4 Best Vacuums for Stairs [Tested & Tried]

Published by Hala Zaqqout on July 6, 2023 | Last updated on July 27, 2023

Vacuuming stairs isn’t an easy job. Is it difficult for you to get into all of the nooks and crannies? Carrying a heavy machine makes the job more difficult. Cleaning the stairs is the most difficult and inconvenient task in the house because they’re frequently used. Here are the Best Vacuums for Stairs.

Some cleaning duties are put off until the last minute because they seem to be hard, as vacuuming the stairs, can seem like a nuisance unless we have the correct tool.

Stairs can quickly become filthy—especially if you have pets. That’s why it’s important to invest in one of the best vacuums for stairs, that can pick up every bit of dirt and debris.

If you have a specialist handheld vacuum designed for use on stairs, the job will be considerably easier. In this article, we at CleanersAdvisor provide you with the best vacuums for stairs, and then the tested features you should look for before buying a suitable vacuum.

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Our Testing on the Best Vacuums for Stairs

Extensive testing were conducted to determine the best vacuums for stairs available on the market. These vacuums were put through tests to test and assess their suction power, maneuverability, battery life, and overall performance in dealing with stairs.

Various vacuums models were tested on stairs, to ensure their versatility and ability to tackle different types of messes.

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How to find the best vacuum for stairs?

Do you want a spotless-clean stairway without using a lot of effort or taking a long time to clean?

These are the tested features that will make cleaning this area of your home less challenging, more comfortable, and more efficient:

• Size
• Mobility and ease of use
• Useful features to save time
• Weight
• Nozzle Attachments
• Type
• Reach
• Filtration
• Warranty

These tested characteristics and features are just a few points you should notice before picking one of the best vacuums for stairs.

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Best Vacuums for Stairs by Features

Check out the new types of vacuums and join the women who have learned to take the easy way out of cleaning, using the best vacuums for stairs.

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1. Shark Rocket Corded Ultra-Light Vacuum Review

Technical Specs

Wattage: 550 Watts

Package Dimensions: 10.5″L x 9.8″W x 46″H

Recommended Surface: Hard Floor, Hardwoods, All floors, Carpet, Bare Floor

Noise Level: 80 dB

Capacity: 0.08 Gallons

Weight: 7.6 Pounds

For several years, the Shark Rocket has been routinely recognized as one of the top corded stick vacuums.

This Shark Rocket model excels in hair removal from your floor and stairs due to its Zero-M self-cleaning brush roll.

Shark Rocket Corded Ultra-Light Vacuum Benefits and Drawbacks

Lightweight

What this product offers is an affordable lightweight upright option that cleans stairs for people looking for something more compact that’s easier to carry a flight of stairs.

It can turn into a 4.6-pound handheld vacuum which is ideal for cleaning stairs.

Zero-M

Zero-M is a newly designed system that aims at reducing the amount of pet hair tangles on the brush.

The little protrusions on the top of the housing remove any tangles over time, and many reviews I’ve seen tend to agree it’s also good especially at carpeted stairs. It picks up all the debris from fine debris to pet hair.

Dual storage options

Having a cleaning unit you can conveniently store out of sight is desirable. It has a compact design that makes it easy to store in any corner.

You can fix the hand vac to the bottom of the wand or secure it to the wall mount.

XL dust cup 

With an extra-large dust cup, you’ll be able to handle extended cleaning tasks without having to empty the debris more often.

Regularly cleaning your vacuum dust cup and filters is an important part of maintaining powerful suction and cleaning performance.

To empty the dust cup, remove the hand back from the wand with the hand back over the trash, push the slider to open empty debris or you can fully remove the dust cup from the hand back.  

Power Cable

The length of the power cable is an essential factor to consider. And because the power cable is a little short, your vacuum’s total range of movement is limited. It can also be difficult to store as it can fall over if you don’t detach the hose from the main compartment.

What Our Testers Say About Shark Rocket Corded Ultra-Light Vacuum

The Shark Rocket Ultra-Light is excellent for stairs. It is a powerful, ultra-lightweight, pretty simple to use, HEPA-filtered vacuum, one of the best vacuums for laminate floors. It is ranked 1st on the best vacuums for stairs list.

