Best Hoover Upright Vacuums

Buying guide for Best Hoover upright vacuums

Keeping your hard flooring, carpets, and rugs clean is an essential chore for every homeowner or renter. Dust and dirt accumulate over time, especially if you have kids or pets. A clean living space is necessary for comfort and health, and Hoover has a range of upright vacuums designed to clean rugs and floors efficiently and effectively.

Hoover has long been a leading name in quality vacuums, particularly the traditional and popular upright. An optimum balance of power and size, these vacuums are ideal for medium-size spaces, and the company offers options that vary in size, suction, and useful extras so you can find the one that’s right for your home and flooring.

If you’re looking for a Hoover upright vacuum, our buying guide has plenty of information about the company’s models, their features, and prices to help make vacuuming less tedious, more efficient, and maybe even enjoyable. We’ve also included a selection of our favorite Hoover uprights to make shopping even easier.

While there are plenty of features to consider ahead of time, the best way to evaluate a vacuum is to use it. That will tell you how easy it is to move and how loud or quiet it is.

Key considerations

Upright vacuum 101

An upright vacuum is a midsize vacuum that’s pushed and pulled by a handle. It’s larger and heavier than a stick vacuum and typically a bit less cumbersome than a canister vacuum, which requires that you tow the dirt container behind you. Depending on the attachments, an upright vacuum affords good maneuverability and enables you to reach from the ceiling to under the furniture.

Upright vacuums can be used on both hard floors and carpets and are often best suited to midsize homes. They’re particularly useful in homes that are mostly carpeted, and with variable speed and height adjustments, they can tackle carpets of different thicknesses. Most upright vacuums come with attachments and an extendable hose that allow you to reach under and around furniture as well as up to clean ceilings and blinds.

Flooring

The features you should look for in a Hoover upright vacuum depend on the surfaces you want to clean. For hard floors, most models are more than adequate because dirt and dust don’t get embedded in floors the way they do in carpets. If you only have hard flooring in your home, you can choose a less powerful model or opt for a smaller, lighter stick vacuum. (Note that Hoover upright vacuums are not designed to function effectively on wet surfaces.)

If you’re cleaning carpets or rugs, you want to be sure the model includes a brushroll. All Hoover upright vacuums are designed with a brushroll. Thicker carpets require more power and suction to clean. Look for an upright with a more advanced brushroll that can penetrate thick pile.

Cordless vs. corded

Hoover offers both battery-powered cordless vacuums and traditional plug-in vacuums that include a cord and require an outlet.

Cordless: While battery-powered vacuums provide added convenience, and their range isn’t limited by the length of the cord, the battery only runs for a limited time. Battery charging time is significantly longer than the run time, so some planning might be needed so you can finish your vacuuming on a single charge. What’s more, batteries require special care in order to keep them from wearing out prematurely.

Corded: These vacuums are usually lower in price than battery-powered vacuums, though you have to plug in and unplug the cord if you have a very large space or more than one room to vacuum. Corded vacuums have an unlimited run time and generally offer more power than comparable battery-powered vacuums.

Bagged vs. bagless

You also need to decide if you want a bagged or bagless vacuum.

Bagged vacuums are more traditional. When you remove and change the bag, there is unlikely to be any residue left behind to clog the machine. You may not notice the difference right away, but a bagged vacuum should last longer than a bagless vacuum.

However, purchasing new bags may be inconvenient and less cost-effective than a bagless model.

Bagless vacuums have a canister that you empty periodically. However, some residual dirt and dust can be left behind and slowly clog the machine over time. We recommend that if you opt for a bagless vacuum, you empty it outside whenever possible to avoid scattering the dust inside the house.

While cords can be a hassle, most Hoover vacuums automatically retract the cord. You simply push a button and the cord is pulled into the machine in seconds so you don’t need to wind it yourself.

Features

Attachments

Some Hoover upright vacuums come with accessories to make cleaning easier and more efficient. These models have an extendable hose and various attachments that enable you to vacuum special, awkward, or hard-to-reach areas like stairs, upholstery, and blinds. One of the most popular and useful attachments is the crevice tool. This narrow tube is ideal for cleaning in corners and along baseboards where dust and pet hair can accumulate. Other attachments that may be included or available separately are an air-powered hand tool, dusting brush, and extension wand.

Pet hair

Hoover, like many of its competitors, offers vacuums that specialize in tackling pet hair, dander, and even odor. While these vacuums are capable of tending to most messes, they typically include a smaller roller that’s best able to pick up stubborn pet hair from carpets or furniture.

