The Best Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

To keep things tidy, most homes will need a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner that you choose can make a big difference in ensuring that the cleaning process is as quick and efficient as possible.

Below you can find the top upright bagless vacuum cleaners on the market.

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1. Shark Rotator Lift-Away Pro (NV501)

The Rotator Lift-Away Pro offers consumers the best features of upright and canister vacuums in one adjustable package. This particular model, the NV501, comes with a raft of attachments and peripherals, including microfiber pads and hose extensions as well as a number of tools designed to reach into difficult nooks and crannies.

Aesthetically, the Rotator Lift-Away Pro has a retro style, with a red grill and LED headlights lending the white-and-silver vacuum an art deco look. The Rotator Lift-Away Pro weighs a little over 15 pounds, and comes with a 30-foot power cord.

• This particular Shark vacuum has superior seal technology around the intake port compared to the other Shark vacuums covered here.
• Shark’s Lift-Away technology is the best reason to look at one of these vacuums, as it makes both emptying the dust compartment and getting into tricky corners significantly easier.
• As is often the case with Shark vacuums, the Rotator Lift-Away Pro NV501 comes with a staggering number of extras. Listed in their entirety, they include a variant nozzle, wide upholstery tool, canister caddy, car detail kit, under-appliance wand, extension wand and microfiber pads.
• The LED headlights affixed to the front of the intake port both improve the look of the vacuum cleaner, and can make a real difference to vacuuming in corners, under furniture, or anywhere that casts a shadow.
• The Rotator Lift-Away Pro comes with an integrated HEPA filter, so it’s a safe choice if you’re an allergy sufferer.

2. Shark Navigator Deluxe (NV42)

The Navigator Deluxe is an upright bagless vacuum cleaner like the Navigator Lift-Away Pro.

The main distinction between the two vacuums (as the difference in names suggests) is that the Navigator Deluxe is a straightforward upright vacuum cleaner, lacking the Lift-Away capacity that gives the Lift-Away Pro the benefits of both upright and canister vacuums. If you don’t imagine you’d make much use of the Lift-Away functionality, the Navigator Deluxe is worth considering.

The specifications of this particular Navigator Deluxe (the NV42) are otherwise similar to the Lift-Away Pro (NV356E), weighing 15 pounds and coming with a 30-foot power cord.

• The Navigator Deluxe comes with brush and microfiber pad attachments, an extension wand and a motorized floor brush for the hardest-to-reach areas. The Navigator Deluxe is very much a vacuum cleaner than can be adjusted to fit your home and your cleaning needs.
• For the price, this vacuum cleaner is very high quality, which is comparably equivalent to much pricier upright bagless vacuums listed here.
• The Navigator Deluxe works well on all surfaces but is particularly impressive on carpet and with picking up pet hair.

3. Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro (NV356E)

The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro is a sleek, modern-looking upright bagless vacuum cleaner, with a smooth silver-and-grey design and a clear dust compartment.

Calling it an upright vacuum cleaner might not actually do the Navigator Lift-Away Pro justice, because Shark’s Lift-Away system means you can detach the vacuum canister to easily clean hard-to-reach areas. In this way, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro is more of a fusion vacuum cleaner, offering consumers the benefits of upright and canister vacuums.

It might be more expensive than some of the vacuum cleaners covered here, but it’s markedly cheaper than the premium models, and you’re paying for an innovative piece of technology.

The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro is available with a variety of optional extras: the model covered here is the NV356E, which weighs in at just under 14 pounds and comes with a 30-foot power cord, dusting tools & extensions for the intake port, and microfiber pads for vacuuming on hard floors.

• The number of extensions and modes that come with the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro as standard are impressive, and let you adapt the vacuum cleaner to the surfaces it’ll be working on in your home. It can be set to gentle roll for hard floors, switched back to standard for thicker carpets, and fitted with brushes or microfiber pads depending on the context.
• The dust compartment has ample capacity, meaning it won’t need to be emptied as regularly as other vacuums. The fact that it empties from the bottom rather than the top is a simple innovation which means you won’t be shaking out the compartment over the bin.
• If you have trouble with allergies, the bottom-emptying dust compartment is a godsend, but Shark have gone further to make your life easier by including a HEPA filter. These are filters that trap airborne dust and dirt, limiting your exposure to allergens.
• With a powerful vacuum and motor, the Navigator Lift-Away Pro generates excellent suction. As it’s available for purchase at a midrange price point, it’s an impressive amount of power.

