Best Canister Vacuum for Hardwood Floors – Reviews and Buying Guide

Last updated on February 19th, 2023

It is very little in a home that can give the homeowner or renter as much pride as a hardwood floor. The expanse of the grain giving wood its rich and lustrous appearance cannot be matched by any other floor surface. It is very durable and, with proper care, should last, unlike carpeting, the lifetime of the house.

Proper care of hardwood includes a proper cleaning that should be accomplished as frequently (weekly is best) as carpeting, tile, and other floorings. Fortunately, a hardwood floor, while more expensive than other floorings, is easier to maintain as long as the maintenance includes dedicated cleaning.

Frequent cleaning of a wooden floor is best accomplished with a dust mop or a vacuum cleaner unless there has been a spill. Any spill should be clean up immediately to avoid spoiling the wood finish.

This article will concentrate on the Best canister vacuum for hardwood floors – reviews and buying tips without spending arms and legs since they have probably already been spent on the floor itself!

5 Best Canister Vacuum for Hardwood Floor Reviews

We all care a lot about our hardwood flooring, and that is why we need to make sure we protect it as best as possible by regularly cleaning it. You also will learn the features of a good vacuum for hard floors (in the following section), all that’s left to do is decide on the model that suits your needs best.

We tested and reviewed some of the best vacuums for your wood floors, pet hairs, and carpet cleaning needs, and below are our results.

#1: Best Overall Canister Vacuum for Hardwood Floors

>> Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor

This is definitely a quality vacuum from Miele suitable for cleaning all types of hard floors. This cleaner comes with 2 different floor tools: Miele SBD285-3 Combo Floor Tool that is suitable for the hard floor as well as low pile carpet cleaning. The Miele SBB400-3 Parquet Twister XL Floor Brush gives a 16” wide cleaning path for better cleaning the tile floors and hard floors.

Following are some of the great features of this machine:

• Power with Miele’s 1200 watt motor, great power.
• 6 different speed rotary dial controls for cleaning different types of floors.
• Using the Miele AirClean filter (can be replaced with HEPA filter) and Pre-motor filter.
• A button on the vacuum heads to switch between carpet and hardwood cleaning.
• It has a long 33-ft power cord with auto rewind capability.
• Three non-marking wheels to prevent any scratches on hardwood floors.
• Three onboard tools including a crevice tool, upholstery tool, and dust brush (store on top of the canister).
• 7-year warranty (motor and casing) and a 1-year warranty for other parts.
• Click here to check out the latest price of this vacuum at Amazon.com.

Note: Miele canister cleaners are not cheap, but this model is one of the cheaper units available on the market. Remember, Miele vacuums have a 20-year average lifespan, so this is the brand that you can trust.

#2: Best Budget Hard Floors Vacuum Canister

>> Ovente Bagless Canister Cyclonic Vacuum (ST2010)

As one of the cheapest bagless vacuums for hard floors, this Ovente cleaner is definitely suitable for those with a limited budget. Powerful, multi-level filtration and comes with various attachments make this cleaner a great value.

Following are some of the notable features:

• 1200-watts motor power that powered with Cyclonic technology to provide consistent suction power.
• Uses HEPA filtration that can trap almost all (99.97%) of particles and hence is excellent for those that suffer from asthma & allergy.
• 16-ft power cord (not very long) with auto-rewind feature and the stainless steel adjustable telescopic wand can extend the spaces that you can reach.
• Several accessories, including combination crevice nozzle/bristle brush, sofa/pet brush, and floor brush.
• 1-year limited warranty.
• A cheap canister vac that priced below $100, check out their latest offer price here.

#3: Best Bagless Canister Vacuum for Hard Floors and Carpet

>> Severin S’Power Nonstop MultiCyclone Corded Vacuum

This German quality standard vacuum is proven with its high performance on hard floors and carpets cleaning. With their strict control and monitoring in every phase when producing the vacuum; including the material used must pass the breakage tests, every component is tested for durability to ensure the finished products are of top quality.

