The right cleaning device can make life infinitely easier, but you can’t use just any old Hoover on delicate surfaces. The best vacuums for hardwood floors won’t scratch or cause damage, so we tested dozens of highly rated models and asked experts to recommend the most ideal model for your home.“The vacuum should have soft rubber wheels so scratching or marring does not occur when moving and manipulating the vacuum across the wood floors,” explains Paul Henthorn, owner of Slaughterbeck Floors in Campbell, California. “And power brushes on canister vacuums should be avoided in favor of the soft brush attachments.” What’s wrong with power brushes? Henthorn says they can potentially remove the finish and wood fibers from the grain of the floors. Beater bars can also be too abrasive on this type of floor.Keeping all this, as well as usability, in mind, we focused on bagless, cordless stick vacuums, robovacs, and one worthy upright vacuums for this story. You’ll also find info from experts on how to choose the best one for your home, as well as helpful maintenance tips. But first, browse our favorite picks to clean your floors and keep scratches out of sight.Our Top Picks for the Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors:Best Overall Vacuum for Hardwood Floors: Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Vacuum Cleaner, $525 $500Best Robot Vacuum: Shark IQ Self-Empty Base Robot Vacuum, $585Best Wet/Dry Combo: Dyson V15 Detect Submarine, $919The Budget Option: Bissell CleanView XR Cordless Vacuum, $199For Pet Parents: Shark Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum with PowerFins, $330 $250A Luxury Pick: Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Robot Vacuum and Mop, $1,400Browse by Category:Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors, OverallSamsung Bespoke Jet Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner w/ Clean StationUpsidesArtfulThoughtful designLong battery lifePowerful suctionDownsidesIts dust bin capacity isn’t as big as others in this listSpecsWeight: 6 poundsCord Length: CordlessBag or Bagless: BaggedRun Time: 60 minutesDust Cup Capacity: 0.8 litersHEPA Filter: YesThe Samsung Bespoke Jet AI cordless stick vacuum cleaner actually looks like a work of art, so it’s not only one of the best cordless vacuums (based on our very hands-on experience), but also one of the best-looking. The Samsung Bespoke Jet AI comes in a gorgeous satin black color and has an AI cleaning mode that detects the floor type to adjust suction accordingly. “I’ve had it since May 2022, and the vacuum has held up very well,” Williams says. “This model has more air watts (210W) than any of Samsung’s previous cordless stick vacuums—and it also includes more accessories. The lightweight (six-pound) vacuum is easy to maneuver, and the nozzle includes a dual brush head (a soft one for hard floors and another one with fins for carpets).”The space-saving clean station charger holds the vacuum when not in use. When docked, the clean station automatically empties the vacuum’s dustbin. There’s also a separate accessory cradle to hold the combination and crevice tools, pet tool, flexible tool, and dust bags. The vacuum itself has strong suction, a dual brush for cleaning both hard floors and carpet, and the battery lasts up to 100 minutes.Shark Cordless Pet Plus Lightweight Stick VacuumUpsidesComes with a pet multitool to pick up shedding furSelf-cleaning brush rollEasy to cleanDownsidesLacks suction power, according to some online reviewersSpecsWeight: 8 poundsCord Length: CordlessBag or Bagless: BaglessRun Time: 40 minutesDust Cup Capacity: 0.34 quartsHEPA Filter: YesWilliams loves the Shark Pet Plus Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner (and also the Shark Rocket Pet Pro) because the floor nozzle has a self-cleaning soft brushroll and PowerFins. Both work together to pick up debris and ensure that no hair gets tangled up in the vacuum. The fins are made of flexible silicone instead of bristles, so it’s easy on hard surfaces, and the LED light on the floor nozzle helps Williams identify more dirt than she probably cares to know about. The Shark Pet Plus uses anti-allergen complete-seal technology and a HEPA filter to keep all of the dust and debris inside of the vacuum. It’s also super easy to empty the dust cup: Just slide the Clean Touch Dirt Ejector lever