordless options.
Aside from its impressive battery life, the Bespoke Jet AI carries a few other innovative features. It senses the floor type and automatically adjusts its suction and brush roll to clean as efficiently as possible. Although this model makes use of a bagless dust cup, it empties automatically when returned to its charging stand, and when it’s done emptying, the dust cup closes automatically too. This feature prevents the dust plume sometimes created by other bag-free vacuums. With its high performance and innovative features, the Bespoke Jet AI also earned itself a place in Good Housekeeping’s 2023 Best Cleaning and Organizing Awards.
Bagged vacuums are great at sealing away dirt without any of the fuss and mess that can accompany emptying a bagless model. They are especially useful in homes with shedding pets, and this Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Award-winner is about as good as it gets. In our Lab tests, its suction was very powerful, picking up dry oats from both test carpets and hard flooring easily. We liked all of the tools this vacuum comes with too. It has a 10.5-foot telescoping wand, a long hose and a 26-foot retractable cord. Not to mention, the vacuum's Pet PowerMate tool is key for cleaning hair from upholstered furniture and carpets, and can be stored along with the other tools right in the unit.
Despite its hefty 20-pound weight, the vacuum is surprisingly easy to maneuver, transitioning well from carpet to hard floors, thanks to its large wheels. On the downside, one tester had some trouble opening the compartment that reveals the bare floor brush. You may have to nudge it a bit to get the brush out.
In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we have tested nearly 75 vacuum cleaners in the last two years alone, including HEPA vacuums. We conduct a complete battery of performance and ease-of-use tests on all the vacuum cleaners we evaluate. All are tested following exactly the same process for more accurate comparisons, and our tests are based on the ASTM International industry-standard test methods.
To measure the effectiveness of each vacuum’s filter — HEPA or not — and how much dust is generated while vacuuming, we turn to an outside lab with a highly specialized test lab chamber and extensive experience required to run the industry-standard filtration protocol. Once the results are in, we review the data against the brand’s filtration claims. We then use our internal test results to recommend the vacuums that offer the best combination of cleaning and filtration. In our opinion, it doesn't matter how well a vacuum filters if it can't pick up dirt and clean well.
When it comes to performance, we evaluate dirt removal from plush carpeting and bare floors, pet hair removal from carpeting, how well it picks up large debris and fine grit, suction at the hose, ease of use, loudness and extra features. Every model goes through each test three times before we average the results to give them an overall score across all categories.
Our carpet dirt removal test is performed using a custom-built automated machine that passes the vacuum cleaners the same number of times over the same test carpeting in exactly the same pattern (pictured). We weigh the dust bin or bag of each vacuum before and after cleaning to see how much of the deeply embedded sand and talc mix the vacuum has removed from the plush carpeting. To test dirt removal on bare flooring, we calculate and weigh a mix of gritty sand, dry orzo pasta and other components and spread it out on a floor. After a specified number of passes, the dust bin is weighed to objectively measure how well each vacuum picked up the debris.
To test for pet hair removal, we use industry-standard rayon fibers to simulate pet hair that we evenly spread on a carpet’s surface. We count the number of strokes each vacuum takes to visually remove all the pet hair. We repeat this test multiple times for each vacuum. In total, each vacuum goes through a minimum of nine separate tests just to assess floor cleaning performance.
Testing for ease of use includes evaluating maneuverability (weight is a factor here too), battery run-time for cordless vacuum cleaners, the ease of the controls and how simple it is to empty and clean the vacuum cleaner after each use. These assessments are often made not just by our Lab experts but by consumer testers too. Additionally, we evaluate the owner’s manual for each vacuum cleaner and assign it a grade for robustness and how easy it was to follow instructions for use. For sound measurements, we often work with Quiet Mark, an independent global sound certification program, to objectively determine the loudness of each model.
Here are some common terms you'll see used when shopping for HEPA vacuum cleaners and what you need to know before investing in one.
