If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Best Choice Reports

Best upright vacuums

Uprights that clean carpet and hard floors all week—ranked by value, from budget Eurekas to Shark Lift-Aways, Bissell, and Kenmore.

Maren Solberg
By Maren Solberg Senior Product Editor

Last Updated Sep 29, 2026

1 Top pick

3K+ bought in past month

Outstanding 9.8
Eureka PowerSpeed NEU181D bagless upright vacuum Eureka PowerSpeed Lightweight Upright NEU181D
★★★★★
  • Another PowerSpeed variant with a solid review base.
  • Useful when you prefer this finish or it is on sale.
  • Often a few dollars more than #3 and #9, so compare prices on the day.

3K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best color optionPowerSpeed carpet cleaning in another finish

  • Another PowerSpeed variant with a solid review base.
  • Useful when you prefer this finish or it is on sale.
  • Often a few dollars more than #3 and #9, so compare prices on the day.

Pros

  • PowerSpeed platform
  • Bagless
  • Solid reviews

Cons

  • Usually pricier than #1
  • Corded

Who it’s for

Buyers who catch it on sale.

Who it’s not for

#3 or #9 is cheaper that day.

2

7K+ bought in past month

Excellent 9.6
Eureka PowerSpeed NEU181A bagless upright vacuum Eureka PowerSpeed Lightweight Upright NEU181A
★★★★☆
  • PowerSpeed upright with strong monthly sales.
  • A useful fallback when #3 and #9 are out of stock.
  • Priced a bit higher than the NEU280.

7K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best PowerSpeed variantPowerSpeed upright with steady sales

  • PowerSpeed upright with strong monthly sales.
  • A useful fallback when #3 and #9 are out of stock.
  • Priced a bit higher than the NEU280.

Pros

  • PowerSpeed carpet cleaning
  • Bagless
  • Steady sales

Cons

  • Costs more than #1
  • Corded

Who it’s for

Buyers who find #3 and #9 out of stock.

Who it’s not for

#3 is in stock at a lower price.

3

6K+ bought in past month

Excellent 9.5
Eureka PowerSpeed NEU280 bagless upright vacuum Eureka PowerSpeed Lightweight Upright NEU280
★★★★☆
  • Full PowerSpeed upright for carpet at a price most uprights cannot match.
  • Five-figure review pile and thousands of buyers every month.
  • The most complete upright for the money.

6K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best all-round uprightComplete carpet upright for the money

  • Full PowerSpeed upright for carpet at a price most uprights cannot match.
  • Five-figure review pile and thousands of buyers every month.
  • The most complete upright for the money.

Pros

  • Upright brushroll for carpet
  • Bagless cup
  • Huge buyer history

Cons

  • Corded
  • Not a sealed-HEPA premium upright

Who it’s for

Homes that want one upright for carpet and hard floors.

Who it’s not for

You need the lightest possible upright—see #4.

4

8K+ bought in past month

Great 9.4
Eureka Airspeed NEU10AE4 ultra-lightweight upright Eureka Airspeed Ultra-Lightweight NEU10AE4
★★★★☆
  • Ultra-light Airspeed upright is easy to carry up and down stairs.
  • The best-selling upright on this list with a very deep review pile.
  • Pick this over #3 when weight matters more than carpet depth.

8K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Lightest uprightUltra-light and easy to carry upstairs

  • Ultra-light Airspeed upright is easy to carry up and down stairs.
  • The best-selling upright on this list with a very deep review pile.
  • Pick this over #3 when weight matters more than carpet depth.

Pros

  • Very light
  • Low price
  • Bagless

Cons

  • Less carpet muscle than PowerSpeed
  • Corded

Who it’s for

Apartments, mixed floors, and anyone who dislikes heavy vacs.

Who it’s not for

Your home is mostly thick carpet—pick #3.

5

20K+ bought in past month

Great 9.3
Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV360 upright vacuum in blue Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV360
★★★★☆
  • The best-selling upright on Amazon, with a five-figure review pile.
  • Lift-Away pod detaches for stairs, couches, and curtains.
  • Sealed HEPA system for allergy households—worth the higher price.

20K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best Lift-AwayLift-Away pod for stairs, sealed HEPA

  • The best-selling upright on Amazon, with a five-figure review pile.
  • Lift-Away pod detaches for stairs, couches, and curtains.
  • Sealed HEPA system for allergy households—worth the higher price.

Pros

  • Lift-Away pod for above-floor cleaning
  • Anti-allergen seal + HEPA
  • Brushroll shutoff for hard floors

Cons

  • About twice the price of the Eureka uprights
  • Heavier than the Airspeed

Who it’s for

Homes with stairs, pets, or allergies.

Who it’s not for

You only clean flat floors on a budget—pick #3.

