It’s not always easy to figure out what kind of cleaner your laminate floors need. There are so many types of vacuums, who has the time to trawl through them all and find the one best suited for your floor.
There’s something so convenient about plugging your vacuum cleaner and blitzing over your laminate floors. It’s no wonder that the vacuum has gained rank over traditional old-school methods such as the trusty old sweeping brush.
It’s a good thing that you don’t have to because we have done it for you. We are going to explore the best laminate floor vacuums for cleaning laminate floors.
Laminate Floors Overview
Laminate floors are popular because they are easy to clean, look great and take a lot less maintenance than your standard carpet flooring.
In fact, cleaning laminate floors and removing stains is a far easier process than with the other types of flooring.
Laminate is generally cheaper than carpet, better for allergies, and you will have no problems installing it yourself.
In appearance, it looks a lot like wooden floorboards. It has multiple layers of synthetic materials joined together through the process of lamination.
The downside? It’s easy to scratch and damage if you use the wrong sort of cleaning devices, specifically in our guide, vacuums.
Below is our list of the five best vacuum cleaners for laminate and hardwood floors.
If you are a pet owner, you will know the peril of discarded pet hair. It gets everywhere, and a laminate floor is no exception.
A self-cleaning roller brush is a way to make sure that the vacuum roller doesn’t get clogged up with pet hair.
If this happens, the pet hair can cause jams and delays, and a timely extraction process.
So, a self-cleaning brush roll seems like a stand-out feature to us.
It is also a soft brush roll, which is better for laminate floors as it avoids scratches that would occur from harsher bristles.
HEPA Filter
HEPA filters are known for their top-quality performance.
The filtration system in any vacuum cleaner is a vital part of the overall function.
A HEPA filtration system is a top performer for eliminating small particles and giving a deeper clean.
Cordless Stick
Cords can be a nuisance. They wrap around your legs, they get caught in doorways, they get tangled up in the general household obstacles.
Cordless stick vacuums, like the Shark Rocket Pet Pro, can be moved around freely without the need for a power source or fear of entanglement from the power cord.
It also makes it easier to reach high-up spaces, such as ceiling corner cobwebs, in hard-to-reach areas.
Pros
40 Minute Run Time- On a full charge, you can vacuum for up to 40 minutes without losing suction power. That is more than enough time to cover multiple rooms and even the whole stairs.
Super Lightweight Design- A lighter vacuum is easier to carry around, easier to maneuver while cleaning, and easier to store. With a lighter vacuum cleaner such as this one, the vacuuming experience will be easier on your muscles and energy levels without compromising the overall clean.
Cons
No Pet Multi-Tool– A pet multi-tool would give this vacuum cleaner the ability to perform a deeper clean.
The Bissel Featherweright can be used in three different ways.
As an upright vacuum
As a handheld vacuum
As a stairs vacuum
Each different configuration has powerful suction pressure that removes dirt from multiple surfaces.
Bagless Vacuum
A bagless vacuum has a cylinder instead that collects all the dirt, dust, and debris. This one is very easy to empty with a simple button that is hard to miss.
Empty the contents into the bin when full, and then the vacuum cycle can start again.
Lightweight Design
It weighs just 2.6 lbs, which is almost as light as a feather. We exaggerate, but for a vacuum cleaner, it is incredibly light. That makes it easier to carry around and to clean with.
Especially on laminate floors where you don’t want to be dragging a heavy vacuum cleaner around as that would cause damage to the aesthetic.
Pros
One-Year Warranty- A one-year manufacturer’s warranty means peace of mind that if something goes wrong with your purchase, you can easily get a replacement or a repair.
Accessories- There are two top accessories that come as a part of the package with this particular vacuum cleaner.
1. Crevice Tool: For reaching into all the tight squeezes. For example, down the side of the couch.2. Floor Nozzle: For cleaning stairs thoroughly.
Cons
No Auto-Cord Rewind- An auto-cord retrieval button would have made this already good vacuum cleaner, even better. Especially with a 15′ inch power cord to wind back up after a vacuuming session.
HEPA filtration is, without a doubt, the Oscar winner of all vacuum filters. It gives the best air quality and goes above and beyond for allergy sufferers.
