What we score
Every vacuum is scored out of 10 on up to five criteria. The overall score is a weighted average, rounded to one decimal. Corded vacuums have no battery score, so the other criteria carry more weight.
| Criterion | Cordless and robot | Corded |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning: carpet, hard floors, pet hair, edges and large debris | 35% | 40% |
| Ease of use, including navigation and the app for robots | 20% | 25% |
| Battery: runtime and charging | 15% | n/a |
| Maintenance: emptying, filters, brush tangles and parts | 15% | 20% |
| Value for what it does | 15% | 15% |
What the scores mean
- 9.5 to 10, class-leading: the best you can buy for the job.
- 8.5 to 9.4, excellent: an easy recommendation for the right home.
- 7.5 to 8.4, good with caveats: worth it if the trade-offs don't matter to you.
- 6.0 to 7.4, mediocre: it works, but something else usually does it better.
- Below 6, avoid: we can't recommend it.
We use the whole scale. A low score is a useful answer, not a failed review.
Buy, Consider or Skip
The verdict stamp sums up a review in one word:
- Buy: a safe choice for the people it's meant for.
- Consider: good, with trade-offs you should check against your home and habits.
- Skip: there are better options for the money.
Each review also says who the vacuum is best for and who should skip it. The right vacuum for a studio apartment is rarely the right one for a house with two dogs.
Where our information comes from
Every review is labeled with how it was evaluated:
- Research-based: we combine manufacturer specs and manuals, independent lab tests and published test results, and long-term owner reports, and we note which sources we relied on.
- Hands-on tested: we used the vacuum ourselves. We describe what we did and show our own photos or measurements.
We never call a product tested unless we tested it.
Keeping reviews current
Every page shows when it was last updated. We re-check our best lists monthly and update reviews when a successor launches or the facts change.
Independence
We earn affiliate commissions when you buy through some of our links. That never changes a score or a verdict, and brands can't pay for coverage or placement. We don't list prices because they change daily, so check the retailer for the current one. Read our affiliate disclosure.