The 3 best corded vacuums – maximize your cleaning power on carpets, hard floors and pet hair

Corded vacuums continue to take the top spot when it comes to suction and reliability. Unlike cordless vacuums with their battery-powered motors, a corded vacuum utilizes more power to achieve a stronger cleaning performance, and a much longer lifespan.

And now that we're all focusing on our spring cleaning to transform our homes for the warmer months, longer cleaning sessions make all the difference. We also highly rate how effective corded vacuums are in busy homes, particularly upright vacuums.

I'm H&G's home tech editor, and my product testing team and I have reviewed 65 of the world's best vacuum cleaners in our test center and in our homes. These are our three favorite corded vacuums you can buy right now.

The best corded vacuum cleaners

The best corded upright vacuum

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Our favorite corded vacuum and the best upright vacuum we've ever tested is the Shark POWERDETECT. It's the latest release from Shark, the brand that's been leading the way in the upright vacuum market for some time now.

The POWERDETECT boasts intelligent features, like sensors around the floorhead that recognize the surface you're vacuuming, how dusty it is, and whether you're vacuuming near edges. It can then automatically adjust its suction power to the optimal level, taking any user guesswork out of the cleaning equation. It also means it's one of the best vacuums for hardwood floors as you don't have to worry about too much power on the delicate wooden panels.

Its 30-foot cord is longer than your average upright vacuum (usually around 20-25 feet), giving you more freedom around the house when cleaning and minimizing how often you have to unplug. Its 12-inch floorhead is also slightly larger than what you'd usually expect, so you can cover more ground as you go.

As far as corded vacuums go, it's hard to find one more powerful than this. 'It took just a single pass with each test for the vacuum to suck up whatever was on the floor,' wrote our expert tester James in his review of this vacuum.

'The carpeting in one room required some deep vacuuming due to being covered in a ton of cat hair from shedding (it’s been hot).

With one pass, James reported the Shark POWERDETECT had 'picked up every visible piece of hair (as well as loose litter near the box) from the carpet, filling the dust bin with an amount of hair equal to a second cat.' He emphasized its flawless performance when vacuuming pet hair and carpets – two of the things our extensive testing has shown us is the most difficult to vacuum.

And, to make cleaning even easier, the POWERDETECT has a Lift-Away feature, allowing you to remove a lighter pod from the main vacuum compartment for more mobility when cleaning stairs, cars, and hard to reach areas.

If you're not fussed about the detection features, but still want Shark's great cleaning performance, Lift-Away and odor-neutralization, consider the Shark Stratos or the Shark Vertex that cost slightly less.

Read more at our full Shark POWERDETECT review.

The best corded canister vacuum

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We've reviewed five of the best Miele vacuums and the Blizzard CX1 is our top pick for the best corded canister vacuum. It balances affordability with strong, universal cleaning performance across different floor types – and as the name suggests, it's also one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

If you're a pet owner, you're in luck. I tested it at a local pet shelter and it was excellent at vacuuming pet hair from every surface, restoring thick rugs and entrance mats that were caked in dog hair and hadn't been cleaned in days.

The 'Cat & Dog' edition of the Blizzard CX1 includes the extra TurboTeQ floorhead that, on test, performed incredibly well on carpets and hair. It's the advantage to choosing this model over the basic Blizzard CX1, as the standard AllTeQ floorhead only really works on hard floors.

This floorhead along with incredible suction power make this one of the best vacuums for carpet you can buy. Even if it's not on its highest setting, the suction is so strong that you can feel the air being pulled in around the intake nozzle. When using the crevice tool, dust and dirt is sucked from over an inch away.

It wasn't quite as impressive as a vacuum for hardwood floors however, as the standard AllTeQ floorhead struggled to deal with large volumes of mess. But if you vacuum regularly, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

It is quite expensive though, and if you're not prepared to invest a huge $999 for this model, there's a more affordable alternative in the Miele Blizzard CX1 PureSuction PowerLine for $629, but you don't get the TurboTeQ floorhead. Or, I've also tested the Miele Boost CX1, which is noticeably less powerful than the Blizzard CX1, but still a worthwhile option.

Read more in our full Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog review.

The best budget corded vacuum

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The Shark Rotator is now the most affordable upright Shark vacuum we've tested thanks to it being released so many years ago. But its older age doesn't mean it's a poor vacuum cleaner. It still performed excellently in our tests and makes for an ideal budget alternative to the best Shark vacuums.

Like the Shark POWERDETECT in this guide, the Rotator can neutralize odors and comes with a Lift-Away pod for easier cleaning. The difference however is the Lift-Away isn't powered so it demands a bit more effort to use, which is worth considering for anybody with limited mobility.

'On its carpet mode, the vacuum has powerful suction, and its stiff brushroll pulled lots of dog hair, dirt, and dust out of the rugs in my living and dining rooms,' wrote pro vacuum tester Camryn.

The performance was even more impressive on hard floors. 'My dogs and partner often track small rocks, clumps of dirt, and leaves inside, and the vacuum had no problem sucking up the larger debris,' she added. Its soft brushroll is also great at cleaning up fine pieces of cat litter without shooting them around the floor – a common problem with upright vacuums.

