The right cleaning device can make life infinitely easier, but you can’t use just any old Hoover on delicate surfaces. The best vacuums for hardwood floors won’t scratch or cause damage, so we tested dozens of highly rated models and asked experts to recommend the most ideal model for your home.

“The vacuum should have soft rubber wheels so scratching or marring does not occur when moving and manipulating the vacuum across the wood floors,” explains Paul Henthorn, owner of Slaughterbeck Floors in Campbell, California. “And power brushes on canister vacuums should be avoided in favor of the soft brush attachments.” What’s wrong with power brushes? Henthorn says they can potentially remove the finish and wood fibers from the grain of the floors. Beater bars can also be too abrasive on this type of floor.

Keeping all this, as well as usability, in mind, we focused on bagless, cordless stick vacuums, robovacs, and one worthy upright vacuums for this story. You’ll also find info from experts on how to choose the best one for your home, as well as helpful maintenance tips. But first, browse our favorite picks to clean your floors and keep scratches out of sight.

• Best Overall Vacuum for Hardwood Floors: Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Vacuum Cleaner, $525 $500
• Best Robot Vacuum: Shark IQ Self-Empty Base Robot Vacuum, $585
• Best Wet/Dry Combo: Dyson V15 Detect Submarine, $919
• The Budget Option: Bissell CleanView XR Cordless Vacuum, $199
• For Pet Parents: Shark Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum with PowerFins, $330 $250
• A Luxury Pick: Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Robot Vacuum and Mop, $1,400

The Samsung Bespoke Jet AI cordless stick vacuum cleaner actually looks like a work of art, so it’s not only one of the best cordless vacuums (based on our very hands-on experience), but also one of the best-looking. The Samsung Bespoke Jet AI comes in a gorgeous satin black color and has an AI cleaning mode that detects the floor type to adjust suction accordingly. “I’ve had it since May 2022, and the vacuum has held up very well,” Williams says. “This model has more air watts (210W) than any of Samsung’s previous cordless stick vacuums—and it also includes more accessories. The lightweight (six-pound) vacuum is easy to maneuver, and the nozzle includes a dual brush head (a soft one for hard floors and another one with fins for carpets).”

The space-saving clean station charger holds the vacuum when not in use. When docked, the clean station automatically empties the vacuum’s dustbin. There’s also a separate accessory cradle to hold the combination and crevice tools, pet tool, flexible tool, and dust bags. The vacuum itself has strong suction, a dual brush for cleaning both hard floors and carpet, and the battery lasts up to 100 minutes.

Williams loves the Shark Pet Plus Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner (and also the Shark Rocket Pet Pro) because the floor nozzle has a self-cleaning soft brushroll and PowerFins. Both work together to pick up debris and ensure that no hair gets tangled up in the vacuum. The fins are made of flexible silicone instead of bristles, so it’s easy on hard surfaces, and the LED light on the floor nozzle helps Williams identify more dirt than she probably cares to know about. The Shark Pet Plus uses anti-allergen complete-seal technology and a HEPA filter to keep all of the dust and debris inside of the vacuum. It’s also super easy to empty the dust cup: Just slide the Clean Touch Dirt Ejector lever down to spit out any waste into the trash can. The lightweight vacuum lasts 40 minutes and includes a crevice tool and pet multitool.

Some people like the idea of one vacuum that suctions and mops hardwood floors—but they’d rather have these functions completely separated rather than integrated into the same machine. If that’s your preference, the Dyson V15 Detect Submarine actually has three swappable cleaner heads. There’s the digital motorbar cleaner head for multifloor use, the fluffy optic cleaner head for hardwood floors, and the submarine wet roller head. But instead of loading water into a water tank on the vacuum, the water is poured directly into (and subsequently contained within) the wet roller head. And since the vacuum has the same articulating head used on Dyson’s other stick vacuums, I found it easy to swivel around furniture legs and reach underneath my couch when mopping. There’s also a drip tray to store the wet roller head on, and the vacuum includes (dry use) accessories such as the combination tool, crevice tool, and hair screw tool.

We tend not to test “cheap” vacuums. Instead, we look for economical choices that are still high-quality items with the features you want. The Bissell CleanView XR fits the bill. It has a tangle-free brush roll to keep hair from getting snarled, and it has three cleaning modes—standard, medium, and turbo—to fit various needs. The LED headlights illuminate dirt in hidden places and the vacuum has swivel steering features, meaning it easily maneuvers around furniture legs. It can easily convert to a handheld model, allowing me to use the crevice tool, combination dusting brush, and upholstery tool. Run time is only 35 minutes—but at this price, you can purchase an additional battery and swap them out.