4. Dyson 206900-01 Ball Multi-Floor

This is unsurprisingly a premium model that comes with a premium price tag. It is an upright vacuum, with all the benefits in terms of power and capacity that come with that. Dyson’s Ball technology gives it 360-degree flexibility, making it simple to steer into difficult places and steer back out again.

Aesthetics may not be the most important thing when it comes to vacuum cleaners, but there’s no denying Dyson’s models look the part, and this particular Ball vacuum looks sharp in yellow and silver colors.

The Dyson Ball weighs in at a little over 17 pounds and comes with a 30-foot cord.

• Dyson’s Radial Root cyclone technology ensures that all the suction generated by the cleaner’s cyclonic vacuum is used efficiently, giving the Dyson Ball the ability to suck up dust and dirt from deep down inside even thick carpets.
• The Radial Root technology is helped in its task by the futuristic self-adjusting intake port, which creates a seal between the intake port and the surface you’re using it on so that none of the vacuum’s suction is wasted. If you want power and efficiency in a vacuum cleaner, it’s hard to argue against the Dyson Ball.
• Dyson’s Ball technology was a real game-changer for upright vacuums, allowing those who invest in one to benefit from the increased power and capacity of an upright vacuum without having to give anything up in terms of maneuverability.
• The Dyson Ball is built with whole-machine HEPA filtration, meaning it’s a great choice for anyone who has a hard time with allergies.

5. Bissell CleanView 9595A

Boasting Bissell’s trademarked OnePass technology, the CleanView 9595A is a corded upright bagless vacuum cleaner that takes pride in doing the fundamentals well. It’s simple in appearance, with a clear dust compartment and simple black-and-purple body.

The OnePass technology it features is comprised of a powerful cyclonic vacuum, and an innovative rotating brush design which means the cyclone can do its thing without obstruction, while getting into tight corners and thick carpets with ease.

The CleanView 9595A weighs 15 pounds and comes with a 25-foot power cord.

• Bissell’s innovative brush design makes a big difference with thick carpets in particular, helping the vacuum suck up dirt from deep down.
• Considering its size, this is a lightweight vacuum, which will make a big difference if you’re going to be carrying this from room to room and up and down stairs.
• The cyclonic vacuum generated by this machine creates powerful suction which will last a long time, and the fact that it’s corded means you’ll have no worries about losing power halfway through the job.
• The CleanView 9595A comes with some nifty peripherals, including an extension wand and the extravagantly-named TurboBrush tool. These are simple extras to give the consumer, but it’s great to have that option to reach spots that the intake port doesn’t quite cover, or to get right into crevices which are proving difficult.

6. Bissell CleanView 1330

This offering from Bissell’s CleanView range boasts many of the same features as the 9595A. The rotating brushes are present, as are all the peripheral extras, including the TurboBrush tool and extension wand.

The OnePass cyclonic vacuum is also part of the CleanView 1330’s design, but the motor powering it is smaller than the motor in the 9595A.

The Bissell CleanView 1330 weighs 15 pounds and comes with a 25 foot power cord.

• The CleanView 1330 comes with the same innovative brush design as the 9595A, which is a major help if you do a lot of vacuuming on thick carpets or similar surfaces.
• This is a lightweight vacuum, so there’s no need to worry about how you’ll get it around your home.
• Considering the CleanView 1330 is one of the cheaper models from Bissell, it’s impressive that it packs the same cyclonic vacuum as in the more expensive models. Long-lasting suction scores the CleanView range major points for durability.
• The CleanView 1330 has the same peripherals as the 9595A, all of which can help you get into the hardest-to-reach parts of your home.

7. Dyson DC33 Multi-Floor

The Dyson DC33 Multi-Floor is an upright bagless vacuum cleaner from the leading name in high-end vacuums. Like any Dyson product, you should expect to pay more than you would for most other vacuum cleaners, but you can also expect quality construction and cutting-edge innovation.

The Dyson DC33 Multi-Floor is one of Dyson’s more conventional offerings, being a standard upright bagless design, but is packed with Dyson’s trademark engineering.

