Made It Here Awards 2026: Best Vacuums

A vacuum is not the sexiest product you purchase for your apartment, but it might be the most useful.

We all know that a tiny NYC apartment can get dirty easily, especially without the right vacuum. Crumbs from the slice of pizza you picked up on your walk home somehow migrate from the kitchen to the living room. Hair collects in corners overnight, and if you have a pet, fur can become a permanent design feature. Did you forget to kick your shoes off when coming inside?

Then there’s the problem of space. A vacuum can clean incredibly well, but if its dock takes up half your hallway or you need three separate machines to vacuum, mop and clean your couch, it’s probably not the smartest option for a 500-square-foot apartment.

That’s why we wanted to find the best vacuums — the ones that could suck up subway smootz, dirt and the glass of red wine you accidentally spilled while doomscrolling. We needed to find the vacuums that met New Yorkers’ standards. I’ve tested home appliances for nearly a decade, so it was a natural fit for me to spearhead New York Post’s Made It Here awards vacuum category. After designing an extensive criteria list of what makes a vacuum the best, I, along with select members of our shopping team, tested the machines in our own apartments, scattered around the city.   

Instead of comparing nine nearly identical machines, we divided our best vacuum contenders into three categories: cordless stick vacuums, wet/dry floor cleaners and robot vacuum-and-mop combos. We wanted to know not only which cleaned best, but which made the most sense for city living.

See our full test and criteria

Best cordless stick vacuums

If there’s one type of vacuum your New York City studio apartment needs, it’s a cordless stick vacuum. You can use it on various types of flooring, including rugs, and unlike most other vacuums, which require space or a large dock, these are much smaller and more versatile.

Dyson’s V16 Animal most closely answered our question: If you lived in an NYC-sized apartment, which vacuum would you choose for everyday messes?

The V16 is designed for whole-home cleaning, particularly spaces with mixed flooring and plenty of hair to pick up. Dyson’s Fluffy Optic head is a soft roller that works on hardwood floors and uses an angled beam of light to illuminate fine dust and debris you might otherwise miss. There’s also the All Floor Cones Sense head, which detects changes in flooring and automatically adjusts suction power and brush-bar speed, slowing down on hard floors and ramping up on carpet.

Our tester, Commerce Senior Editorial Director Barret Wertz, used the V16 on ceramic tile, hardwood, a jute/sisal rug and upholstery. It was impressive on almost everything, including tile, where it exceeded expectations. In fact, it picked up a moderate mix of whole cereal and fine crumbs in a single pass without visibly scattering the mess across the floor.

Where Dyson pulled ahead of the other stick vacuums was versatility. The Fluffy Optic head (mentioned above) was useful for hard floors, the Hair Screw Tool 2.0 removed hair from upholstery and the crevice tool reached into narrow seams. The only place this vacuum had an issue was on the jute rug Wertz tested it on, where the vacuum needed a second pass to completely clean the rug.

That said, there were no other faults. It was easy to empty and transitioned automatically across different floor types, which was a big plus. Its form factor was slim, and the fact that it had a wall dock that didn’t take up floor space meant it was made for small spaces.

Type: Cordless stick vacuum | Runtime: Up to 70 minutes | Charge time: 3.5 hours | Capacity: 0.35-gallon bin | Attachments: All Floor Cones Sense cleaner head, Fluffy Optic cleaner head, Hair Screw Tool 2.0, crevice tool, wall dock and charger | Weight: 7.5 pounds | HEPA filter: Yes | Warranty: 2 years

I tested the Shark myself and found that it did well on hardwood floors. It got most dust and crumbs in one pass and cut my cleaning time compared by about 15 minutes compared to other vacuums I’ve used. What sets it apart is that it cleans on both the forward and reverse pass, while the MultiFLEX wand bends to reach under furniture.

The vacuum is built around its PowerDetect Intelligence, which senses dirt, floor type and cleaning direction, then automatically adjusts power and brush-roll speed as needed. 

