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A person uses a Dyson V15 vacuum to clean the fllor Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Best Lightweight Vacuum Cleaners of 2024

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

A person uses a Dyson V15 vacuum to clean the fllor Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

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Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

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1
Editor's Choice Product image of Dyson V15 Detect
Best Overall

Dyson V15 Detect

4.3
Check Price at Amazon

This Dyson has powerful suction power and long battery life, plus it has a great built-in laser that illuminates even the finest bits of dust on your floors and furniture. Read More

Pros

  • Dirt detection
  • Excellent handling
  • Long battery life

Cons

  • Small brush head
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away
Best Value

Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away

3.7
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Between the swivel joint in the brush head and the detachable canister, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away is a fine choice for small apartments. Read More

Pros

  • Can transform into a pseudo-canister vac
  • Average dirt pickup

Cons

  • Difficult to use
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Dyson V8 Absolute

Dyson V8 Absolute

4.0
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One heck of a vacuum. If you crave the V10's sleek design, the V8 is a cheaper option. It still costs twice as much as most vacuums on our list, though. Read More

Pros

  • Powerful suction
  • Large number of available attachments

Cons

  • Only seven minutes of battery life on high
4
Product image of Oreck Elevate Conquer UK30300

Oreck Elevate Conquer UK30300

3.8
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Great for those with mobility issues. With the motor on, it glides across floors. Also has the advantage of a 7-year warranty. The only downside of all its shed weight is that it has no attachments. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent filtration

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Not that powerul
5
Product image of Dyson Omni-glide

Dyson Omni-glide

3.8
Check Price at Best Buy

Read More

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Excellent maneuverability

Cons

  • Moderate suction
  • Best Overall Dyson V15 Detect
  • Best Value Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away
  • Other Lightweight Vacuums We Reviewed
  • How We Test Lightweight Vacuum Cleaners
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

Update 10/20/2022: We’ve done a little housekeeping of our own here, swapping out some discontinued favorites for some exciting new options!

If you hate lifting your vacuum up the stairs and loathe lugging it around the house, we've tested a few models that weigh less than 15 pounds, but are as powerful as models that tip the scales at almost twice as much.

That's largely thanks to advances in motor technology. Modern vacuums can fit an astonishing amount of suction power in a tiny space, and powerful batteries make cords a thing of the past. In fact, after years of testing popular vacuum cleaners, our data shows that a modern vacuum's size has very little to do with how well it cleans.

Yes, there are drawbacks. Vacuums that are both lightweight and powerful tend to cost more than heavier models—especially for cordless units. But if you don't mind paying a little extra to save your back, these are the best lightweight vacuum cleaners you can buy. Our favorite is the Dyson V15 Detect (available at Amazon) because of its powerful suction and a built-in laser that illuminates even the finest bits of dust on your floors and furniture.

The Dyson V15 Detect cleaning a table.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The Dyson V15 Detect is an all-around great cordless vacuum.

Best Overall
Dyson V15 Detect

The Dyson V15 Detect is an absolute juggernaut. It’s our favorite Dyson, our favorite cordless vacuum, and one of our top picks overall. This lightweight cordless vacuum picked up an average of 92% of the detritus we left out for testing on carpet. We consider a successful vacuum to be around 33%. Combine that with its powerful battery, and you get a lot of cleaning power out of a single charge.

It wouldn’t be Dyson without tech, and the V15 delivers. But where many companies add gadgets to their vacuums to mask poor performance, this vacuum’s new features actually delivered in our lab. The first big upgrade is a more powerful battery that supplies 15 minutes of cleaning time at maximum power.

Another useful upgrade is the laser and sensor. The laser is far more useful at illuminating dirt under furniture and on floors than a standard LED vacuum light, helping you get a deep clean. Meanwhile, the sensor gives you a readout of the particle sizes that the vacuum is picking up.

The V15 is one of the best Dyson vacuums you can find, with the same smooth glide, sensitive trigger, and lightweight design that you’d expect from them. The price is undoubtedly steep, but its test results are strong enough that we can’t deny it the top spot.

