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When someone suffers from allergies, keeping your floors clean is a necessity. Whether you’re suffering from seasonal allergies or dealing with ongoing indoor allergies, a good vacuum is essential.
The best vacuums for allergies pick up pollen, pet dander and other particles that aggravate allergies. They can also trap those particles to prevent them from escaping back into your home. Don't miss our testing insights on the Dyson V8 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner!
While many vacuum filter systems are available, a high-efficiency particulate air filter is the best and most reliable one. A vacuum with a HEPA filter system can remove 99.97% of particles up to 0.3 microns in size from your home. This includes common allergens such as mold spores, pet dander, pollen, and dust.
Some vacuums perform well enough to be certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. These vacuums meet standards regarding how well the vacuum removes and contains allergens as well as its ability to prevent allergens from becoming airborne during vacuuming. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation recommends using these vacuums weekly for best results.
When cleaning to alleviate allergies, you must worry about more than just your floors. Allergens need to be vacuumed out of your furniture, too. Look for vacuums with durable attachments to help clean particles and pet hair off upholstered furniture.
To maintain optimal suction on different types of flooring, look for a vacuum with adjustable height settings. Some vacuums can make this adjustment automatically, while you must manually change others as you switch between different types of flooring.
Bagless vacuums have become popular due to their convenience and lower costs over time, but bagged vacuums offer important advantages to allergy sufferers. Vacuum bags trap particles and keep them contained, even when it’s time to replace the bag. In contrast, emptying a bagless vacuum can release some of those particles back into your home. This makes bagged vacuums a better choice overall for households dealing with allergies.
Dyson Ball Animal Upright Vacuum
What you need to know: This powerful Dyson vacuum is easy to use and traps allergens inside with whole-machine HEPA filtration.
What you’ll love: Its swivel system is easy to maneuver around furniture and the self-adjusting cleaner head maintains suction on the carpet and hard floors. It also includes attachments such as a tangle-free turbine pet brush and an extension wand.
What you should consider: This upright vacuum is on the heavier side. The hose can be pinched and cut off suction when using the detachable wand.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Shark NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Corded Upright Vacuum
What you need to know: Lightweight and affordable, this Shark vacuum traps 99.9% of allergens.
What you’ll love: It has a sealed HEPA filter to trap particles so they won’t leak back out after vacuuming. The vacuum comes with durable tools, including a pet brush, which can be used by easily lifting the vacuum pod off of the main cleaner head.
What you should consider: It doesn’t fit under furniture very well and its comparatively narrow brush makes it slower at cleaning rooms.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Macy’s
Kenmore Floor Care Elite Upright Bagged Vacuum
What you need to know: This vacuum traps 99.97% of debris thanks to an enhanced HEPA filter system, and it stays trapped in a bag, so nothing escapes while the vacuum is being emptied.
What you’ll love: It’s certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America for its ability to capture allergens. Cleaning is more thorough thanks to its 3D Inducer Motor, five adjustable height levels, an LED dirt sensor, and attachments such as a pet hair brush and a dusting tool.
What you should consider: It weighs 20 pounds, making it a fairly heavy model. Buying replacement bags can add up.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Kohl’s
Bissell Cleanview Deluxe Corded Handheld Vacuum
What you need to know: This handheld vacuum lightweight and affordable but still a powerful and effective cleaner.
What you’ll love: It’s capable of tackling tough cleaning jobs just about anywhere, thanks to its 18-foot cable, hose attachment and cleaning tools. The three-stage filter system gets particles and pet hair out of your home or vehicle.
What you should consider: Its cord makes it less convenient than other handheld models. While the Bissell vacuum's three filters are effective, they aren’t HEPA filters.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
What you need to know: This powerful robot vacuum has excellent suction and filtration, plus wet mopping capabilities and other high-tech features.
What you’ll love: It navigates rooms using LIDAR technology and can memorize the layouts of up to four levels. Its powerful suction allows it to mop more than 1600 square feet. It offers scheduled cleanings, no-go zones, fall prevention sensors, voice control, and more.
What you should consider: The mopping function has difficulty distinguishing between hard floors and carpet, so users with area rugs may need to develop workarounds.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Eufy by Anker BoostIQ RoboVac 15C Max
What you need to know: At less than three inches tall, this Eufy robot vacuum is great at cleaning beneath the furniture.
What you’ll love: Its BoostIQ technology helps it determine what kind of surface it’s cleaning and adjust its suction power accordingly. It’s quiet and boasts a large dustbin, so it doesn’t need to be emptied as often. The vacuum is easy to control via the app or voice controls.
What you should consider: As an entry-level robotic vacuum, it can sometimes miss areas or clean the same area several times.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Laura Duerr writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
