12 Best Bagless Vacuums UK 2024 – An Expert Buyer’s Guide

How many of you are old enough to remember when emptying the vacuum bag would undo all of the cleaning up when it would inevitably deposit most of the dirt back onto the floor?

Luckily, there are many bagless vacuums out there that make cleaning up far less messy and economical to boot.

Reviewing the best bagless vacuums out there may not be the most glamorous job, but I want to help you find the bagless vacuum that works best for you depending on your needs and budget. This is why I came back in 2024 to review and update this article with the latest models and any new bagless vacuums that have come out.

If you don’t have time to read the entire article, here’s a quick review of our best bagless vacuums with a short description.

Clicking the link will take you right to Amazon so you can see the price and read some other reviews.

Top 5 Best Bagless Vacuum Cleaners UK

• Top Choice – Shark Upright Vacuum Cleaner [NZ690UK] with Anti Hair Wrap
• Best Cordless Bagless Vacuum Cleaner – Shark Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner [IZ201UKT]
• Best Budget Upright – Vax Mach Air Upright Vacuum Cleaner
• Best Budget Cylinder – Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner
• Best For Pets – Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat and Dog PowerLine Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

1. Top Choice – Shark Upright Vacuum Cleaner [NZ690UK] with Anti Hair Wrap

Expect a professional-level cleaning experience with the Shark bagless vacuum, it’s got superb suction, works on hard floors and carpets and it’s got the coveted anti-hair wrap that stops it from getting tangled up with hair.

Besides the excellent suction power, you get Duo Clean action from 2 roller brushes working together to battle the most stubborn pet hair. The first roller is soft and helps work dirt up from hard floors. The second roller features lots of smaller brushes to beat the carpet free of pet hair and stains.

The vacuum is a 3 in 1 tool. Its main function is a stand-up cleaner, but it can also be taken down to the canister and hose and used as a cylinder vacuum. Then it can also be transformed into a handheld vacuum for use in a car or on furniture. Even as a handheld unit, it uses a roller brush to tackle pet hair on any type of surface.

HEPA filters trap dander, dust mites and other allergens in the vacuum leaving the air clean for allergy sufferers.

2. Best Cordless Bagless Vacuum Cleaner – Shark Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner [IZ201UKT]

All cordless vacuums need charging but I thought I’d say it again anyway.

Now while it isn’t cheap this is the best cordless vacuum cleaner you can buy, it does a superb job of vacuuming on hard floors and carpets while being lightweight enough to carry upstairs. Plus it can run for 40 minutes in eco mode, plenty to get around your entire house.

It’s a bagless model of course so you can easily empty it straight into your outside bin and you can rest assured it’s got all the cleaning power you could need. I wager you’ll be surprised just how much dust is picked up the first time you use it!

But the part I love the most is that it comes with the anti-hair wrap head which stops hair from getting tangled around it, between my wife and my dog I’d end up having to flip up our upright vacuum at least once a month to cut away all the hair so it can still vacuum properly.

I also really like this as a cordless model because it can fold in half and stand up by itself for storage, not installing a wall mount, and not having it fall over from where it lives propped up.

A superb choice and easily one of the best vacuum cleaners you can buy.

3. Best Budget Upright – Vax Mach Air Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

This is a great budget bagless upright vacuum cleaner, Vax has always done a great job as a middle-of-the-road vacuum cleaner, the price is kept very reasonable while the cleaning standards are kept high.

It provides great pick up on carpets and does an OK job on hard floor surfaces but it’s better suited to carpet, all within reach of a 7m long cord to get you around the house in as few plug sockets as possible.

No dust bag to deal with and a 1.5L capacity to help you keep on cleaning for as long as possible without having to go to the bin.

The hose is detachable and it comes with a duster and crevice tool to help you have a more thorough cleanup of your house.

Great cleaning performance for the price, and while not as good as the shark it’s a cheaper alternative.

4. Best Budget Cannister – Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

I always prefer bagless, bagged vacuum cleaners have too much of a recurring cost in bags I think.

