If you think vacuuming is a pain, you’re not alone. In fact, a study found that 43% of Americans would rather clean their toilets than vacuum their floors. But if you have tile floors, vacuuming is a must to keep them looking clean and new.
The table below summarizes the 11 best vacuums for tile floors that we identified based on suction and brush features and other features, as well as positive user reviews. Some bristles are able to sweep dust up rather than rely on suction alone, which makes even vacuums with moderate suction power significantly more effective at cleaning tile floors. However, other motorized brush heads only make it worse, scattering dirt and dust around, so the possibility to turn the brush off would be an advantage. In addition, we broadened our search to include a number of different types of vacuums so that you can find the style that you prefer, overall, our top-rated vacuum is the Shark APEX AZ1002.
More features: 5-year warranty, DuoClean Technology, Anti-Allergen complete seal
Shark is one of the world’s leading vacuum manufacturers AZ1002 Apex Powered Vacuum is one of their gems. It packs a punch with incredible features that make vacuuming a joy. Its active glide technology offers smooth maneuverability on different floor surfaces and carpets while maintaining powerful suction.
Besides coming from a powerful and popular vacuum brand, the AZ1002 Apex Powered Vacuum is our top pick because of its deep-cleaning and self-cleaning capabilities. It has a duo-clean technology that features two brush rolls that can deep-clean carpets and engage your floor directly for a polished look. After deep cleaning your home, the vacuum cleans itself. Its brush roll is engineered to clean itself and thus can pick up any amount of pet hair without getting tangled. Another praiseworthy feature of the AZ1002 Apex Powered Vacuum is the detachable pod that you can remove to clean under furniture. You can also detach the nozzle to clean furniture, stairs, or upholstery above the floor.
Compared to our Premium Pick, Dyson DC33, the AZ1002 Apex Powered Vacuum is a quieter option. Its noise reduction technology is expertly tuned to reduce noise and soften pitch. Moreover, it has LED lights on its nozzle to help you see hidden debris and pet hair when cleaning.
More features: 25Kpa, ultra-quiet, 5-stage fully sealed cyclone filtration system, 45 min runtime
The INSE S610 is a cordless vacuum cleaning equipment that comes with two cleaning modes; MAX and standard. The MAX mode has a suction power of 25000Pa, allowing it to pick tiny particles like pet hair and other big particles like particles like dog food. On the other hand, the standard cleaning mode has a 13000Pa suction power, allowing it to collect tiny particles like crumbs. Moreover, this equipment has a longer runtime compared to other conventional stick vacuums. It can operate for 35-45 minutes on regular mode, while the MAX mode runs for 12-20 minutes.
Cleaning this equipment is easy since it comes with two cleaning gadgets; a brush for cleaning the HEPA filter and the dust cup and a blade with a hook that helps to cut and remove tangled hair from the roller brush. Also, the vacuum cleaner comes with a button that you can press to get rid of the dirt inside the big dust cup. Finally, you can easily detach the stainless strainer and mesh filter for quick and efficient washing.
The feature that sets this equipment apart from the others is its high-power 250W brushless motor that produces less heat and noise. Furthermore, it has an upgraded high-efficiency HEPA filter with a 5-stage cyclone filtering system that offers better filtration. The filtration system also protects your motor from blockage, extending your vacuum cleaner’s lifespan.
More features: smart touch control, Pet Pro brush, pet hair strainer, two-tank technology
The wet/dry feature found on this vacuum from Bissell can be a huge time saver, since it serves as both a mop and a vacuum simultaneously. The integrated water tank holds water or cleaning solution and dispenses it as you move across the floor. The suction action in the vacuum head helps to mop up this dirty water and the vacuum stores it in a separate integrated dirty water tank. The controls on the vacuum are easy to access thanks to their positioning on the handle. As a result, you can easily change the amount of water that you are putting onto the floor as you move along.
The brushroll in the vacuum head is designed with pet hair in mind and also works quite well for picking up smaller debris such as dust and crumbs. A nice feature is the “window” above the brushroll, which makes it easy to identify when the brush is clogged with hair and to remove it directly.
The vacuum can be used in dry mode to work on carpets as well as tile, although since the brush head is not particularly plush it does not reach deeply into carpets. However, users noted that the suction was particularly powerful on this vacuum compared to other upright vacuums and could pull in dust from several inches away.