The 25-foot cord grants you plenty of cleaning room, and all of the hand attachments are easy-to-use and effective around the house. 'My favorite attachment was the anti-allergen dusting brush. This cool tool has a swiveling head that you can rotate around to get just the right angle, and it’s lined with fuzzy nylon bristles that trap fine dust particles,' Camryn wrote, adding that it was what she used to deep clean her house before Thanksgiving.

Read more in our full Shark Rotator Pet Lift-Away review.

More corded vacuums to consider

• The Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog is the most powerful canister vacuum we've tested. It also uses a dust bag system, making it an ideal vacuum for allergies while likely giving it a much longer lifespan than the others in this guide. But it's also the most expensive vacuum we've tested at $1,200 and has recurring dust bag costs, so I can only recommend it to those who can afford it.
• The Dyson Ball Animal 3 retails for the same price as the Shark POWERDETECT in this guide ($399.99 at full price, often discounted to $299.99). Both have incredibly strong suction and suitability across different floor types, but the Shark POWERDETECT has extra odor-neutralization and lift-away features. The Dyson is slightly more powerful, though.
• The Miele Boost CX1 is a great option if you're looking for a more budget-friendly canister vacuum. It has weaker suction and less effective attachments compared to the vacuums in this guide, but it comes at the advantage of saving $100s. You can also buy the Miele TurboTeQ floorhead separately that makes the Blizzard CX1 so formidable.
• The Shark Stratos Upright has long been one of our favorite upright vacuums. But Shark released the POWERDETECT with more advanced features for only $50 more, so our vote goes to the POWERDETECT.

How to choose a corded vacuum cleaner

You can find a more detailed tips over on our how to choose a vacuum cleaner guide, but there are a few special considerations when it comes to corded models.

The main benefit of a corded vacuum cleaner is unrestricted power. Cordless vacuums must preserve battery life and will limit how much power they use, so it's rare to find one that can match the performance of a corded vacuum (see the Dyson Gen5detect or Dyson V15 Detect if this is what you're looking for).

This is why corded vacuums are typically upright or canister vacuums. Both types are the vacuums of choice for professional cleaners thanks to their performance and versatility across all floors.

But you can also find corded stick vacuums, that are designed similarly to cordless vacuums. For the most part these are counter-productive, as you lose the cleaning power found in uprights and canisters, but they can still be a good choice if you're limited on space.

They're also among the most lightweight vacuums available due to the lack of battery. Shark produce some of the most popular corded stick vacuums, like the Shark POWERDETECT Ultra-Light or the Shark Rocket Pro.

You can find out about all the features and designs to look out for in our vacuum jargon buster.

How we test corded vacuums

At Homes & Gardens we like to get hands-on experience with all the products we feature. You can learn more how we test products in our dedicated guide, and there's a more specific rundown of our testing process in how we test vacuums.

Vacuums are tried and tested in our test center and in our own homes. When in the test center, we assess each vacuum on carpet, linoleum and wood flooring. We test their suction power with flour and sugar, which is a common kitchen spill, but also a good substitute for naturally occurring particles in our homes such as dust and dead skin.

We also use cereal on different flooring types to see how well each corded vacuum picks up larger debris such as crumbs and small stones. We also use old hair extensions as a debris material, which helps demonstrates during testing how well a vacuum can pick up hair, and whether or not hair gets stuck in its rollers. This gives us a good indication of the level of care and upkeep the appliance will need moving forward.

Many vacuums are also tested in our own homes, often with pets, kids or both to see how they fare against real-world messes. This is also a great chance to test out any hand attachments, clean stairs and crevices, and learn how easy it is to take apart and empty.

For corded models, we get a feel for how practical the length of the cord is, to gauge how easy it is to clean with. Vacuums also manage their cables differently, so we assess how smoothly the cord maneuvers around the house and wraps around the vacuum when in storage.

Meet the team

Dan Fauzi

I am the home tech editor for Homes & Gardens, focusing almost exclusively on the vast and wonderful world of vacuum cleaners. I have been reviewing products for years now and have spent dozens of hours testing 19 vacuum cleaners both in our dedicated center, and my home.

Alex David

Alex has tested vacuums ever since he started reviewing products and has clocked up hundreds of hours testing more than 30 vacuum cleaners, including the Miele Complete C3 in this guide.

James Holland

James has been testing products since 2021, and in that time has spent more than 100 hours testing 20+ vacuum cleaners. He tested the Shark POWERDETECT in this guide.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has reviewed more than 50 vacuums, including the Shark Rotator in this guide.

FAQs

Do corded vacuums have better suction?

Absolutely. Being plugged into the power outlet means you're utilizing the full potential of a vacuum motor, whereas cordless models are restricted by a battery and its limited wattage and capacity.

But vacuum suction isn't only dictated by power. The vacuum's brushrolls, wand or hose design, airflow, and floorhead also influence how well it picks up debris from your floors. So, just because a vacuum has a higher wattage, it doesn't mean it's better at cleaning. Look out for a vacuum's 'air watts' for a true representation of suction power.

How long do corded vacuums last?

Corded vacuums can last as long as 8-10 years while cordless vacuums only last around 3-5 years. It seems that smaller vacuum cleaners and those that rely on batteries or sensors are more likely to break sooner.

What's more, good-quality upright vacuums tend to be more affordable than good-quality cordless models. So you can enjoy the benefit of a cheaper initial cost and more time until the next vacuum purchase.

Next, consider one of the best Dyson alternatives for impressive cleaning at a sweeter cost.