Carpet suction was certainly not lacking either. In fact, that became part of the problem. While I was vacuuming carpet, the Shark pulled a lightweight blanket completely into its cleaner head on two separate occasions, resulting in the vacuum having to be stopped for the fabric to be rescued.  

I also found the Shark heavy in practice and would’ve liked it if it came with more attachments like the Dyson. That said, I loved that the dock firmly locks away dust until I need to empty it. The wand reaches seamlessly below furniture too, which is nice, especially if you’re trying to avoid having to get on your hands and knees or don’t want to move furniture — in my experience, the neighbors below never appreciate the latter. I wish the dock was smaller and that it was a little easier to maneuver in tight spaces, but all in all, this is a stellar vacuum and half the price of most of its competitors.

Type: Cordless stick vacuum | Runtime: Up to 60 minutes | Charge time: 6 hours | Capacity: 0.5-quart dust cup, plus auto-empty dock | Attachments: Duster crevice tool, motorized hand tool, battery and Clean & Empty dock | Weight: About 7 pounds for the vacuum | HEPA filter: Yes | Warranty: 5 years

Our tester, Michelle Moezam, senior director of social media, described setup as “so easy, almost idiot proof” and said the Pure ONE Station 5 Pro picked up quite a lot of everyday debris. Unfortunately, apartment usability was where it lost ground.

She lives in what she described as a “very narrow tiny apartment” and found the Pure ONE Station 5 Pro  “quite bulky,” comparing it to “a big bulky object navigating around corners.”

The rug she owns also required more power to clean, and once she switched the vacuum to Max mode, the battery power only lasted 10 minutes.

She was much more positive about the emptying system, calling it “revolutionary.” 

Once docked, it automatically empties the vacuum into a 2.5-liter dustbin and runs a full-path self-cleaning cycle through the brush, tube, dustbin and filter, cutting down on the mess and maintenance that usually comes after vacuuming. That said, said she ultimately thought the vacuum made more sense in a larger home.

Type: Cordless stick vacuum with self-cleaning/auto-empty station | Runtime: Up to 100 minutes with the 2-in-1 crevice brush; up to 80 minutes with the ZeroTangle floor brush Charge time: About 3.5 hours | Capacity: 2.5 liter station dustbin | Attachments: ZeroTangle floor brush, mini power brush, 2-in-1 crevice dusting tool and station | Weight: 17.2 pounds for the full system | HEPA filter: Yes |Warranty: 2 years

Best wet/dry vacuums

Unlike stick vacuums, these wet/dry vacuums work to suck up debris and wash your floors at the same time.

They’re particularly useful for kitchens and apartments with pets, as they can handle wet spills, mixed messes and dried-on stains.

The Shark HydroVac MessMaster surprised our tester, Commerce Deputy Editor Holly J Coley, before it even started cleaning. Its small, lightweight body initially raised questions about how powerful it would be, but that compact design ended up becoming one of its biggest advantages for apartment living.

Setup was quick and easy, and there was no app required, which made the product stand out in its simplicity. It does require water to run efficiently and can be used as a traditional dry vacuum. However, this is typical of wet/dry vacuums.

Performance was good too. On a low-pile rug, crushed cat food, coffee grounds, granola, bread and long hair disappeared within one to two passes without tangling the brush. A mixed wet mess of chocolate soy milk, cereal, cat food and hair was similarly gone after just a couple of passes.

Of course, it won’t replace traditional mopping, but for small apartments, this low-footprint vacuum is a dream and the most practical option out there.

Type: Cordless wet/dry vacuum mop | Runtime: Up to 23 minutes | Charge time: 4 hours Capacity: 0.4 quart |. Attachments: Antimicrobial brushroll, foam filter, charging dock, 12 ounces. multi-surface cleaning solution | Weight: 14.68 pounds | HEPA filter: No; washable foam filter | Warranty: 3 years

While on the larger end, thanks to its successful wet-spill pickup, our tester, Moezam, said she would “go out of my way to keep it in my small Brooklyn apartment.”