6

6K+ bought in past month

Very good 9.1
Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet 2252 upright vacuum Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet 2252
★★★★☆
  • Triple-action brush roll built for pet hair, with one of the biggest review piles in the category.
  • Swivel steering and a large dirt tank for whole-home passes.
  • Proven Bissell pet upright for carpet-heavy homes.

6K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best for pet hairPet brush roll with easy swivel steering

  • Triple-action brush roll built for pet hair, with one of the biggest review piles in the category.
  • Swivel steering and a large dirt tank for whole-home passes.
  • Proven Bissell pet upright for carpet-heavy homes.

Pros

  • Made for pet hair
  • Huge review history
  • Swivel steering

Cons

  • Costs more than the Eureka uprights
  • Corded and heavier than a stick

Who it’s for

Carpeted homes with shedding pets.

Who it’s not for

You mostly have hard floors—a light stick is easier.

7

10K+ bought in past month

Very good 9.0
Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 upright vacuum in lavender Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352
★★★★☆
  • Sibling of the NV360 with a larger 1.04L dust cup and wide upholstery tool.
  • Five-digit monthly sales and a deep review history.
  • Buy whichever Navigator is cheaper the day you order.

10K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best Lift-Away valueLift-Away reach with a bigger cup

  • Sibling of the NV360 with a larger 1.04L dust cup and wide upholstery tool.
  • Five-digit monthly sales and a deep review history.
  • Buy whichever Navigator is cheaper the day you order.

Pros

  • Lift-Away pod
  • HEPA with anti-allergen seal
  • Wide upholstery tool

Cons

  • Pricier than the Eureka uprights
  • Corded

Who it’s for

Shark fans who want the Navigator for less.

Who it’s not for

The NV360 is the same price that day.

8

1K+ bought in past month

Good 8.9
Kenmore Intuition BU4022 bagged upright vacuum with HEPA bags and tools Kenmore Intuition Bagged Upright BU4022
★★★★☆
  • The bagged pick here—sealed HEPA bags trap dust for allergy homes.
  • Lift-Up pod detaches for stairs and furniture, with a 30-ft cord.
  • Costs more than the Eurekas and needs replacement bags.

1K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best bagged uprightSealed HEPA bags for allergy homes

  • The bagged pick here—sealed HEPA bags trap dust for allergy homes.
  • Lift-Up pod detaches for stairs and furniture, with a 30-ft cord.
  • Costs more than the Eurekas and needs replacement bags.

Pros

  • No-touch HEPA bags
  • Lift-Up pod
  • 30-ft cord

Cons

  • Ongoing bag cost
  • Pricier than bagless picks

Who it’s for

Allergy and asthma households.

Who it’s not for

You don't want to buy bags—pick #3.

9

5K+ bought in past month

Good 8.8
Eureka PowerSpeed NEU182B bagless upright vacuum in purple Eureka PowerSpeed Bagless Upright NEU182B
★★★★☆
  • Same PowerSpeed family as #3 with a large review history.
  • Usually priced a little below the NEU280.
  • Buy whichever PowerSpeed is cheapest the day you order.

5K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Best PowerSpeed dealSame PowerSpeed, often cheaper

  • Same PowerSpeed family as #3 with a large review history.
  • Usually priced a little below the NEU280.
  • Buy whichever PowerSpeed is cheapest the day you order.

Pros

  • Proven PowerSpeed platform
  • Bagless
  • Often cheaper than #1

Cons

  • Corded
  • Fewer recent sales than #1

Who it’s for

Carpet homes shopping on price.

Who it’s not for

The NEU280 is the same price that day.

10

10K+ bought in past month

Good 8.7
Eureka Airspeed NEU10AE5 ultra-lightweight bagless upright Eureka Airspeed Ultra-Lightweight NEU10AE5
★★★★☆
  • Airspeed sibling of #4, often the lowest-priced upright here.
  • Thousands of buyers a month keep its track record strong.
  • Choose between #4 and this one on price.

10K+ bought in past month

Check Today's Price →

Cheapest uprightLowest price for a full-size upright

  • Airspeed sibling of #4, often the lowest-priced upright here.
  • Thousands of buyers a month keep its track record strong.
  • Choose between #4 and this one on price.

Pros

  • Lowest price
  • Very light
  • Bagless

Cons

  • Same limits as #2 on thick carpet
  • Corded

Who it’s for

Tight budgets that still want a full upright.

Who it’s not for

#4 is the same price—its review pile is bigger.

How we ranked these picks

We rank upright vacuums by how much carpet and floor they clean for the money, backed by real buyer history. Corded uprights never run out of battery, so they stay the value pick for whole-home cleaning. Several picks share a platform—we tell you which one is the better buy and why. Weight, bagless cups, and price only move a rank when they change daily use.

Read full editorial standards →

Your Privacy Choices

Control cookies, advertising sharing, and marketing for bestchoicereports.org. Essential cookies stay on so the site works.