Our Testers Ratings

Cleaning Power: 5/5

Filtration System: 4.5/5

Noise Level: 4/5

Versatility: 4.5/5

Maneuverability: 4.5/5

Price: 4/5

More Options: 5/5

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2. Shark Rotator NV501 with Lift-Away Hand Vacuum Review

Technical Specs

Wattage: 1200 Watts

Package Dimensions: 45.7″L x 12.1″W x 12.2″H

Recommended Surface: Hard Floor, Upholstery

Noise Level: 80 dB

Capacity: 0.88 Quarts

Weight: 15.5 Pounds

Traditional upright vacuums might be bulky and heavy, but the Shark Navigator is an upright bagless vacuum that can also be converted to a handheld.

The Shark Rotator was designed to make cleaning easier with many features. It’s a heavy device, but it’s strong and durable.

Shark Rotator NV501 with Lift-Away Hand Vacuum Benefits and Drawbacks

Lift-Away function

It converts a heavier vacuum into one that is light and portable. The cord is a whopping 25-feet long. As you clean your way up or down the stairs, you’ll have even more flexibility.

Simply use the long crevice tool or the power brush to remove fine dust hiding between the balusters.

Design

The appliance has swivel steering and rotator technology, as well as various additional accessories like a hose tool, dusting brush, and crevice tool.

The appliance also has swivel steering and rotator technology with some additional accessories including a hose tool, dusting brush, and crevice tool. these cleaning devices are perfect for cleaning your home especially if you have pets.

HEPA filtration

It prevents allergens sucked in from coming back out. It is, especially if you or a member of your family suffer from allergies.

HEPA filters capture particles tiny microns, so your vacuum will keep up to 99.97 percent of the particles it picks from surfaces with this level of filtration. As a result, once the allergens have been sucked up, they will not re-enter the atmosphere of your home.

Suction power

The vacuum provides an enormous level of suction power that can get all the dirt especially if you have carpeted stairs.

It possesses super strong suction power that leads to better absorbance of the dust particles preventing clogging.

Manual cord handling

The only downside to NV 501 vacuum cleaner range is their manual cord handling along with regular maintenance of the product.

What Our Testers Say About Shark Rotator NV501 with Lift-Away Hand Vacuum

The Shark Rocket Ultra-Light vacuum is a lightweight, portable, and ultra-quiet vacuum. Regardless of whether you have bare or carpeted stairs, this vacuum will make vacuuming easy and quick.  

Finding a vacuum with all of these great features at a reasonable price is not easy. So far, this vacuum has received a generous, positive rating from most of the users who have used it.

Our Testers Ratings

Cleaning Power: 4.5/5

Filtration System: 4/5

Noise Level: 4/5

Versatility: 3.5/5

Maneuverability: 3.5/5

Price: 3.5/5

More Options: 3.5/5

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3. Black and Decker Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum Review

Technical Specs

Wattage: 23 Watts

Package Dimensions: 17.25″L x 5.5″W x 7.75″H

Recommended Surface: Carpet, Car, Upholstery

Battery Runtime: 11 Minutes

Charging Time: 240 Minutes

Noise Level: 78 dB

Capacity: 1.3 Pounds

Weight: 2.6 Pounds

This model is extremely lightweight but very powerful. It has a smart design and a convenient handle that allows for a solid, comfortable grip.

It is the most effective on stairs because it has double the suction power than the previous models and includes a motorized brush that is especially useful on carpeted stairs.

Black and Decker Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum Benefits and Drawbacks

Excellent suction power

It is one of the most powerful cordless handheld vacuum models with 35 AW of suction. That, coupled with a large 75-mL dustbin, makes this handheld vacuum ideal for cleaning up larger messes quickly.

A suction tool that extends for cleaning out-of-reach areas is one of the other features that add utility and convenience to this portable vacuum. A battery indicator makes it easy to see how much charge is remaining in the vacuum.

Wide-mouth design

Most handheld vacuum cleaners have small mouths, or their accessories accompany little mouths that aren’t as efficient.

On the other hand, the Black and Decker has a wide-mouth design that makes it easier to collect bigger dust particles.

Translucent, washable bowl and filter

A clear bagless dirt bowl is easy to see dirt and easy to empty. Many other vacuum cleaners don’t have as large a bowl capacity as the Black & Decker Handheld Vacuum.

