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Our experts review the best plug-in vacuum cleaners for keeping floors and carpets spotless
Deciding on the best vacuum cleaner for your home is a big deal, as it’s an appliance you’re likely to use almost every day. While cordless models have grown in popularity, the only way you’re guaranteed a device that won’t give up and die on you mid-room is to opt for one of the best corded vacuum cleaners.
With long power cables and an increasing amount of lightweight options, choosing a corded vacuum cleaner doesn’t have to involve compromise on manoeuvrability. They also tend to have larger dust buckets, so you don’t have to run to the bin while you’re cleaning.
When choosing between corded vacuum cleaners, you need to decide if you prefer traditional upright models or cylinder vacuums. The latter are typically more powerful and have a larger dust capacity, but tend to be bulkier and harder to store than upright vacuum cleaners. Plus, the ergonomic design of uprights makes it easier to nip around your home, and they can cope well with both carpets and hard floors.
It’s also worth looking for a vacuum with a HEPA filter, as it provides the best method of filtration, trapping particles too small to see with the naked eye. If you suffer from allergies, you might want to consider a bagged vacuum cleaner, as this will mean you have less contact with the dust when emptying it.
Other useful features to watch out for include LED lights to see under furniture, attachments to allow effective cleaning in corners, and anti-hair-wrap brushes.
We tested each corded vacuum cleaner in a home environment over several weeks. The home is lived in by two adults and four children under the age of seven, so each vacuum was tested on everything from spilled cereal to dirt brought in from muddy shoes and football boots.
We tested the corded vacuum cleaners on carpets, rugs and wooden floors, looking at how well each device picked up visible dirt and seeing if there was any effect on air quality. Cleaning under beds and sofas, up the stairs and on upholstery gave us an idea about how easy and effective the vacuums are to use for a full-house deep clean. We also considered weight, the length of the power cable and the size of the dust bucket.
For exceptional power at an affordable price, the Shark lift away NV602UKT has all the features needed to make cleaning faster and less arduous. An 8m power cable, 750W of suction and LED lights to spot pet hair and dander are just a few of its plus points. If you have a higher budget and want slightly more suction power, the Miele C3 is the best cylinder vacuum cleaner and the Dyson ball animal the highest-performing upright corded vacuum cleaner.
For more vacuum reviews, read our round-up of the best pet vacuum cleaners, cordless models and robot cleaners