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4 best cylinder vacuums, tried and tested in a busy family home
I’ve found the best cylinder vacuums to get into tight spaces, up stairways and more
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Professional cleaners often use cylinder vacuums, and this isn’t without reason. Other vacuums can definitely be great options for our homes and even our cars, whether that be nimble cordless vacuums , pet vacuums with handy attachments, or a robot vacuum cleaner that does it all for you. However, cylinder vacuums generally deliver more powerful suction and are lighter and more comfortable to carry.
According to Kiril Natov, carpet and upholstery cleaning technician at Premium Clean, cylinder vacuums also boast “lighter cleaning heads, better reach under furniture and more attachments,” making them more versatile.
When choosing which cylinder vacuum to buy, deciding on format – bagged or bagless – is a good place to start. While one isn’t necessarily better than the other, there are certainly pros and cons of both.
Bagged models trap dust and dirt in a bag, which makes them great options for people with allergies. The downsides? The ongoing expense, albeit relatively modest, of restocking the disposable bags, and their environmental cost, owing to the extra waste.
Bagless cylinder vacuums, on the other hand, make it easy to see what you’ve sucked up and when the cylinder needs emptying. However, they tend to be worse at sealing off dirt, so they’re less well-suited to people with allergies.
Here, I’ve rounded up the cylinder vacuums that passed my at-home tests with flying colours.
Read more: Best corded vacuum cleaners, tested by an expert
The best cylinder vacuums for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Hoover H-power 300 bagless cylinder vacuum cleaner with allergy care: £99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Russell Hobbs atlas2 cylinder bagless vacuum cleaner, RHCV3601: £54.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for pet owners – Miele boost CX1 cat and dog powerline cylinder vacuum: £399, Currys.co.uk
- Best for versatility – Numatic Henry home cylinder vacuum: £158.40, Amazon.co.uk
How I tested
I tested the vacuums within my busy home, alongside my three messy children. It was crucial to test the vacuums in real-world scenarios, to understand how they fared in the realities of day-to-day life. I lugged each model up and down stairs, stored them away in a small cupboard and used all the included attachments. I paid close attention to maneuverability, ease of storage, performance, value for money and additional accessories. Only the vacuums that passed my rigorous testing made the cut. You can read more about my testing criteria at the end of this article.
Read more: The best handheld vacuums, tried and tested
1Hoover H-power 300 bagless cylinder vacuum cleaner with allergy care
- Best Cylinder vacuum overall
- Bin size 2l
- Cord length 7m
- Weight 4.5kg
- Attachments 2-in-1 crevice tool, pet tool
- Bin type Bagless
- Why we love it
- Relatively lightweight
- Good for allergy sufferers
There are lots of nifty things I liked about this Hoover during testing. First up, it’s relatively easy to store as, it’s fairly compact. Despite only having two attachments, it comes with two different hoses, so it can cover a wide cleaning zone – up to 12m.
Using the hose and pole attachments, I could reach the top of my dusty curtain rail without having to stand on a chair, and I could even reach some of the stairs without moving from the bottom step. Emptying the Hoover was a breeze, and the HEPA filter is washable, which is great for those with allergies. I also liked that I could push a button, and the cord would wind itself back into the vacuum.
2Russell Hobbs atlas2 cylinder bagless vacuum cleaner
- Best Budget cylinder vacuum
- Bin size 2.5l
- Cord length 5m
- Weight 3.8kg
- Attachments 3 in 1 multi-tool, pet turbo tool
- Bin type Bagless
- Why we love it
- Great three-in-one tool
- Decent cleaning radius
- Relatively lightweight
- Take note
- Pet attachment could be bigger
This cylinder vacuum has been designed with two things in mind: big houses and homes with pets. There’s a large 2.5l bin, and the 5m flex means you can get across most rooms without having to switch between plug sockets. With the pole attachment in place, the atlas2 has an 8m radius cleaning zone, which is pretty impressive.
Meanwhile, the ‘pet turbo tool’ scoops up pet hair and spins it into the vacuum’s bin. It’s far from perfect - it’s quite a small tool, so it takes a while to cover a whole sofa, and the tool tends to tangle with long hair. However, it’s effective at removing pet hair.
I also liked the three-in-one tool, which does crevices (it worked wonders on a crumb-covered car interior), upholstery and has a brush for dusting skirting boards and so on. It’s also pretty lightweight, making it easier to lug up and down stairs.
3Miele boost CX1 cat and dog powerline cylinder vacuum
- Best Cylinder vacuum for pet owners
- Bin size 1l
- Cord length 8m
- Weight 5.8kg
- Attachments Upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, dusting brush with synthetic bristles, turbobrush
- Bin type Bagless
- Why we love it
- Easy to pull along
- Relatively compact
- Easy to empty
- Take note
- Quite heavy
- Smaller bin capacity
The CX1 is more compact than most Miele vacuums, and it looks more modern than Miele’s usual aesthetic, too. As well as the crevice, dusting and upholstery nozzles, it comes with a floorhead that enables you to flick between thin- and thick-pile carpets. There is also the ‘turbobrush’, which is ideal for thinner carpets and hardwood floors.
When testing this model on a medium-pile carpet, it was able to suck up plenty of grit and hair. With the telescopic pole, I had no problem reaching picture rails and the top of curtain rails.
