When it comes to allergies, be it dust, mold, or pet dander, the carpet is one of the main culprits. A good vacuum with a filtration system is one of your best weapons against constant post-nasal drip or asthma attacks.
But which vacuums are specifically designed for allergies? What features should you look for?
Read on to discover our recommendations for features and some of our favorite models when it comes to the best vacuum for allergies.
Read on to discover the first step to breathing fresher air in your own home!
| Product Name | Image | Weight | Overall Rating | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E |  | 13.7 lbs | 9.5 | Check price |
| Neato Botvac D80 Robot Vacuum for Pets and Allergies |  | 9 lbs | 10 | Check price |
| Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away Upright Vacuum |  | 15.5 lbs | 9.5 | Check price |
| Dyson V8 Absolute Cord-Free Vacuum |  | 5.75 lbs | 9 | Check price |
| Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Plus Allergy - Corded |  | 19.1 lbs | 8 | Check price |
| Neato Botvac D5 Connected Navigating Robot Vacuum, Pet & Allergy |  | 8 lbs | 8.5 | Check price |
| PureClean Upgraded Automatic Robot Vacuum Cleaner |  | 3.53 lbs | 8 | Check price |
| Dyson Ball Allergy Upright Vacuum |  | 17.33 lbs | 8 | Check price |
| PureClean Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Programmable Self Activation and Automatic Charge Dock |  | 8.6 lbs | 7 | Check price |
| BLACK+DECKER POWERSERIES PRO Cordless Lithium 2in1 Anti-Allergen Stick Vacuum |  | 8 lbs | 9 | Check price |
Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E is a light, versatile stick vacuum. Its clean, white modern design makes it a favorite for anyone who likes the IKEA aesthetic. With a clear, bagless canister right in the middle of the stick, it’s easy to see when it’s time to empty. This machine is an awesome vacuum for hardwood floors and also has the ability to cut through the dust on any carpet. And guess what else! Conclusion So how does the Shark Navigator LiftAway Professional stack up? This is a small, light, flexible upright container vac that’s perfect for small spaces, various flooring options, and homes with pets. This little shark sucks a lot of dirt without sucking a lot of cash out of your wallet. While it’s not the biggest or most powerful option, it does a good job of pulling impurities out of the air and the carpet and keeping your nose from running every time you vacuum. A great first option on the list. Robotic mapping and planning combined with great vacuum technology in a way that’s not just random bumping and changing directions. The Neato Botvac D80 Robot Vacuum for Pets and Allergies vacuum has a spiral brush blade, spinflow power clean system, a D-shape design to allow it to clean all the way against walls or in corners. There’s an easy-empty bin that’s larger and easier to use than in round vacuums. To top it off, Neato works hard to get every customer to be a cheerleader- they work overtime to turn every review that’s less than 5 stars into a perfect score. Conclusion How does this little robot stack up? This little Neato robot is as great as the concept. This little cordless is perfect for daily use, and many of the users say that it does as good a job as they do with a stick vac, if not better. While some find that a bad battery causes some issues, a battery switch seems to do the trick in most cases. Those with pet hair are especially happy with it, which makes it a great choice if you’re looking to stay dander-free in your home. Another excellent option! The Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away Upright Vacuum is another choice with the Lift-Away feature that lets you choose between stick and canister vac modes. This is a slightly larger, slightly more powerful, slightly heavier vacuum than the Navigator. It offers similar features that are slightly more advanced. So what exactly does it have to offer? Conclusion So is the rotator a winner? Here are our thoughts: This light, handheld Shark vac is one that is loved by many. This includes a number of professional housecleaners who like the power combined with flexibility, portability, and easy-dump containers. Three washable filters plus a HEPA make this Shark tool an excellent choice for anyone who wants to instantly improve the quality of the air that they breathe. Nothing to complain about here – it’s an excellent machine all around. An excellent option, isn’t it? The Dyson V8 Absolute Cord-Free Vacuum is a rechargeable, battery-powered option that is a great choice for those who want the ability to go anywhere in their home without worrying about cord placement. It’s light, powerful, and bag-free. This innovative model is an excellent choice for apartments, small homes, and anywhere with a lot of stairs, twists and turns, limited outlets, or other situations where cords become tricky. There’s a lot to like in this little cordless stick; not least of all the allergy-reducing capabilities. See for yourself! Conclusion This handy little portable stick has a lot to offer- it’s the smartphone of allergy vacs! There is a lot to love about this vacuum. Reviewers mention being able to vacuum a 2500 square foot home on a single charge. It’s light, powerful, quiet, and more. It’s strong enough to get a lot of pet hair. If you’ve got the cash to justify a $450 vacuum cleaner, owners consistently say how worth it they really are. Video about Dyson