The Best Vacuum Cleaner in Australia for 2022
Or how to get your clean freak on.

#lockdown has taught us some really useful stuff. Like we were way less equipped for virtual meetings than we thought. And we were way more ready for banana bread than in any other stage of history. And that celebrities really exist in another dimension to us mere mortals as they complain about life in their mansions, complete with staff to do everything for them, from cooking to cleaning. We can’t give you an actual cleaner but we can give you the best vacuum cleaner that’ll clean so well, it’ll be just as good as having a cleaner. (Probably.)
How we picked
Friends, we cheated a bit. Because we’ve already done multiple vacuum guides (covering stick, handheld, pet, barrel and upright and robot vacuums), we were able to pull our top picks from there. This means that these vacuums are truly Australia’s best vacuums and the ones that really impressed us.
Every one of our picks was based on hours of research which included checking CHOICE, Australia’s biggest consumer advocacy group. This let us know which vacuums performed best in a test environment. We also swung by ProductReview.com.au, to see which vacuums Aussies rate. Finally, we did some virtual window shopping to find the vacuums with the best crowd-pleasing features.
Common questions
What type of vacuum cleaner should I buy?
It depends on the size of your home and what you’re planning on cleaning. Your options are:
Barrel and upright vacuums
These are the best types of vacuums for thoroughly cleaning large areas, especially carpet. Barrel vacuums (which you pull behind you) are great for awkward areas (like stairs and cars). Upright vacuums are ideal for large areas of carpet because they’re normally packing good power heads.
Choose a barrel or upright:
- For homes of all sizes, although medium to large homes are particularly well suited.
- For picking up pet hair.
- For all floor types.
- If you’ve got space to store them, they can be bulky.
Stick vacuums
Stick vacuums are great for quick clean-ups and spot cleaning. They’re ideal for hard floors, less ideal for carpets. If you’ve got carpets, they work best in combo with a barrel or upright for a more thorough carpet clean.
Choose a stick vacuum:
- If you want quick, convenient clean-ups rather than thorough ones.
- For picking up pet hair.
- For mainly hard floors.
- If you’re ok with short runtimes (usually a max. of 30 mins).
- For easy storage (they normally come with a stand or mount).
Handheld vacuums
For cleaning cars and spills, handheld vacuums are brilliant. They’re usually powerful enough to tackle quick clean-ups on carpets and hard floors.
Choose a handheld vacuum:
- For cleaning your car and spot cleaning.
- For picking up pet hair.
- For all floor types (spot cleaning only).
- If you want quick cleaning only (the runtime is usually around 15 mins).
- For easy storage (they normally come with a stand or mount).
Robot vacuums
If you hate vacuuming or have mobility issues, robot vacuums are a good choice. They’re better on hard floors than carpet and although they won’t give your floors a deep clean, they should keep them free of fluff and dust. Combine them with a barrel or upright for more thorough cleaning.
Choose a robot vacuum:
- For hands-off vacuuming.
- For hard floors.
- If you want to schedule cleaning, like when you’re not home.
- For easy storage (they’re tiny).
- For the novelty value of having a robot in your home.
Which type of vacuum has the strongest suction?
When it comes to vacuuming, it’s not just about how well your vacuum sucks. It’s also got to be lightweight and easy to move around, especially on carpet. If you choose a vacuum that’s well-reviewed for suction, you might find it actually sucks too hard. Which means it’ll get stuck on carpets and curtains, requiring plenty of tugging to free it.
Vacuums that come with a power head, like a barrel or upright, tend to have a bit more grunt. So do vacuums that use electricity from the power-point (i.e. corded) rather than being battery-powered.
Which is better, a bagged or a bagless vacuum cleaner?
A bagged vacuum cleaner is old school and costs more because of the ongoing cost of bags, right? Not quite. Bagged and bagless vacuums both have their good and not-so-good bits.
Bagged vacuums are good because:
- They can be less messy to empty as they normally have sliders to stop dust spilling out.
- You can usually put the whole, full bag straight into the bin, keeping it sealed inside which can be good for allergy sufferers.
- Changing the bag helps you refresh a big part of the filter system.
- Bags are normally bigger than the dust bin on a bagless, which means less emptying.
Bagged vacuums are not-so-good because:
- There’s an ongoing cost of bags.
- You always need to be organised and have bags on hand.
- The bags aren’t always compostable.
In comparison, bagless vacuums are good because:
- You can easily see anything you’ve accidentally sucked up, like your kid’s favourite building bricks.
- There are less ongoing costs because you don’t need to keep buying bags.
Bagless vacuums are not-so-good because:
- They can create a cloud of dust when you’re emptying them, letting dust and allergens back into your home.
- You normally need to clean or replace the main filter regularly, a sneaky hidden cost.
Do I need a HEPA filter?
A HEPA filter is the gold standard for cleaning. It stands for high efficiency particulate air. Although there are different standards around the world, most HEPA filters have to trap at least 99.97% of dirt, down to a tiny 0.3 microns in size. This is dirt you can’t see - like dust mite droppings, pollen, mould, pet dander and tobacco particles.
In comparison, non-HEPA filters trap around 96% of dirt. That’s almost 4% different between them. This might not seem huge but is a big deal if you have breathing issues (like asthma) or allergies.
If you have asthma or allergies, although a HEPA filter can be helpful, it won’t alone solve these issues. You’ll need to combine a HEPA filter with regular emptying of the vac’s dustbin or bag, plus vacuum other places than your floors and rugs. Like your curtains and furniture.
Oh, and European manufacturers sometimes use the term S-class, rather than HEPA. This is a different, but very similar, rating system. So S-class filtration is basically the same as HEPA.
Corded vs cordless vacuum cleaners, which is best?
Traditional vacuums, like barrels and uprights, have cords and run off main power. These days, there’s a growing trend towards cordless vacs, like stick and handhelds, which are battery-powered. Which is best depends on what you’re going to use them for.
Corded vacuums tend to:
- Be more powerful and better at picking up dust than cordless vacs, especially on carpet.
- Have bigger dustbins / bags, so you’ll empty them less often.
- Be better at picking up pet hair.
- Be more affordable.
- Never run out of juice, thanks to being plugged in.
In comparison, cordless vacuums:
- Are easier to use - they tend to be lightweight and easy to hold and move around.
- Can be used to clean anywhere, including the car, as you’re not limited by a cord.
- Are great for spot cleaning and quick pick-ups - they’re much easier to get out than lugging out a heavy corded vac.
- Are easy to store because they’re compact.
- Run out of juice quickly, with short runtimes (around 15-30 mins).