Most houses are both. The machines that handle both well are the ones that publish a way to change what the brushroll is doing — and most of this category publishes nothing at all.
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty vacuums. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead is read the manuals, compile the published specifications, and work out what each machine costs to run for three years — the method is written out in full.
We earn a commission if you buy through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend or the order we recommend it in. Full disclosure.
The short answer: the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV356E. It is corded, so nothing runs out mid-house; it publishes 1,200 watts onto a driven brushroll for carpet; and the Lift-Away pod plus a brushroll that can be switched off is how it stops scattering grit across hardwood. If you would rather not drag a cord, the Shark IY143H is the cordless pick, because FloorDetect changes brushroll speed by surface automatically — the one published feature on this page that solves the mixed-floor problem without you thinking about it.
Why one house needs two different machines, and how to avoid buying two
The two surfaces want opposite things. Carpet needs a brushroll spinning hard enough to beat grit up out of the pile — that is the argument the carpet roundup makes at length. Hardwood needs the opposite: a brushroll running at full speed over a bare floor flings debris sideways instead of collecting it, and on a soft finish a stiff bristle roller is the thing that puts fine scratches in it. That is why the hardwood roundup is full of low-agitation machines that would be mediocre on pile.
So a genuine mixed-floor vacuum has to publish some way of changing what the brushroll does. There are exactly four mechanisms in this field, and every machine below uses one of them: automatic floor detection, manual height adjustment, a brushroll on/off switch or a bare-floor mode, or a design that never agitates hard enough to be a problem in the first place. If a listing publishes none of those, it is a single-surface machine being sold as an all-rounder.
What we looked at
A published surface-switching mechanism. This was the entry requirement. Shark's FloorDetect adjusts brushroll speed automatically; Hoover publishes five height levels; Tineco and Levoit publish a separate brushroll or tool per surface. A machine that publishes nothing here is not a mixed-floor machine.
Carpet capability, measured by what drives the roller. Published motor power in this group runs from 180 watts to 1,200. That gap is real on pile and irrelevant on tile.
Hard-floor behavior. Weight, head profile and whether the roller can be calmed down. A 13.7 lb upright that deep-cleans carpet beautifully is still the wrong machine for a hallway you clean daily.
Bin capacity, because a mixed-floor house is usually a whole-house clean rather than a room, and published capacities here span 0.68 quarts to 1.29 liters.
Reach and above-floor work. Mixed floors usually mean stairs between them. Two picks publish a detachable pod; two are corded sticks that convert; the rest need a tool swap.
Filtration, and whether a standard is named. Two machines here name ASTM F1977 behind their percentage. The rest publish a class or a number with nothing behind it.
The three ways to buy for a mixed-floor house
One machine that switches. The cleanest answer if it fits your house: a corded upright with height adjustment, or a cordless stick with floor detection. You accept that neither surface gets the theoretically perfect tool and you get your evenings back.
One machine plus a specialist. A cordless stick for the daily hard-floor pass and a corded upright kept in a closet for the carpeted rooms every week or two. This is what most of the people we would take advice from actually do, and on published prices two budget machines here cost less than one flagship cordless.
A canister, if your carpet is low pile or rugs only. The Eureka Whirlwind on this site is 960 watts with a 2.5-liter bin and washable HEPA, and its body stays on the floor, which makes stairs easy. It publishes no powered brushroll, so it is not on this page — but if the "carpet" in your house is two area rugs, it is a genuinely good answer and cheaper than everything here.
What each machine publishes about changing surfaces. Every figure is manufacturer-published.
