Our top pick is the Ecowell Lulu Quick Clean Cordless Wet-Dry Vacuum
Olivia is a writer and content creator that has written about a wide range of subjects, including health, beauty, relationships, culture, and music. When she's not working, you can find her perusing coffee shops, reading, or catching up on reality TV. Smart Glass Cleaning Robotic
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Vacuuming and mopping are two chores that most of us do everything in our power to put off. First, you have to lug a heavy vacuum out of your closet and struggle to maneuver it into all the nooks and crannies of your home, all the while fighting with the cord to make sure it doesn’t get tangled around furniture. Then, you’ve got to fill up a bucket of water and swipe a mop all over the house. All of that alone is exhausting — and if you have stairs in your home, well, that’s another story…
That’s why a wet-dry vacuum combo is a game changer. Not only does it completely eradicate one step, but it also minimizes the amount of equipment you have to stuff into a closet or a corner of your home. Just like any household appliance, there are lots of wet-dry vacuums on the market, and picking the right one can be overwhelming. Depending on things like the layout of your space, whether you need a special vacuum for pet hair or allergies, and how many people live in your home, the features you’ll get the most out of will vary. We’ve taken out the guesswork by putting a wide variety of wet-dry vacuums to the test, rating them on their ease of setup, noise level, effectiveness, maneuverability, portability, capacity, ease of emptying, and value.
Here are the best wet-dry vacuums of 2024 that PEOPLE tested.
This vacuum easily moves from surface to surface so you can clean your kitchen, bathroom, and living area in one fell swoop.
It’s battery-operated, so you don’t have to deal with a cord.
It’s affordable yet effective, so you don’t have to break the bank for good quality.
When the vacuum feature is on, it lets out a loud, high-pitched whirring noise.
During testing, this vacuum was more difficult to operate in carpeted areas.
We voted the Ecowell Lulu Quick Clean P05 the best overall because it encapsulates so many great features in an affordable package. Besides the easy setup that took just under two minutes to take out of the package, this vacuum features dual tanks that separate fresh water from dirty so that you don’t just continue to spread dirt on your floors. From tile to hardwoods, the suction was excellent, and it managed to clean up liquid messes and suck up heavy debris within the first 30 seconds of going over any spot on the floor. For more oily or sticky spots, the button to release extra water and cleaning solution was needed and came in handy.
While it is convenient to move this vacuum to different surfaces in your home, one potential con we noticed was that it was a little bit harder to use on the carpet and needed a little more force of hand. While it did feel like the carpet got a deeper cleaning thanks to the fact that it was almost shampooing due to the water. However, the extra force required may get frustrating if you have a lot of carpet in your home. Aside from that, another con we noticed was that when the vacuuming feature was on, it let out a high-pitched whirring noise that was pretty loud, which could get annoying, especially if you have a lot of ground to cover.
Besides that, this vacuum has a lot of great features that we love — from the self-cleaning bristles to the easy emptying water reservoir and the battery-operated motor. All of these are things you’d find in a name-brand vacuum or mop that could easily be twice the price of the EcoWell Lulu. However, this wet-dry vacuum performs well and is very affordable. For those who favor an upright vacuum, this model has a lot of bells and whistles and won’t break the bank.
Weight: 10 pounds | Dimensions: 10.63 x 11.61 x 44.10 inches | Battery Life: 30 minutes | Capacity: 39 ounces
The vacuum setting was excellent on the carpet and left the carpet fully dry, so you don’t feel that you have to tip-toe for a while after cleaning.
It quickly cleans tile and doesn’t require vigorous scrubbing.
It cleans hardwood floors quickly and efficiently — we were able to clean up the mess during the hardwood floor test in just over a minute.
The motor is so loud that a conversation would not be possible while the vacuum is running.
The cord gets in the way while cleaning.
