The 5 Best Vacuums for Allergies The Spruce Has Tested

Best Overall

Bissell MultiClean Allergen Rewind Pet Vacuum

$220 at Amazon

Upright vacuums are great for their enclosed dustbins and motorheads that lock allergens inside. The Bissell MultiClean Allergen Rewind is one of our all-time favorite vacuums, and it completely fits the bill. And yes, it has a strong filter that captures and seals dust, pet hair, and allergens.

This powerhouse comes with two handy attachments: a crevice tool and dusting brush combo for cleaning in between cushions and hard-to-reach tight corners, and a Pet TurboEraser tool that removes trapped-in dirt (which we found extremely useful on upholstery). 

This Bissell vacuum cleaner always left us speechless after every cleanup, simply because it truly deep cleans your floors and upholstery with its strong suction power. We were a little sick by how much dirt and hair was buried deep in our carpet that our older vacuum couldn't pick up. 

While the vacuum is super easy to maneuver, it can feel a bit awkward on slick floors like hardwood, but the swivel steering helps you stay in control. We found the emptying process just as smooth as operating it. Simply click the dustbin to detach from the main unit, press the release button, and the waste goes straight into the trash. You won't have to do this too often, either. We were able to vacuum our entire house (which has a ton of pet hair) without having to empty the bin. 

Overall, we were very pleased with how efficient and effective this upright vacuum. We also love the LED headlights, which were far more helpful than we anticipated. You would be surprised by how much dust and hair you miss under a shadowed sofa. 

_{Weight: 15.5 pounds | Bin Volume: 1 L | Cord Length: 25 feet | Included Accessories: Crevice tool and dusting brush, Pet TurboEraser tool}

Best Bagged

Kenmore Floor Care Elite Upright Vacuum

$320 $300 at Amazon $330 at Wayfair $330 at Home Depot

Many modern vacuum cleaners are bagless, but if you prefer a bagged vacuum to keep dust and allergens trapped even as you empty it, the Kenmore Elite Pet & Allergy Friendly Upright Vacuum is a great option. This model is certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, so you know it’s a strong choice for allergy season and everyday life.

This vacuum’s motor system has more power than the average upright, and the brush head has five height adjustments so you can efficiently clean thick carpets and hard floors. It even switches off the rotating head when cleaning bare floors to avoid spitting larger debris, while still maintaining full suction.

Along with the filter that captures microscopic particles, there's an infrared dirt sensor that detects dust and dirt you might not be able to see.

This model is on the heavier side, weighing in at 20 pounds (the heaviest on our list), which might make it difficult to clean stairs in your home. However, we appreciate its pet-friendly tool, the Pet HandiMate, which makes cleaning pet hair off upholstery much easier, and could easily be used to tackle stairs with the addition of the extension wand.

It's worth noting that after you purchase this vacuum, buying replacement bags will add to the cost, but we think it's worth the splurge, especially for users who have severe reactions during allergy season.

_{Weight: 20 pounds | Bin Volume: 3.48 quarts | Cord Length: 30 feet | Included Accessories: Pet HandiMate tool, extension wand, crevice tool, brush dusting tool}

Best Cordless

Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum

$200 $150 at Amazon $200 at Macy's

The Levoit LVAC-200 is a vacuum we'll recommend over and over again. It's super lightweight, at 3.2 pounds, but rivals its upright counterparts. This small but mighty powerhouse works amazingly on hardwood, carpet, tile, and stairs. It's by far the best cordless vacuum we've tested thus far. 

In fact, our senior editor loves this vacuum and has been using it daily for over nine months. And while it gets our floors spotless, it's also designed with a five-stage filtration that filters particles down to 0.3 microns, leaving your home's air clean from mold, dander, and dust.

This vacuum has a ton of small but extremely useful design elements to it, which we love. For example, if you need to pause and step away to move a piece of furniture, the vacuum stands up on its own. No need to find a wall for it to lean on. It's really all in the little things.

Overall, we think the Levoit LVAC-200 is an especially great choice for allergy sufferers who want a lightweight, easy-to-maneuver, powerhouse vacuum for their home.

_{Weight: 3.2 | Bin Volume: 0.58 Liters | Battery Life: Up to 30 minutes (45 in our experience) | Included Accessories: 2-in-1 crevice tool, 2-in-1 pet tool}

Best Canister

Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog Canister Vacuum

$999 $949 at Amazon $629 at Wayfair $1,000 at Crate And Barrel

Canister vacuums, like this one, blend the power and performance of an upright vacuum with the agility of a lightweight vacuum. That ease of use, coupled with this vacuum's strong suction and filter, make it a great choice for households that want a workhorse of a vacuum.

We tested this vacuum in a home with multiple dogs and a rabbit, and it did an amazing job capturing fur of different thicknesses with just one pass or push of the wand. Along with the excellent cleaning capabilities, there are some extra design elements and conveniences that we also really appreciate.

Notably, this vacuum is engineered to clean its own filter automatically, which not only keeps it running smoothly, but eliminates the chore (and the extra exposure to dust!) for users.

We also like that there's an automatic cord rewind feature that can be controlled with your foot, so when you're done vacuuming, you don't have to squat or stoop to wind it all up.

The one downside we've encountered is that the emptying process is a bit clunky, and messier than we expected. It's designed with what the brand calls "mono-cyclone technology" which separates tiny dust particles from larger pieces of debris. In theory, this would allow for cleaner emptying, but we never quite got this process under control, and felt like the emptying process was messier than we would have liked (but still reasonable).

_{Weight: 19 pounds | Bin Volume: 2.1 quarts | Cord Length: 21 feet | Attachments: Crevice tool, upholstery tool, parquet twister floorhead, handheld mini turbo brush, electro plus floorhead}

Best Features

Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra

$499 at Amazon $500 at Target $500 at Home Depot

The Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra picked up every type of debris during our lab tests—like coffee grounds, cereal, and hair. It also has powerful filtration and unique attachments designed with allergy sufferers and pet owners in mind, like a tangle-free turbine tool and a pet grooming tool.

The adjustable floor head has three modes so you can change the suction and roller bar height depending on the surface you're cleaning. Dyson's Motorbar cleaner head is equipped with stiff nylon bristles to reach into thick carpet, and to effectively picks up hair.

We also appreciate the suite of attachments that come with this upright vacuum. Along with expected cleaning tools, there's also a pet grooming tool, a unique offering among household vacuums.

The attachments are also key to counteracting this vacuum's rather heavy build. When it comes to cleaning stairs, we think it's easier to pair the stair tool with the 15-foot extension hose, rather than lug the whole vacuum up and down.

It also has de-tangling vanes to prevent hair from wrapping around it. In our tests, we noticed that this vacuum head has a tendency to spit out larger debris before sucking it up, which is a bit frustrating. But setting the vacuum to the high-pile carpet cleaning mode can help with this.

_{Weight: 17.3 pounds | Bin Volume: 1.8 quarts | Cord Length: 35 feet | Included Accessories: Combination brush and crevice tool, stair tool, pet groom tool, tangle-free turbine tool}