Unusually for Miele, this is a bagless vacuum. I found emptying the bin simple – lift, open the hatch, and your dirt falls out into the bin. There is also a HEPA filter, meaning this vacuum is blasting out clean air behind it, which is good news for allergy sufferers.
However, like most Miele vacuums, this is fairly heavy. It’s also expensive - it costs nearly six times as much as my budget buy. The 1l bin is fine, but you’ll find that it fills up pretty quickly.
4Numatic Henry home cylinder vacuum
- Best Cylinder vacuum for versatility
- Bin size 6l
- Cord length 10m
- Weight 7.5kg
- Attachments Crevice tool, dusting brush, mattress tool
- Bin type Bagged
- Why we love it
- Loads of attachments
- Easy to empty
- Solid build quality
- Huge bin capacity
- Take note
- Heavy and bulky
Henry vacuums are hard to ignore when you’re buying a vacuum – those famous eyes follow you around the shop. I tested the classic Henry home model, but there are other iterations available too – you can also buy a Hetty and Harry vacuums, with the latter specialised for pet hair removal.
This vacuum comes with plenty of attachments. I enjoyed using the dusting attachment, which is ideal for fiddly areas such as fireplaces and around cornicing. I also liked the mess-free emptying system – the bags seal to avoid any dust or allergens from floating around. While you will have to remember to stock up on bags, the bin has a huge capacity, so you won’t have to worry about emptying it every five minutes.
However, this Henry vacuum is the heaviest I tested, weighing in at almost 9kg. I found this less than ideal when lugging him up and down the stairs – or, indeed, when vacuuming the stairs. It’s also cumbersome to store compared with some other vacuums in this round-up.
Your questions about cylinder vacuums answered
What is the best cylinder vacuum?
I was really impressed with the Hoover cylinder vacuum during testing. It’s got a great cleaning radius, as well as being lightweight, easy to use and relatively affordable. There’s a HEPA filter included, too, so it’s good for allergy sufferers. If you have the budget to stretch, I also loved the Miele boost CX1 cat and dog – the turbobrush was incredibly effective on my hardwood floors.
How I tested cylinder vacuum cleaners
I used each vacuum in my busy home and considered the following criteria during testing.
- Manoeuvrability: I assessed how easy each model was to carry and squeeze around tight corners, paying attention to the movement of the wheels and anything that caught or impeded their roll.
- Storage: Unless you’ve a sizeable property, chances are that space for your vacuum will be tight, so I ensured that each of the devices featured was simple to tuck away in the small cubby hole.
- Performance: The crux of the matter was how well each vacuum cleaned my floors, including wood, carpets, tiles and rugs.
- Accessories: I took note of whether there were any stand-out add-ons or, conversely, arbitrary attachments that didn’t prove useful.
- Value for money: It was very important to me that the experience I had with each device was reflected in its price.
Which is better, a cylinder or an upright vacuum cleaner?
According to Kiril Natov, carpet and upholstery cleaning technician at Premium Clean, there are pros and cons to both varieties of vacuum, listed as follows:
Cylinder vacuum cleaner pros | Cylinder vacuum cleaner cons | Upright vacuum cleaner pros | Upright vacuum cleaner cons |
Versatile | Bulkier to store | Better for open spaces | Heavier on stairs |
Lighter attachments and more attachment options | Work well on large carpeted areas | ||
Good for manoeuvring in tight spaces | Easy “push and go” design | ||
Quieter |
What are the different types of cylinder vacuum?
As well as corded and cordless models, Natov breaks down the key cylinder varieties into four categories:
- Bagged: Securing your dust and debris within a fitted, replaceable bag, “these models are cleaner to empty and better for allergies”.
- Bagless: Cutting costs, “bagless vacuums save you from buying replacement bags but release more dust.”
- Allergy vacuums: “These are fitted with a (HEPA) filter to trap fine particles.”
- Pet model vacuums: Anticipating pet dander and the smell of wet dog, “these add turbo brushes and odour filters.”
Why do cleaners prefer cylinder vacuums?
“They handle multiple surfaces, stairs and tight spaces without needing extra machines,” says Natov, emphasising the “wide range of tools for dusting, crevices and upholstery” on offer. Bagged cylinder models often feature “large bags, which means fewer emptying trips, and a lighter weight wand reduces fatigue.”
What are the disadvantages of a cylinder vacuum?
- Storage: The shape of cylinder vacuums (the cylinder and the stick are separate) can be difficult to store, compared with more-compact silhouettes, such as upright or stick vacuums.
- Portability: The cylinder part of the vacuum can start to feel cumbersome to pull from room to room, potentially getting caught around the edge of furniture or around corners and doorways.
- User-friendliness: The cylinder being low to the ground means bending down to reach the controls.
- Cleaning suitability: Bulky cylinders can, potentially, leave scratches on delicate hard floor types. As well as this, it’s worth keeping in mind this vacuum type boasts high suction, which, while great for cleaning more generally, isn’t ideal for cleaning high-pile carpets, as they can create a seal and prevent suction from working effectively.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Zoë Phillimore is a journalist who has been reviewing products for The Independent’s shopping section for years. When it comes to vacuum cleaners, her family home of five offers the ideal testing conditions, thanks to plenty of (muddy) footfall and household members to manoeuvre around. You can be confident that these vacuums were all tested under real-world conditions, similarly to how you would use the vacuums in your own home.
For more tried-and-tested cleaning appliances,check out IndyBest’s guide to the best Shark vacuums and the best Dyson vacuums
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