The Bissell B0440 got our vote as the best overall runner-up because it did a great job of moving from surface to surface. It took just under 40 seconds to clean up the mess on the tile and 1.5 minutes to clean the hardwood floors and required no scrubbing. Moving onto the carpet, it did even better than the EcoWell. It also moved around furniture with ease — from chair legs to corners to couches, it slid from surface to surface without too much hassle, which is a huge time saver. It also left the carpet fully dry after cleaning, so you can walk on it immediately.
We voted this as a runner-up to the EcoWell because the vacuum itself is remarkably loud, so loud, in fact, that nobody in the room could have a conversation or watch TV while it’s running. Also, it is a corded model, which means you’ll have to carefully choreograph your movements to avoid getting caught up while cleaning. Besides that, it is a bit more expensive than the EcoWell, but when you consider that it doesn’t significantly underperform on any surface, that isn’t a massive con. All in all, this vacuum is a great option if you have an equal variety of tile, hardwood, and carpet in your home.
Weight: 12.5 pounds | Dimensions: 10 x 10 x 44 inches | Battery Life: N/A | Capacity: 17 ounces
This vacuum performs a thorough cleaning — even on the grout lines of tile — so you don’t have to worry about dirt getting caught in sneaky places.
Emptying and cleaning the collection bin is very user-friendly, so you save time and don’t have to get your hands dirty.
It’s cordless and has a strong battery life so that you can forget the hassle of plugging it in or moving around a pesky cord.
This is definitely at a luxury price point and not budget-friendly.
The vacuum missed some spots while cleaning close to the edge of a low piece of furniture.
The Tineco Floor ONE S5 did a great job at picking up wet and dry messes at the same time. Between soggy cereal, slimy egg yolks, and crunchy egg shells, this vacuum performed extremely well on all our tests, even in hard-to-reach places like the grout lines of tile. We also liked that it easily slid under the table and around chairs and table legs. With this being said, there were some places, specifically along the edge of low furniture, where the suction wasn’t as strong as we would have liked, and it would’ve required manual cleaning with a rag. Although it was not the best with awkward corners and angles, the suction was great directly over a mess and didn’t need a ton of extra attention to fully clean up spills and debris. Throughout the entire cleaning process, we barely used 20 percent of the full battery life, so you can easily get several cleaning sessions out of one charge, which also comes in handy.
We also loved how simple cleaning and aftercare are for this vacuum — emptying the bin was very easy, and we barely got our hands dirty. We also tested the self-cleaning process between cleaning tests, which made the manual deep cleaning even easier. This is ultimately why we gave it the vote of Best Smart Vacuum — features like the self-cleaning mode were a huge time saver and made overall maintenance of the device even easier. This vacuum is at a higher price point that may not be for everyone. It’s definitely a luxury device, and if your budget allows for more of an investment, the advanced tech makes it worth the purchase.
Weight: 17.37 pounds | Dimensions: 11.31 x 8.5 x 43.1 inches | Battery Life: 35 minutes | Capacity: 24 ounces
This model has strong suction that picks up various textures with ease across tile and hardwoods.
It has a great design that makes it easy to get under furniture and into what would usually be tough nooks and crannies.
It has a strong battery life, and it stayed on for the entire testing period and still had just under 80 percent power remaining.
The rollers were difficult to remove when there were obstructions, which added more time to the cleaning process.
We found the app challenging and were not able to use it.
One of the most frustrating parts of vacuuming is having to deal with a cord that gets in your way while cleaning, not to mention what a logistical nightmare it is to figure out where to plug it in so that there’s enough space to reach every nook and cranny of any given room. If these things annoy you, a cordless wet-dry vacuum is life-changing. The Roborock Dyad Pro won our vote for Best Cordless, in large part, because of its excellent battery life. It managed to keep a charge throughout all of the cleaning tests, and once we were done, it was still just under 80 percent charged, so it could easily do several other cleaning sessions on a single charge alone.
We were also impressed by how well it did on all the surfaces we tested, from grout to hardwoods to tile. Among all the textures, like slimy egg yolks and crunchy cereal, it had a strong suction that seemed to give a very thorough clean. We found that we had to up the intensity to the highest setting to get some of the more stubborn debris off the floor, but all in all, this was remarkably effective. It is important to note here that we weren’t able to obtain the cleaning solution that comes with this vacuum, so all we had to work with was water, which made the results here all the more impressive. We also noticed how easily the vacuum maneuvered around different furniture, from the dining room table to the sharp turns around the edges of a bookcase.