✔️ "Sealed" HEPA vacuums: While a HEPA filter on a vacuum’s exhaust is a must for trapping irritating particles, it’s only effective if most of the air coming out of the vacuum passes through it. If a lot of air seeps out from other cracks and crevices, like around the body or hose connections, you might as well not even have a HEPA vacuum. The Miele Complete C3 Kona vacuum, Dyson stick and Shark convertible vacuums here are sealed HEPA vacuums, meaning little bypasses the filter and escapes out into the air. Based on our experience, we're confident that our other recommendations also allow minimal air to elude their HEPA filters.
✔️ True HEPA filters: Be wary of vacuums with “HEPA-type” or “HEPA-like” filters. They may look like traditional pleated HEPA filters and likely will trap some small particles, but they could miss the tiny, microscopic ones that can't escape a true HEPA filter. Vacuums with HEPA filters are generally more expensive. Keep in mind that less expensive vacuums can be sealed and have filters that grab 99% of particles down to 0.5 microns, but only a HEPA filter nabs 99.97% of particles as tiny as 0.3 microns (and yes, that can make a difference!).
✔️ Bagged models: Vacuums that use bags are generally preferred for severe allergy sufferers because the dirt is contained, even as you empty it. A bagged vacuum with a high-efficiency, self-sealing filtering bag is best. But if you want a bagless model, look for one — like the Dyson, Miele Boost and Shark models above — with a dust cup that empties from the bottom or the Samsung that self-empties into its stand. This allows you to hold the container down in a trash can to empty it and avoid a dust cloud. But depending on the design of the dust cup, you may still need to reach inside to remove any remaining bits of dust and hair.
Yes, we think a HEPA vacuum cleaner is one of the best products for allergies. HEPA vacuums boast a special high-performance filter that traps 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size — too small to see with the naked eye, but not too small to be felt by allergy sufferers. The most important filter for trapping these microscopic allergens is a HEPA filter located on the exhaust, where the air blows out of the vacuum and back into the room. Dust, pollen, pet dander, smoke and more are all caught by these high-efficiency filters, and since HEPA filters are available on many upright, canister and stick vacuums, it’s relatively easy to find a model to fit your needs.
Changing the HEPA filter on your vacuum is an important maintenance step because a clogged, dirty filter can impact a vacuum's suction and its ability to trap fine particles. While it’s always best to follow your vacuum manufacturer’s recommendations, if you have a small home, use multiple vacuums or only vacuum once a week, your vacuum’s HEPA filter may last as long as one or two years before it needs to be changed. With daily use or use in a larger home, the vacuum may need a new filter as often as once every six months. This is especially true in homes with pets.
While some HEPA filters are washable, most should not be exposed to water and must be replaced. For washable filters, follow the manufacturer's directions, and allow it to thoroughly air dry before putting it back in the vacuum. A HEPA filter placed back in the vacuum while still wet won't work correctly, and it can even begin to grow mold without proper ventilation.
HEPA vacuum cleaners and air purifiers are two completely different items. A vacuum with a HEPA filter is handy to have (especially if you have allergies), but it only filters whatever the vacuum picks up and the air that comes out of the vacuum, not all the air in the room.
If you're looking for something to filter all of the air in a larger space with the goal of removing dust, smoke, pollen and other irritants, an air purifier is your best bet.
Carolyn Forté has more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert and serves as Executive Director of Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care & Cleaning Lab. Carolyn has 22 years of deep analytical testing and editorial writing experience in categories like vacuum cleaners, household cleaning products, appliances and more. She is also a member of ASTM's F11 Vacuum Cleaner Committee, where she serves as Chair of the Consumer Information Subcommittee. She meets regularly with vacuum cleaner company engineers and testing lab executives to develop and set the standard testing methods used by the vacuum cleaner industry.
Noah Pinsonnault works as a product reviews analyst in Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care & Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. In preparing this article, he spent hours poring over previous testing data and reviews, making frequent trips to the Lab to hold and try out the models for himself.
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.
Noah works as a product reviews analyst in the Home Care & Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. He draws on scientific expertise garnered during his time as an environmental researcher, where he managed environmental monitoring equipment, analyzed water samples in a lab and developed protocols for restoration projects. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
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