The 5 Best Budget And Cheap Vacuums - Fall 2023 Reviews

If you prefer canister vacuums, the Eureka Mighty Mite is one of the best budget vacuums we've tested in that category. It's fairly compact and delivers strong performance across various surfaces thanks to a relatively potent 12 amp motor. And though it has a pretty basic straight suction floorhead, it easily clears away messes on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpets, with retractable bristles to easily adapt from one surface to another. Suction performance remains consistent as its dirtbag fills up, so you won't need to swap in a new one too often. Its dirtbag traps most dust particles, though it still isn't the best choice for allergy sufferers as far as bagged vacuums go, with some variants having vents behind the rear wheels that can bypass any post-motor filters you install.

The vacuum itself feels reasonably sturdy, if a little cheap, and has a remarkably simple design that's easy to maintain. It's also small enough to easily store in a closet or a nook between furniture. Its wand, made of two hollow plastic tubes, gives you a good amount of added reach, though they can fall apart if you don't wedge them together tightly enough. You'll have to manually wind back its power cord at the end of every cleaning session, which can be annoying.

The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is the best budget vacuum we've tested with an upright design. This corded upright isn't as compact or maneuverable as the Eureka Mighty Mite, but make it your first choice if you're looking for impressive carpet cleaning performance at a bargain price. With a powered floorhead that offers five levels of surface type adjustment—rare for a vacuum at this price point— you can easily adapt to a wide range of surface types on the fly. It also has a large dirt compartment that doesn't need frequent emptying. If, however, you're looking for an upright with an even larger dustbin, the Dirt Devil Endura Max is a good alternative, albeit with worse debris-pickup performance.

Despite the BISSELL's relatively lightweight plastic construction, maneuvering in cluttered areas can still be a hassle due to its bulky body and non-articulating floorhead. It also doesn't feel super sturdy, with a plastic structure that creaks and flexes while in use, though that isn't much of a surprise at this price point. Thankfully, while the vacuum doesn't have a dedicated handheld configuration, you can still clean hard-to-reach areas with its hose, and it comes with an extension wand to give you a bit of added reach, not to mention a hard-bristle brush and a crevice tool for cleaning tight corners.

If you're comfortable stretching your budget a little farther than our above picks and prefer a cordless option, the JASHEN V16 is the best budget-friendly cordless vacuum we've tested. Its upfront cost is noticeably higher than a budget corded model like the BISSELL PowerForce Helix, and it doesn't offer the same level of deep cleaning performance, especially on carpets. However, its lightweight cordless design gives it maneuverability that you simply can't get with a corded model. It's also worth noting that it's still a bargain relative to other cordless stick models.

It's very well-equipped, with a wide selection of included attachments and convenience features. For instance, it comes with a pair of interchangeable brushrolls, one being a bristled multi-surface roller and the other being a soft roller intended for use on hard floors, a combination upholstery tool/soft-bristle brush, a crevice tool, and even a miniature turbo brush. It also has an allergen-trapping HEPA filter.

The JASHEN does a fantastic job of handling lightweight debris on hard floors and pet hair, but avoid trying to suck up bulky debris like whole cereal pieces, which can clog the entry to its dustbin. Its max battery life of about 40 minutes is on the lower end of the scale compared to newer, pricier cordless models. Thankfully, the battery pack is removable and replaceable, so you can swap it out if its performance decreases over time.

The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is the best budget handheld vacuum we've tested. Naturally, you won't buy this to clean an entire house, but it's a great fit for spot-cleaning furniture or picking up small messes. It's a little bigger for a handheld vacuum, but its relatively large size means a larger dirt compartment that won't need emptying too often compared to some of the competition. It's especially well-suited to tackling messes on bare surfaces like countertops, shelves, or hard floors.

Unfortunately, battery performance isn't especially impressive, even for a handheld vacuum of this size, as it can only run for about 10 minutes on a charge. Worse yet, you can't replace the battery, either. It doesn't come with many attachments, only a built-in crevice tool with a flip-out brush, but that's not too surprising for a handheld vacuum. If you're looking for a smaller but similarly affordable alternative, the BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim is also worth considering. However, it struggles more than the Black+Decker when it comes to bulky debris, which can clog its suction inlet.

The BISSELL Featherweight Stick is the best cheap vacuum that we've tested. It doesn't perform as well as more conventional vacuums with more powerful motors, like the Eureka Mighty Mite or BISSELL PowerForce Helix. However, it's remarkably lightweight and compact, making it a good option for those with more limited mobility. Its basic design makes it easy to maintain, with the few parts that need regular cleaning being very easy to access. As long as you regularly clean its dust cup and pre-motor mesh filters, you won't need to worry about recurring costs. You can easily reconfigure it into a compact handheld vacuum to clean tight spots by removing its handle.

The vacuum is excellent for dealing with pet hair or any other lightweight debris on hard floors, like hardwood or linoleum. However, it can have some trouble with heavier material, especially as its dustbin fills up. Its floorhead also lacks a motorized brushroll or even an air-driven turbo brush, so it isn't the best choice if you have a lot of thick carpeting in your home.