As far as cons, the main one we noticed was that whenever there was a blockage in the canister, the rollers were hard to remove to clear whatever the obstruction was. This could become an annoying task as it comes up in more in-depth cleanings, especially if you have things like small toys or larger chunks of food on the floor. Additionally, Roborock has an app that is meant to allow you to control different features of your device, like self-cleaning and self-drying modes. However, we couldn’t get the app to successfully work or figure out what else you can control with it, so we were unable to test this feature.
Overall, we found that this vacuum worked well across varied hardwood surfaces and had a strong suction that cleaned up both wet and dry messes with ease. It doesn’t work on carpets, so you’ll have to use a regular vacuum as well if your home has carpeted areas. The strong battery life, coupled with the design that maneuvers around furniture nicely, made this a winner for anyone who’s looking for a cordless wet-dry vacuum.
Weight: 10 pounds | Dimensions: 12.2 x 10.6 x 43.7 inches | Battery Life: 43 minutes | Capacity: 26 ounces
It has a long battery life, which means you can clean your entire house without worrying about recharging.
The smart detect technology senses wet versus dry messes and adjusts suction and power levels for specialized and thorough cleaning.
This vacuum works well on hardwood and tile floors.
It doesn’t work on carpets, so you’ll have to use a regular vacuum for carpeted portions of your home.
Deep cleaning the machine itself is a bit cumbersome, and you’ll have to get your hands dirty to do so.
If you hate the noisiness of a vacuum, The Dreamtech H11 Max Smart just might be your next purchase. All the vacuums we’ve reviewed here were tested in the same space, and compared to all the others, this one was by far the quietest, both while it was being used and during the automated self-cleaning period. It was so quiet, in fact, that you could definitely hold a conversation or watch TV while it was in use (at least at a higher volume). This is a great feature, especially if you don’t want to wake other people in your household or if you like being able to listen to music or watch TV while you clean.
Although it’s quiet, it doesn’t sacrifice performance. All in all, this vacuum did a great job of cleaning up messes on hardwood and tile (Note: it doesn’t work on carpet, so that portion of the test was skipped). While some spots needed a little extra attention, there was nothing it couldn’t pick up, whether wet or dry. The smart technology features allow this model to sense wet versus dry messes and adjust accordingly. When maneuvering around furniture, it was able to suck up debris once it was flush up next to the edge of each piece, and it was generally easy to maneuver around chair legs and corners. Throughout all of this, the vacuum — which has a 35-minute battery life — maintained its charge, and by the time the testing period was over, it still had 70 percent left.
The main con we noticed, besides it not working on carpet, is that deep cleaning the machine itself was a little bit of a cumbersome task. You have to dig pretty deep to remove all the leftover debris, which isn’t ideal if you don’t want to get your hands dirty. With all this being said, we feel that it’s worth the investment — especially considering how swiftly and quietly it moves. If it’s important to you to find a wet-dry vacuum that isn’t too disruptive while being used, this one is a great choice.
Weight: 10.34 pounds | Dimensions: 11.31 x 8.5 x 43.1 inches | Battery Life: 35 minutes | Capacity: 16 ounces
The user-controlled solution dispenser means you’re able to get a truly thorough cleaning without wasting any product.
This vacuum features a user-friendly design and technology that make it easy for users to control.
This model worked surprisingly well on carpets and cleaned up messes fully after a few passes.
It lacks a brush roll dryer, so you’ll have to wait for it to dry the old-fashioned way if you’re switching between wet and dry messes.
The suction levels struggled in the deep grooves of the hardwood floor, so some liquid messes may be harder to properly clean up.