It may not have the flexibility or maneuverability of the Dyson Ball, but it’s still a very powerful vacuum. It’s a little heavy, weighing more than 17 pounds, but the 35 foot power cord is longer than most comparable offerings and will come in handy if you’ve got a lot of ground to cover.

• Dyson’s patented Root Cyclone technology is included in the DC33 Multi-Floor, generating a powerful vacuum which should maintain its suction power over a prolonged period.
• The HEPA filter included in the Dyson DC33 Multi-Floor will catch most of the dust and debris which would otherwise be thrown up into the air when vacuuming, making this a good choice for allergy sufferers.
• There are a number of extras and attachments included with this particular model, including a telescopic extension wand – which can clean under furniture as well as getting up into difficult corners – and a stair tool, which helps with one of the trickiest parts of vacuuming.
• All the attachments and tools included with the Dyson DC33 Multi-Floor can be stored on the machine when not in use, avoiding the irritation caused by losing that one extension which always comes in handy.

8. Bissell CleanView Plus Rewind 1332

The Bissell CleanView Plus Rewind is the luxury version of the CleanView 1330.

There are two main differences between the Rewind and the basic CleanView: the first is the retractable power cord, which makes stowing the vacuum cleaner after use easier.

The second difference is probably the most important: the CleanView Plus Rewind is fitted with Bissell’s Triple Action Brush Roll, an intake port brush system which uses different bristle types to improve the vacuum’s efficiency across a number of surfaces.

Beyond that, this is a Bissell CleanView with Bissell CleanView features: a OnePass cyclonic vacuum, TurboBrush tool and extension wand.

The CleanView Plus Rewind is significantly heavier than its simpler relation, weighing in at more than 17 pounds.

• The Triple Action Brush Roll is a superior brush set-up compared to the CleanView 1330 as well as some of the more advanced models on offer from Bissell. The network of different bristle types mean you don’t even need to work out when it’s time to adjust: the brushes will adapt to the surface on their own.
• The CleanView Plus Rewind uses the same cyclonic vacuum as Bissell’s other upright bagless vacuum cleaners, giving it powerful suction that should last for years.
• A retractable power cord is a small feature that can make a big difference when it comes to packing away after the vacuuming’s done.
• The CleanView Plus Rewind comes with a TurboBrush tool and extension wand to help you get into the nooks and crannies around your home.

9. Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Plus (UH70120)

Hoover are a well-known name in vacuum cleaners, to the extent that “hoover” is now synonymous with “vacuum cleaner” in some countries.

The WindTunnel T-Series Hoover are offering here makes a good effort of living up to the name. It’s an upright bagless vacuum cleaner with a 25-foot retractable power cord, and comes with all the features you’d expect from a quality vacuum, including a range of optional attachments to adjust the cleaner to your cleaning needs.

It’s also worth commenting on the look of this vacuum cleaner: with a clear plastic dust compartment and the rest of the body colored olive green, it’s an unusual but eye-catching design.

The Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Plus weighs in at a little over 16 pounds.

• The Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Plus features Hoover’s own cyclonic vacuum, which generates serious suction power from a relatively small motor. Another upside of this is that the vacuum cleaner is remarkably quiet, given the power it generates.
• The 25-foot retractable cord might be a little on the short side, but the fact that it can be rewound into the vacuum cleaner at the push of a button will make a big difference to packing away after your chores are done.
• The Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Plus comes with a HEPA filtration system, including an electronic indicator which will let you know when it’s time to clean or change the filter.
• The height of the intake port can be adjusted between five different settings, so you can adjust this vacuum cleaner to whatever surface you’re cleaning.
• The various extensions and tools packaged with the Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Plus, including an extension wand and an air-powered handheld cleaning tool, enhance the vacuum’s versatility, helping you clean under furniture and in difficult-to-reach corners.

10. Eureka AirSpeed Unlimited Rewind (AS3030A)

The Eureka AirSpeed Unlimited Rewind is a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner, figuratively and literally. It sports cutting-edge air speed suction seal technology to ensure that none of the suction power generated goes to waste.

The intake port itself features extendable and retractable brushes for ease of use across multiple different surfaces, and the vacuum cleaner comes with a small number of extras, including a telescopic extension wand.

