04 Vacuum — Dirt Devil

The Cheapskate: Dirt Devil Dynamite Plus

Enough power to keep a tidy house without all the frills.

Best feature: Surprisingly light (10.5 lbs) and small for an upright vacuum.

Worst feature: Hose does not stretch far or easily, vacuum often tips over when you try.

Price: $45


The First-Class: Dyson V6 Animal Stick Vacuum

Dyson can handle any mess that comes it’s way, it’s especially tough on pet hair.

Best feature: Cordless! No getting tangled up or constantly switching outlets.

Worst feature: Cordless. With only a 20 minute charge, you have to be organized enough to break your cleaning up into small jobs. But let’s be honest, if you’re spending $500 on a vacuum, you’re probably a pretty organized person.

Price: $500


04 Vacuum — Shark

The Best of Both: Shark Rocket Ultra-Light Upright

The Rocket can handle most of what the V6 can—if you don’t mind dragging around a cord that reaches even farther than the dust container.

Best feature: More attachments than you can even imagine to clean every possible surface.

Worst feature: A lot of separate parts (filters, canisters, and roller brushes, oh my!) that all need to be frequently cleaned.

Price: $200