Whether your stairs are straight, L-shaped or spiraled, these best vacuums for stairs tackle the dusty steps.
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The 5 Best Vacuums for Carpeted Stairs and Steps in 2025, According to Cleaning Pros
Updated on Nov. 22, 2024
Cleaning your stairs might seem like an afterthought, but debris builds up there pretty quickly. Chances are, it’s one of those places you’re not vacuuming enough, but should be. Unfortunately, vacuuming your stairs can be tricky, as even the best vacuum cleaners may not be suited for the job. And with so many options available, finding the best vacuum for stairs might seem like a herculean task. That’s why our team personally tested a range of machines to find the ones that were practically made for the steps.
When shopping for the best vacuum for stairs, think about your lifestyle and what gets tracked in throughout the week. From pet hair to crumbs and work boot dirt to sports equipment, stairs see a lot of action. So whether you have hardwood floors, carpet or runner rugs on your stairs, our picks cover every type of home aesthetic, need and price point. And best of all, each machine has been rigorously tested by our staff to ensure that they are worth your hard-earned money.
On Sale
Best overall vacuum for stairs
Dyson V8
Pros:
- Smart LCD screen and bright headlights
- Converts to a handheld vacuum
- Lightweight at 5.5 pounds
- Easy to clean
- Attachments are easy to swap
Cons:
- Must be stored on wall-mounted dock or propped up against a wall
This best vacuum for stairs is a splurge, but it’s a versatile option with strong suction that’ll keep your stairs (and the rest of your floors, for that matter) free from dirt, hair and other debris. The Dyson V8 is a lightweight (5.5 pounds) cordless stick vacuum that can vacuum hard floors and carpets throughout your home. It also converts into a handheld vacuum, making it ideal for stairs, upholstery and other small spaces. You can even use it as a car vacuum when it’s time to suck up all of the dirt, dog hair and crumbs that have accumulated.
Although this is one of the cheapest vacuums in their lineup, it’s still one of the best Dyson vacuums we’ve tested. In fact, our testers found that it’s on par with the Gen5outsize. “This is more agile than the Gen5outsize with many of the same attachments, but it does have a smaller 0.14-gallon collection bin,” notes our Product Testing Team. And like the Gen5outsize, the Dyson V8 also boasts an efficient and effective high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system, which makes it a top vacuum for pet owners.
During testing, this vacuum performed exceptionally well. Its powerful suction enabled it to pick up all of the cereal and glitter on medium-pile carpet in just three passes. We did find, however, that hair tends to get wrapped up in the brush. In fact, the brush got jammed with hair during one of our tests, and we had to stop to cut it out. That being said, our testers acknowledge that they may have tossed a little too much hair its way, as it had no trouble sucking up hair on subsequent tests. However, we still opted to cut the hair out of the brush before moving on to other tests.
When it comes to vacuuming stairs, you can easily convert this stick vacuum into a handheld machine. To do this, simply remove the wand from the canister and replace it with your preferred attachment. “The add-ons slide nicely before locking into place with a satisfying click,” raves the Product Testing Team. Once you’ve swapped the wand for one of the machine’s smaller tools, taking it up and down your stairs is a breeze.
The only thing you may want to consider when it comes to this vacuum is storage. It comes with a wall mount, which you’ll want to install near an outlet so you can easily charge it when not in use. If you don’t have a convenient spot to hang it or simply don’t want to install a wall mount, you’ll have to prop this vacuum up against a wall or lay it down flat since it’s not freestanding. But if storage won’t be an issue, then consider this vacuum a worthy addition to your cleaning routine.
Best value vacuum for stairs
Kenmore Cordless Stick Vacuum
Pros:
- Budget-friendly price
- Easy to assemble, use and maneuver
- Converts to a handheld vacuum
- LED light illuminates dirt and dust
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Hard to store if you opt not to use the included wall mount
This affordable Kenmore cordless stick vacuum is ideal for both carpeted and hardwood stairs. The HEPA filter is especially useful if you have pets and lots of foot traffic, since it captures 99.97% of dust particles, pet dander, pollen and bacteria. The two speed settings include low for eco mode, which is the default for the detachable hand vacuum option, and high for max mode.
