How we test vacuum cleaners

As portion of our mini appliances sum connected TechRadar, we reappraisal dozens of different vacuum cleaners each year. Our first vacuum reappraisal was published successful 2015, and arsenic of October 2024, we'd published 187 reviews.

As good arsenic providing you pinch each nan accusation you'll ever request astir each individual product, these reviews are what we usage to put together our rankings of nan best vacuum cleaners and nan best robot vacuums, alongside secondary guides specified arsenic nan best cordless vacuums aliases nan best inexpensive robot vacuums.

Some of these vacuums are tested by members of our team, and for those we can't do ourselves, we usage a mini excavation of knowledgeable reviewers. In bid to make this testing fair, and supply you pinch useful results, we person a strict reviewing protocol. Here's precisely really we trial vacuums astatine TechRadar.

How we trial vacuum cleaners

Suction

These tests measurement really good nan vacuum picks up debris of different kinds, connected different types of flooring. Equipment required:

• Hard floor
• Carpet aliases a carpet-like rug
• Masking tape
• Flour
• Cookie crumbs
• Oats

Before moving nan suction tests, vacuum nan area wherever you'll beryllium testing truthful it's arsenic cleanable arsenic possible. Then, utilizing masking tape, people retired an area 1.2m by 1.2m.

Fine debris test

Create a substance of cooky crumbs (blitzed successful a nutrient processor) and flour. Sprinkle 20g of this substance complete nan marked-out area. Vacuum connected nan lowest setting, ensuring that you don't spell complete immoderate conception much than once. Assess really overmuch of nan good particulate nan vacuum cleaner has picked up. If it hasn't collected each of nan debris, repetition astatine a higher setting, arsenic required until each nan particulate is gone.

Repeat for difficult level and carpet.

Large debris test

Repeat arsenic above, but pinch 30g of oats. Note if nan vacuum pings astir nan oats, moving them retired of its suction path. Repeat for difficult level and carpet.

As portion of these tests, return statement of really adjacent you tin maneuver nan floorhead to nan edges of nan masked area, and if nan vacuum will prime up debris adjacent to this border. Comment connected your findings.

Hair tests

Assess really good nan vacuum tin region hairsbreadth from some carpet and difficult flooring. Ideally, trial some agelong (human) hairsbreadth and short (pet) hair.

Does this hairsbreadth go caught astir nan brushroll, aliases is it whisked consecutive into nan bin? If nan former, really easy is it to remove?

If location are other attachments designed specifically for hair, put these to nan trial and remark connected your findings.

Battery

Charge nan vacuum to afloat power. Then tally it continuously connected its lowest powerfulness mode, timing really agelong it lasts until nan artillery is wholly flat. Repeat for each powerfulness option. Record really agelong it takes to afloat recharge nan vacuum, from a level battery.

Usability

These are little standardized tests designed to summation a much complete image of nan usability of a vacuum.

Use nan vacuum arsenic a main vacuum for a mates of weeks, being judge to trial retired each nan supplied attachments arsenic good arsenic immoderate typical features circumstantial to that vacuum. Consider questions like:

• How comfortable is nan vacuum to use?
• Is it intuitive to put together, switch attachments and truthful on?
• How easy is it to maneuver?
• Can nan floorhead scope into tight spots?
• How easy is nan bin to empty?
• Are nan attachments useful?

How we trial robot vacuum cleaners

Suction

The suction tests are designed to measure nan robot's vacuum cleaning performance. Equipment needed:

• Hard floor
• Carpet
• Oats
• Cookie crumbs
• Flour

Start by vacuuming some nan difficult level and nan carpet you'll beryllium utilizing to guarantee it's arsenic cleanable arsenic possible.

Fine debris test
Create a substance of cooky crumbs (blitzed successful a nutrient processor) and flour. Sprinkle 20g of this substance connected carpeted floor, covering astir an area nan size of a quadrate meter.

Start nan vacuum connected nan lowest powerfulness setting. Assess really overmuch of nan good particulate nan vacuum collects. If it hasn't prime up each of it, repetition connected progressively much powerful settings.

Repeat this trial connected difficult flooring.

Large debris test
Repeat nan trial above, connected some difficult floors and carpet, but utilizing oats alternatively than nan good crumb mixture. Pay peculiar attraction to whether nan creation of nan robot vacuum causes oats to beryllium pinged retired of nan suction path.

Hair test

Assess really good nan robot vacuum pulls up hairsbreadth from some carpeted level and difficult flooring. Ideally, trial some agelong (human) hairsbreadth and short (pet) hair. Does this hairsbreadth go caught connected nan brushroll(s) aliases broadside brush, aliases is it directed consecutive into nan onboard bin? If nan former, really easy is it to remove?

Mopping

Nowadays, galore robot vacuums see mopping capabilities. If this is nan case, tally a bid of tests to measurement really good these work. We want to spot really effective nan robot vacuum is pinch new, bedewed spills, arsenic good arsenic sticky, stubborn stains connected difficult floors. Equipment required:

• Hard flooring
• Fruit juice
• Tomato ketchup

Spill a mini magnitude of consequence juice onto nan level and group nan robot vacuum to cleanable nan area. How does it grip it – does it push nan liquid astir aliases assistance it? Does it require aggregate passes to clear nan juice from nan floor?

Next, dispersed a mini magnitude of herb ketchup connected nan floor, and time off it dry. Set nan robovac disconnected connected a cleaning rhythm and spot if nan mop lifts it. Run connected nan modular mounting first, and if nan messiness isn't cleaned, effort a much intensive setting.

Object avoidance

These tests are designed to measure really effective nan robot vacuum is astatine identifying and avoiding objects. Equipment required:

• Shoe
• Charge cable
• Sock (dark aliases ray to lucifer your floor)
• Fake canine poop (optional extra)

Place a sock, shoe, complaint cablegram and (optionally) clone canine poop connected nan floor, pinch plentifulness of room astir each object. Set nan robovac disconnected connected a cleanable and show really good it avoids and/or identifies each object. Run this trial twice. Record your findings.

Additionally, show really good nan robovac deals pinch obstacles during mundane cleans. Note if, for example, it regularly becomes tangled successful cables and needs to beryllium rescued manually.

Usability and features

To summation a wide overview of nan usability and effectiveness of nan robot vacuum, usage it arsenic your main vacuum for 2 weeks. During this time, trial immoderate typical features – sound control, onboard cameras and extending broadside brushes, for illustration – arsenic good arsenic afloat exploring nan companion app.

During this reappraisal period, see questions like:

• How easy is nan robot vacuum to group up and control?
• How overmuch power do you person complete settings?
• How meticulous is nan product's mapping of your home?
• How good does it woody pinch edges?
• Is immoderate smart location integration effective?
• How noisy is it successful use?
• What attraction is required, and is this straightforward?
• Can nan robovac reliably clear room thresholds?