The Sharp IQ Self-Empty Base Robot Vacuum has everything Williams wanted—and more—when searching for the best vacuums for hardwood floors. For starters, she can go a month without having to empty it (she doesn’t, but she could). That’s because the robot empties itself into the base, and it can hold 30 days worth of dirt. The beauty of robot vacuums is that they don’t require much human interaction except for mapping your home and emptying the vacuum. But Shark eliminates the latter task for a very long time. It even has a self-cleaning brush roll to ensure that pet hair won’t get tangled in it. And when the robot vac needs to recharge mid-clean, it does that on its own as well and then picks up right where it left off. Since the robot uses IQ navigation, it cleans in an orderly row-by-row fashion, instead of zigzagging all over the place. After Williams mapped out her home, she was able to schedule cleanings via her iPhone. The robot vac can also be activated using Alexa or Google Assistant. The battery lasts over 90 minutes.

If you’re looking for a vacuum that truly does everything for you, this is one of the best picks of the bunch. Not only is the robot vacuum itself packed with power and features, but the cleaning station takes care of the grunt work for you—like cleaning the mop pads, emptying the dust bin, and refilling the robot with water.

The best part, though, might be the LiDAR Navigation with 3D Mapping tech, which creates a 3D map of your home to clean rooms with precision, avoiding obstacles and moving efficiently through the space. We love the ease of use. Its smart features make it a set-and-forget appliance that can largely function without your help, keeping your floors clear of dirt and debris while also mopping up spills and tougher stains.

Cordless stick vacuums that both vacuum and mop are becoming more popular, but the Roborock Dyad Pro 5-in-1 is ahead of the curve. It vacuums and mops hardwood floors at the same time, using dual motors and intense suction. The vacuum also has two water tanks to separate the clean water coming out of the machine from the dirty water being collected. The vacuum can be used with water alone, or there’s an option to add Roborock’s floor cleaner solution. The vacuum even has a floor drying mode for cleaning up water from the bathroom floor. The self-cleaning mode makes tidying even easier. After placing the vacuum cleaner on the dock and activating the self-clean function, it cleans and dries the rollers so you don’t have to. The Roborock Dyad also has a 35-minute battery life and is compatible with voice alerts.

It takes considerably longer to clean the hardwood floors in a large home. However, the Dyson Gen5 Outsize is designed to make the process quicker and easier. The digital motorbar cleaner head on this model is 25% wider than on some of Dyson’s other cordless stick vacuums. Although Williams doesn’t have a large home, the wider cleaner head allows her to cover more space, which results in faster vacuuming (and it has detangling vanes to stop hair from getting wrapped around it). However, most of the time she uses the regular-size fluffy optic cleaner head, which includes an angled light blade to reveal invisible dust. And since the Dyson Gen5 Outsize also has a larger vacuum bin, she never has to stop and empty it. Dyson also includes two swappable batteries. Each one lasts for 70 minutes, which provides a total of 140 minutes of battery life. In addition, the vacuum can convert to a handheld one to use with the built-in dusting tool and the crevice tool.

Meg Kernahan, associate manager of commerce partnerships here at Condé Nast, has an Electrolux Ergorapido Stick Pet vacuum and she loves it. As someone with a dog who sheds like crazy and a toddler who loves to make a mess, Kernahan says her floors have seen better days. “I use this vacuum daily to quickly clean up food scraps after dinner,” she says. “I love how the head pivots smoothly and responsively around tight turns underneath a high chair and into nooks and crannies below kitchen cabinets.” Kernahan has also swapped her broom for this vacuum to pick up dog hair. “The head features a light that clearly shows where attention is needed,” she says. “Sometimes the dog hair blends in with the floor, and this ensures I never miss a spot.” She also loves that the vacuum is lightweight and stores upright on a sleek charger. The vacuum has a run time of 48 minutes and includes a short crevice tool and a small dusting brush.

Here’s an exception to the cordless rule. In a growing world of cordless stick vacuums and smart robot vacs, one brand still stands out for expertly utilizing corded power: Miele. The brand’s Complete C3 Canister Vacuum deserves a shout, even if that type of vacuum isn’t necessarily in vogue right now. It makes us remember just how powerful a corded vacuum can be. With six suction levels, this power is optimized for any surface but really thrives on hardwood floors.

The included Turbo Brush is ideal for pet hair, while the Parquet Twister floorhead is perfect for protecting hard floors that require a more gentle touch. Since all the weight is on the floor, the stick has the feel of a lightweight handheld vacuum, while a 33-foot cleaning radius ensures you get around your home nimbly and without too much extra movement. One-touch cord rewind prevents knots and all of the accessories can be stored within the actual vacuum itself, keeping everything right where it needs to be when you need it.

