And if you’re nervous about scratching your hardwood floors, the spinning brush roll has an on/off switch, so you can use it with the suction only. This is thanks to its angled floorhead that features three different suction levels, so you can adjust your suction level to whichever floor type you’re cleaning. Unlike our best overall pick, this cordless vacuum from Black + Decker is designed to clean a variety of surfaces, including hardwood, tile, and carpet. Weight: 4.2 pounds | Runtime (Tested): 21 minutes on lowest setting, 8.5 minutes on highest | Dust Capacity: 0.2 liters | Attachments: Double Fluffy cleaner head, combination crevice tool, mini motorized tool, light pipe crevice tool It's more expensive than most of the other cordless vacuum cleaners we tested, but if you have mostly hardwood flooring in your home, the Dyson Omni-Glide+ may be well worth the investment. Our testers did note that some hair became tangled in the dustbin, and they had to use their hands to remove it.įinally, the vacuum comes with a washable lifetime filter, as well as a two-year warranty. To empty the canister, simply use the point-and-shoot mechanism to eject the contents directly into a trash can. This, combined with its 20-minute battery life, makes the Omni-Glide+ better suited for quick cleanups and small spaces, as opposed to whole-home cleaning. One trade-off of the vacuum’s lightweight and compact design is that it has a relatively small dustbin capacity at just 0.2 liters, which led our testers to have to empty the canister frequently during our testing. Plus, this vacuum can easily transform into a handheld vacuum cleaner for above-floor cleaning: “It takes zero effort to pick it up, even to reach the high self of the bookcase,” says one tester of this lightweight vacuum.

Other attachments include a crevice tool and a mini motorized brush head for use on upholstery and other small surfaces. The Double Fluffy cleaner head is covered in a soft nylon to capture large debris, while the anti-static carbon fiber filaments remove fine dust. In our testing, the vacuum picked up 98 percent of debris within a 1-minute window, both on hardwood floors and stairs. But this doesn’t make it any less effective on hardwoods. Keep in mind that the Omni-Glide+ is only meant for use on hard floors, as it doesn’t come with a beater brush of any kind. “The swivel on the floor brush of the vacuum really helped with the ease of maneuvering and made my vacuuming super easy,” says one tester. Our testers were particularly wowed with how lightweight and easy this Dyson was to maneuver, especially given how powerful the suction is. “The biggest factor when it comes to buying a vacuum that’s hardwood-friendly is finding an option with a soft floor attachment or soft padding, with no beater bar or firm bristle brushes,” says Lightfoot.Īs its name implies, the Dyson Omni-Glide+ is designed to glide over hardwood floors with ease, picking up dust and other debris without causing damage. But you still have to be careful to choose a vacuum that won’t damage hardwoods. Miller says regularly cleaning hardwood floors can actually help to avoid potential scratches by preventing dirt and debris from dragging across the floor. We also spoke with Brett Miller, vice president of technical standards, training, and certification for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) and Holly Lightfoot, director of merchandising at LL Flooring. Each vacuum was evaluated for factors such as runtime, noise level, effectiveness, maneuverability, and overall value. We tested 16 cordless vacuums in our Lab to determine which ones were best for hardwood floors. But before you reach for the old broom and dust pan, consider a cordless vacuum designed to effortlessly clean hardwood floors without causing damage.

Although it doesn't acquire as much dirt and debris as carpet, hardwood flooring still requires regular cleaning in between mopping.

Broom for wood floors