One issue that some users identified with this vacuum is that the bearings on the motor are highly susceptible to water damage from the two internal tanks. Given the vacuum’s lack of warranty, this can be a significant deterrent to investing in it.
More features: 1,200-watt Miele-made Vortex motor, exclusive AirClean Sealed System, 29.5 power cord, manual suction control, dusting brush, upholstery tool and crevice nozzle
The Compact C1 from Miele is a canister vacuum designed with hard floors in mind. The brush does not rotate, unlike many other tile vacuums. However, the head has a foot switch for changing between carpet and hard flooding with ease and the head offers direct suction to make up for the lack of bristles. The power of the 1,200-watt canister vacuum is evident in the six options for suction power, which allow you to quickly adapt to different floor types and different types of debris. The only downside to this switch is that it is close to the floor, requiring you to bend over frequently.
The canister uses a bag rather than a bagless canister, which requires you to keep bags around the house but provides plenty of space for sucking up debris and makes cleaning out the canister a cinch. The 29.5-foot power cord provides plenty of range for cleaning large rooms, or multiple rooms, without switching outlets. However, note that you’ll need to lift the canister with you as you go and it can be somewhat heavy going up and down stairs. The vacuum also comes with several attachment tools that can be used in place of the standard head to better clean the grooves between tiles and in tight corners.
A major advantage of the canister vacuum is that it tends to be more durable than competing upright vacuums and to provide more consistent suction over the course of its life. Users also appreciated how quiet the vacuum is, even on the highest power setting.
More features: up to 20-minute run time, two power modes, 2 Tier Radial™ cyclones, one-click bin emptying, wall-mounted charging dock
The V6 cordless vacuum from Dyson was designed with hard floors like tile specifically in mind. The roller brush head is described by Dyson as “fluffy” and users find that it excels at picking up both dust and pet hair from tile flooring and suffers surprisingly little from hair becoming tangled around the brush. The vacuum is powered by a battery rather than an electrical cord, which introduces limitations on how long you can use the vacuum but enables you to take it anywhere without switching outlets. Specifically, the V6 is limited to 20 minutes of operation or 6 minutes on MaxPower cleaning mode – not enough to clean the whole house, but plenty to clean a few rooms. In addition, the vacuum converts quickly to a handheld vacuum to allow you to clean in corners and around furniture.
Users loved the light weight and ease of use of the V6. The stick vacuum design makes it very nimble and able to move easily into tight spaces around the house. Plus, the wall-mounted charging station saves space and makes it easy to pull the vacuum out quickly when it is time for cleaning. One common complaint was that the on switch for the vacuum needs to be held down to keep it powered on – there is no lockable on/off switch. The canister is also extremely fast to empty and will not leak dust thanks to the cyclonic airflow system. The 14 oz canister is somewhat small, but given the short battery life most users do not find this to be an issue.
More features: remote cleaning regime setting; smart sensor navigation; self-grooming system; over an hour of cleaning, automatic docking
For people who are too busy to deal with vacuuming tile floors frequently, this robot vacuum from Shark can be a huge timesaver and keep your house clean. The Shark can be programmed to clean at a specific time every day via an easy to use programming remote, or it can be manually started with the cleaning button on the top of the unit or via the remote. Once on, the vacuum can clean for up to an hour before automatically returning to its charging dock.
One thing that users frequently note with this vacuum is that it uses a semi-random travel pattern to clean the floor, which can cause problems if there is a specific room or area of tile floor that you would like cleaned. However, the vacuum comes with strips that can cordon off smaller areas for it to clean so that you can give it some direction or keep it out of rooms that you do not want to clean. Users also appreciated how well the vacuum was able to avoid furniture and other obstacles as well as to transition between hard and carpet flooring.
The vacuum itself uses a pair of spinning side brushes that do an excellent job of picking up both crumbs and pet hair from tile flooring and carpet alike. For more difficult debris, like cotton balls and string, the robot may need to run over the area several times before the debris is collected – but it will typically get it before returning to dock or in the next cleaning cycle. The canister is only 0.26 gallons, which is plenty for an hour of cleaning but requires you to empty it out every day if you use the vacuum frequently.