down to spit out any waste into the trash can. The lightweight vacuum lasts 40 minutes and includes a crevice tool and pet multitool.Photo: Terri WilliamsDyson V15s Detect Submarine​ Wet-Dry VacuumUpsidesThree cleaner headsDrip tray for wet roller storageStylish designDownsidesSome shoppers mention that the battery life doesn’t last longSpecsWeight: 8 poundsCord Length: CordlessBag or Bagless: BaglessRun Time: 60 minutesDust Cup Capacity: 0.2 gallonsHEPA Filter: YesSome people like the idea of one vacuum that suctions and mops hardwood floors—but they’d rather have these functions completely separated rather than integrated into the same machine. If that’s your preference, the Dyson V15 Detect Submarine actually has three swappable cleaner heads. There’s the digital motorbar cleaner head for multifloor use, the fluffy optic cleaner head for hardwood floors, and the submarine wet roller head. But instead of loading water into a water tank on the vacuum, the water is poured directly into (and subsequently contained within) the wet roller head. And since the vacuum has the same articulating head used on Dyson’s other stick vacuums, I found it easy to swivel around furniture legs and reach underneath my couch when mopping. There’s also a drip tray to store the wet roller head on, and the vacuum includes (dry use) accessories such as the combination tool, crevice tool, and hair screw tool.Bissell CleanView XR Cordless VacuumUpsidesTangle-free brush rollThree cleaning modesConverts to handheld modeDownsidesShort run timeSpecsWeight: 6 poundsCord Length: CordlessBag or Bagless: BaglessRun Time: 35 minutesDust Cup Capacity: 0.3 litersHEPA Filter: NoWe tend not to test “cheap” vacuums. Instead, we look for economical choices that are still high-quality items with the features you want. The Bissell CleanView XR fits the bill. It has a tangle-free brush roll to keep hair from getting snarled, and it has three cleaning modes—standard, medium, and turbo—to fit various needs. The LED headlights illuminate dirt in hidden places and the vacuum has swivel steering features, meaning it easily maneuvers around furniture legs. It can easily convert to a handheld model, allowing me to use the crevice tool, combination dusting brush, and upholstery tool. Run time is only 35 minutes—but at this price, you can purchase an additional battery and swap them out.AmazonShark RV1001AE IQ Robot Self-Empty Robot VacuumUpsidesSelf-cleaningLong-lasting battery lifeTangle-free brush rollDownsidesClunky designSpecsWeight: 6 poundsCord Length: CordlessBag or Bagless: BaglessRun Time: 60 minutesDust Cup Capacity: N/AHEPA Filter: N/AThe Sharp IQ Self-Empty Base Robot Vacuum has everything Williams wanted—and more—when searching for the best vacuums for hardwood floors. For starters, she can go a month without having to empty it (she doesn’t, but she could). That’s because the robot empties itself into the base, and it can hold 30 days worth of dirt. The beauty of robot vacuums is that they don’t require much human interaction except for mapping your home and emptying the vacuum. But Shark eliminates the latter task for a very long time. It even has a self-cleaning brush roll to ensure that pet hair won’t get tangled in it. And when the robot vac needs to recharge mid-clean, it does that on its own as well and then picks up right where it left off. Since the robot uses IQ navigation, it cleans in an orderly row-by-row fashion, instead of zigzagging all over the place. After Williams mapped out her home, she was able to schedule cleanings via her iPhone. The robot vac can also be activated using Alexa or Google Assistant. The battery lasts over 90 minutes.Samsung Bespoke Jet Bot Combo Robot Vacuum and Mop with All-in-One Clean Station with Auto SteamUpsidesDesign-forwardComes with a dual brush for cleaning multisurfacesSpace-saving docking stationDownsidesPriceySpecsWeight: The set and station equal 40 pounds in totalCord Length: CordlessBag or Bagless: BaglessRun Time: 80 minutesDust Cup Capacity: 0.25 litersHEPA Filter: N/AIf you’re looking for a vacuum that truly does everything for you, this is one of the best picks of the bunch. Not only is the robot vacuum itself packed with power and features, but the cleaning station takes care of the grunt work for you—like cleaning the mop pads, emptying the dust bin, and refilling the robot with water.