Best Bagless Vacuum

Our picks for the best bagless vacuums in 2022.  We’ve found 10 vacuums (to date) that we feel are worth highlighting, and we’ve undertaken detailed analysis of each machine.  This year's list is dominated by Shark but it also contains vacuums from Miele, Dyson, and Bissell.  These vacuums have all received very good ratings from consumers (generally from multiple sources)  and many also come with a host of features and have respectably long warranties.  These units all excel at cleaning, but take care – some are better than others on certain floor surfaces.  Prices range from about 60 USD to 600 USD.

We’ve ranked the vacuums from 1 to 10 in the table below.  Please consider that these vacuums have many different features, tools, characteristics and costs. Determining which vacuum is best for you is more a function of your particular needs than the vacuum ranking.

Best Bagless Vacuums

See this and other Best Vacuum Lists at the Vacuum Cleaner Advisor page on Amazon.  

1) Shark Vertex

Our best bagless vacuum for 2022 is the Shark Vertex AZ2002.  This is a premier machine from Shark and it has a host of features and technologies.  It is also getting fantastic reviews from owners.

We ran the Vertex through a series of vacuum tests and it aced them all.  This is one of the first uprights to do this.  Pickup in our carpet test was excellent as was pickup in our hard floor test.  In our edge cleaning test the Vertex was able to remove debris right up close to our baseboards.  And in our hair test (both short pet hair and long human hair) the Vertex pulled up the pet hair from our carpet and transitioned almost all of it to the dust canister for disposal.  There was very little hair left tangled on the brushroll (almost none).  As a matter of fact the Vertex performed better on the hair than any other upright we have tested to date.  In our opinion, at least a part of this excellent performance is the result of the unit having two brushrolls both of which are specialized for certain kinds of cleaning.

The Vertex also has powered lift-away which provides a level of handheld-like vacuum capability and it  allows the upright to get under very low furniture (see our full Vertex Review for more details).  The vacuum has a HEPA filter and a sealed body system to ensure quality air filtration.  In addition, the unit has a headlight (great when vacuuming in dimly lit areas), easy and intuitive vacuum controls, and three tools.

PROS:
- Powerful suction
- Great pickup on carpet
- Great pickup on hard floors
- Great at pet hair pickup
- Good at edge cleaning
- Self-cleaning brushroll works
- Respectably long power cord
- Good air filtration
- Easy to use controls
- Easy maintenance
- Powered Lift-Away feature

CONS:
- A little heavy
- No motorized hand-tool
- Tools don’t click into place
- Only storage for 2 tools on-board
- Narrow dust-canister

Check out customer reviews & pricing on Amazon.

For additional information read our Shark Vertex review. 

Get a Great Deal on the Vertex Upright at Shark.com

2) Shark Rotator NV752 TruePet

Our #2 best bagless vacuum for 2022 is the Shark Rotator NV752 TruePet.  Consumers love this machine and consistently give it very high ratings.  It is also versatile as it operates as an upright, a canister and even a portable unit (the lift-away feature).  The NV752 is powerful, has HEPA filtration, a sealed system and rinsable filters.  It is brilliantly easy to use and everything clicks together and comes apart effortlessly.  It is also quieter than most of the other powerful bagless vacuums we have tested.  The NV752 carries a rather lengthy 7-year warranty.

In addition, the Shark NV752 ranks highly in our picks for best upright vacuum AND best pet hair vacuum. You will want to read our detailed review of this machine which also includes a lengthy video in which we run the machine through a host of tests and compare it to several other uprights.

PROS
- Very good at picking up pet hair
- Easy to empty the dust canister
- Very powerful suction
- Plenty of attachments
- Motorized pet tool works well
- Easy to maneuver
- Not too heavy
- Both an upright and a canister vacuum
- Not too loud
- Lift-away pod is useful - especially for stairs

CONS
- Upright can tip easily
- Hard floor genie is only adequate
- Shorter folks may find the handle too long

Check out customer reviews & pricing on Amazon.

For additional information read our Shark Rotator NV752 review.

3) Shark Rotator Lift Away Speed NV801/NV803

The Shark rotator lift Away Speed with Duoclean is more compact and lightweight than the Shark NV752, AND it has 2 brushrolls. We were initially surprised by the dual brushroll approach, however after running the vacuum through its paces and testing its performance on carpet, tile flooring, and on pet hair, we were sold.  Far from being a gimmick, the dual brushrolls (which Shark refers to as DuoClean Technology) really do help the vacuum pick up more dust and debris – especially on bare floors.  The front brushroll is soft and it grabs debris both large and small feeding it to the main brushroll in the center of the nozzle.  We found that this approach really helps when dealing with large debris that may get pushed around by another vacuum.  Also, on bare floors the soft brushroll kind of “polishes” away dust on the flooring and extends cleaning to the very tip of the nozzle head.  

The NV801 also comes with many other great features such as HEPA filtration, Anti-Allergen Complete Seal technology, 4 tools, lifetime LED headlights, easy-to-remove brushrolls (great for maintenance), the popular lift away feature, and washable filters.  In addition, the vacuum carries a lengthy 7-year warranty.  Note that the NV801 and the NV803 are the same vacuum and come with the same tool set.

Check out customer reviews and pricing on Amazon.

You can also see our very comprehensive NV801/NV803 review.