It has the ability to lay flat, making it easy to maneuver around furniture, and the self-cleaning base was a “dream come true.”

Dried-on stains were the biggest surprise. In her words, “It’s kind of embarrassing how many dried stains I had that this Tineco picked up, truly miraculous.”

Its only con is that it was not great at every wet spill, particularly across textured tile. Since it’s also large, if you don’t have the space, it might be tedious to store. But for its maneuverability and powerful suction, it may be worth it for those who prioritize a thorough, deep clean. 

Type: Cordless wet/dry vacuum mop and steam cleaner Runtime: Up to 80 minutes; up to 30 minutes in Steam mode | Charge time: About 4.5 hours | Capacity: 0.88 liter clean-water tank / 0.7 liter dirty-water tank | Attachments: Extra brush roller, dry filter, charging dock and cleaning tool | Weight: 17.2 pounds | HEPA filter: Yes. Warranty: 2 years

Our tester, Streaming Reporter Angela Tricarico, had never used a wet/dry floor cleaner before and put the Bissell through three deliberately messy tests: cereal, milk and milk with cereal.

“It was pretty effortless,” she said after the wet test, adding that after cleaning her entire floor, it picked up both debris and stains she had missed the day before.

That said, she found it difficult to maneuver in her home. Despite being relatively compact, it felt heavy and did not turn as easily as other vacuums she had used. She also found edge cleaning to be difficult and said it wasn’t as effective at picking up debris around her kitchen island.

Still, she said she would buy this vacuum with her own money. The only caveat being she would still need to purchase a stick vacuum separately for dry messes.

Type: Cordless wet/dry floor cleaner | Runtime: Up to 45 minutes | Charge time: 5 hours | Capacity: 620 milliliter clean tank; 450 milliliter dirty tank | Attachments: Brush roll, cleaning solution and charging/self-cleaning base | Weight: 10.6 pounds | HEPA filter: No, multi-level filtration | Warranty: 2 years

Best robot vacuum and mop combos

Robot vacuums may be the ultimate New York City luxury because they take that recurring cleaning chore off your schedule.

The catch is that robots come with their own apartment problem: docks.

A premium robot vacuum can require a surprisingly large permanent home. For our winner, we needed to justify its footprint against its cleaning performance and whether owning one would truly automate the cleaning process.

Our tester, partnerships manager Brooke Parker, found setup to be easy, with the app walking her through connecting the vacuum, setting up schedules, enabling pet detection and monitoring maintenance alerts for charging and water levels

Best of all, it functioned well in a small apartment. Our tester used it across hardwood, bathroom tile and multiple rug types, including a shaggy carpet. It transitioned between them without getting tripped up and spent extra cleaning time in the areas frequented most by her pets.

Once the floor was mapped, the vacuum navigated around furniture with ease, cleaning both fresh spills and stains.

“Extremely impressive,” Parker said. ”It is very low profile even in a small Brooklyn apartment, and has not missed a single spot of crumbs, spills or balls of dust that I previously would have been cleaning daily with multiple different cleaning tools.” 

Type: Robot vacuum and mop | Runtime: Around 3.5 hours in our tester’s use; manufacturer documentation lists up to roughly 180 minutes depending on settings | Charge time: Tester observed roughly 3.5 hours from low charge; Dreame advertises an 80-minute fast-charge capability | Capacity: 235 milliliter robot dust box; 4.2-liter clean-water and 3-liter used-water dock tanks; 3.2-liter dust bag | Attachments: HyperStream Detangling DuoBrush 2.0, extendable side brush, dual rotary mop system, replacement mop components and multifunction dock | Weight: 10.36-pound robot | HEPA filter: No HEPA claim listed | Warranty: 3 years

The Roborock Saros 10 has quick setup, taking about 30 minutes. The app was intuitive, and the robot mapped the floor before cleaning. On carpet, our tester, commerce editor Will Kenton, said it “sucked up dust and left the carpets looking like new.”