Multiple Functions
One of the best features of this vacuum cleaner is the ability to lift the canister away from the upright body.
It is still attached to the power cord, but you are able to convert it into a lightweight device for cleaning the stairs and vacuuming up high.
Upright
Shark Vertex Duo-Clean is primarily an upright, bagless vacuum with top-tier cleaning efficiency levels.
DuoClean Brush Roll
The rotating brush roll is a soft brush, that is also self-cleaning. There is anti-tangle technology, targeting pet hair – so it’s also one of the best vacuums for pet owners as well as allergy sufferers.
Pros
Anti-Allergen Seal– The anti-allergen seal creates a vacuum seal inside the vacuum cleaner. It makes sure that almost 100% of dust and other allergens in the air, or on the floor, are trapped inside. Therefore, they are safely removed from the environment.
LED Lights– LED lights are built into the front of the vacuum cleaner. It’s not a feature we often see on other vacuum cleaners, but it is an ingenious one. LED lights are there to highlight all the dirt you might miss when you clean laminate floors.
Cons
Heaviness– If you use this vacuum in its upright form, it can feel a little heavy on the arms and the legs.
The smart map technology from Anker is truly mind-bending. The robotic technology teaches itself the lay of the land, i.e., your house layout.
It learns to avoid corners, not bump into walls, and what the most efficient cleaning trajectory to follow is.
Fully Customizable
With the app, you can decide when, where, and how often you want the vacuum to come to life.
You can customize things like rooms, areas, upstairs or downstairs cleans, cleaning duration, and areas to avoid.
Strong Suction
For a small robot vacuum, this device has powerful suction. Its dual turbine ensures a stronger and deeper cleaning experience, and you never lose out on suction power.
Don’t expect upright vacuum levels of suction, but for a small-sized robot vacuum, it has around 4000 Pa. This is a combination of both turbines.
Pros
Dust Compression- Anker has made a powerful dust compression. Its purpose is to try to reduce the number of times you have to empty the dust bin. Which, when compared to other models of robot vacuum, it does achieve admirably.
Easy to Empty– We have found it to be extremely straightforward to empty. This is a feature you don’t always find on small and seemingly fiddly devices.
Cons
Small Capacity– This is the best robotic vacuum for laminate. However, its size is always going to be an issue when it comes to overall cleaning capacity.
Canister vacuums have a canister to collect the dirt and debris. This means that there is no messing around with emptying and putting in a new bag. They are better for the environment, tend to pick up more dust, and are easier overall to use and navigate.
Hard Floors Setting
This is the feature that makes this canister vacuum ideal for laminate flooring. Even though it is synthetic, laminate flooring is still counted in the category of the hard floor. Your vacuum should cater to this.
Washable Filter
This filter type needs to be removed, cleaned, and put back in on a regular basis. When a filtration system becomes overwhelmed, the canister vacuum will run on a reduced function.
Crevice Tool and Dusting Brush
These accessories can really set a clean aside from other vacuums. A crevice tool lets you reach tricky cleaning spots and a dusting brush eliminates further dust.
Pros
Lightweight Design– Weighing under 8 lbs, there’s no need to stress about lugging a heavy device around after you. You can be easily put off a canister vacuum purchase by the thought of a heavy vacuum cleaner weighing you down as you clean. Thankfully, Eureka has made this their priority and created a lighter model.
User Friendly– There are a few stand-out features that make the Eureka user-friendly. First to mention is the auto-cord rewind function. No more fighting with the vacuum cord! Secondly, the simple emptying process of the dust cup. This I just a push of a button and done.
Cons
Dust Cup Capacity– This, in our opinion, could be a little better. The dust cup is the portal to the vacuum cleaner. Once it’s full, you have to reset and restart the cleaning process. So, you want one that is capable of sticking with you throughout a clean.
Best Vacuum for Laminate Floors Buying Guide
Vacuum Type
Canister Vacuums
A canister vacuum cleaner is one with a canister body and wheels that are pulled along the floor and attached to a vacuum hose. These use bags to collect the dirt and normally a washable filter.