Senior editor, Dawn Yanek, was downright giddy over this vacuum. “Who knew that a person could literally fall in love with a vacuum?” she gushes. Yanek, who inherited a black carpet runner with her home that seems to attract every bit of dust, dirt, lint and hair, never felt like her stairs were ever fully clean. “My carpeted stairs were dirty,” she admits. But it turns out that this vacuum was a total game changer.
According to Yanek, the brush is perfectly sized for stairs and is easy to maneuver, and at under 5 pounds, she can do all of her stairs without her arms becoming tired. In addition to being lightweight and easy to maneuver, this little vacuum is a total powerhouse. “It effectively picked up everything that the brush could reach,” says Yanek. “Did I have to pass over the spot a few times? Yes, but mostly because this carpet clings to attached hair and lint, and there was so much of it after previous subpar vacuum attempts.” The best part? Yanek is confident that her stairs stay cleaner for longer after using this vacuum. “I think it’s because dirt attracts dirt, and this really got rid of it. Huge bonus, and now I’m totally spoiled,” she raves.
Like all stairs, though, a plain old brush roll isn’t sufficient if you really want a thorough cleaning. Luckily, Kenmore thought of that. When it comes to cleaning the crevices between the stairs, Yanek relies on the handheld attachment. “The Dustbuster-like portion of the vacuum, which collects the direct, actually detaches so you can use it like a Dustbuster once you attach the crevice tool. Apply a little pressure and voilà—the ground-in dirt is gone,” Yanek explains.
Though Yanek primarily relies on this vacuum to clean her stairs, she also finds herself using it for touch-ups and quick cleanups around the house, thanks to its versatility and maneuverability. The only thing she doesn’t love is storing it. Like the Dyson V8, this stick vacuum comes with a wall mount for upright storage. “You have to screw it into your wall, and that’s not something I wanted to do since I didn’t want it on display in my home,” explains Yanek. “I end up having to lay it down since I’m not using the included wall mount. Plus, the charger needs to be plugged into that top handheld portion. So even though it’s super skinny, it ends up taking up a weird amount of space since it’s lying on the ground.”
But again, if you have a place to store this machine or don’t mind using the included wall mount, then this budget-friendly pick is by far one of the best vacuums for stairs.
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Best vacuum for stairs with carpet
Shark Vertex Pro Cordless Vacuum
Pros:
- Performed exceptionally well on carpet during testing
- Freestanding when folded
- LED digital display panel on handle shows battery level, cleaning mode and suction level controls
- Converts to a handheld vacuum
- Includes three attachments for deep cleaning
Cons:
- No instruction manual included
- Brand claims 60 minutes of runtime, but we only got 26 minutes
This Shark Vertex Pro Cordless Vacuum might be the best vacuum for carpeted stairs, but it can handle a variety of surfaces, including all types of hard floors. It’s on the pricier side, but our Product Testing Team was impressed by its intuitiveness, ease of use and performance in our Testing Lab, landing it a top spot on our list.
Like many other Shark vacuums we tested, this machine exceeded our expectations in the Testing Lab, especially during our tests on both medium- and high-pile carpets. It sucked up cereal, glitter and long and short hair in just three passes. Just shy of 7.5 pounds, this vacuum is light enough to carry up and down stairs without wearing yourself (or your arms) out. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to maneuver. “Like all of the Shark models, the wand at the base is flexible and swivels left and right about 30 degrees,” explains our Product Testing Team. And to make things even easier, it’s simple to convert into a handheld machine by placing one of the attachments on the canister.
Have hardwood stairs? No problem. This vacuum has three buttons conveniently located on the handle for surface, power and suction level. During testing, we employed the standard power setting and the bare floor function on our vinyl flooring. This did an amazing job handling the cereal, though it struggled to suck up all of the glitter in three passes.