V8 Absolute The Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Plus Allergy is a great vacuum from a great company. This is the only vacuum on the market that dumps all the dust rather than allowing it to clog a filter and lose suction. The difference that this makes is huge. The large ball allows a pivot in any direction, much like a ball bearing caster, which means that you can turn it one-handed with an almost effortless motion. You can detach the wand and hose to get under tight spots and allow it to function like a canister vacuum – with no bags or filters to change, it’s one of the lowest maintenance vacuums on the market. You’ll never guess what it has! Conclusion One of the most powerful models on the market (almost a commercial grade vacuum!): what else did we think? There are a lot of great things to say about this vacuum. It’s very powerful, filter-free, and a superior clean to many other vacuums. Reviews are full of examples of owners who have cleaned their homes with one vacuum and found much more dirt on the initial cleaning with this new machine. It’s not lightweight, though, and the suction requires even more power to maneuver. The big ball bearing helps, but it still takes some power- the good thing is that it has a large capacity to seal and therefore get much more off of your floor. Really an excellent tool. The Neato Botvac D5 Connected Navigating Robot Vacuum, Pet & Allergy is another great robot vac from the Neato company. Even better, this laser-guided, mapping machine can also be controlled by an app on your smartphone or other device. D-shaped design lets it hug walls and offer a superior overall clean – dust and pet dander are no match. What else? Conclusion This little vacuum is as Neato as the name suggests- here is our summary: The Neato company has a lot going for it. It offers great programming options, an app to help find your missing, stuck machine, and more. It’s powerful, the dust and allergen filters do their job, and the vacuum will notify your phone if it gets stuck through the app. Overall, it’s a high-quality cleaning machine. An excellent choice for the lineup! Video about Neato Botvac D5 Connected review Another entry into the robot vac category of cleaners, the PureClean low profile round robot vacuum falls into the second category of robot vacs- this is a randomized cleaner that essentially goes until it bumps into something, then changes direction and keeps going. This is not as efficient as some of the other robot vacs on this list, but the strategy is relatively effective nonetheless and it allows you to get a less expensive robot vac if you don’t want all the electronic bells and whistles. As far as how it cleans, this little powerhouse has dual brushes and is designed to be small enough to fit comfortably under beds and couches at only 2.9 inches high. There are a number of tricks it uses to get itself unstuck, and overall it’s a powerful little machine that cleans with a HEPA filter to get your air allergen-free. And how about the specs! Conclusion Is this robot the winner in your book? Here’s what we thought: If you want a HEPA filtration robot vac and this is your price range, you can’t really go wrong. It’s not a 400-500 dollar vacuum, but it doesn’t try to be. Instead, it tries to take everything that’s good about a robot vac that can fit in a $150 package and deliver you a strong contender for daily use. If you want a vacuum that works, that filters well, and that doesn’t cost a huge amount, this is a great option. Nothing wrong with that! Video about Pure Clean Automatic Smart Robotic Vacuum The Dyson Ball Allergy Upright Vacuum offers powerful suction to get that deep, embedded dust from your carpets. This is especially great if you’re looking to move somewhere with older flooring but can’t yet afford to switch your floors (or you have a landlord who won’t do it.) The vacuum offers whole-machine HEPA filtration and claims that no vacuum expels cleaner air. All in all, it’s a powerful piece to consider. How does it perform? Conclusion How does this vacuum stack up overall? Reviews of this puppy are all about people who have just vacuumed their home and use this to discover how much more they can pick up. Overall, it’s really a great vacuum for getting as much ick out of your carpets as possible. One drawback about powerful suction is that it takes some work to maneuver it, and at 17 pounds, it’s not light. However, it works well and if you need a strong vacuum to take care of industrial size dirt, this is one powerful tool for the job. The PureClean Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Programmable Self Activation and Automatic Charge Dock is a step up from the bare bones PureClean robot vac. It still fits in the category of randomized robot vacs – in other words, it’s still not as advanced as a Neato- but it’s got some valuable upgrades like a charge dock and the ability to program it to clean while you’re out. This little guy is a mere 3.1 inches high to fit comfortably under most furniture, and it offers dual brushes for added cleaning power. For allergy sufferers, there’s a HEPA filter and an easy-empty dustbin. Conclusion There’s a lot to like about this smart little vac! Here’s what we thought: This little PureClean robot is an excellent purchase for the price. It’s not fancy, it may not get everything off the first time, but you can program it to go out twice daily and keep a pretty impressive