To help you find the best vacuums, I've gathered a list of top-performing vacuums from our tests. In the Lab, we put all types of vacuums through extensive testing based on ASTM International industry-standard methods and use a custom-built machine to quantify the amount of embedded dirt that the vacuum cleaners remove from medium-pile carpeting. In addition, we assess bare floor cleaning, pet hair pick up, ease of use and more.

The base station isn’t that pretty either, so you’ll need to hide it away. The setup is straightforward though, using a slick app which is easily accessed by a QR code.

If you have a lot of carpet in your bedrooms, an upright vacuum cleaner or canister with a rotating brush roll will do the best job, whereas a vacuum cleaner with soft bristles or a brush roll that can be turned off is better suited for hardwood floors.

✔️ Cleaning modes: Consider a vacuum with various cleaning modes if you like the option to fully customize your cleaning experience or you're looking for one product that can clean multiple floor types.

If you just want something that's shallow in profile for getting beneath furniture, look for a robovac without a raised central puck. This puck is generally used for robot vacuum navigation, but there are options that use different approaches – including all Roomba models, and some of Roborock's newest bots like the Qrevo Slim and Roborock Saros 10R (both of which we rate very highly).

Why we love it: Powerful and versatile, this model has a motorized power nozzle to deep clean carpets, a mini motorized brush tool to lift pet hair from upholstery and a floor brush to gather fur on hardwoods and other bare floors. Bonus: All attachments except the power nozzle can be stored right on the vacuum.

Voice commands can then send the robot vacuum to wherever it’s needed. The S8 MaxV Ultra’s obstacle-recognition system generally does a good job at avoiding obstacles like chairs and Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners shoes, but it occasionally needs a little intervention.

I loved that the floor brush can be quickly attached with the press of a button. Some online reviewers said the hose was a bit short, but it didn't bother us during testing.

More advanced robot vacuums have lasers on the front of the machine and some on the underside of the device too. These lasers detect where furniture, objects, and edges are in your home, helping avoid bumps, and cliff detection prevents the machine from falling down the stairs. Read our article on how do robot vacuums work to find out more.

You can also opt for a robot vacuum, which does the cleaning for you and goes back to recharge on its own when it’s time, but the charging base must remain connected to a power outlet and should not be moved so the robot knows how to get back to it after cleaning.

If you frequently use a handheld vacuum to tackle small areas of debris on your carpet or kitchen floor, then they’ll take the pressure off your back too. Many also have mopping capabilities, so are great multi-taskers.

Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims.

The benefit of the dinky size is that this bot can reach places bigger bots can't, and on test we found it navigated confidently around furniture legs and into tight spaces.

The mopping tank is small, so you’ll need to refill it with detergent fairly frequently if you use it routinely. The app lets you reduce the amount of water being used, to help extend the mopping function further between refills.