Another feature we absolutely love on this machine is the fact that it’s freestanding. Unlike other stick vacuums on our list, which require a wall mount for upright storage, this machine’s MultiFlex wand folds over with just the push of a button, turning it into a compact vacuum that’s easy to store in a closet, pantry or just on the other side of a garage door. No installation required!
Something you may want to consider before purchasing this vacuum is the size of the area you’ll be cleaning. Though this vacuum is advertised as having a runtime of up to 60 minutes, our testers found that it didn’t even come close. Product tester, Sheri Kaz, cleaned hard surfaces and carpets in her house on varying settings and it worked for 26 minutes. In the Testing Lab, we ran this vacuum on a low- to medium-pile carpet, and it ran for 27 minutes and 10 seconds before needing to be recharged.
Best lightweight vacuum for stairs
Mellif Handheld Vacuum
Pros:
- Only weighs 3 pounds
- Comes with four heads
- Includes two washable, reusable HEPA filters
- Very affordable
- Compact design
Cons:
- Battery sold separately
At around 3 pounds, this Mellif cordless vacuum tackles stairs with carpet and hard floors. Whether your stairs have trapped dirt, hair or other debris, the handheld vacuum will tackle them all. It’s a fast house-cleaning product with three heads, including wide-mouth, brush and crevice nozzles. There’s even an extension tube for hard-to-reach spots. The two detachable HEPA filters are washable and reusable.
As someone who feels like the house isn’t clean until the stairs are vacuumed, senior editor, Kristine Gasbarre, found this product to be a treat. “Using it felt much safer than hauling my huge upright up each individual stair and hoping I won’t fall down the steps while I’m balancing it, or that it won’t tip over and hit me while I’m working,” she explains. “This chore used to take me a good five minutes of sweat-inducing muscle. With this vacuum, it took less than one minute, and I breezed up and down the stairs. No exaggeration!”
Despite its portable size, this vacuum isn’t just for stairs. Gasbarre used it for quick cleanups all over her home, including her sofa. She notes that the extension tube and crevice nozzle maintained the suction power, and it fits easily into various crevices. Moreover, it features a soft-grip handle, which makes it easy to carry and use.
One thing to consider is that this vacuum doesn’t include a battery. You’ll have to purchase a DeWalt battery separately, which Gasbarre didn’t realize until after she had assembled the vacuum. And once it arrives, Gasbarre cautions against overcharging it, as that could cause it to die quickly. Even with the additional battery purchase, this is an affordable option for keeping your steps stepping!
Best vacuum-mop for stairs
Bissell SpinWave + Vac All-in-One Powered Spin Mop and Vacuum
Pros:
- Vacuums and mops hard floors at the same time
- 90-degree swivel and lay-flat design
- Includes washable mop pads
- Dry tank technology
- Charges very quickly
Cons:
- Designed for sealed hard floors only
- No self-clean function
If you don’t have a carpet or runner on your stairs and are looking for a quick and easy way to keep them clean along with the rest of your sealed hard floors, then the Bissell SpinWave is for you. After thorough testing, our Product Testing Team labeled this multifunctional machine as a good value with some of the best maneuverability of all the vacuum-mop combos that have come through the Testing Lab. And that’s saying a lot given the fact that they’ve tested, well, a lot of them!
On a full charge, this cordless machine can dry-vacuum for 20 minutes, wet-mop for 60 minutes or do both at the same time for 20 minutes, according to the manufacturer (though our team ran the machine on dry-vac and mop mode for 24 minutes and 18 seconds). During that testing session, our team spilled dirt, egg with shells and cereal and milk over vinyl flooring to evaluate how well this machine handled each mess. Overall, it sucked up most of the messes in just three passes, though it did leave behind some eggshells and bits of cereal. That being said, if you don’t typically find these types of gooey messes on your stairs, you won’t have much to worry about.