Wet-spill performance was also good, although the robot did not remove stains from carpet. Kenton found the vacuum’s self-washing and drying features made it easy to clean, preventing odor from building up around the machine.

“We have ‘combination floors’ — hardwood in some places and Persian/Turkish carpets in others, and I was a little nervous that the robot would mop the carpets or get caught on the fringes, but our little helper handled this without issue,” Kenton shared. 

He also mentioned that he has multiple pets and the vacuum was able to pick up dust bunnies from tough spots, like corners. 

Kenton does say the vacuum is loud, though, and still requires sufficient space since it has quite a large dock.

Type: Robot vacuum and mop | Runtime: Up to 200 minutes in Quiet mode | Charge time: About 2.5 hours | Capacity:259 milliliter dustbin / 69 milliliter onboard water tank / 4 liter clean-water tank / 3.5 liter dirty-water tank | Attachments: Robot, RockDock, power cord, disposable dust bag and user manual | Weight:11.1 pounds for the robot; 23.2 pounds for the dock | HEPA filter: No HEPA claim | Warranty:1 year

The Roomba took about 15 minutes to set up in our test. Once the app was connected, it mapped the space before returning to its dock.

Our tester, commerce reporter Miska Salemann, found its navigation accurate. It maneuvered around furniture, detected objects in its path and even climbed onto a slightly elevated laundry-room floor.

“This vacuum performed very well on our vinyl floors,” she said. “It turns on a dime, detects objects in its way and leaves the floor nearly spotless.”

While it performed well in her space, the need for an app for mapping and its irregular size, plus cost, made Salemann say she’d rather buy a stick vacuum for its value. That said, she mentioned that if you’re looking for high-tech automated cleaning, then Roomba is a “great” option.

Type: Robot vacuum and mop | Runtime: Up to 180 minutes; about 1 hour in our testing | Charge time: About 4.5 hours | Capacity: 29 milliliter dustbin, 3 liter clean-water tank and 2.3 liter dirty-water tank in the dock | Attachments: AutoWash dock, DualClean spinning mop pads, extra AutoEmpty bag, extra set of mop pads and line cord | Weight: 9.44 pounds | HEPA filter: No HEPA claim | Warranty:1-year limited warranty

Vacuums compared

*Runtime reflects the manufacturer- or merchant-listed maximum.

How we tested

We had three different setups: cordless stick vacuums, wet/dry vacuums and robot vacuums. Each had a winner.

Our goal, however, was consistent across them all: Which is the best vacuum for making everyday cleaning easier in apartments and smaller city homes?

Testing criteria

• Setup and ease of use: How fast a vacuum could go from box to floor. We also checked to see if app setup was required and, if it was, how long it took.
• Everyday debris pickup: For traditional stick vacuums and robot vacuums, we looked at how effectively each machine collected common debris and whether it scattered crumbs or required repeated passes.
• Wet spills and dried stains: This was primarily for wet/dry cleaners and robot vacs. Here, we tested both wet spills and stains, as well as wet/dry messes.
• Floor performance: We tested vacuums against hardwood and tile, including both raw pickup and how clean the surface looked afterward. Where possible, we tested carpet and rug performance and had testers note whether the vacuums transitioned easily from floor to carpet and back.
• Hair and pet performance: This was tested with both stick vacuums and robot vacuums. Testers checked whether hair jammed the brush roll and whether the vacuums were efficient at picking up both human and pet hair, where applicable.
• Maneuverability and navigation: This tested how well a vacuum moved around tight spaces and furniture. For robot vacuums, it also looked at mapping and furniture avoidance.
• Battery and charging: Since nearly all machines are cordless, we had testers check to see how long the vacuums took to charge and how long their charge lasted during real-time cleaning.
• Maintenance: We emptied dust bins and dirty-water tanks, cleaned brushes and used self-cleaning docks where available. A vacuum that cleans brilliantly but becomes disgusting after two uses is not a good apartment roommate.
• Apartment suitability: The most important thing we tested against: Would we actually want this thing in a New York apartment? This was a combination of footprint, maneuverability, storage and whether owning this meant we still needed to buy a secondary appliance or one device could handle it all.

