The 7 Best Vacuums for Apartments in 2024

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By

Evan Shephard Avatar

Reviewed By

Evan Shephard
Updated Jun 20, 2024 2:33 PM
best vacuum for apartment guide that shows the top best vacuum cleaner model

A whopping 75% of electronic and appliance reviews are untrustworthy. That’s why every reviewer gets a Trust Rating so our True Score System filters out the fake reviews. See how we do it.

If you live in an apartment, you most likely have limited space. You absolutely need a vacuum that is maneuverable and easy to store. Cordless models offer flexibility, and versatile attachments help clean small areas. In our guide, seven vacuum cleaners earned top spots from a pool of over 99 evaluated models. We analyzed 152,207 reviews, filtering out fake and low-quality reviews with our science-based True Score system.

Our unique approach also certifies products as tested, ensuring only the best vacuums make it to our list. These winning models performed well in our rigorous evaluations, providing reliable performance and meeting the diverse cleaning needs of apartment dwellers.

How Did We Rank the Best Vacuums for Apartment?

For our guide on the best vacuums for apartments, we leveraged data from over 200 websites. We analyzed testing methods and customer reviews, comparing these with expert evaluations. This allowed us to pinpoint the essential criteria: 2 required test results and 1 must-have specification. We emphasized factors crucial for apartment living, such as ease of storage, noise levels, and maneuverability. Our method ensures a reliable and accurate guide tailored to your needs.

Our commitment to unbiased reviews is powered by our ‘True Score’ system, targeting low quality and fake reviews. When you shop through our links, you’re backing our mission. Dive deeper to see how.

?️ Minimum Specifications

  • Must be under 15 lbs

? Test Criteria

  • Bare Floor Performance: The vacuum sucks up 95% of debris when cleaning bare surfaces such as tile, vinyl planks, and hardwood floors.
  • Carpet Performance: The vacuum sucks up 70% of debris when cleaning carpets, including low pile and high pile.

Latest Updates

  • 06/20/2024: Republished the list to include the best vacuum cleaners for apartments based on our True Score system.

Top Vacuums for Apartment For 2024

Prices accurate at the time of publishing

See how we test the testers

  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Dyson V15 Detect

    • Best Carpets

    Consider the premium Dyson V15 Detect for effective removal of pet hair and carpet debris. It is perfect for homes with pets and various floor types and is relatively quiet.

    Dyson V15 Detect Review →

    True Score

    91
    91
    19

    Experts

    93
    2k

    Customers

    SAVE $200
    $799.99
    $599.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Samsung Bespoke Jet

    • Best Cordless Stick

    Choose the Samsung Bespoke Jet for quiet, effective cleaning for a mid-range price. Ideal for pet owners, it’s light and versatile, perfect for any apartment.

    Samsung Bespoke Jet Review →

    True Score

    87
    86
    7

    Experts

    90
    567

    Customers

    SAVE $150
    $699.99
    $549.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Shark Stratos Cordless

    • Best Hardwood Floors

    Choose the Shark Stratos Cordless for top bare floor and pet hair cleaning. Ideal for diverse flooring, yet consider its louder sound and smaller bin.

    Shark Stratos Cordless Review →

    True Score

    85
    86
    6

    Experts

    85
    783

    Customers

    SAVE $178
    $499.99
    $322.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Shark Cordless Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away

    • Best Lightweight

    The Shark Cordless Vertex Pro excels in pet hair removal and handles mixed flooring well. Ideal for large apartments, its larger bin means less emptying.

    Shark Cordless Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away Review →

    True Score

    85
    84
    2

    Experts

    87
    340

    Customers

    SAVE $80
    $399.99
    $319.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Shark Stratos Ultralight

    • Best Multi Surface

    The Shark Stratos Ultralight excels in pet hair removal and bare floor cleaning, ideal for apartments with pets and hard floors, but less effective on carpets.

    Shark Stratos Ultralight Review →

    True Score

    84
    82
    1

    Experts

    86
    1k

    Customers

    SAVE $151
    $399.99
    $249.00
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro+

    • Best Handheld For Pet Hair

    The Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro+ is a lightweight, affordable vacuum perfect for quick cleanups in small apartments. It cleans pet hair and bare floors well.

    Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro+ Review →

    True Score

    81
    81
    6

    Experts

    84
    1k

    Customers

    SAVE $20
    $89.99
    $69.99
  • Runner Up

    Best Value

    Best Budget

    gr recommended award

    Best Mid-Range

    Shark Vertex Pro

    • Best Pet Hair

    The Shark Vertex Pro excels in bare floor and pet hair cleaning, ideal for large apartments. Its cordless design and sizable bin enhance convenience.

    Shark Vertex Pro Review →

    True Score

    81
    81
    3

    Experts

    82
    351

    Customers

    SAVE $150
    $449.99
    $299.99

Which Criteria Matters for Testing Best Vacuums for Apartments?

By focusing on these criteria (2 required), anyone can quickly and easily compare these vacuum cleaners and how they’ll perform. This helps you make an informed decision and purchase a vacuum cleaner that will meet your needs.