home. There are many reviews out there by skeptical neat freaks who are highly impressed and have nothing bad to say about these little robots. If you want daily vacuuming to keep your allergies down but you don’t want to take the time, this is an excellent option. And at the price, it’s a steal. This innovative power tool has a number of unique features- this includes a dust compactor to allow you to go longer between canister changes. The vacuum is full of onboard sensors, keeping you informed about dirt level, battery level, and sensing changes in floor type automatically to change the way it performs. This cordless vac offers about an hour of run time on a single charge, and like all Black & Decker tools you can switch out the battery to keep going if you wish. Extra accessories and a canister vac mode make this a great option overall. While it’s not HEPA certified, Black & Decker has a lot of experience with dust filtration with their saws, so their high-efficiency filtration system really works. What else is there to know? Conclusion These are really great vacuums – are they the best? Read on and find out: So one thing about these Black & Decker vacs is that they’re excellent tools that seem to get sold out a lot. This is both great and terrible at the same time, as they’re excellent to use but they can be difficult to find. A bonus, however, is that if you have a lot of Black & Decker tools, you’ll be happy to discover that your batteries that you already own for your leaf blower and cordless drill will work with them. Overall, they work great, both with cleaning and filtration. What else should I know about allergy vacs? What are the methods used to choose the perfect vacuum? All the vacuums in the lineup have excellent reviews in the hundreds to thousands. The testing method is based on a detailed reading of a large number of reviews, and a summary of the best and worst points from actual users. There are a few things to consider when dealing with high pile and long carpet fibers. This includes: And guess what else? All good points to consider: Caring for your vacuum is a matter of making sure all the components are treated in a manner that is required to make sure they are long-lasting. To use this term, the filter or vacuum system must have been officially certified by a testing board to demonstrate its ability. When it comes to weight and size, there are typically some pretty basic tradeoffs. Smaller, portable vacs are often more versatile. Everyone can use them, and they’re easy to use every day without causing strain or other complications. However, lighter and smaller vacuums may or may not have the capacity to pick up a lot of dust or to hold strong enough motors to do a good job. Because of this, it makes sense to first look for the level of capacity you want your vacuum to have and to make size a secondary priority. Of course, if you are limited in your ability to vacuum in any way, you may want to switch the priority to make weight and size at the top of your list. Provided the vacuum is good for allergies like the ten on our list, they should be able to handle most of what you need regardless of weight. For those who have a real problem with mobility, you may consider a robot vac as a solution to the issue. These little machines can maneuver themselves, saving you a lot of trouble with the exception of programming and emptying. Great advice. What else? How does the way that a vacuum is made factor into your decision? Noise is once again a matter of personal preference. To a point. Loud vacuums can potentially cause some problems with hearing loss risk to a certain subset of people. This includes those who use them often- like a hair dryer, this is not a sudden problem but happens over an extended period of time. The decibel level on a vacuum is less dangerous the lower the noise level is. Watch for brands that advertise themselves as being remarkably quiet- these are the best for protecting your ears during a lifetime of cleaning. Wow! What other information is there to consider? There are two ways to look at material when it comes to vacuum cleaners. The material that the vacuum will be cleaning, and the material that the vacuum itself is made from. When it comes to cleaning materials, there are three kinds of surfaces most commonly cleaned with these allergen-proofing vacuums: carpets, hard floors, and upholstery. Not everyone will want to work with all three, but some will. These are great if you plan to take the time to use them. Like many bells and whistles, they’re perfect for those who want to make them a part of their cleaning plan, and not so much for those who won’t. When it comes to materials that make up a vacuum, the big thing is metal versus plastic. Plastic is lighter, cheaper, but less durable. Metal is heavier but long-lasting. It’s usually more expensive. Often, you’ll need to figure out a compromise between the two to get the best cleaning implement your specific needs. All good points! On to the next section! What are the different accessory options to go with these vacuum cleaners? There are a large number of add-on heads that can be found to go on the vacuums in this list as well as those in general. While some will come standard with your cleaner, others can be purchased as an additional piece. Some of these may be stored with the machine while others will need to be kept in a separate location. This depends on the design of the