This Eureka is a great choice, it’s easy to empty, easy to use and stores away in the cupboard easily too. Its main problem is on deep pile carpets, it’s much more suited to hard floors and tends to “stick” on carpets.

That’s the problem with budget choices, you tend to get one or the other, so this is great for hard floors and the one above is good for carpets. You need to up the price if you want to have one that’s great on both. Otherwise, go with the majority of the floors you’ll be dealing with.

Apart from that, it’s nice and lightweight to pull around the house, the cord is long enough to reach around even large rooms and for the low price it’s worth it.

Quick cleaning, is not the best for pets, but a great choice of bagless vacuum.

5. Best For Pets – Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog PowerLine Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

I love Miele vacuum cleaners, I don’t think they get enough attention, they’re tested to the absolute highest standards to the equivalent of 10 times a week for 20 years so you know you’re getting a terrific vacuum that’s built to last. This is more than you can say for the Shark cordless vacuum cleaners which are expected to have a much shorter shelf life.

They used to make bagged vacuums but now the bagless models are easy to empty with a button on the side which means you don’t have to come into contact with the dust.

It’s got superb suction and is 890W because the EU has a law which prohibits vacuums from using more power than that.

And it’s got a turbo brush head that ensures that you can get a deep clean in and around your furniture. I know my dog sleeps on the sofa and tends to leave big clumps of hair behind, holding up the whole vacuum doesn’t work so a special tool is a must.

Other than that it’s lightweight and generally a fantastic bagless choice for pet hair.

Benefits of Bagless Vacuums

Looking at most vacuum cleaners you might not see much of a difference between bagged and bagless. Each has its own benefits but in my opinion, there are more drawbacks to the bagged variety.

So why buy a bagless vacuum over a bagged one?

You Save Money

The most obvious benefit is the cost. With no bags to buy your cost to operate the vacuum is minimal.

In many cases, the bagless vacuums are also more efficient as they are less likely to get clogged and need more power to maintain suction. This ends up costing less in electricity over time, as well.

Easy to Know When to Empty

In most cases, the cylinder is clear on a bagless vacuum so you can see when it is full and needs to be emptied. Not needing to open it up to see how much dirt is in there also makes for tidier upkeep. Opening up a bagged vacuum can spill dust making more work for yourself.

Eco-Friendly

It’s hard to know how many bags you will throw away during the lifetime of your vacuum, but it’s safe to say it is not having a positive impact on the environment.

Easier Disposal

I also remember what it was like to have to dump an overfull vacuum bag. And the spills that would cause.

It’s nice not only to see when you need to dispose of the dust but also to decide when you want to do it. You aren’t likely to throw away a half-full bag, thus wasting money. But you may decide to dump a less full canister since there is no cost associated with it.

The only downside that I can see is that there are some models whose chambers are not the easiest to open and dispose of. But, the same could be said for the bagged vacuums, too.

It does boil down to personal preference and maybe also that old habits die hard. If you just can’t break free from buying bagged models, then you will still find many great options to choose from.

Other Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

700W 2.5L Bagless Cylinder Vacuum

For under £100, you can still expect to get a reliable and effective vacuum.

Lightweight, but still packing a punch is the VonHaus bagless cylinder vacuum. At 5.5 kilos, it is lightweight enough to carry onto stairs or into some hard-to-reach areas of your home.

The power is a respectable 700 watts, but what makes it a great buy is the 170 watts of airpower. That’s great suction for the power and results in a vacuum that easily picks up even the most ingrained dust and dirt particles.

The suction level can be regulated with an easy-to-use dial. Use the high speed for floors and the low speed for carpets. Deep pile rugs, however, can use something in the middle.

A washable HEPA filter traps up to 99.7% of the dust particles including bacteria that it picks up. Keeping that out of the air is a boon to allergy sufferers, but also helps keep your home dust-free for less frequent hoovering needed.

Not only is this an economical choice based on the price you pay for it, but it saves money long-term in electricity costs since the motor is efficient. Add to that the savings in vacuum bags and HEPA filters, and you have a winning formula for a vacuum.