From robovacs to cordless cleaners, we scoured the sites of our favorite appliance brands to find the best vacuums for hardwood floors in this story. Just like other items we feature across AD Shopping, our editors and contributors thoroughly tested all of our picks to let you know if the bells and whistles they claim are actually worth the hype.

Cleaning Ability: Since hardwood floors are known to scratch easily, we kept an eye out for vacuums that can gently clean a variety of surfaces—including wood, tile, and vinyl. From there, we prioritized cleaners with strong suction to pick up everyday debris like light dust and deep clean with dual vacuum and mopping technology.

Filtration: We focused on vacuums with strong filtration to capture nearly 99.97% of particles to help prevent exposed debris and allergy flare-ups. Diana Rodriguez-Zaba, president of ServiceMaster Restoration by Zaba in Chicago, Illinois, recommends vacuums with HEPA filters. “They’re best for hardwood floors because floors tend to accumulate a ton of dust, pollen, and other allergens that can easily become airborne once disturbed,” she explains. “HEPA filters effectively eliminate these pollutants from your floors without spreading them in the air and contaminating your home.”

Ease of Use: Aside from the obvious (a.k.a.: how well vacuums can clean), we rounded up user-friendly picks. Key factors included intuitive control panels, apps that allow you to manage your robovac cleaning routine from anywhere, and bag and bagless compartments that you can easily empty out.

We tested robot, cordless stick, and canister vacuums in this list. Here’s how experts say they fare on hardwood floors:

Robot vacuums: Robot vacuums are lightweight enough that they usually won’t harm your hardwood floors, and they also offer an unparalleled level of convenience thanks to features such as mopping and vacuuming, self-charging, self-emptying, and programmable options. “Robotic vacuums are for daily cleaning, so you’ll likely want to do your research and invest in one that is capable of learning your floor plan and covering the entire main floor throughout the day,” says John Milligan, R&D product development manager at N-Hance Wood Refinishing in Logan, Utah.

Cordless vacuums: We also focused on cordless stick vacuums, which are typically lightweight so you won’t have to worry about scratches from a heavy cleaner dragging across your floors. These are also convenient for coasting from room-to-room cleaning, and they are storage-friendly thanks to their small footprint. For heavier cleaning, Milligan recommends stick vacuums above all. Specifically he points to models that work on hardwood and carpet, and that are padded in some way—“so that it glides over your flooring without risk of scratches.” In addition, he suggests looking at very flexible vacuums with attachments that can fit into every area.

Canister vacuums: Even the best upright vacuum is likely to cause unnecessary wear and tear on your floor and your body, and they don’t target tight spaces very well. With this in mind, we only included one heavy duty canister vacuum, Miele, which is specifically designed to clean hardwood floors with care.

We all know that hardwood floors can be a serious investment and you should be cleaning them on a regular basis. Though Henthorn says the average is weekly, he recommends daily cleaning depending on your floor’s usage.

In terms of cleaning solutions for hardwoods, Rodriguez-Zaba offers the following advice: “You can keep your floors clean by mixing equal parts vinegar and water and using this as a solution for cleaning your floors–just don’t saturate your floors because they will buckle,” she says. “There is a product called Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner that you can find at your local store, and it’s a good product to keep your hardwood floors looking great.”

Amanda Oninski, interior designer at Floor 360 in Madison, Wisconsin, also recommends Bona. Otherwise, she suggests using a spray bottle containing a cleaning solution. “Spray lightly on a dust mop and mop back and forth lengthwise along floorboards,” Oninski advises. However, she warns against using wax, oil-based soap, or household cleaners: “Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions if you have them; if you know the brand of hardwood, you can find it online or contact your local flooring showroom.”

With proper care, your hardwood floors can last a long time. Milligan admits that over time, dust, dings, scratches, and general wear and tear can make them look dull. “But don’t stress too much, though, as it’s a dulling of the clear coat, and buffing or refinishing of hardwood floors can easily bring the life back,” he says. “That’s the amazing thing about hardwood floors: They can be restained, buffed, refinished from glossy to matte, you name it.”

Henthorn says the best way to maintain hardwood flooring is by vacuuming or sweeping them. “Vacuuming is optimal, as sweeping makes the dust/pathogens go up in the air only to come back down,” he says. To keep your beautiful bare floors looking good, Oninski also recommends the following:

• Avoid exposing floors to direct sunlight or bright lights—window coverings are your friend.
• Install felt runners under furniture and chair legs to avoid scratches.
• Wipe up spills immediately. Place rugs in areas where liquids may spill or accumulate and cause damage and prioritize quick cleanups.
• When moving furniture, lift to avoid scratching on the floor.
• Don’t oversaturate with water when cleaning.