More features: Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology, HEPA filter, LED lights, fingertip controls, extendable wand, wide cleaning path
Unlike most other vacuums on the market, this unit from Shark uses two rolling brush heads to clean both carpet and tile floors and small and large debris alike. The first brush is a typically soft brush head that works well for capturing dust and pulls in larger crumbs and pet hair. The second brush uses large, densely clustered bristles to capture the material that the first brush pulls in and roll it up into the suction unit. This combination also allows the vacuum to do a very good job of cleaning the grooves between tiles. The vacuum can also be switched between carpet and hard floor cleaning modes with the switch of a button on the handle in order to modulate how it uses the dual brush heads.
The vacuum comes with several nice features that improve its usability and cleaning power. The included HEPA filter prevents dust from escaping the vacuum in combination with the sealing technology used throughout the canister. Plus, the vacuum head has a set of LED lights to make it easy to spot dust while you’re cleaning. The 0.9-gallon canister is massive, meaning that you can easily clean your entire house without having to stop to empty the vacuum. Users also appreciated that the canister could be removed from the brush heads for greater portability when using the flexible wand. The wand, in particular, enables cleaning around and under furniture, where the brush heads are too large to maneuver.
More features: lifetime washable HEPA filter, 14.4ft Telescope Reach wand, combination accessory tool and stair tool included, 30ft power cord
The DC33 is one of Dyson’s most powerful vacuums that performs equally well on tile as on carpets and hardwood floors. The vacuum uses a wide roller brush head and more important is equipped with Dyson’s Root Cyclone technology, which provides incredibly powerful suction and keeps the head clear of clogging. The vacuum also incorporates a washable HEPA filter, which users note is extremely simple to wash in the sink and suctions like new even after multiple cleanings.
The vacuum comes loaded with features for cleaning any type of surface, although many of these features can also be adapted to tile. For example, the telescoping wand is activated when the vacuum is upright and can be used to quickly clean deep grooves in tile that the brushroll might otherwise not reach. The wand also comes with several accessory heads that can be useful for reaching into tight corners.
The vacuum comes with a 30-foot power cord – plenty long to clean a whole room without changing outlets – and has a 0.6-gallon canister that is easy to remove and clean without releasing dust. There are several small downsides to the construction of the vacuum. First, the wand is made of plastic rather than metal, making it more fragile. In addition, there is no ball for maneuverability as there is on other Dyson vacuums. Finally, at more than 17 pounds, the vacuum requires a lot of strength to carry up and down stairs and takes up a lot of space when in storage.
More features: Smartech sensing features, power boost, De-fur furniture fast-motorized brush
There are several features that set this vacuum from Black+Decker apart from other vacuums that work on tile floors. Most important, the motorized rolling brush head uses large rubber bristles rather than traditional bristles. These dramatically reduce the frequency of clogging in the brush head and allow the vacuum to scoop up larger debris like dog food and crumbs. On the other hand, the vacuum does not perform as well as other vacuums for cleaning up pet hair and dust.
The vacuum is also designed as a 2-in-1, with the suction unit housed in the handheld part of the vacuum and designed to integrate into the brushroll base. The handheld vacuum is somewhat better at picking up hair and cleaning up between grooves in tile flooring, but requires you to bend down to reach the floor. The handheld vacuum is particularly useful for cleaning hair off of furniture, though.
The vacuum comes with additional helpful sensing features. The vacuum will automatically modulate the suction power to maximize battery life when possible, and the vacuum has displays to indicate battery level and alert you when the filter needs to be cleaned to maintain suction. Users liked that the vacuum is cordless, which makes it easy to take anywhere, and loved that the battery lasted between 30 and 60 minutes for most cleaning jobs. Unfortunately, the battery is not replaceable so you have to charge it once the battery dies and battery life is a major limit on the lifespan of the vacuum.
More features: Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology, HEPA filter, Active-Glide Technology LED lights
This is, by far, the most powerful vacuum on this list. It is also one of the heaviest, making it ideal for cleaning only if you are going to be using it on one floor and not the steps. This corded stick vacuum is very straightforward to use, since you don’t have to switch any attachments when you are switching surfaces.
This vacuum utilizes a HEPA filter to filter out the dirt and a HEPA cloth bag to hold all of the debris in. By utilizing these two items together, you are guaranteed that all of your dirt will stay in place once you have sucked it up. The bag is also reusable, which will be big savings in the long run.
More features: suction release valve, swivel steering, LED headlights, washable filter, large wheels, wide cleaning path, versatile attachments
This upright vacuum from Eureka provides solid suction power for tile flooring at a surprisingly low price point. The brushroll is not designed for tile in particular, but is rather intended as a compromise to work on all floor types equally well. However, note that the brushroll can scratch tile floors in some cases and can quickly become clogged when pet hair is abundant despite the fact that it was designed specifically for pet hair.