The key features that you can expect from this bagless machine:

• A silent cleaner at 77 dB sound power level when the device is in operation.
• A lightweight, great suction cleaner (with 750W power) and 5-stage filtrations to provide consistent suction power.
• Uses the HEPA filter that proven to be better for allergies sufferers.
• Constant Multicyclone Technology, you can expect the cleaner can spin the finest particles from the air stream.
• It has a 1.8L dust cup with an easy push of a button and hygienic emptying.
• The 3-floor conserving rubber wheels protect your hardwood floors.
• It comes with Ergo soft handle and a 35-inch easy touch telescopic wand to extend the coverage, and it can cover 29 ft of cleaning radius.
• Several tools: XL hard floor/parquet nozzle, upholstery/furniture/crevice nozzle, and universal eco floor nozzle to help you do the cleaning faster.

Check out the Severin Germany Nonstop Corded Bagless Canister Vacuum on Amazon.com

#4: Long-time Best Seller Hard Floors Vacuum

>> Eureka Mighty Mite, 3670G

This is another reliable vacuum from Eureka that is selling pretty well in the market for a long time, and it’s suitable for hard floor cleaning with less carpet. With the extension wand and fingertips controls on the handle, you can reach many places at home.

Features Highlight

• Power – 12 amps motor.
• Lightweight – less than 9 lbs weight let you easily carry around including stairs.
• Blower port – blow debris from the garage with ease.
• 2-setting height adjustments for cleaning bare floors and area rugs.
• The 20-ft power cord extends the cleaning reach.
• Accessories including the crevice tool, upholstery, and dusting tool.
• 1-year limited warranty.
• A list price of about $100, but quite often you can found it for less on Amazon.com.

#5: Another Recommended Multi-Cyclonic Bagless Canister Vac

>> Bissell Hard Floor Expert, 1547

This Bissell canister vac is bagless, and it’s suitable for various types of surfaces, including bare floors, low-pile carpets, and hard floors. This quiet vacuum comes with a metal telescoping wand to let you clean tight areas and under furniture’s easier.

Here are the notable features:

• Motor power – 9.2 amps.
• Lightweight for easy maneuverability.
• The multi-cyclonic technology ensures longer yet powerful suction power.
• It has a multi-level filtration system to capture the most allergens, dust, and pollens.
• Dirt Cup Capacity: 2L with easy to empty dirt cup.
• 18 ft power cord with auto cord rewind feature.
• 2-year limited warranty.
• For more info, review, and rating of this Bissell canister model, visit this page.

Side note: Just to let you know that the older Bissell Hard Floor Expert Deluxe Canister Vacuum, 1161 is another great hardwood floors cleaner.

Advantages for Using Wood Floors Vacuum

1. Powerful and strong

These vacuums are most suitable because they are both powerful and strong. You will love the results from using this type of vacuum cleaner, and you will especially love the spotless clean that was once unachievable with the more archaic means of cleaning.

2. Can use on multiple surfaces

Most hardwood vacuums can be used on multiple surfaces, making them a great item to have in your home. Also, because they are lightweight, you can easily pull them out whenever you have a small mess to clean up and do not want to pull out the heavy vacuum to use.

3. Help you to preserve the wood floor

You absolutely want to preserve the life of your beautiful wooden floor, which is an elegant feature to show off in your home. Here are some tips for cleaning engineering hardwood floors.

4. Help to avoid any allergies

Hardwood floors are the best for families who have people in their homes with allergies as carpets can easily allow dust and other allergens to hide deep within their fibers. They are becoming an increasingly popular choice in their homes because of these health benefits.

5. Extend your floor life

If you have bare floor surfaces, these types of vacuums are important to help extend the life of your floors by allowing you to clean these delicate surfaces without damaging them safely.