It’s heavy by nature, weighing in at 19 pounds, but it doesn’t look imposing, being available in an attractive black and purple design. The Eureka AirSpeed Unlimited Rewind comes with a retractable 27-foot power cord.

For a small price increase, you can instead opt for the Eureka Airspeed Unlimited Rewind Pet, which proudly carries all the same features but also comes with a specialist brush for getting pet hair out of any surface

• Eureka’s air speed suction seal technology does a good job of maintaining suction power over extended use, and even on uneven surfaces. The five adjustable height settings ensure the AirSpeed Unlimited Rewind will do a stellar job on carpets of any thickness.
• The dust compartment is thankfully bottom-opening, which makes a big difference when it’s time to clear out the compartment.
• The extendable and retractable brushes on the intake port make vacuuming across carpets and hard floors a breeze, allowing you to adapt the vacuum cleaner to the surface with the press of a button.
• The 27-foot power cord isn’t the longest available, but it is retractable, helping when it’s time to stow the vacuum cleaner away.
• For such a heavy-duty and powerful vacuum cleaner, the Eureka AirSpeed Unlimited Rewind has a relatively small price tag. In terms of price it sits close to the middle of the pack for upright bagless vacuum cleaners, but you’re buying a piece of technology that’s closer to the high end of the scale.

What is an upright bagless vacuum cleaner?

If you’re looking for a new vacuum cleaner, you’ve got a few choices to make, and the style of vacuum that’s best for you will depend heavily on how you’re going to be using it.

A big part of that depends on your home: if you live in a big place with a lot of carpet, the best vacuum cleaner for you will be different compared to someone living in a small apartment with wooden flooring.

Beyond that, there are a variety of reasons why someone might choose one style of vacuum over another, including allergies and environmental concerns, so there’s a lot to think about. It’s worth doing the thinking though because the difference a quality, suitable vacuum cleaner can make to housework shouldn’t be underestimated.

One key decision to be made is whether you want an upright vacuum cleaner or a canister model. Upright vacuum cleaners are just that: they stand upright, with an intake port at floor level which sucks up dust and debris into a central compartment. If it’s not a bagless vacuum, this compartment will contain a removable dust bag.

A canister vacuum cleaner works in the same way, but the main body of vacuum – the canister, which contains the motor and the dust compartment – is separate from the intake port, which is connected to the canister via a flexible hose.

This makes canister vacuum cleaners smaller and lighter than upright models, which has benefits when it comes to getting into difficult places and storing the vacuum after use.

Unfortunately, this smaller size also means canister vacuums have a smaller storage capacity than upright vacuums, meaning you’ll be emptying it that much more often. The angle upright vacuums work at, coupled with the brushes usually present on their intake ports, also make them a better choice on carpets.

The second choice to narrow down your vacuum cleaner options is between bagged and bagless. The difference is simple: bagged vacuums use removable dust bags, making emptying the vacuum cleaner at full capacity a straightforward and mess-free task.

Bagless vacuums have no dust bag; instead they use a detachable container which is emptied directly into the trash. If you’re worried about running costs, environmental impact, or both, the fact that you won’t be regularly purchasing replacement dust bags is a real benefit. Clear dust compartments are a bonus, making it easy to see when it’s time to empty the vacuum.

Another option, now more and more common, is to opt for a cordless vacuum cleaner instead of a conventional vacuum which needs to be plugged in to use.

Cordless vacuum cleaners are, by their nature, easier to maneuver and store. But issues with battery life are unfortunately still common, and the fact that you can plug in a corded vacuum and start hoovering immediately will be a big help to those of us who don’t always remember to charge our appliances.

Upright bagless vacuum cleaners are available corded and cordless, so if you’ve decided upright and bagless is the way to go, you can weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of both types.

Why choose an upright bagless vacuum cleaner?

Upright bagless vacuum cleaners are only one of the options available if you’re looking for a new vacuum cleaner, but there are a lot of reasons why they might be the right choice for you.