Machine
Surface-switching mechanism
Motor
Weight
Bin
Shark Navigator NV356E
Lift-Away pod; brushroll can be switched off for bare floor
1,200 W
13.7 lb
0.87 L
Shark ZD201
Lift-Away pod; PowerFins self-cleaning roller
800 W
12.9 lb
0.8 qt
Shark Rocket Pet Plus HV322
Slim low-profile head designed for bare floor
500 W
8.6 lb
0.68 qt
Hoover WindTunnel UH71300
5 published height levels, plush carpet to bare floor
1,200 W
Not published
1.29 L
Tineco A30S
Separate ZeroTangle brush and 2-in-1 crevice tool
160 W stated suction
5.3 lb
1 L
Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet 2252
Triple Action brushroll; swivel steering
800 W
12.5 lb
1 L
Levoit Anti-Tangle
Powered floor head or crevice/pet tool, with runtime published for each
180 W
6.2 lb
0.75 L
Shark IY143H
FloorDetect — automatic brushroll speed by surface
181 W
7.1 lb
0.7 qt
Compiled from the published specifications of the eight machines on this page. Motor watts and stated suction watts are different measurements and do not convert.
#
Product
Best for
Score
Price
01
Shark Navigator Lift-Away (NV356E)1,200 W with a genuinely sealed HEPA system and a detachable pod, at a price the cordless machines cannot match on either count.
Shark Lift-Away Upright with PowerFins (ZD201)The only upright on this site that publishes both a self-cleaning brushroll and a filtration figure with the test standard attached.
Shark Rocket Pet Plus Corded Stick (HV322)Under 10 lb, 500 W, corded, with a low-profile head that actually fits under furniture — the hardwood answer that never needs charging.
Hoover WindTunnel Cord Rewind Pro Upright (UH71300)1,200 watts across a 13.5-inch path with five height settings — the most carpet-specific hardware on this page, sold without a filtration claim to match.
Tineco A30S Cordless VacuumSixty minutes on the crevice tool and forty with the powered head, published separately — and 67 dB, which is the quietest figure on this page.
Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Upright (2252)An 800 W corded upright with a triple-action brushroll: the deep-carpet answer for people whose cordless keeps running out mid-room.
Levoit Anti-Tangle Cordless VacuumThe only listing in this price band that publishes runtime three ways instead of quoting the flattering number and hoping you do not ask.
Shark Cordless Pet (IY143H)Doubles the dust cup over the IX141 and adds the self-cleaning brushroll, which is the single feature that matters if a dog lives here.
Ranked by our published rubric. On a mixed-floor page the column to read after the score is what each machine publishes about changing surfaces — that is the whole problem.
01 · Best sealed HEPA under $200
Shark Navigator Lift-Away (NV356E)
1,200 W with a genuinely sealed HEPA system and a detachable pod, at a price the cordless machines cannot match on either count.
Washable HEPA plus foam, Anti-Allergen Complete Seal; rated to trap 99.9% of dust and allergens per ASTM F1977-22, tested by IBR Laboratories
Rated noise
80 dB
Lift-Away
Detachable pod for above-floor cleaning
Runtime
Unlimited — corded
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Names its filtration test standard AND the lab that ran it — the most specific filtration claim on this site
+1,200 W on a driven brushroll deep-cleans carpet properly
+Lift-Away pod covers stairs, which is where most uprights fail
Where it stops
−13.7 lb is the heaviest machine we recommend anywhere
−Washable filters need genuine drying time, and people skip it
−Corded, with everything that implies
Who it is for
Allergy households on carpet who want measured filtration rather than a bare percentage.
Skip it if
You have a lot of stairs and no storage. It is heavy, it is bulky, and the Lift-Away pod only partly solves that.
Our score: 8.4 out of 10
Published power9.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration9.5
Weight and handling4.5
Running cost9.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
02 · Best anti-hair-wrap upright
Shark Lift-Away Upright with PowerFins (ZD201)
The only upright on this site that publishes both a self-cleaning brushroll and a filtration figure with the test standard attached.
