Which? Don't Buy vacuum cleaners

Our tough tests help us to find the best vacuum cleaners, which you can rely on to leave your home dust-free, as well as the worst vacuum cleaners - those that are difficult to use and do a pitiful job at sucking up debris and picking up pet hair.

A bad vacuum cleaner won't just fail to suck up dirt, it will also struggle to keep the dust it does pick up safely locked away, leaking allergens back into your home, which could exacerbate allergies and respiratory problems.

Head to our vacuum cleaner reviews to see which models are Best Buys and Don't Buys

Vacuum cleaners to avoid

Dust-busting ability is the key test for any vacuum cleaner - a poor score will push it into Don't Buy territory. After all, there's no point paying for a product that can't do its core job effectively.

To add insult to injury, the worst models may also be deafeningly noisy - despite being ineffective - and could be cumbersome or fiddly to use. Some vacuum cleaners will start out relatively well, before rapidly losing suction when used, so you find it increasingly difficult to clean your house over time.

With many vacuum cleaners these days costing well over £200, you don't want to get stuck with a vac that makes you curse every time you get it out of the cupboard. 

How we uncover the best and worst vacuum cleaners

Our top-scoring vacuums are brilliant at sucking up dust and dirt. They'll also be simple to use, so you can tackle everything from stairs to tight corners with confidence. 

The way we test vacuum cleaners reflects how you use them at home, so you'll know they can handle everyday struggles such as picking up fluff and fur, and reaching into tight corners. Our tests include:

• Dust pick-up - we rate how well each vacuum sucks up dust from carpets and different types of hard floors. We also measure how well a vacuum cleaner retains the dirt it sucks up. 
• Suction power over time - we check that you won't lose power as the vacuum cleaner fills up with dust, so that a brilliant new model doesn't end up being a disappointment a few months down the line.
• Hair - whether it's stray pet hairs on your upholstery or longer hair that's tangled in the carpet - we check how well every vacuum cleaner we test can suck it up, so your surfaces look spotless again.

Which? is independent - we work for you, the consumer, so you can be sure our product recommendations are influenced only by our test results.

We're not influenced by third parties and we don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. We buy all the products that we test ourselves.

Take a look at our vacuum cleaner reviews to find out which are Best Buy vacuum cleaners