machine in most cases. Most people find that there are a few brushes or attachments that they use often, though the specific accessories are unique to the user. Vacuums, like all machines, have a shelf life. Many of the vacuums in this list have a five-year warranty on motor parts, but this may or may not include things like reduced power of suction over time. The vacuum may turn on, but it won’t give you the pickup you’re hoping for. This is the durability- reviews are a great way to see how long someone has had a machine and whether they still love it, or how long they owned it before looking for a new model. As for warranties, it’s a good idea to read the fine print to see what they do and don’t cover. Additionally, take a look at customer service to see how well they honor their warranties and the lengths that they’ll go to to make things right for their customers. For those who see a problem right away- check with your credit card company or the store where you bought it before going to the warranty- in many cases, there is a short-term buyer’s window where the store or credit card company will guarantee your purchase, no questions asked. All great points! It’s good to be in such safe hands! What’s important to know while looking for the right vacuum? A certified program like HEPA is proven to get the particulates out of the air. While others can claim this, the only way to be sure is to use a certified product. Depending on the level of allergy you have, this might be a life-saving distinction. In addition to filtering the air as it goes to different locations, sealed systems make sure the moving air doesn’t leak out of any cracks. Many of the vacuums here are hybrids between canisters and uprights. Simply put, canisters have a canister that rolls, attached to a tube and head that can fit into tight spaces and give a better clean. Large canisters allow for longer periods between cleaning, and in many cases, they use vacuum bags. What was your favorite vacuum cleaner? Check out our favorite and the reasons why: Our favorite vacuum in the category of best vacuum for allergies really came down to a few things. We wanted something that you could use a lot and that would be effective on all types of floors. We wanted something that genuinely worked and that offered the effectiveness of HEPA filtration. It had to be easy to use, easy to clean, and easy to use quite often when allergy season was at the worst. We wanted something that was notably good on pet hair, as dander is such a common allergy. Finally, we wanted something that would be durable and last a long time. While manual vacs are good to have on hand, we decided to choose a robot vac because of the ability to clean daily and even twice daily without causing an undue time strain on the owner. We wanted one that would work well, so we went with a higher end model. But we also stopped before we got to all the bells and whistles, as there are things that are nice but not essential. Based on this, our favorite model is the Neato Botvac D80 Robot Vacuum for Pets and Allergies. It has the power to clean up pet hair, a flat surface to get the corners close to walls (we dig the D shape) and a large dust collector. It can be used often and is pretty smart about getting out of tricky areas. It can also use its exhaust to blow dust out of tricky corners too tight for it and get it on the next pass. If a big job causes it to run low, we loved that it would charge and then head back out to finish the job! Was this your favorite, too? Thanks for reading!
Neato Botvac D80 Robot Vacuum for Pets and Allergies
Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away Upright Vacuum, Green/White (NV501GN)
Dyson V8 Absolute Cord-Free Vacuum
Dyson V8 Absolute
Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Plus Allergy – Corded
Neato Botvac D5 Connected Navigating Robot Vacuum, Pet & Allergy
Neato Botvac D5 Connected review
PureClean Upgraded Automatic Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Pure Clean Automatic Smart Robotic Vacuum
Dyson Ball Allergy Upright Vacuum
PureClean Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Programmable Self Activation and Automatic Charge Dock
BLACK+DECKER POWERSERIES PRO Cordless Lithium 2in1 Anti-Allergen Stick Vacuum
How We Tested
How To Choose Best Vacuum For Carpets
Main Features
back to menu ↑ Care And Maintenance
Certification
The big name in allergen certification is HEPA. This acronym stands for “High Efficiency Particulate Air” and is a measurement that shows that a filter or device has demonstrated the ability to capture 99.7 percent of all particulate matter in the atmosphere around it when used.Weight And Size
Design
The design is often a matter of personal choice. Here are some of the questions you should be asking: What you decide is up to you. You’ll never guess what comes after this!
back to menu ↑ Noise
Material
Vacuums that work with multiple floor types will typically have a head that works without a spinning brush for hard floors and with it for carpets. This is often the same head and a two-way switch. Upholstery cleaners are often motorized accessories that work as mini vacuums for couches and other soft surfaces.Attachments
Common accessories include:
Durability & Warranty
Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Vacuum for Allergies
Why does HEPA matter?
What are sealed system vacuums?
What are the differences between canister vacs and upright vacs?