This vacuum has a clear dustbin that’s easy to see when it’s about to fill up, so you’ll know when it’s time to empty it. The dust also comes out very swiftly once you are opening it, and since it’s washable, longer life also can be expected.

Effective Cleaning

The Black and Decker Dustbuster Cordless Vacuum Cleaner can remove up to 85% of pet hair.

Its ability to easily get into corners and crevices is a significant benefit.

Battery Life

On the downside, it has a short battery life and can take up to four hours to fully recharge, which is inconvenient.

Before selecting a suitable vacuum, you need to ensure the battery is always charged to its full capacity and ready to power the unit. Not doing so can cause you delays in cleaning as you wait for the battery to charge.

What Our Testers Say About Black and Decker Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum

“Black and Decker’s Handheld Vacuum is ideal if you need a strong Dustbuster that can clean up messes in a few seconds.  It offers excellent value and will make your life a lot easier.”

“The Black+Decker Dustbuster is an excellent stair cleaner. This cordless handheld vacuum can effortlessly spot-clean stairs thanks to its cordless design It’s also lightweight, and it comes with a crevice tool for getting into tight spaces.”

Our Testers Ratings

Cleaning Power: 3.5/5

Filtration System: 3.5/5

Noise Level: 4.5/5

Versatility: 5/5

Maneuverability: 5/5

Price: 5/5

More Options: 3.5/5

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4. Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum Review

Technical Specs

Wattage: 2033 Watts

Package Dimensions: 8.3″L x 9.5″W x 44.1″H

Recommended Surface: Hard Floor, Upholstery, Carpet, Bare Floor

Noise Level: 67 dB

Capacity: 0.71 Quarts

Weight: 3.59 Pounds

Consider this Bissell model if you only need a bagless vacuum for stairs and small areas and don’t want to spend a lot of money.

It can be used in three different ways: as a traditional vacuum, hand vacuum, and stair vacuum.

It has a multi-purpose design that gives it a lot of cleaning versatility, as well as a lot of features that make operation and maintenance a breeze.

Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum Benefits and Drawbacks

Adapts to Your Needs

It can quickly and easily be reconfigured to work as a handheld vacuum, allowing you to clean and reach hard-to-reach areas in your stairs.

It’s a powerful, convenient, and easy-to-use vacuum.

High or Low

This vacuum cleaner has a removable floor nozzle, allowing you to use it for cleaning above-floor surfaces like benchtops and furniture.

You can also attach the included crevice tool for dusting small items or cleaning tight corners.

All-round cleaning and easy to use

With a 4.5m power cord, storage is a breeze owing to an easy wrap cord system.

Three vacuum cleaners in one

It can be used as a stick vacuum, handle vacuum, and stair vacuum.

It easily converts to go anywhere in your home you need it.

Power Cable

Unfortunately, its limited variety of attachments and short power cable limit its usefulness, and its all-plastic design may feel cheap to some.

What Our Testers Say About Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum

“The Bissell featherweight lightweight stick vacuum is a strong and handy solution to remove dust and dirt on a daily basis. It’s also simple to maintain, with few parts that need to be taken care of and a virtual lack of recurring costs.”

Our Testers Ratings

Cleaning Power: 3/5

Filtration System: 3/5

Noise Level: 4.5/5

Versatility: 5/5

Maneuverability: 5/5

Price: 5/5

More Options: 3/5

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The Best Vacuums for Stairs Compared

Vacuums/ Our Testers Rating In Each Category	Suction Power	Versatility	Maneuverability	Noise Level
1. Shark Rocket Corded Ultra-Light Vacuum	5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5
2. Shark Rotator NV501 with Lift-Away Hand Vacuum	4.5/5	3.5/5	3.5/5	4/5
3. Black+ Decker Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum	3.5/5	5/5	5/5	4.5/5
4. Bissell Featherweight Stick Vacuum	3/5	5/5	5/5	4.5/5

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Best Vacuums for Stairs FAQ

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To Wrap Up

Fortunately, help is at hand! We’ve found four of the best vacuum cleaners for stairs on the market.

These vacuums are not only among the best vacuums for stairs available on the market today, but they’re guaranteed to make your cleaning routine less time-consuming. Check out the tested list of the best vacuums and the features to consider when choosing between the best vacuums for stairs.

We hope we have provided valuable insights on choosing between the best vacuums for stairs.