However, just because you have a pet doesn’t mean you necessarily need to invest in a pet-specific vacuum. These models are best for those people with pets that shed frequently or have long hair.

Adjustments

Height: Some models allow you to adjust the height of the brushroll depending on the surface so that you can tackle both hard floors and thick carpets. Most Hoover upright vacuums offer between two and seven height options, and some models adjust automatically.

Speed: You can also change the suction speed of certain models. Variable speed is useful in a multi-surface home where you might need more power to pull out dirt embedded in carpets. This feature is available on both corded and cordless models, but note that on cordless vacuums, faster speeds drain the battery more quickly.

Accessories

Handheld vacuum: Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum
For those cleaning jobs that don’t require an upright vacuum, a cordless handheld vacuum like this one from Hoover is the perfect solution. It’s compact, powerful, and easy to empty — just the tool for tidying up car seats or small spills around the house.

Carpet cleaner: Hoover PowerScrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner
Upright vacuums can pull a lot of dirt out of carpets, but they can only do so much. If you have pets or kids tracking mud and dirt over your rugs, you might want to invest in a carpet cleaner. This model by Hoover is lightweight, affordable, and includes a bottle of cleaning solution and an assortment of attachments to clean upholstery, stairs, and hard-to-reach places.

Pricing

Inexpensive

A few Hoover upright vacuums cost between $100 and $120. These are lighter, less versatile, and less powerful models.

Mid-range

Most Hoover uprights cost between $120 and $200, including both battery-powered vacuums and those geared toward tackling pet hair.

Expensive

Over $200, you’ll find the most versatile and powerful of Hoover’s upright vacuums, including most of the cordless models and models for commercial use.

If you choose a cordless vacuum, be sure to store the battery in a cool, dry place away from moisture and fluctuating temperatures. Keep the battery fully charged when not in use, and expect to have to replace it in about three years.

Tips

• Set up a regular vacuuming schedule. A regular cleaning routine can help you stay on top of messes.
• Consider the vacuum’s weight. Hoover vacuums range from 9 to 20 pounds, with most around 16 or 17 pounds. Keep this in mind if you have a multilevel home and need to carry the vacuum up and down stairs.
• Check your storage space. An upright vacuum takes up a fair amount of space, so check that you have a nook or closet available that protects the vacuum while keeping it accessible. Most attachments can be stored on the vacuum.
• Check the cord length. The length of the cord plus the length of the hose determines how far around your home you can navigate the vacuum before having to move to another outlet. Cords range from 25 to 40 feet, and some hoses are 16 feet long.

You can purchase any number of parts and accessories for your upright vacuum directly from Hoover’s website. In the case of items that need to be regularly replaced, like filters, you can enroll in a subscription service that schedules deliveries and saves you money.

FAQ

Q. What’s the best Hoover upright vacuum for someone with allergies or asthma?

A. You want a vacuum that has a bag and a HEPA filter. Bagged models capture all the dirt, dust, and other particles in a sealed bag, which makes for easy disposal. Emptying a bagless vacuum can allow dust to escape, especially if you empty it into the garbage inside the home.

A HEPA filter is designed to capture 99.97% of airborne particles. While most people don’t necessarily need this technology, anyone with severe allergies or asthma will likely find it highly beneficial. It’s also important to maintain your vacuum and make sure there are no loose gaskets that would negate the positive effects of a HEPA filter.

Q. What do all the different Hoover vacuum names mean?

A. Common names of Hoover vacuums include ONEPWR, which means the vacuum is battery-powered, and WindTunnel, which is the company’s patented three-channel suction technology. For the most part, the names given to Hoover upright vacuums (and most vacuums, for that matter) include trademarked words or phrases plus other terms to gain consumers’ attention.

What’s more, some names don’t mention key features. Just because a vacuum doesn’t advertise pets in the name doesn’t mean it isn’t good at cleaning pet hair. Available attachments, weight, and cord length don’t show up in the name either. When shopping for a vacuum, you should look beyond the name to the specs.

Q. How do I clean and maintain my Hoover upright vacuum?

A. Empty the full bag or canister. Filters can be washed by rinsing them with water and letting them air-dry for 24 hours. It’s recommended that you wash the filter at least once a month or as soon as it begins to get dirty. The HEPA filter can be cleaned every two months in the same manner. If your vacuum seems to be operating more slowly than usual, chances are there is a clog somewhere in the unit that needs clearing.