Which is worth it? Final verdict

Nine vacuums later, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal is the one we would choose if we could only keep one.

No, it’s not perfect. We had trouble on a jute/sisal rug, and since it costs roughly $1,000, it’s not something we can call budget-friendly.

But our testing showed why it earned the best overall title, and it came down to real-world performance. It cleared moderately large pieces of cereal and fine debris from tile in one pass without visible scatter, picked up hair from multiple surfaces, transitioned between flooring types without stalling and included attachments that let it move beyond floors to upholstery and tight spaces.

We also loved its simple CleanCompaktor system, which made emptying dirt and debris easier and, let’s face it, less gross. The dock also meant the vacuum did not require additional floor space.

No, it can’t mop and it’s not automated like a robot vacuum, but it’s one that makes cleaning seem less like a chore and gets your apartment guest-ready in record time. It’s also not an eyesore, and for small spaces, the attachments and strong cleaning performance make it a boon.

Different homes need different machines. But for the average NYC apartment dweller looking to buy one vacuum and get the most possible use out of it, the Dyson V16 Piston Animal made it here for a reason.

Our testers

Nishka Dhawan, Reporter, Commerce

Tested: Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean & Empty

“I had a huge flour spill over the weekend, and aside from some really fine flour that got ingrained in my foam flooring, the Shark picked up almost everything in a single pass. I could feel the suction strengthening as I went over the mess. Unfortunately, some of the spill was wet, which made a mess of the brush roll and made it harder to clean afterward.”

Barret Wertz, Senior Editorial Director, Commerce

Tested: Dyson V16 Piston Animal

“Set up time was next to nothing. Nothing was confusing in practice. It was cleaner than previous Dyson models.”

Michelle Moezam, Senior Commerce Social Media Marketing Manager

Tested: Tineco Pure One S11 and Tineco Floor One S7

On the Tineco Pure One S11:

“The empty clean process is revolutionary honestly.”

On the Tineco Floor One S7:

“I really loved this vac/mop. It’s totally changed the way I approach cleaning my home.”

Holly J Coley, Commerce Deputy Editor

Tested: Shark HydroVac MessMaster

“I was genuinely surprised how well the vacuum handled all the messes. We’re talking one to two passes and I couldn’t find any trace of granola, cat food, coffee, nothing.”

Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter

Tested: Bissell CrossWave HydroScrub

“I was VERY impressed. I tried dry cereal, milk, and then milk and cereal together, and you’d think I hadn’t spilled anything at all!”

Brooke Parker, Commerce Partnerships Associate

Tested: Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete

“Extremely impressive. It is very low profile even in a small Brooklyn apartment, and has not missed a single spot of crumbs, spills or ball of dust that I previously would have been cleaning daily with multiple different cleaning tools.”

Will Kenton, Commerce Editor

Tested: Roborock Saros 10

““We also have two cats and a dog, which means there are lots and lots of dust bunnies (the size of actual bunnies) hiding in the corners. They were dispatched without complaint by the robot.”

Miska Salemann, Reporter, Commerce

Tested: Roomba Plus 505 Combo

“This vacuum performed very well on our vinyl floors. It turns on a dime, detects objects in its way, and leaves the floor nearly spotless.”

This article was written by Nishka Dhawan, Commerce Reporter for the New York Post. Nishka reports on the latest tech launches, innovations and trends to separate the best new products from the “AI slop.” Taking the latest technology for a spin, Nishka tests home appliances and tech products that actually improve your life, from vacuums to headphones to gaming gadgets and more – all while finding the best deals and lowest prices. Before joining The Post in 2026, her work appeared in Rolling Stone, ABC, NBC Select, Reviewed and Digital Trends.