We all know what it’s like to have to endure the slog of using a big and bulky vacuum and how tiring it is. But the Bissell CrossWave X7 makes that a thing of the past! This one got our vote for easiest to maneuver because of how comfortable it is to use across multiple functions. For one, the user-controlled solution dispenser means you’re in control and able to determine how much cleaning solution you want or need to use, which eliminates wasted product. Also, the design of the vacuum itself made it very easy to steer while using. During testing, we were able to turn the head about 60 degrees without changing hand positions so that we could clean around chair legs, which is often a cumbersome task. In many high-tech wet vacuums, it feels as though you’re being propelled by the machine and not fully in control, so using this one was a breath of fresh air for ease of use.
While the suction worked very well in general across all the tests, we did notice that it struggled in particularly deep grooves in the hardwood floor, so the milk spill seeped deep inside, and it was hard to fully clean it up. Also, while it does work on carpet, we did find that it struggled over certain spots, especially because it doesn't have a brush roll dryer and the brush rollers were still wet from the previous cleaning. If you’re switching from vacuuming to mopping across different floor types, this is something to keep in mind, as it will definitely prolong your cleaning process.
With all this being said, this model sits just between the median price of vacuums we’ve tested and the highest. Because this worked so well across all the surfaces we tested and because of how easy it is to maneuver, we found the price point to make sense. If you want a vacuum that prioritizes user comfort, this one would be a great purchase.
Weight: 10.5 pounds | Dimensions: 10.5 x 9.5 x 25 inches | Battery Life: 30 minutes | Capacity: 12-15 ounces
This vacuum provided excellent suction across both tile and hardwood floors, whether the mess was wet or dry.
It includes lots of high-tech features, like bi-directional self-propulsion technology.
The quiet motor means you can enjoy a TV show or have a conversation during use.
The high price point means this is more of an investment and not realistic for all budgets.
It has small water tanks that need to be emptied during the cleaning process.
If you’re looking for a wet-dry vacuum with lots of bells and whistles, you’ll love this one from Tineco. You can tell its high quality immediately upon taking it out of the box. It also has excellent suction across both hardwood and tile floors and manages to detect the type of mess it’s cleaning up without any user input required to change settings. Whether it’s oily mayo or crunchy cereal, we found that it didn’t take much to effectively clean each surface. It also has many bonus features like bi-directional self-propulsion technology that determines what direction you’re going with the vacuum and adjusts the wheels to make movements easier. While there were some moments where this feature made using the device a little bit awkward, it is a cool feature to see put into practice. Even with all these qualities at work, the vacuum still manages to stay relatively quiet so that you can watch TV or have a conversation while using it.
The biggest con was the small water tanks. Throughout the test, we had to either empty the dirty water or refill the fresh water every few minutes, so while cleaning you’d most likely experience disruptions. Aside from us wishing the water tanks had larger capacities, the price point is also quite high, and this vacuum is certainly an investment. However, it has lots of high-tech bells and whistles that signal its high luxury — from the in-depth self-cleaning to the movement detection technology and the pleasantly quiet motor. All of these things are why this vacuum got our vote for best design, so this is a great option if you like the novelty of bonus technology.
Weight: 17.37 pounds | Dimensions: 11.31 x 8.5 x 43.1 inches | Battery Life: 35 minutes | Capacity: 24 ounces
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Absolute: Our team loved the quick setup (20 seconds) but felt some of the steps weren't as intuitive as other vacuums we tested — for instance, that you have to remove the mop attachment from the vacuum to fill it with water. We liked the smart features such as a display screen that tells you how much water is left in the tank. The vacuum excelled on carpets, and the suction was impressive. On hardwood floors, this wet-dry vacuum shined with liquid spills (cleaning 3/4 of the floor area in under a minute) but really struggled with solid debris such as eggshells and large cereal crumbs that continuously jammed the machine and caused it to stop working. Overall, it just worked a lot better as a dry vacuum than as a wet one. Given its high price and underperformance, the Dyson didn't make it onto our final list.