When it comes to cleaning the Bissell SpinWave, it’s not as gross as you might think, given the fact that it doesn’t have a self-clean function. Our testers hand-cleaned it by emptying and cleaning the dirty water tanks, debris traps, dust bins and washable filters in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. They found that the mop heads stayed relatively clear of debris, and because they covered so much of the underside of the vacuum mop, there wasn’t much else to clean up on the bottom of the machine. Overall, our testers describe the process as being far less gross than other models they had tested.
This upright vacuum-mop weighs 10.55 pounds with a full tank of clean water and doesn’t convert to a handheld machine, which could make it cumbersome on the stairs. However, it does have the ability to lay flat, allowing you to reach and clean more stairs while standing on the ground floor or stair landing.
Other vacuums for stairs we tested
Sometimes, we get our hands on a product that we absolutely love, but it’s not always best suited for our needs. For this story, we tested two vacuum-mop combos. Here’s why one machine didn’t land a “best” spot:
- Bissell CrossWave OmniForce All-In-One Multi-Surface Cleaner: Senior shopping editor, Katie Bandurski, tested this cordless vacuum-mop combo on her hardwood stairs and linoleum-covered basement stairs. While the head fit perfectly on each stair tread and it did a great job removing dust, cobwebs and debris from her stairs, Bandurski found that at 10.5 pounds, it was much too heavy to use on stairs on a routine basis. “That is a hefty amount to lift from stair to stair, not to mention cleaning stairs is always a little precarious already since you’re not on an even surface. It was fine for me, but I’m not confident older adults could handle the weight of this thing safely on the stairs,” she explains. “It’s nice that you don’t have to wrangle a cord, but it’s pretty heavy nonetheless.” In addition to its heft, Bandurski noted that the mopping function leaves water behind on the stairs, pointing out that heavy and slippery is not a great combination. Overall, this machine is best suited for kitchens, bathrooms and any other sealed hard floors in your house that need a good cleaning.
What to consider when buying a vacuum for stairs
First off, decide how much you want to spend. In general, vacuums start around $50 and go upwards of $1,000—don’t worry, you can find plenty of cheap vacuums and vacuum deals. Another characteristic to think about is how often you’ll be vacuuming the stairs. If stairs lead to a less trafficked part of the home, you won’t need a unit that’s as heavy-duty.
You should also factor in debris types, such as pet hair, dirt and food crumbs from younger kids. Make sure the vacuum best meets the needs of your floor type, as well. Choose from an upright, canister, stick or handheld model and, most importantly, learn how to use it.
Why you should trust us
Here at Reader’s Digest, we love a clean home. But keeping certain areas—especially stairs—free from dirt, dust and hair is a daily chore that we’d like to be as painless as possible. That’s why we’re constantly researching and testing the best vacuums for stairs and sharing the products that excite us the most. The best vacuums for stairs that made this list have been rigorously tested by our dedicated product testers on the Product Testing Team, as well as our own shopping editors, to see how easy they are to use on real messes plaguing stairs and other hard-to-reach areas of their homes. The end result? A list of tried-and-true vacuum cleaners to suit every need and budget.
How we found the best vacuum for stairs
When it comes to cleaning, the stairs are a unique part of the home, so it took special consideration to decide which machines to even test. We looked for lightweight, cordless models that could easily be moved from step to step. Once we landed on popular, top-rated vacuums for stairs, we either had our Product Testing Team, made up of multiple product-testing experts, try them out in our lab or one of our editors take a machine home to try it in a real-life situation. They reported back how well the vacuum cleaners worked—and what they did and didn’t love so much about them. Taking into account these testing notes, as well as other factors like budget, suction power and vacuum type, we narrowed down our list to the five best vacuums for stairs.
FAQ
How often should you vacuum your stairs?
In general, you should vacuum your stairs once or twice per week. However, the amount of traffic and your family’s lifestyle, including sports, pets and whether or not your family leaves their shoes at the front door or not, also come into play.
Is there a robot vacuum for stairs?
There’s currently no robot vacuum for stairs. The mapping integration is improving, and many have cliff-sensing technology to prevent it from falling. However, you’ll still need to pick it up and set it down on each level, making a robot vacuum a better investment for floors, not stairs.