However, the vacuum makes up for these issues with a set of welcome features. The canister is bagless and has a 4 liter capacity to enable you to clean the entire house without emptying the canister. Users also appreciated the quite wide brush head, which enables cleaning large swaths of floor in a single go. The filter is easily removed and washable so that it will last for years, and the LED lights on the brush head allow you to spot dust as you are cleaning. Finally, the large wheelbase makes it easy to roll over heavily grooved tile flooring while still providing maneuverability. However, users found that the wheels did not move smoothly over carpet and that reducing the suction only helped minimally with this problem. In addition, the power cord does not provide enough range to cover large rooms without switching power outlets.
Now that you’ve read about our nine top vacuums for tile floors, how do you choose which of these vacuums is right for you? Our buying guide will help you determine whether you need a special vacuum for your tile floors, and if so, how to decipher the different features and styles found on the vacuums we rated and choose the one that best fits your needs.
Tile floors are notoriously difficult to clean with traditional vacuums and often require both vacuuming and mopping to truly get them looking fresh. Here, you might use a robot mop and a vacuum set, or a 2-in-1 vacuum and mop model to make your tiles look as fresh as new. And although there are no vacuums specially designed for tile floors, some vacuums do a much better job of cleaning tile than others.
Whether you need one of these vacuums depends entirely on what debris you expect to be cleaning, how frequently you plan to clean your tile floors, and whether you have other types of flooring and only want a single vacuum that can clean them all. If you have a large area of tile that gets scuffed easily, a wet and dry vacuum can be a huge help, whereas if you have a mix of flooring types a dry vacuum with a variety of attachments and a versatile brush head can be the better choice. A robot vacuum can be a life-changing vacuum for people who don’t have time to clean, whereas some people prefer to more thoroughly target what areas get cleaned and how thoroughly. If you have pets, also consider how well the vacuum you choose performs at picking up pet hair and how prone the brush head is to becoming tangled.
[wpsm_box type=”green” float=”none” text_align=”left”]In general, a good vacuum for tile floors needs to have a rolling, non-motorized brush head, or the ability to turn off the brush rotation for heads that are motorized. This is because motorized brush heads tend to scatter debris all around your tile floors.[/wpsm_box]
The fact that there are no vacuums specially made for tile floors can make it difficult to know what features to look for in a vacuum that you plan to use on tile. In general, the most important features of a vacuum come down to your preferences – and our top nine vacuums cover the gamut of different feature sets.
The first choice you need to make in choosing a vacuum for tile flooring is what style of vacuum you want. Upright vacuums are the most commonly used type of vacuum and offer a lot of versatility for both tile and other floor types. If you are short on storage space, stick vacuums are much lighter and smaller alternatives – but they often have less suction power than larger upright vacuums. Canister vacuums offer the most suction power for serious cleaning, but they can be a hassle to carry throughout the house, since you have to tow the canister along behind you. Finally, robotic vacuums are becoming increasingly popular, especially among very busy homeowners, since they will clean the house with little oversight. However, robotic vacuums also provide relatively manual control if you want to vacuum a specific area rather than the whole house.
Also, consider whether you need a handheld vacuum for cleaning hard to reach places. 2-in-1 vacuums typically have the suction unit built into a handheld vacuum, which is then integrated into a larger wheeled brushroll to provide the construction and utility of a traditional vacuum. Vacuums with a lift-away feature, on the other hand, allow you to pull the entire canister and a flexible hose away from the brushroll and often provide more power.
[wpsm_box type=”blue” float=”none” text_align=”left”]You should also consider whether you prefer a bagged or bagless vacuum. Bagged vacuums line the canister with a disposable bag, which makes cleaning the canister extremely fast but requires you to have bags on hand whenever you want to clean. Bagless vacuums, on the other hand, store debris directly in a sealed canister and require a little more manual cleaning.[/wpsm_box]
Finally, consider whether you need a cord or cordless vacuum. Cordless vacuums provide much more flexibility in that there is no need to keep switching outlets as you move throughout the house, but they are limited in cleaning time by battery power. Traditional cord vacuums are limited in their range from the wall, but you can clean for hours without the vacuum shutting down on you.
