Best Upright Vacuum Cleaner: 8 Models Compared by Spec

Choosing the best upright vacuum cleaner for your home usually comes down to four things: how much it weighs, how much dirt the bin holds before you need to empty it, whether it filters fine dust well enough for allergies, and how long the warranty runs. Few models win on every measure at once, so the picks below are matched to specific needs rather than ranked as one universal winner.

This page compares eight upright vacuum cleaners — sometimes called upright hoovers in the UK — with full verified specifications in our current dataset, drawn from the wider vacuum cleaner range we track.

What counts as an upright vacuum cleaner

An upright vacuum cleaner combines the motor, dirt container and cleaning head into one unit that you push across the floor, unlike a cylinder vacuum, where the motor and bin sit in a separate canister connected by a hose and wand. Uprights are generally easier to store standing up, and their wider cleaning head can cover open carpet and hard floor faster per pass.

If you're still deciding between the two formats rather than which upright to buy, our upright vs cylinder vacuum cleaners guide covers the trade-offs — including manoeuvrability on stairs and under furniture — in more detail.

All eight models compared here are bagless upright vacuum cleaners, and seven of the eight are corded rather than cordless.

How these upright vacuum cleaners are compared

The figures on this page come from normalised manufacturer specifications and merchant listings, not from independent hands-on testing or lab measurement. Prices, stock status and the rating figures shown below are dataset snapshots that should be checked against a live merchant listing before you buy, since they can change at any time.

A couple of fields are genuinely missing from the manufacturer data available to us rather than omitted by choice: noise level for the Gtech AirRAM 2 and the Vax LiftOut Multi Pet, and HEPA filter status for the LiftOut Multi Pet. These are marked as "not listed" below instead of guessed.

Upright vacuum cleaners compared: key specs

Model	Power type	Price	Weight	Bin capacity	HEPA filter	Warranty	Rating (dataset)
Vax Mach Air Revive	Corded	£69.99	4.9 kg	1.5 L	Yes	1 year	4.8 (17 ratings)
Vax Air Stretch Pet Max	Corded	£79.99	4.9 kg	1.5 L	Yes	1 year	4.5 (3,966 ratings)
Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet Max	Corded	£99.99	6.2 kg	1.5 L	Yes	2 years	4.4 (482 ratings)
Hoover Breeze Evo TH31BO01	Corded	£89.99	5.2 kg	3 L	No	1 year	4.1 (228 ratings)
Vax Air Lift 2 Pet	Corded	£119.00	6.2 kg	1.5 L	Yes	2 years	4.7 (62 ratings)
Vax LiftOut Pet CDUP-LOXP	Corded	£119.99	6.11 kg	2 L	No	5 years	4.7 (877 ratings)
Vax LiftOut Multi Pet CDUP-LOPP	Corded	£159.00	6.63 kg	2 L	Not listed	5 years	4.3 (8 ratings)
Gtech AirRAM 2	Cordless (up to 40 min)	£229.99	3.2 kg	0.8 L	No	2 years	4.8 (30,584 ratings)

Prices and ratings reflect the dataset snapshot described above, not a live feed.

Best matches by need

Lightest and only cordless option: Gtech AirRAM 2

At 3.2 kg this is the lightest model in the set by a clear margin, and it's the only cordless upright with full specs in this dataset, running for up to 40 minutes per charge. That convenience comes with trade-offs: no HEPA filter is listed, and its 0.8 L bin is the smallest here, so it needs emptying more often than the corded models. It also carries by far the largest rating sample (30,584), though this is a dataset figure rather than a claim of independent testing.

Cheapest corded option: Vax Mach Air Revive

At £69.99, this is the least expensive model in the comparison and still includes a HEPA filter. The trade-off is a shorter 1-year warranty and a small rating sample (17 ratings) in our current dataset, so treat the rating as indicative rather than statistically robust.

Pet hair and allergies without paying the most: Vax Air Stretch Pet Max

For £79.99 this model pairs HEPA filtration with the largest rating sample among the budget corded options (3,966 ratings), which at least suggests a longer sales history than some lower-volume listings in this set. Warranty is 1 year, shorter than several pricier alternatives.

Fewer bin empties: Hoover Breeze Evo

With a 3 L bin, this is the largest capacity in the comparison, useful if you'd rather empty the vacuum less often than chase the lightest weight or best filtration. It does not list a HEPA filter, and its dataset rating (4.1 from 228 ratings) is the lowest among the eight, so weigh the capacity benefit against those gaps.

Long warranty and lift-out canister: Vax LiftOut Pet CDUP-LOXP

This model stands out for a 5-year warranty — the longest here alongside the LiftOut Multi Pet — plus a 2 L bin and a lift-out canister design aimed at pet owners. No HEPA filter is listed, so allergy-focused buyers may want to compare it against the HEPA-equipped Vax Pet models above.

Manoeuvring around furniture: Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet Max

At £99.99 with a steerable head design, HEPA filtration, a 2-year warranty and a mid-size rating sample (482 ratings), this sits between the budget and premium corded options in the set.

The Vax Air Lift 2 Pet and Vax LiftOut Multi Pet CDUP-LOPP round out the range with similar pet-focused features at higher price points; see the table above for their full specs before deciding between them.

Corded vs cordless upright vacuum cleaners

Seven of the eight models compared here are corded upright vacuum cleaners, and one — the Gtech AirRAM 2 — is cordless. A corded upright draws continuous power, so there's no runtime limit and, in this dataset, corded models tend to offer larger bins (up to 3 L) at lower prices. The trade-off is cord reach: you need a socket within range and may need to unplug and replug between rooms.

A cordless upright, like the Gtech AirRAM 2, gives you freedom of movement and is typically lighter, but runtime is capped (40 minutes here) and the bin is usually smaller, since both motor and battery have to fit in a compact frame. Battery packs on cordless machines can also lose capacity with age over several years of use, which is worth factoring into a longer-term cost comparison even though it isn't reflected in the specs table.

Bagless upright vacuum cleaners: what it means

All eight models on this page are bagless upright vacuum cleaners: dust and debris collect in a clear plastic canister rather than a disposable paper or fabric bag. The main advantages are no recurring bag cost and a visible fill level, so you can see when it needs emptying. The main drawback is that emptying involves tipping dust directly into a bin, which can release fine particles into the air — a HEPA-filtered model may help contain more of that dust during use, though filter quality alone doesn't eliminate dust released while emptying the canister.

Our current upright vacuum dataset happens to be entirely bagless models; if you specifically want a bagged upright, that's a gap in coverage worth noting rather than an indication that bagged options don't exist on the market.

What to check before buying an upright hoover

• Weight: lighter models (under 5 kg here) are easier to carry up and down stairs; heavier models (over 6 kg) may be more stable on large open floors but tiring on multiple flights.
• Bin capacity: a 0.8 L bin needs emptying far more often than a 2–3 L bin, especially in a home with pets or a large carpeted area.
• HEPA filtration: not every model in this comparison includes it. If allergies or asthma are a factor for anyone in the home, filter through the table above for HEPA-equipped options first.
• Warranty length: ranges from 1 to 5 years across these eight models — a longer warranty can be a useful proxy for a manufacturer's confidence in a specific model, though it isn't a guarantee of performance.
• Corded reach vs cordless runtime: measure your typical cleaning route against either your longest extension lead or the vacuum's stated runtime before you buy.
• Noise level: where listed, most corded models in this dataset sit around 80 dB; this is a manufacturer-reported figure, not an independent measurement.

Frequently asked questions

See the FAQ section below for direct answers to the most common questions about upright vacuum cleaners.