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The 5 Best Canister Vacuums For Cleaning Your Hardwood Floors in 2023

We realize that shopping for vacuums does not seem like the more exciting of tasks, let alone the times when you have to use them. But, we also realize that they are important, everyday necessities that need to be reliable and functional for your home.

Best canister vacuums

Today, we are focusing on our hardwood floors and which canister vacuums make the chore of cleaning them up a bit more bearable. And you may find out some other quick tips and tricks in the midst of our favorites today, scroll through and take a look!

What Is A Canister Vacuum?

Most of us are well versed in the general design of a vacuum. They stand upright, they can be rather chunky, and hard to maneuver, unless, you are used to working with a canister design. These models are quite a bit lighter and easier to work with in terms of mobility. They also come with a variety of traditional features including bagged vs. bagless, corded vs. cordless, and with various amount of suction and filter protection.

Allow us to teach you a bit more about these less traditional models below. They make look a bit intimating, but we promise that your hardwood and tile will thank us later.

Why They’re Best For Hardwood Floors

Canister vacuums are best for for working with hardwood floors – and less with high pile carpets. They come with soft bristles (or no bristles at all), high power suction for catching every bit of dust left in those wooden nooks and crannies, and easy wheeling for when the chore comes to call. These models help to keep the shine while knocking the dirt and debris from its settled homes.

And there really is a reason to have those canisters instead of the upright models. Those designs allow us to maneuver without stress but are still stabilized with a heavy-duty power and container to keep all the dirt locked up tight. Although these vacuums may not be the most compact, they are the best when it comes to the physicality of actually cleaning these types of floors.

What To Look For When Buying?

Canister vacuums have several areas you’ll want to check into before whipping out your wallet. To keep your hardwoods dust and dirty free have a look at these features:

Power:

Some canister vacuums are a bit lower powered than some others. And depending on your floors, depends on how much of that heavy-duty spirit you truly need. And yes, it is all dependent on whether you have carpet or hardwood – the type, the size, and the amount of dust and dirt you may be dealing with on a daily basis (pets vs. no pets for example). These lower powered options tend to unsettle the dust on hard surfaces making it easier to draw the debris away – while the higher powered options push and pull carpet easier.

Filters:

There are some models that come with HEPA filters. This makes the vacuum even more effective at cleaning high-dust or even potential pollen trackers. Keep this in mind if you feel as though your home could benefit from this extra level of tidying up. A good suction is a must for being able to grab a hold of dirt and debris that is hidden between the wood planks and crevices, but what else?

Bag vs. Bagless:

This is really all about personal preference. Do you want to clean or replace out your bag every so often? Or do you want a model that filters out the bag-free canister? Either way replacement or emptying will need to happen – it is just about which you find easier and better to manage. Although you save some extra money with bagless models, bags tend to hold more dirt and release less dust during the clean-out process.

Mobility:

How far do you need to carry or roll you vacuum? You may be okay going with a heavier-duty model if you do not have multiple floors to climb, but if you do, you may want to ensure lightweight mobility so your job is a bit easier to handle on a daily basis.

Brush Roll:

It is imperative that you purchase a vacuum with a brush roll that has soft bristles or no brush at all. You do not want the risk of scratching up your flooring every time you come to clean it. These rollers are great for carpet areas and loosening debris, but you don’t need that same feature when you’re focusing on hardwood.

Cord vs. Cordless:

Again, this is all about personal preference and the amount of space you have to cover. You will find canister vacuums coming in both editions so it is really about your cover level in creating enough mobility around your home’s floor plan. Do not go into shopping thinking you must go cordless though, most designs come with a more than long enough cord for your cleaning needs.

Best Canister Vacuums

We’re diving into finding out which of the canister vacuums are the best to buy, so let’s narrow it doesn’t for you.

1. Eureka Mighty Mite Corded Vacuum

Eureka mighty mite corded vacuum
The Eureka Mighty Mite Corded Vacuumis a compact design packed with power and the tools to get any job done. It is one of the most versatile models on the list in terms of cleaning a variety of floors and coverings. Keep in mind though, it truly is the ideal design for cleaning your hardwood or tile floors. And although it is a canister vacuum, it is incredibly easy to store away when it’s not in use.

Featuring a 20-ft. power cord, you can easily maneuver is around the house during chore time and includes brush rolls for when you do need to sweep up your carpeted areas. It is also incredibly easy to empty the dust bag as well as purchase extra bags with your initial buy in. This machine also has some of the highest review ratings from customers!

View price on Amazon

Pros

  • Powerful brush rolls
  • Other speciality tools included
  • Lightweight and easy to manuever

Cons

  • Tools may become loose over time

2. Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Vacuum

Miele complete c2 hard floor vacuum

Check out the Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Vacuumto ensure mobility and quiet cleaning in your home. Easily carry it between multiple floors because of its lightweight design but know that you are getting an extremely powerful suction because its featured vortex motor. Another major plus is the model’s filtered system, between the Miele Airclean GN Dust Bag, Super Air Clean Filter and Sealed System Construction, you will be secure in the act that only clean air will be coming out of the vacuum while in use – a major plus for those worried about allergens.