This makes it a worthwhile investment in your home, especially when you consider the costs of fixing your wood floors after damaging them by using the wrong type of vacuum cleaner. You will be thankful when including this piece of equipment in your home once you realize that these powerful machines are more than just useful on hardwood floors.

Best Stick and Upright Vacuums for Hard Floors

Before we continue, let’s look at a video review below:

Other than canister vacuums, we also found that the traditional upright vacuum, as well as some small vacuums, also can deliver a tremendous hard floors cleaning job. This consideration is mostly a preferential thing, as they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

A canister vacuum can more easily get down under furniture and even performs better on stairs, as well as being a lightweight option. Full-sized uprights are usually heavier but also have a lot of power to them. There is also the option of a stick vacuum, which is a lightweight option for those who prefer the upright but want the versatility of a canister.

Nowadays, some models have both a mop and sweep feature that can both sweep up your floor and mop it right after. This can turn cleaning which is usually a long, two-step process into one easy process. Some even have drying features that make sure no puddles are left behind. These lefts behind puddles can warp and otherwise damage your wood flooring.

Anyway, besides canister vacuums, the following are some other hard floors vacuums that are worth taking a look at.

# Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floor and Carpet

>> Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E

This Shark Navigator vacuum is a truly powerful 2-in-1 upright cleaner (for regular floors cleaning) with a detachable canister to clean any places that seem to be hard to reach like the ceiling, curtains, stairs, or every corner of your home.

Lasting suction, fresh air, and superior all-floor cleaning will have you absolutely floored. Lightweight with swivel steering, the Anti-allergen complete seal, and HEPA filter system that able to traps 99.9% of dust and allergens make this cleaning machine truly freshens up the air. The large dust cup capacity added with a 30” long power cord can save your time for cleaning.

The included accessories like Hard Floor Hero, Pet Power Brush, dusting brush, and crevice tool, plus washable microfiber pads can make your cleaning jobs easier while your home look truly shines. Also, a 5-year warranty turns your purchase risk-free.

Shop Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E on Amazon.

# Best Cordless Vacuum for Hardwood Floors

>> Hoover Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum, BH50010

The Hoover Linx cordless stick vacuum cleaner delivers you the convenience of a Hoover that is cordless and bagless together with the power and performance you get from this cleaner.

This particular stick vacuum is the first of its kind to feature unique Windtunnel technology. This makes use of three suction tunnels in order to lift and then eradicate any hidden dirt completely.

You can easily switch between cleaning on carpets and bare floor surfaces with the help of a brush roll that can be activated with one touch of a button. With the 18-volt Lithium battery, it will retain power until it is completely drained.

In fact, this is one of the best seller stick vacuum models in the market for a long time. So it’s truly worth taking a look. Click here for more info and check the latest price on Amazon.com.

# Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floor and Pet Hair

>> Shark Rocket with DuoClean Corded Stick Vacuum (HV382)

This is a 2-in-1 lightweight vacuum (less than 10 lbs) that can be used for bare floors cleaning and it also can be easily converted to a hand vacuum for above floors cleaning. The wall mount storage hook can help you store the machine off the floor.

The Shark Rocket ultralight vacuum is powered by the latest DuoClean technology, which is a dual-brush roll system for triple particle cleaning (including small, large, and stuck-on particles). You can use it to clean all types of floors, including hard floors and carpets.

The LED lights on the nozzle and handheld vacuum can help you spot the hidden debris, especially while cleaning in fewer lighting areas. The long 30-ft cord, duster crevice tool plus the pet multi-tool can help you in cleaning, including the embedded pet hair with ease.

For more instructions, you can watch the videos on the Shark webpage.

Shop the Shark DuoClean Rocket Corded Stick Vacuum (HV382) at Amazon.

Best Wooden Floor Canister Vacuums – Buying Guide

After you decided what type of vacuum you’re looking for, you should look for features that indicate the vacuum can be used for cleaning your old hardwood floor. There are several considerations when you want to get a reliable hard floor vacuum, including the canister models.

