The 5 Best Multi-Surface Vacuums - Fall 2023 Reviews

The best vacuum for hardwood and carpet we've tested is the SEBO Airbelt D4. This high-end canister vacuum has a powerful 1250W motor, enabling it to easily clear debris on bare floors and low and high-pile carpet, even with a basic straight-suction floorhead. Opting for the pricier Premium variant also gets you SEBO's ET-1 powerhead, which is one of the most effective attachments for carpet cleaning on the market; it boasts four levels of height adjustment, an automatic brushroll cutoff switch, and an indicator light to let you know when the bristles are worn out or aren't making contact with the ground.

The rocker switch on the vacuum handle gives you precise control over suction power, so you can adapt to different surface types on the fly. Recurring costs are low, especially for a bagged vacuum, as it uses high-capacity dirtbags and filters that last for years without needing a replacement. Build quality is also fantastic, and the canister body is surrounded by a cushion to prevent it from marking up your walls.

While its four caster-mounted wheels make it somewhat maneuverable for a vacuum of this weight and size, consider the Miele Complete C3 if you need something smaller, lighter, and easier to use in cluttered environments. However, the Miele has a shorter range and incurs higher ownership costs due to its smaller dirtbags and less long-lasting filters. Conversely, if you want to go completely cordless, the Dyson V15 Detect is one of the most powerful cordless vacuums we've tested and delivers a correspondingly strong cleaning performance. However, it's prone to get stuck on thicker rugs and carpets.

If you're looking for a more inexpensive multi-surface vacuum, the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog PowerLine is the best vacuum for carpet and hardwood we've tested. It's the top-tier variant of the C1 product lineup and is loaded with features. It comes with Miele's height-adjustable SEB 228 powerhead, suitable for a wide variety of carpet types, and a lightweight straight suction parquet tool that's easy to maneuver on hard floors. Its 1200W suction motor yields fantastic debris pickup performance on a wide range of surface types. There's also a mini turbo brush attachment to deal with pet hair or other messes on fabric-lined furniture, not to mention a crevice tool, dusting brush, and upholstery nozzle. This variant of the C1 comes with a post-motor filter containing active charcoal to trap unpleasant odors as you clean.

That said, compared to the pricier SEBO Airbelt D4, it doesn't feel quite as robust. It also doesn't have handle-mounted power adjustment controls, and you'll need to bend over to twist its suction control dial. Its overall range is also roughly half that of the SEBO, so you'll need to swap outlets when cleaning faraway areas. It uses smaller dirtbags and less durable filters, so you'll be replacing worn components more often, which drives up the cost of ownership.

The best vacuum for hardwood and carpet we've tested in the mid-range price bracket is the Shark Stratos Cordless. This cordless stick vacuum has a more rudimentary powerhead than the Miele Classic C1 Cat&Dog PowerLine, which features no height adjustment and no brushroll off switch. However, it's cheaper and still delivers fantastic performance on bare floors. It also clears away an impressive amount of debris on low and high-pile carpeting, though the lack of floorhead height adjustment means it can get bogged down on shag-pile carpeting.

Unlike the Miele, it can automatically increase power on carpeted floors thanks to its Clean Sense IQ system. Its cordless design makes it easier to clean far-away areas than the Miele, especially considering the latter's short range. That said, its bagless design makes it a less suitable choice for those who suffer from serious allergies, even considering its onboard HEPA filter; not only does the lack of a dirtbag eliminate an additional layer of filtration media, shaking out a dustbin can release a plume of dust and debris.

It can run for up to an hour in most energy-efficient configurations, but you can expect a much shorter runtime than that if your home has a lot of carpeted floors. If you want to avoid running out of charge and want a comparably-priced corded vacuum, the entry-level Pure Suction variant of the Miele Classic C1 is a great choice. It has little in common with the Shark, being a bagged canister vacuum, but performance is strong, and this model feels much better built. That said, unlike the Shark, it doesn't have a power socket, so it's incompatible with powered floorheads for cleaning thick carpeting.

Check out the Shark Cordless Pro if you can't quite afford the Shark Stratos Cordless. This stick vacuum shares much in common with its pricier stablemate, with the same Clean Sense IQ automatic power adjustment system, which allows it to adjust its suction power depending on how much debris you're clearing away, and a replaceable odor-neutralizing cartridge. However, Shark made some adjustments to justify its lower purchase price. It has a less powerful suction motor than the Stratos, and it uses a lower-capacity 1900mAh battery that yields a max runtime of about 40 minutes—noticeably shorter than the roughly hour-long max runtime offered by the Stratos. Thankfully, despite these differences, the two vacuums aren't all that far apart in terms of performance, with the Cordless Pro delivering good overall performance on bare floors and low and high-pile carpet.

The vacuum's single-roller floorhead is also of a less complex design than the pricier model's dual-roller head, but that doesn't make it worse. Unlike the Stratos and many other Shark vacuums, the Cordless Pro's primary brushroll can be easily removed from its floorhead, making it a cinch to clear away any tangled hair or stuck-on debris. However, it does share a common weakness with the Stratos Cordless, not to mention most other cordless stick vacuums, in that its floorhead isn't height-adjustable, so it'll struggle with cleaning thick carpeting.

If you want to save money on a multi-surface vacuum, consider the Eureka Mighty Mite. This compact bagged canister vacuum isn't much to look at, with a practical design that looks more like a workshop vacuum than something designed for home use. Don't be fooled by its cheap looks, however, as it offers plenty of power for the price. It has a relatively potent 12 amp suction motor that yields strong overall debris pickup performance on bare floors. While it doesn't come bundled with a powerhead or an air-driven turbo head for cleaning carpeted floors, you can retract the bristles on its straight-suction head to improve suction on low or even medium-pile carpeting.

Unfortunately, its range is considerably shorter than that of more expensive canister vacuums, like the Miele Classic C1. If you don't want to worry about staying close to a power outlet, the Shark Pet/Rocket Pro Cordless is a relatively inexpensive cordless alternative. It can't compete with the Mighty Mite regarding debris pickup performance. Still, it comes with a wide variety of attachments that make it suitable for use on many surface types, including a pair of interchangeable brushrolls intended for use on bare floors or carpeting.