Expect a reasonably strong suction power that may fade over time.
Cylinder Vacuums
Cylinder vacuums are characteristically bagless. Instead, there is a cylinder that contains the filtration system that you remove from the main vacuum cleaner to empty and refresh.
Robot Vacuums
A robot vacuum is a programmable AI that roams around your house as instructed, vacuuming up debris as they go. They don’t have the strongest suction power, but they are great for everyday cleaning maintenance.
Handheld Vacuums
Handheld vacuums are designed for stairs, couches, cars. They are typically bagless vacuums, with an easy empty dirt cup. They are for the smaller cleans.
Pet Vacuums
A great choice for pet owners everywhere is the pet vacuum. Pet vacuums are specifically designed with pet hair in mind, alongside other more tough dirt such as mud and maybe even the odd stick.
Upright Vacuums
Upright vacuum cleaners can be in the form of a stick vacuum, bagless vacuum, or vacuum with a bag. They range from lightweight to heavyset, cordless to corded, and vary in function.
You are more likely to get accessories such as an upholstery tool with an upright vacuum. They also tend to be the best in the show for suction power.
Bagged and Bagless
Bagged vacuums send the dirt that is sucked up into a disposable bag. This bag is thrown away when full and replaced with a new one.
Bagless vacuums are less wasteful and tend to collect dust more efficiently.
Corded and Cordless
Corded vacuums have a power cord that extends to a certain length. They require a power source in order to have power.
Cordless vacuums run on battery power. They are rechargeable and have a power dock to sit in and recharge.
Cordless may be tidier and less invasive, but you have the downside of remembering to recharge and the risk of running out of battery during a clean.
Vacuum Suction
Suction power should be at the top of your considerations list when making any vacuum cleaner purchase, especially vacuums for laminate floors.
Cheaper vacuums tend to lose suction power over time, and once lost it’s next to impossible to get it back.
Corded vacuum cleaners have stronger suction than robotic vacuum cleaners, any handheld vacuum cleaner, and other types of cordless vacuum such as a stick vacuum.
Upright vacuums have the best suction power, followed closely by the canister vacuum.
Filters
Several types of vacuum filters are currently used.
HEPA
Cartridge Filter
Cloth Filter
Foam Filter
Disc Filter
Allergen Filter
Pet Filter
Wet/Dry Filter
HEPA filters are the best for deep cleaning and facilitate an easier cleaning process. They suit allergy sufferers, pet owners, and big families.
Vacuum Accessories
Vacuum accessories are things such as a pet tool, an upholstery tool, a floor nozzle, and a crevice tool.
There are affordable vacuum options that come with a range of cleaning tool aid accessories.
It’s always a bonus to have spotless accessories at your fingertips. You can get a deeper, more thorough clean.
Storage
Vacuums can be eyesores when there’s nowhere for them to be stored at the end of a cleaning session. Think about the space your cleaner will inhabit.
Some vacuums come with their own docking stations and even a stand for easy storage. If you have a smaller space, a stick vacuum may be preferable, for example.
A canister vacuum or an upright vacuum would take up quite a chunk of space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will My Vacuum Cleaner Scratch My Laminate Floor?
The wrong type of vacuum cleaner may leave marks, scuffs, and scratches on your laminate floors. It’s best to buy a vacuum for laminate that will go easy on your flooring and keep it clean and preserved.
Do You Need A Specific Vacuum Cleaner For Laminate Floors?
Yes. It is recommended that you purchase a vacuum cleaner that is designed to be gentle on your laminate floors. The best vacuums for laminate will have a soft brush and a hardy filter system.
Summary
That concludes our list of best vacuums.
Every single vacuum for laminate we have featured has the required features to make them the best vacuums for cleaning laminate floors.
A laminate floor vacuum must have a soft brush, otherwise, you risk inflicting irreparable damage.
A HEPA filter is always a bonus, as a HEPA filter provides the best level of filtration system a laminate vacuum can offer. It really is the best one out there.
Whether you choose an upright vacuum, a robot vacuum, a stick vacuum, or a canister vacuum, soft brushes are the way forward.
Remember that strong suction is also necessary for a proper clean.