Following are some tips to help you make the right choice in buying the best canister vacuum for wooden floors:

• Suction Power and Control

One of these features to look for is a switch that can control or stop the roller from spinning. Next, suction control is also useful, as this will help with reducing airflow when you only need some light suction.

Another important consideration is the suction power. The more powerful the suction, the easier it can pick up the most stubborn of messes, including pet hair and dust. You will want to be sure nothing is left behind for a cleaner floor.

Even better, a canister vacuum with a bare floor setting or manual height adjustment will allow you to lower the powerhead when you clean your flooring (depending on the model you get, it may decrease automatically). This function means it is a versatile vacuum that you will get your money’s worth out of.

• No Hard Bristles (Avoid Beater Brushes)

Vacuums made for carpets usually have hard bristles that are heavy-duty in order to really get the dirt that is embedded in the fibers of the carpet. These same heavy-duty bristles can do a lot of damage to your wood floor, making it so that it will need to be resurfaced. Resurfacing a hardwood floor can be very expensive; an expense that can easily be avoided by purchasing a vacuum (including canister) that is designed to be used on a wooden floor.

Also, if you look at the head of the vacuum, the beater brush is the thick bristled rotating cylinder located there. This will tear up the surface of your hardwood floor. So this should be avoided at all costs; otherwise, you will likely ruin your wood floor. You may like to know: How to vacuum your hardwood floors efficiently?

• Have Felt or Rubber Strips

Hardwood floor vacuums also have felt strips or rubber strips that were meant for helping protect the surface of your hard floor. You will want to be sure that your vacuum has a very powerful suction in order to get a good clean on your hardwood surface. This will ensure that all the stubborn dirt and pet hair comes up, which will give you a much cleaner floor.

• Lightweight for Mobility

You will also want a vacuum that is lightweight and easy to maneuver around. This is preferable because you will want the freedom to be able to move around as needed, but also because with a lightweight vacuum, you will be less likely to scratch up the floor when using it.

The weight of the vacuum can make a difference in how easy it is to move around the floor, and will determine whether or not scratches and scuffs will be left on the floor as a result of vacuuming. A heavier, full-size canister model is likely to leave scratches along your floor, due to the weight on the wheels as it rolls around your floor.

• Bagless vs Bagged

This is another most preferred choice you will have to make. Some people like the convenience of bagless cleaners i.e., ease of just emptying a dust bin/cup and cleaning it out. However, dust cups generally hold a bit less dirt and debris than bagged options.

Bagged vacuums are not always ideal as sometimes it can be a messy undertaking replacing them. They are also costly to purchase additional bags. However, the bagged cleaners also have their advantages as explain here.

• Onboard Tools (Accessories)

As you know, some cleaners come with several attachments for your cleaning needs. The cleaner with upholstery and crevice tools is especially good for hard floors. If you have pets at home, rubberized pet hair can have many advantages.

Also, an edge cleaner may be a pretty convenient option to go with. If you choose a model that has this feature, it will be very effective at picking up dirt under the entire powerhead. As a result, it’ll clean right up to where the floor meets the wall.

• Price

This is another important consideration for those with a limited budget. An affordable price canister vacuum is always a preferred choice especially if the cleaner is designed for hard floors.

Have a look at those canister vacs by budget:-

• Best Canister Models for Under $100
• Best Canister Machines for Under $300
• The Best Canister Units Below $500

Conclusion and Our Verdict

Hardwood flooring is an essential part of your house, and it needs proper care to keep it pristine and beautiful. Choosing a reliable vacuum is essential to making it happen. Keep in mind of the things mentioned in this article can ensure that you get the best one that suits your flooring.

You should go online and have a look and read the customer reviews of a particular vacuum model before you buy it. If you are still undecided or want me to choose, and considering all the factors, then the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E will be the winner as the best hardwood vacuum cleaner.

However, if you are looking for the best canister vacuum for hardwood floors, then the Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor  Vacuum Cleaner is definitely great for this purpose.