5 Best Canister Vacuums of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

At first glance, the Miele Boost CX1 Parquet stood out for its sleek, modern design and giant disk-like wheels. Assembly was intuitive, as the pieces snap together. While we wouldn't call this 18-pound canister vacuum lightweight, it's on the lighter end for a Miele.

The Boost CX1 boasts high-powered "Vortex" technology with 60 miles-per-hour air suction to effectively capture both fine and coarse particles. We're pleased to report it lives up to its claims. Though we had to place the floorhead on top of the Cheerios (rather than pushing it back and forth while flat on the floor), they were immediately sucked up. On the carpet, it picked up the Cheerios just by pushing the floorhead forward, and the mess was gone within a couple of passes. The pile of crumbs disappeared in a single pass, but it was a little harder to push on carpet than on hard floors.

You can toggle between settings using the dial, and the compact design helps with maneuvering around furniture. We found the dirt canister the easiest to empty of all bagless models we tested — it detaches with a simple lift, and the bottom releases with a squeeze lever to quickly eject the contents.

The Boost CX1 can't be positioned vertically like other canister vacs. However, the floorhead hooks to the base, so you don't have to lean the wand on a wall or place it on the floor during vacuuming breaks. We also appreciate that this vacuum has a HEPA filter, which is considered the gold standard for collecting indoor allergens, like dust and pet dander.

The Bissell SmartClean is relatively compact, with large wheels, a telescoping wand and a swivel floorhead that make it a breeze to maneuver and access tight corners. Our Cheerio messes were vacuumed up in a single pass on both hard flooring and carpet. It also effortlessly sucked the crumb pile, taking dust and debris along with it. The "multi-cyclonic design" promises powerful suction, but we were still surprised by how well it performed based on the small size of the floorhead.

At just over 18 pounds, the weight is about average for a canister vac, and its 30-foot power cord is the longest of those we tested. Unlike Miele models, the parts don't make a clicking sound upon snapping together, so it's harder to tell if they're securely connected. Emptying the dirt canister is no problem — it detaches with the press of a button, then the lid releases to allow the debris to fall out.

This canister vacuum isn't the most affordable option but also far from the most expensive. Considering the impressive performance, reasonable price point, and five-year warranty, we think it's the best value.

Miele's Blizzard CX1 vacuum has a futuristic, spacecraft-like appearance. We found it generally user-friendly and appreciated the advanced features. This canister vacuum has a powerful motor with 62 miles-per-hour air suction and a HEPA filter that captures more than 99.9 percent of indoor allergens, including dust, pollen and pet dander.

The floorhead lever allows you to change the angle and avoid lifting it to place it on top of messes. After we adjusted the incline, it picked up all the Cheerios in a couple of passes. This vacuum also captured tons of dust, even on rugs that had already been vacuumed multiple times with previous tests.

The Blizzard CX1 is heavy and bulky, so it's not ideal for carrying up and down stairs. But the base glides smoothly and swivels around furniture with ease. And the accessories will come in handy when removing pet hair from furniture. We also like that the dirt canister pops right off and releases with a simple lever squeeze to dump the contents.

The Complete C3 is our favorite bagged option. Though the heavy base isn't ideal to carry up and down stairs, we found it generally user-friendly. We hardly needed the instructions to get started, and assembly was easy, thanks to the snap-on parts that make a clicking noise when securely in place.

This canister vacuum has a large floorhead with a wide cleaning path. While it only pushed the Cheerios forward when flat on the floor, it quickly vacuumed them all up when we placed the head onto the mess. All the crumbs were sucked up within a couple of passes. It performed well on hard flooring and carpets, but the carpet setting isn't quite as powerful. This vacuum isn't as loud as many others we tried. There's even a quiet setting to minimize the noise further.

The Complete C3 has a HEPA filter and AirClean filter bags to capture allergens and seal in debris — whereas with a bagless model, they can be reexposed to your indoor air when emptying the bin. The front compartment opens easily, allowing you to replace the bag and filter as needed with minimal effort.

At 8.2 pounds, the Eureka WhirlWind is the lightest option we tried. Though the power cord is shorter than most, the compact, easy-to-carry design and narrow floorhead are great for cleaning stairs. You can also release the floorhead and use the telescoping wand for window coverings, shelves, furniture and other above-floor cleaning tasks.

When we placed the floorhead on top of the Cheerios, it immediately sucked them all up — and we could see in the dirt canister that they were, for the most part, still whole. This vacuum also performed well on carpet, picking up all traces of crumbs in one or two passes.

The dust bin is incredibly easy to empty. We clicked it off, opened it up to release the contents, then snapped it back into place without having to reference the instructions. It would be nice if this canister vac had a HEPA filter, but considering the budget-friendly price tag and overall good performance, we can't complain much.