A noisy vacuum is frustrating for a lot of reasons. Whether you have a sleeping baby, have neighbors close by, or are waiting for a phone call and need to hear your phone ringing, a quieter vacuum can make a world of difference. It’s also a sign that your vacuum is higher quality — quieter vacuums are generally made with better parts and more advanced technology, so if it isn’t too noisy, it’s most likely built to last. You should think about this when purchasing a new wet-dry vacuum — if a quieter vacuum is important to you, it may be worth spending more. The Dreametech H11 Max Smart Cordless Wet-Dry Vacuum is a great option if the noise level is a concern for you.
Nobody likes having to lug a heavy wet-dry vacuum around, especially if your home has multiple stories. And if you live in a smaller space or just don’t like clutter, something light that’s easy to put in a closet or in a corner will impact how your home looks and feels. If any of these situations apply to you, then you should focus on the dimensions and weight of the vacuum you’re considering, so you can have a clear picture of how much space it would take up or how it would feel to carry it around your home.
Regardless of your priorities, everyone wants a wet-dry vacuum that’s effective and cleans up messes thoroughly — if it isn’t effective, then what’s the point of buying it in the first place? Besides researching user reviews and looking to PEOPLE Tested for the low down on your next big purchase, there are certain specs you can look at on a product’s page to determine how effective it will be. For example, in the case of wet-dry vacuums, important considerations are the capacity of the water tanks and suction power. If a vacuum has a smaller water tank, it will empty faster, which means you’ll have to pause frequently throughout the process to refill. The suction power of a vacuum determines how effectively it can deep clean. Some models automatically adjust the suction power based on the mess.
We're going to be honest: We were somewhat impressed with the wet-dry vacuums we tested, but if you have space in your home (and your budget) to invest in a great vacuum cleaner and an easy-to-use mop, those two devices will give you a better deep clean than a wet-dry vacuum on its own. If you really want to splurge, consider upgrading to a steam mop.
The tank capacity will determine how frequently you’ll need to refill (and empty) your wet-dry vacuum tank. The capacity of the tank is an important consideration depending on the size of your home. Some wet-dry vacuums have a single tank, while others, like our best overall, the Ecowell Lulu Quick Clean P05 Wet-Dry Vacuum, have two tanks, one for clean water and one for dirty water.
We tested each wet-dry vacuum with carefully thought-out simulations of how it would feel to use a vacuum in your home, from start to finish.
There are a lot of bonuses to a wet-dry vacuum, like fewer appliances to store and fewer steps in your process. If you like the idea of robot vacuums, consider getting one with wet-dry capabilities. In our testing, they all generally did a good job of cleaning up messes, but we didn’t find any to be as effective as using a mop or vacuum on its own. However, if you like the idea of minimizing cleaning supplies and have hardwood or tile floors in your home, vacuum-mop combos are a functional option that will get the job done.
This depends. There were some wet-dry vacuum models we tested, like the Bissell CrossWave X7 Cordless Pet Pro Multi-Surface Wet Dry Vacuum, that work on hardwoods, tile, and carpet. However, we found that many models with this capability struggle between the two and are not equally effective on both floor types.
All of the wet-dry vacuums we tested cost between $299 and $799. Things like power source, features, size, weight, and brand name all factor into the cost. However, this is more of a luxury item, so you should expect to spend at least a couple hundred dollars.
Many wet-dry vacuums can do a satisfactory job cleaning carpets, while others are quite effective on carpeting. Our best overall runner-up, the Bissell Cross-Wave Hydro-Steam Plus, worked equally well on carpet and hardwood and moved effortlessly between surfaces. It also left the carpet fully dry after cleaning, which is a big plus. Check the wet-dry vacuum you’re considering to make sure that it is appropriate for the flooring in your home.
Olivia Avitt has written about a wide range of subjects, from the best home products to wellness and art. For this piece, she thoroughly researched and reviewed each product and the insights provided by the PEOPLE Tested team. All of our tests included detailed, methodical simulations that closely mimicked real-life use so we could provide the most realistic and thorough reviews possible. Each wet-dry vacuum was rated for ease of setup, noise level, effectiveness, maneuverability, portability, ease of cleaning, and value.
We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.
But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.
In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.
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