AirSpeed Lite Bagless Vacuum

When you aren’t looking for a lot of bells and whistles and simply want a bagless vacuum that works great, then look no further than the Zanussi AirSpeed Lite.

It’s lightweight and very manoeuvrable, at 4.1 kg it’s light enough to trudge up the stairs.

But best of all, it boasts very powerful suction. Due to its multi-cyclonic technology suction power doesn’t drop as the canister gets full. Dirt and dust are separated so the filter doesn’t get clogged. A feature that is surprising in a vacuum at its price.

The filters are washable keeping maintenance costs to a minimum.

It works equally well on carpets as it does on the floor and includes a carpet height adjuster to work on deep or short pile rugs. It has a B rating for both floor and carpet.

A handy cleaning hose makes cleaning above-floor areas easy. And, it comes with a crevice cleaner attachment and a dust brush, both conveniently located on the body of the vacuum for easy access.

A 2-litre dustbin won’t have you emptying the canister after every cleaning. Even if you have a large area to clean. Unlike some models of upright vacuums, the dustbin on the Zanussi AirSpeed is very easy to detach and empty.

As I said, there are not a lot of luxury add-ons, so there isn’t too much left to say except this: if you want an easy and efficient way to clean your carpets, for the price you will be hard-pressed to find a more powerful bagless vacuum.

PowerLifter Pet Vacuum Cleaner

It is not enough to have a vacuum that has excellent suction when you have pets. It should have powerful suction but also have special features that take into account the special challenges that pet owners have when cleaning up.

The Bissell PowerLifter bagless vacuum excels in cleaning pet hair because of its power, but also special attention to detail.

The PowerLifter uses a multi-cyclonic system for superior suction strength. Your carpet will benefit from a deep clean even without pet hair. It can reach even deeper down debris hidden for longer than you care to admit.

Where the Bissell shines is with the bristles specifically made to handle pet hair. It can beat even matted-down pet hair with ease. Even better is that the pet hair doesn’t get stuck on the bristles. Not only is it unpleasant to have to manually remove the hair from other models’ bristles, but it is time-consuming. Pet owners will love that aspect.

Also, the vacuum comes with a Pet Turbo Brush attachment to the hose. The attachment uses an air-controlled roller brush to remove stubborn pet hair. Perfect for use on a pet bed. Also included is the Pet Hair Eraser Tool, a two-way fabric roller, which connects to the vacuum as an accessory. The roller attracts hair and the vacuum cleans the tool. You can even use it as a lint roller without the vacuum.

Understanding that pet owners face far more allergies than your typical household, the Smart-Seal Allergen system utilizes fine filters to remove the dust mites and bacteria usually found where pets live. In addition to this, it uses a Febreze odour-eliminating filter, leaving the air in your home smelling fresh.

Bissell believes so much in the product that they offer a 2-year warranty to back it up.

VC70 Bagless Sweeper

You won’t believe you paid so little for this bagless vacuum by Duronic. It’s such a pleasant surprise when you can put budget and quality in the same sentence.

With an A rating for energy efficiency, the Duronic bagless vacuum cleaner has a 700-watt motor. The multi-cyclonic suction is very strong, and I don’t mean strong for the price. I mean if you keep the air vent closed and without the turbo brush attached, you may have the floor head stuck on the carpet.

Highly manoeuvrable, it can follow you over the carpet and glide around furniture. Only 4 kg, it is light enough to hold while hoovering the stairs.

The Duronic doesn’t skimp on attachments, either. It comes with a crevice tool, a brush tool for furniture and upholstery, a standard floor head and a turbo brush floor head. All of the accessories are stored on the body for easy access.

It has a HEPA filter, to keep the air clean from allergens.

The dust box is easy to clean and features a bottom lid to prevent a dust-up when emptying into the bin. At 1.8 litres, it’s a nice size while keeping the overall profile compact.

In all, it is much more than you would expect from such a budget-friendly bagless vacuum.