Pros

  • Dirt detection

  • Excellent handling

  • Long battery life

Cons

  • Small brush head

Buy now at Amazon

$739.00 from Walmart
The Shark NV352 is an affordable upright that can transform into a wheelless canister.
Credit: Shark

The Shark NV352 is an affordable upright that can transform into a wheel-less canister.

Best Value
Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away

If you've ever fallen asleep with the TV on, you've probably woken up to a Shark infomercial. Our tests show that this 14-pound Shark Navigator Lift-Away can deliver on the hype. It picked up 38% of our testing dirt on average—not the best, but not bad at all for such a light vacuum and well over our 33% benchmark.

The brush head has a swivel joint and a compact size that makes it easy to maneuver around and under any obstacles. You can also lift the motor off of the handle and carry it around like a canister vacuum for a little extra portability (or to clean the stairs). The pseudo-canister doesn’t have wheels and can’t use attachments, but it provides a little extra flexibility in how you clean.

Thankfully, that’s the only downfall we can see with this Shark; its other features offer utility without such severe drawbacks. For instance, automatic height adjustment means you can effortlessly move across different floor types without skipping a beat.

Pros

  • Can transform into a pseudo-canister vac

  • Average dirt pickup

Cons

  • Difficult to use

$179.99 from Amazon

Other Lightweight Vacuums We Reviewed

Product image of Dyson V8 Absolute
Dyson V8 Absolute

The Dyson V8 Absolute is a former top pick and still a fantastic choice. The weight to power ratio here is almost unbelievable. This vacuum is only 5.6 pounds, but strong enough to truly replace a corded model for most household cleaning.

This cordless vacuum’s battery lasted for 40 minutes, wildly outclassing most of the competition. But it also picked up 88% of the dirt we laid out in our floor cleaning tests. That puts it above every cordless except the newest Dyson, and even puts it in the upper ranks of heavy, corded vacuums.

The V8 does have some downsides. While it has a ton of attachments—including a powered brush roll head that's designed for hardwood floors, a motorized mini brush for cleaning upholstery, a soft brush for hardwood, a combination upholstery/bare floor tool, a crevice tool, and a soft dusting brush for computers and delicate items—they all have to be stored separately. If you've got limited space, they might be a pain to keep track of and swap.

The V8 is also quite expensive, retailing for around $600. However, if you want an ultra-lightweight vacuum that you can take out to clean your car, then come inside to get tracked-in dirt off the stairs and the dog hair off your drapes, this is the one to get.

Pros

  • Powerful suction

  • Large number of available attachments

Cons

  • Only seven minutes of battery life on high

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Oreck Elevate Conquer UK30300
Oreck Elevate Conquer UK30300

To get the real skinny on lightweight vacuums you need to ask professional cleaners, who tend to use vacuums that are very similar to the Oreck Elevate Conquer. At just 11 pounds, this is the lightest full-sized vacuum we have ever tested.

In terms of dirt pickup, the Elevate does well enough for its size to earn a place on this list. It cleaned as well as other vacuums on short-pile carpet, but struggled when we switched to deep-pile carpet.

Still, it’s a strong choice for anyone with mobility issues, and not just because it’s lightweight. When the motor is engaged, the Conquer glides across the floors, pulling itself forward under the power of its own brushes.

Oreck also has the advantage of a seven-year warranty that's backed by service locations all across the country. The only downside from all that weight cutting is that the Conquer has no attachments beyond its HEPA filter. If you want a crevice tool or dusting brush, you'll need to buy a separate handheld unit.

Pros

  • Excellent filtration

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Not that powerul

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Dyson Omni-glide
Dyson Onmi-Glide

We weren’t sure what to make of the Dyson Omni-Glide when we first unpacked it in our labs. The design of the body suggests that it’s a hand vacuum, but it can also clean the floor like a regular cordless vacuum. This Dyson is somewhere in between and does an equally good job at cleaning floors and countertops.