• They work wonders on heavy carpets. The integrated design (with the intake port close to the motorized fan) and the thick brushes on the intake port combine to get dust and debris out of thick pile carpets. They don’t only work on heavy carpets, of course – they’ll do an equally impressive job on carpet of any thickness, and some might work on hard floors as well.
• You can see when it’s time for a change. With a clear plastic dust compartment, it’s easy to see when the vacuum cleaner is close to full capacity. As suction power goes down (because the dust compartment fills up), a vacuum with a full dust compartment is noticeably worse at its job than an empty one, so knowing the right time to empty is a real help.
• They’re eco-friendly. This will make more of a difference to some people than others, but it’s worth thinking about. The dust bags in canister vacuums are mostly made out of paper, so a mass shift to bagless vacuums would have real savings in terms of resources and energy. If living as sustainably as possible is important to you, the choice is clear.
• They’re in the happy middle ground in terms of capacity. Whilst it’s generally the case that the dust compartments in bagless vacuums (usually made of hard plastic) can’t match the storage capacity of dust bags, it’s also true that upright vacuums boast superior capacity to canister models. By opting for an upright bagless vacuum, you’re getting a vacuum cleaner that’s in the happy middle ground in terms of capacity.
• There’s no loss of suction compared to bagged vacuums. This hasn’t always been the case, and bagless vacuums were slow to take off for this very reason. But improvements in design have seen bagless vacuums catch up to their bagged cousins in terms of suction power.
• You’ll save on running costs. For the same reason that bagless vacuum cleaners are eco-friendly, they’re cheaper to run than a bagged equivalent in the long run. Even if you only change the bag once a month (less often than most manufacturers recommend), and buy inexpensive dust bags, that’s still at least fifty dollars a year which could be saved with a bagless vacuum cleaner.

Things to consider

If you’ve decided that an upright bagless vacuum cleaner is the way to keep your home clean, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re comparing different models.

• Suction power and efficiency. The whole point of a vacuum cleaner is to suck up dust and dirt, so the suction power a vacuum can generate is hugely important. This isn’t just down to the power the vacuum can generate: if the intake port is too small, or its brushes are cheaply made, then poor design will translate to poor suction.
• Capacity. How much dust will fit in the dust compartment before the vacuum cleaner starts to lose suction power? How much before it’s at full capacity? This is particularly important if you have a big place, because having to stop vacuuming halfway through to empty the compartment will make it more of a chore than it needs to be.
• Weight. If you’re a professional strongman, then you can probably skip over this point, but for the rest of us, the weight of a vacuum cleaner will make a real difference. This is especially true if you live somewhere with multiple stories: trying to vacuum the stairs with a heavy vacuum cleaner is a particularly onerous task. If you’re able to lift the vacuum cleaner easily when necessary, getting into hard to reach places will be a lot easier.
• Maneuverability. Weight plays its part in this, but shape and design are also important. Try and picture the vacuum cleaner in your home: is it going to get into the nooks and crannies? How easy is it going to be getting around all the rooms? If yours is a big home, this might be where cordless vacuums start to look attractive.
• Noise level. If you’ve got sensitive pets (or super-sensitive neighbors), pay close attention to what the manufacturer claims – and what consumers say – about the vacuum’s noise level. This is an area where there can be surprising differences from one vacuum to the next, so if a noisy vacuum is going to be a problem for you, then this bears thinking about.
• Ease of disposal. How simple is it to remove the dust compartment, empty it (into the bin or outside), then put it back in its place? How much of a mess does it make in the process? The best bagless vacuum cleaners will have dust compartments designed to minimize the dust cloud that inevitably rises when you empty out the compartment.
• Surfaces. Most upright bagless vacuum cleaners will have the power and flexibility to do a job on any household surface, while doing a superior job on carpet due to the brushes over the intake port. That said, different vacuums will work better on certain surfaces, so if your place is entirely decked out in linoleum, getting a vacuum cleaner that’s best on carpets might not be the optimum choice.

Risks and warnings

There are a number of good reasons to consider choosing an upright bagless vacuum cleaner but they do have some drawbacks, including the release of dust which usually accompanies emptying out the dust compartment.

Take care when emptying the dust compartment so as to minimize the release of allergens into the air, particularly if you suffer with allergies. If you know dust in the air is really going to cause aggravation, you might even want to consider wearing a face mask to do this.

You should also be regularly emptying your bagless vacuum cleaner (before the dust compartment reaches full capacity) to avoid clogging the inner workings of the vacuum, which can be hard to get at to clean.