C85-P4-Be Power 4

For small flats or light house cleaning, there is no need to overspend on vacuums that are not only expensive but overkill.

A good budget-friendly bagless vacuum is the Vax Power 4 Cylinder vacuum.

It may only sport a single cyclonic system, but the suction is still pretty good. It’s powerful enough to handle most cleaning jobs. All the while with an A rating for energy efficiency and an 800-watt motor.

The combination floor head helps you clean a tiled or wood floor and then tackle the carpet. It also features a dusting brush, crevice tool and upholstery tool.

It’s very lightweight and compact for easy portability and storage. But, it still has a more than adequate dust box. 2.2 litres was a bit of a surprise for such a small cylinder vacuum.

The only things that prevent this from claiming the top spot for the best cheap bagless vacuum are that it doesn’t have a HEPA filter and the fact that it isn’t meant for large areas.

VC5 Premium Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

Whatever the reason for needing a lightweight vacuum, you don’t want to skimp on performance.

If you have a bad back or need to hoover the stairs without worrying about your vacuum falling, then you should consider the Karcher VC5 bagless vacuum. At 3.2 kilos, it is light enough for any user to handle with ease.

It’s essentially a stick vacuum that also doubles as a handheld as many do.

Some nice features make it stand out. It is easy to use since the steel hose is telescopic. It collapses into the body and becomes a handheld duster perfect for use in the car or furniture.

For a small vacuum, it has a robust 500-watt motor, as much as some full-sized vacuums. The suction has four different levels. Setting one is good for light dusting while setting it to four will give you a deep clean on just about any type of carpet. It’s quiet as well. The noise level is only 74dB and that is on the highest suction setting.

Cleaning stairs is a breeze when you consider it is collapsible. Simply set the hose back in the body and it can easily get to those stairs. It’s even good for most pet hair. As long as you don’t have a breed with long wiry hair that is in a constant moulting state. For most small flat-sized pets, it will handle the job nicely.

The only real downside to using a stick vacuum like this is when you need to dump the chamber. You have to tip the unit upside down over the bin and that can be fairly messy if you let the dust box get too full. Unfortunately, the window on the side that is meant to indicate when the bin is full is hardly transparent, requiring you to open the unit to see.

For attachments, you get a crevice tool, a soft brush head for dusting and an upholstery brush head.

In all, if you don’t have a big area to clean, or you just need a second hoover for smaller jobs, then I highly recommend the Karcher VC5 bagless. It is one of the best lightweight bagless vacuums and at a decent price.

DC40 Multi Floor Lightweight

Dyson is famous for its innovative and well-designed vacuums. The Dyson multi-floor vacuum has so many small details considered that it is hard to beat as far as performance goes. So why didn’t it take the top spot for lightweight vacuums?

Because it is not as lightweight as I think it should be at 6.7 kg. For an upright vacuum, that is very lightweight as most come in at least 30% heavier than that. The weight is mainly in the ball so it is bottom-heavy making it feel much lighter, as well.

It is such an excellent bagless vacuum that it had to be on the list.

It is not energy efficient at 1100 watts, but the suction power is an incredible 220 air watts for airflow. It can handle dirt stains from muddy boots or pets. And excels at removing pet hair.

Allergy sufferers appreciate the fact that Dyson cyclones capture microscopic particles down to 0.5 microns in size, including pollen, mould and bacteria.

The famous ball technology makes it one of the most manoeuvrable vacuums out there making quick work of just about any room. As its name implies, it can work on any surface from tiled floors to deep pile shag rugs.

The hose extends to 5 times its size. You can leave the vacuum at the bottom of the stairs and clean most stairways without needing to lift the vacuum every step of the way.

The clear canister can easily be seen when it is full and ready to be emptied. And emptying it is simplicity itself. A one-hand operation all the way through allows you to remove the dust box and empty it over the bin as it opens from the bottom.

The Dyson Multi-floor bagless vacuum is ideal as a primary vacuum if you have a large area that needs cleaning.

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