Even with its heaviest attachments on, the Omni-Glide tips the scales at just around four pounds. This means you don’t break a sweat lugging it up the stairs or cleaning your car. And with a battery that runs 18 minutes on regular power and 9 minutes at max, you may be able to do it all in one charge.

After spending a few days cleaning with this Dyson, we think that it’s perfect for small apartments. The titular Omni-Glide brush head is just eight inches wide, with a swivel joint that’s limber enough to twist around chair and table legs.

Its unique flexibility isn’t its only strength. During testing, it picked up 70% of the dirt we laid out for it. That’s below average for the Dysons we’ve tested (87%), but solidly above the average of 57% across all the vacuums we’ve tested.

The Omni-Glide is pretty expensive, but since it cleans floors and furniture equally well, it’s like getting two vacuums for the price of one.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Excellent maneuverability

Cons

  • Moderate suction

$349.99 from Best Buy

$349.99 from Target

$349.00 from Abt

$219.99 from Walmart
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 2390 cleaning a pillow
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser provides plenty of power and versatility

Best Handheld for Pet Hair
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 2390

We had our coworkers bring in their toughest pet hair issues to see if the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 2390 lived up to its name. It delivered every time, from restoring a cat’s favorite napping cushion to pulling Burmese mountain dog hair out of a blanket.

It may be a handheld vacuum, but it excels enough at its job to deserve mention here. It also works well as a spot cleaner for floors. On a test run vacuuming medium-pile carpet, it nabbed 94% of the testing dirt we laid out for it.

Its battery life lasts up to 19 minutes and its dirt cup holds 24 ounces. Both of those stats are fantastic for a handheld, and should keep you going for a long time before you have to recharge or empty. You probably don’t want to vacuum all of the flooring and carpet in your house with it, but it’s a great choice for everything else.

Pros

  • Large capacity

  • Useful attachments

Cons

  • Heavy

  • Upholstery brush tough to clean

$79.39 from Amazon

$79.95 from Best Buy

$79.95 from Target

$79.99 from Abt

How We Test Lightweight Vacuum Cleaners

Hi, I’m Jon Chan, the senior lab technician at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it’s likely I oversee its testing in our labs. That includes everything from detergents to wet/dry vacuums. When it comes to vacuum cleaners, I like models that provide excellent cleaning performance and value.

Here at Reviewed, we test vacuums to get both reproducible performance data and information that will be useful to our readers. We assess on the performance, features, and usability of each vacuum cleaner.

Performance Tests

The sand we used for cordless vacuum testing involved sieving the sand to a specific grain size.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

A good vacuum cleaner should be able to remove both fine dirt/dust and larger debris from your floor surfaces. To assess cleaning ability, we pit each model against four types of messes: our homemade “dirt” made from sieved sand and baby powder, pet hair, rice grains, and raw macaroni.

Every home is different, and we try to capture that, too: We test each vacuum on multiple types of flooring and carpet, including linoleum flooring, and low-pile and medium-pile carpet. We simulate baseboards and molding by sprinkling baby powder along a 2x4 and seeing whether the vacuum can handle the baby powder without leaving a strip of dust along the “wall”.

Finally, we use a suspended wooden dowel to create obstacles at different heights to see how low each vacuum can go. We want to see whether a vacuum can clean dirt or dust bunnies under furniture, and this gives us an adjustable, easy-to-see way of measuring that.

All in all, we create a gauntlet of performance tests to make sure that if we recommend a vacuum, it can clean all of the surfaces, nooks, and crannies in your home.

Features and Usability Testing

Of course, there’s more to a vacuum than just removing dirt. That’s why we also test usability. We score each vacuum’s noise level, attachments, cord length, weight, dirt capacity, warranty, mobility, battery life (when relevant), and overall user experience. If a vacuum is both effective at cleaning and convenient to use, it earns top marks in our scoring system.

Meet the tester

Jonathan Chan

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

@Jonfromthelab1

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

See all of Jonathan Chan's reviews

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