4) Dyson Ball Animal 2

This machine is something of a beast.  It is very powerful, kind of hefty and a bit of a handful.  But it delivers, and as a result is our number 2 pick for best all-around pet vacuum cleaner.  The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is characterised by colossal suction.  The brushroll is powerful and you can actually feel it vibrate the floor.  It has no problem pulling up pet hair on both bare surfaces and carpet.  Consumer ratings to date are also very good.

The Dyson also has something called “Whole Machine HEPA Filtration” which means it has a HEPA filter as well as a completely sealed system.  These features have resulted in the Dyson Ball Animal 2 being certified asthma & allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
 
The vacuum has a 35 foot power cord (quite long) and also a fairly long hose.  It includes several tools as well as a unique tangle-free turbine tool which works well (2 counter rotating heads drastically reduce tangling).  The vacuum is on the hefty side however, and it does require some level of effort to move it around.

Note: Something to watch out for with the Dyson Ball Animal 2 is its mobility on long/deep carpet.  Several owners report that the machine can be difficult to move on deep pile carpet.  This is likely due, at least in part, to the active base plate which is designed to minimize the distance between the floor surface and the nozzle.

Check out customer reviews and pricing on Amazon.

See our comprehensive Dyson Ball Animal 2 review.

5) Shark APEX Zero-M

The Shark APEX model AZ1002 is one of the premier Shark uprights and it is capable on both bare floors and carpet.  It includes a host of special technologies and features, and is also included in our list of Best Shark vacuums for pet hair.

Zero-M Technology vacuum cleaners have a self-cleaning brushroll that provides hair removal as you vacuum.  We’ve tested the vacuum and it definitely pulls hair off the brushroll and moves it to the dust canister.  This is a great feature when you are dealing with lots of hair.  Also, brushroll access is very easy as the top of the APEX cleaner head comes off.  This can be very handy if you need to do any brushroll maintenance.
 
DuoClean Technology uses two brushrolls in the cleaner head – the typical stiff bristled brushroll in the middle of the cleaner head and a soft brushroll at the front.  Both rotate when you vacuum.  This arrangement allows the vacuum to easily pick up large debris and it buffs smooth flooring (removing stuck on dust/debris). We also find that it helps to clean right up to the front of the cleaner head.
 
Lift Away Technology allows you to carry the dust-canister/motor assembly with one hand while using the hose/tools/wand with the other hand.  It provides portable cleaning which allows you access to areas you cannot get at with an upright.
 
The vacuum comes with a HEPA filter and a sealed system.  These features are important if you or someone in your household suffers from asthma or allergies.  The HEPA filter captures small particles such as pet dander, dust mites, tobacco smoke, etc. from the air.  The sealed system ensures that the air entering the vacuum does not leak out from cracks or poor seals in the vacuum body.  The air is forced through all the vacuum filters before being exhausted from the machine.
 
The APEX also includes a motor-driven pet tool with its own brushroll.  Motorized tools are typically more effective than suction driven tools.  They also do not bog down as easily.  The tool provided with the APEX can be stored on-board the vacuum.
 
Check out APEX owner reviews and pricing on Amazon

See our detailed Shark APEX Zero-M review. 

6) Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo Team

7) Shark Lift Away Speed NV682

This vacuum is like a lightweight and more compact version of the Shark NV752.  Also, like the NV752, the NV682 gets very good ratings from owners and we found almost 2000 consumer ratings averaging an extremely healthy 92 out of 100.  In short, owners really like their Shark NV682.

This vacuum only weighs 13.3 lbs so it is quite lightweight.  It also has a 30 foot power cord, HEPA level filtration, a sealed system and it comes with several tools.  It is designed with Shark’s ever popular “Lift Away” feature which allows you to carry the dust canister/motor assembly in one hand while using the hose/want/tools in the other hand.  

The NV682 is bagless and all filters are washable, keeping consumables to a minimum (and thus lowering operating costs).  It is also not too loud and it has LED headlights that are designed to last the lifetime of the vacuum.  The NV682 carries a 7 year warranty.  A few things to watch out for are the smallish dust canister and the short hose.

This vacuum is getting hard to find but if the features fit your needs its a great machine.

Check out pricing and reviews on Amazon.

See our detailed Shark NV682 Review.

8) Shark Navigator Lift Away Rotator NV501

This machine has been on the market for quite a few years and consumer ratings continue to be excellent.  Like the NV752 it is a 3-in-1 vacuum with the ability to be an upright, a canister, and a portable unit.  It has HEPA filtration, headlights that last the lifetime of the vacuum cleaner, and rinsable filters.  It also performs well on both bare floors and carpet, and is effective on pet hair.

In addition, it includes several tools that work well and the cleaning reach is respectable.  The unit is not too noisy and, best of all, it is not particularly expensive. 

Some consumers feel that the vacuum is a little on the large side however, and a few others have reported that they wish the headlights were brighter.  The vacuum has a 5-year warranty.

Check out customer reviews & pricing on Amazon.

For additional information read our Shark Navigator Lift Away Rotator review.

9) Shark Navigator Zero-M

10) Bissell Zing 2156A

Interested in bagged vacuum cleaners?  Check out our Best Bagged Vacuum list. 

Do you have a favorite bagless vacuum that is not listed here?  Let us know in the comments section below!

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