CRITERIARANGEREQUIREDDEFINITION
Bare Floor Performance> 95%YesHow much debris the vacuum sucks up when cleaning bare surfaces like tile, vinyl planks, and hardwood floors.
Carpet Performance> 70%YesHow much debris the vacuum sucks up when cleaning carpets, including low pile and high pile.

Our Trusted Data Sources

We looked at 120+ vacuum cleaner reviewers and found that 27 are trustworthy (60%+ Trust Rating). The three we have listed below are our most trusted for vacuum cleaner.

  1. Dagobiet Morales Alfaro – RTings, LinkedIn
  2. Derek Hales – Modern Castle, LinkedIn
  3. Sabine Heinlein – Wirecutter, LinkedIn

Interested in a comprehensive analysis of our data sources? We’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a detailed list of every vacuum cleaner review website we’ve identified, organized by their respective Trust Ratings from highest to lowest. But we didn’t stop there. We’ve meticulously reviewed each publication and verified the data by checking whether the authors have bio links to MuckRack or LinkedIn. We’re committed to not only checking the facts but ensuring their veracity.

Vacuum Cleaner Test Data & Results

1. Bare Floor Performance Test Results

As the name suggests, bare floor performance references how well a vacuum does when it’s cleaning up tiles, vinyl planks, or hardwood flooring. Debris comes in a variety of sizes of course, and much of the testing revolves around picking up debris that ranges in size from cereal to bits of dirt to sand to a mix of everything above and more.

We recommend that a vacuum be able to pick up at least 95% of debris from a bare floor to ensure you end up with clean floors. Hitting a perfect score is obviously ideal, but the worse a vacuum performs here, the more work you need to do sweeping up or re-vacuuming. Missing debris is frustrating and can invite pests if you miss bits of food or annoyance if you step on something barefoot and hurt yourself.

Bare Floor Performance in % (higher is better; 0 = No Data)

2. Carpet Performance Test Results

Carpet cleaning ability is another important part of how your vacuum performs. Whether you have low-pile, high-pile, or rugs, how effectively a vacuum cleans up the dirt and debris left behind on the carpet is enormously important to keeping your carpet comfortable.

Generally speaking, we recommend a carpet cleaning performance of at least 75%. You might notice this is much lower than bare floors, and that’s because carpet is harder to clean. Short of devoting the time to actually shampoo and dry out a carpet, thoroughly cleaning out a carpet is very difficult, and good vacuums will reach deep between fibers and pull out long-forgotten crumbs.

Carpet Performance in % (higher is better; 0 = No Data)

Best Vacuums for Apartment: Mistakes To Avoid

  1. Choosing a Vacuum Without Considering Size: Selecting a bulky vacuum can be impractical for small apartment spaces. Opt for a compact, lightweight model that is easy to store and maneuver in tight areas.

  2. Ignoring Noise Levels: Loud vacuums can be disruptive, especially in apartments with thin walls or close neighbors. Choose a vacuum with low noise levels to avoid disturbing others.

  3. Overlooking Versatility: Selecting a vacuum that only works well on one type of flooring can limit its usefulness. Ensure the vacuum can handle both carpets and hard floors effectively.

  4. Disregarding Storage Needs: Failing to consider where you will store the vacuum can lead to clutter. Look for models with a small footprint or those that come with wall-mountable storage solutions.

The Best Vacuums for Apartment Tests Compared

Product
True Score
Bare Floor Performance
Carpet Performance
Pet Hair Performance
Noise Level

Dyson V15 Detect

  • Best for Carpets

91
  • 98.59%

  • 91.77%

  • 100%

  • 72.54 dB

$599.99
$800
$200

Samsung Bespoke Jet

  • Best for Cordless Stick

87
  • 97.71%

  • 91.7%

  • 99.5%

  • 70.53 dB

$549.99
$700
$150

Shark Stratos Cordless

  • Best for Hardwood Floors

85
  • 98.83%

  • 89.28%

  • 100%

  • 76.65 dB

$322.00
$500
$178
85
  • 98.57%

  • 89.36%

  • 100%

  • 77 dB

$319.99
$400
$80

Shark Stratos Ultralight

  • Best for Multi Surface

84
  • 97.5%

  • 82.25%

  • 99.33%

  • 76.8 dB

$249.00
$400
$151

Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro+

  • Best for Handheld For Pet Hair

81
  • 95.25%

  • 84.5%

  • 99.17%

  • 77.2 dB

$69.99
$90
$20

Shark Vertex Pro

  • Best for Pet Hair

81
  • 98.5%

  • 82.61%

  • 99.66%

  • 82.35 dB

$299.99
$450
$150

Vacuum for Apartments Questions (FAQ)

What features should I look for in the best vacuum for apartments?

When choosing the best vacuum for apartments, look for features such as compact size, lightweight design, strong suction power, and versatility for cleaning various surfaces. Additionally, consider models with easy storage options and those that operate quietly to avoid disturbing neighbors.

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