Methodology

What we do not do

We do not buy or test vacuums. No page on this site says "we tested". When a page mentions how a vacuum performed in a test, the test was done by someone else, and we name and link them.

Specs

Every product starts with the details on its retail listing. We then check the main figures (runtime, weight, noise, dustbin capacity, suction, cord length, wattage) against the manufacturer's product page or manual. A checked figure is stored with the address of the page it came from and the date we read it.

Suction is published in two units that cannot be converted into each other: pascals (Pa) and air watts (AW). We show whichever unit the manufacturer uses and never compare a Pa figure with an AW figure.

Prices

The price shown is the last price we recorded for the product on Amazon. It is not a live price and it may have changed. We do not keep a price history and we do not send price alerts. Always confirm the price on the store page before you buy.

How the spec score works

The thumbs you see in our lists are a spec score. It compares a vacuum's published specs with other vacuums of the same type. It is not a test, and it does not use Amazon star ratings or review counts.

• Each spec is ranked against vacuums of the same type that publish that figure. Lighter and quieter rank higher.
• Robot vacuums: battery runtime 30%, noise 20%, suction in Pa 20% and dustbin 10% of the spec part, which is half the score. The other half comes from features: self-emptying base, lidar or camera navigation, anti-tangle brush and HEPA filter.
• Stick and handheld vacuums: runtime, weight, dustbin and noise make up 70%; HEPA and an anti-tangle brush make up 30%. Upright and canister vacuums: weight, noise and dustbin make up 70%, with the same features making up 30%.
• Suction in Pa and in air watts measure different things, so we never compare them.
• 👍👍👍 Top specs in class: the top 15% of its type, with at least one spec checked against the manufacturer. 👍👍 Above average: the next 35%. 👍 Basic specs: the rest.
• A vacuum with fewer than two published specs gets no score.
• Not recommended: only for a published hard limit. A cordless stick that runs under 20 minutes, a handheld under 10 minutes or a robot under 60 minutes.

Descriptions and AI

Product descriptions and some questions and answers are drafted with AI from the stored specs. We check them against those specs and remove statements that contradict them. Guides about a whole model family are drafted the same way and every fact in them is checked by a person before the page is published.

Which products we list

We list vacuums sold on Amazon in the US. A product stays listed while it is still a vacuum cleaner from an identifiable maker. Accessories, parts and replacement filters are left out. Being listed is not a recommendation.

Money

We earn a commission on some purchases made through our links. Commissions do not change which products we list or the order they appear in. See the affiliate disclosure.

Corrections

If a figure is wrong, email contact@vacuumdeals.co with the source and we will correct it.