The purchase also includes additional tools such as the crevice tool, upholstery tool, and dusting brush, making every job a bit easier to accomplish on a daily basis. You can even adjust the height of the hose handle for no extra bending of the back or hardship on anyone wanting to get the job done.

View price on Amazon

Pros

  • 6-setting suction control
  • Lightweight design
  • Filtered system

Cons

  • Higher price point

3. Bissell Zing Canister Vacuum

Bissell zing canister, 2156a vacuum, green bagless

For those looking for a bagless option, look no further than this Bissell Zing Canister Vacuum. Known for its power, the model easily cleans up messes using its cyclonic technology featuring continuous suction for both hardwood and carpet. It also features a lightweight design that makes maneuvering around the house a lot less stressful.

Remember, it is a bagless design, so the feature we love most is the Easy Empty Dirt Cup that provides a mess-free emptying experience after the cleaning has commenced. Other features include: multi-surface floor tools, crevice tool, dusting brush, automatic cord rewind, and an air flow regulator.

View price on Amazon

Pros

  • Budget-friendly
  • Lightweight & easy to maneuver
  • Washable, reusable filters

Cons

  • May have trouble assembling

4. Bissell Hard Floor Expert Multi-Cyclonic Vacuum

Bissell hard floor expert multi cyclonic vacuum
Here is another Bissell design that we know and trust (and remember with every Bissell purchase a portion is donated to the Bissell Pet Foundation). The Bissell Hard Floor Expert Multi-Cyclonic Vacuumis a lightweight, compact design that is easy to maneuver but also easy to store once the vacuuming has been done. It is a powerful machine that includes a canister and specialized hard flood turbine foot designed especially for picking up pet hair, dirty, and other debris from in between all of those wooden cracks and crevices.

There is a metal telescoping wand that makes the manual part of this chore an easier job to manage and easier to get up under those larger pieces of furniture. Its multi-cyclonic technology ensure powerful suction and there are numerous cleaning tools included to make a variety of jobs manageable within this one model.

View price on Amazon

Pros

  • Multi-cyclonic technology
  • Bagless model with emptying cup
  • Turbine foot attachment

Cons

  • Higher price point

5. Severin Germany Nonstop Corded Vacuum

Severin germany nonstop corded canister vacuum

Lastly on our list is the Severin Germany Nonstop Corded Vacuum. This low-noise, bagless option is one of the best options for cleaning both your hardwood floors and carpets – which is a wonderful way to spend your money. It featured powerful, high-suction performance because of its multi-cyclonic technology (as we’ve mentioned previously with other models).

Although you will not be wasting any money on bags, there is still a wonderful filtered system in place for those that are worried about allergens being re-released during clean up. This design contains HEPA filters so air blown out by the machine is cleaned and filtered up to 99.95% – meaning no dust mites, pollen, mold, spores, or odors are getting out. There is also a variety of tools you will be getting with purchase including:XL parquet nozzle – for all types of hard floors, 3-part accessory set: upholstery / furniture /crevice nozzle in a practical cloth bag, 35” long XL-easy touch telescopic tube and 6’ XL Premium suction hose.

View price on Amazon

Pros

  • Low noise during operation
  • Variety of tools included
  • No bags required

Cons

  • Tools may not function at 100%

Other Tips & Tricks To Ensure Clean Hardwood Floors

Besides having a powerful vacuum that does the dirtiest of the dirty work, you will want to take some other precautions to keep those hardwood floors clean. It truly takes more than a weekly vacuuming. These beauties should be kept in tip-top shape and left shining. And without too much hardship, it’s an easy feat to manage. Here are some easy-to-follow tips and tricks to ensure you do:

  1. Utilize Mats: Make sure you have doormats for both outside and inside of high-traffic doors. This will limit the amount of excess debris that gets inside.
  2. Enforce A No Shoe Policy: This is an easy one to execute and keep up with. Just set a household rule that shoes should never be worn inside. You can buy a show bin, basket, or tray to keep the boots and sandals tidy.
  3. Wet-Clean Occasionally: Every other month or so give your hardwood floors a good, wet cleaning. Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or something similar will help you do the trick. This is also a good time for a light, polishing treatment to keep them shining.
  4. At-Home Cleaning Mixtures: When it is time to wet clean, think about steering clear from the chemicals and do a natural, at-home cleaning mixture. Four cups of warm water with a few drops of dish soap will do the trick!
  5. Dust Daily: We are not talking about using the vacuums or polishing, instead, we advise you to dust daily. Something as simple as a dry Swiffer sheet can get this job done and ensuring clean floors daily.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it. Those are 5 of the best canister vacuums you can buy for your hardwood floors. Remember that the main purpose of having a vacuum is to clean the floors and depending on the floors you have in the house, depends on the type of vacuum that you should invest in.

Canister vacuums may not be what we are all used to having in the home, but, in general, they truly do better on bare floors than your upright models and less likely to re-disperse the debris being suctioned. For no-carpet areas, you will want a model with easy mobility and soft brush rolls found in our list of favorites above.