The brush head is one of the most important features of vacuums for tile floors, since it largely determines what debris the vacuum will be able to clean. The best brushes for tile floors are non-motorized brushes that simply roll as you move the vacuum along the floor. Different vacuums also employ unique brush types to increase the vacuuming efficiency or specificity for different types of debris. For example, Black+Decker’s vacuum above uses a rubberized brush that is excellent at picking up larger pieces of debris that traditional brushes struggle with, but suffers when it comes to pet hair and small dust particles. Shark’s DuoClean line, on the other hand, uses two brushes to collaboratively roll dust into the suction zone and then lift it up into the vacuum, which provides better targeting for small and large debris particles alike and is designed to work well on both hard and carpet floors.
Another feature to consider in a vacuum is the size of the canister, whether it is bagged or bagless. A larger canister will allow you to clean larger areas of your house before having to stop and empty out the collected debris. If you have a large house, having a vacuum with a large capacity can save a lot of time and energy. However, if you only plan to clean a few rooms with your vacuum, the canister capacity may not be of huge importance.
How powerful your vacuum’s suction needs to be to clean tile floors varies widely depending on the efficiency of the brush head and the type of debris you are picking up. In general, more suction power is typically better, since the suction won’t hurt your tile floor like it might carpet. Picking up large debris, such as big crumbs or pet food, typically requires more suction power than picking up dust and pet hair. If you feel you need more suction power, you will want to look towards heavy-duty upright vacuums or even canister vacuums.
Chances are, you won’t use your tile floor vacuum only on your tile floors, so it helps if your vacuum is capable of providing adequate cleaning power on carpets or on upholstery. Vacuums that are designed as 2-in-1’s with a handheld vacuum or that have a lift-away feature can be a huge help for cleaning hard to reach places as well as upholstery on furniture. Other vacuums come with a built-in hose that can be activated and a set of accessory tools to mount to the hose. These accessory tools can be a huge help with cleaning odd floor types or furniture as well as for reaching into crevices and corners.
Another important consideration with respect to versatility is maneuverability. Every vacuum manufacturer uses a different style of wheel base and steering control for their vacuums, which leads to significant differences in how easy or difficult vacuums are to push across floor types. This is especially important if you will be operating on both carpet and tile floors or transitioning between the two. In general, vacuums that are easy to steer and have smaller turning radii on the tile floor will be easier to use and save you a large deal of frustration over the life of the vacuum.
Also, consider whether you need a cordless vacuum. If you have few power outlets in your house, or none in the rooms you plan to clean, battery-powered vacuums can be a huge help. Cordless vacuums also save you time by eliminating the need to switch power outlets as you move from room to room. On the other hand, if you have a large area to clean, cordless vacuums can be more of a curse than a help, since they often suffer from relatively short battery life. Cordless vacuums also typically provide less suction power than traditional vacuums as a result of the battery-powered motor.
Filtration systems are an important component of every vacuum, although it is hard to make a poor choice of filtration system given advances in vacuuming technology. Many vacuums now come with HEPA-rated filters Trusted Source HEPA Filter Benefits for Allergy Relief WebMD discusses the benefits of HEPA filters for relieving allergy triggers in your home. www.webmd.com , which provide the highest level of dust capture to keep the air around your vacuum allergen-free. Filters that are not HEPA-rated are also common and are typically sufficient for anyone who is not especially sensitive to dust, although they may allow slightly more particles through the filtration system. If you are particularly sensitive, you may also want to consider a vacuum that comes with multiple filters or a pre-filter in addition to the primary HEPA filter.
The other distinction in filtration systems between vacuums is whether or not the filter is washable. Washable filters can be advantageous, since they are easy to remove and clean and last for years with proper care. Being able to clean the filter on the spot also means you’ll be able to restore suction if the filter is becoming clogged.
[wpsm_box type=”blue” float=”none” text_align=”left”]Disposable filters typically last longer between cleanings but must be replaced once the filter becomes clogged – a cost that can add up over the life of the vacuum.[/wpsm_box]
Cleaning tile floors can be difficult, but having a vacuum that is designed with hard floors in mind and provides both suction power and ease of use can make the task much easier. Choosing the best vacuum for tile floors comes down in large part to your preferences and needs, although certain features like the brush head are important in setting tile floor vacuums apart from the rest of the vacuum world. Our review of the top nine vacuums for tile floors and accompanying Buying Guide can help you determine exactly what you need in a vacuum and make your buying decision easier.