PowerFins, self-cleaning, published as no hair wrap versus Shark's own bristle brushrolls
Filtration
Anti-Allergen Complete Seal with HEPA, rated to trap 99.99% of dust and allergens at 0.3 microns or larger, based on ASTM F1977
Lift-Away
Detachable pod for stairs and above-floor work
Runtime
Unlimited — corded
Rated noise
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Publishes 99.99% at 0.3 microns AND names ASTM F1977 behind it, which almost nothing in this price band does
+Self-cleaning PowerFins brushroll is the specification that stops you cutting hair off a roller every two weeks
+Lift-Away pod covers stairs, the job uprights are worst at
Where it stops
−0.8 quarts is the smallest bin of any upright on this page
−800 watts, against 1,200 on both the Shark Navigator and the Hoover WindTunnel
−No published noise rating, so it cannot be compared on the one figure most uprights do publish
Who it is for
Carpeted homes with long-haired pets and someone in the house who reacts to dust, where the two published claims here are both load-bearing.
Skip it if
Nothing sheds in your house. The self-cleaning brushroll is most of what you are paying for over the cheaper Navigator, and on a pet-free carpet it earns nothing.
Our score: 8.3 out of 10
Published power8.5
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration8.5
Weight and handling5.5
Running cost9.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
03 · Best for hardwood
Shark Rocket Pet Plus Corded Stick (HV322)
Under 10 lb, 500 W, corded, with a low-profile head that actually fits under furniture — the hardwood answer that never needs charging.
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+500 W of constant power on hard floors, with none of the fade a battery gives you at minute 30
+Converts to a handheld and clips into freestanding storage
+Low-profile head reaches under couches that a full upright cannot
Where it stops
−Foam filter, not HEPA
−0.68-quart cup
−The cord is the whole compromise and there is no getting around it
Who it is for
Hardwood, tile and LVP homes with rugs, where constant suction matters more than cordless freedom.
Skip it if
Deep pile carpet is your main surface. A 500 W stick is not a substitute for a proper upright on thick pile.
Our score: 8.1 out of 10
Published power8.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration5.5
Weight and handling7.5
Running cost9.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
04 · Widest published cleaning path
Hoover WindTunnel Cord Rewind Pro Upright (UH71300)
1,200 watts across a 13.5-inch path with five height settings — the most carpet-specific hardware on this page, sold without a filtration claim to match.
5 levels, published for plush carpet through bare floor
Dirt cup
1.29 liters
Filtration
Multi-cyclonic with a cartridge filter. No HEPA claim and no named test standard
Rated noise
79 dB
Cord
25 feet, automatic rewind
Above-floor reach
8-foot hose plus a telescoping extension wand, published as 10 feet of reach
Weight
Not published — the listing's weight field reads 0.27 g, which is plainly a data error
Runtime
Unlimited — corded
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+13.5 inches is the widest published cleaning path on this site, and on a big carpeted room width is passes saved
+Five published height settings, which is what lets one machine work on plush pile and a bare hallway
+79 dB is the quietest rated upright here, 9 dB below the Eureka PowerSpeed
Where it stops
−Cartridge filtration with no HEPA claim and no named standard — the weakest filtration disclosure of the uprights here
−No anti-tangle claim of any kind, so long hair is a manual job
−Hoover publishes no usable weight for it, and a 35-inch upright is not something to buy weight-blind
Who it is for
Large carpeted floors on a budget, where path width, height settings and a 25-foot rewind cord decide how long the job takes.
Skip it if
Somebody in the house has allergies. Two machines on this page name ASTM F1977 behind their filtration figures; this one names nothing.
Our score: 8.1 out of 10
Published power9.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration7.0
Weight and handling6.5
Running cost8.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
05 · Longest published runtime
Tineco A30S Cordless Vacuum
Sixty minutes on the crevice tool and forty with the powered head, published separately — and 67 dB, which is the quietest figure on this page.
Up to 60 minutes with the 2-in-1 crevice brush; 40 minutes with the ZeroTangle brush
Suction
160 W suction, manufacturer-stated
Weight
5.3 lb
Dust cup
1 liter
Filtration
HEPA
Rated noise
67.1 dB
Brushroll
ZeroTangle
First charge
4-5 hours before first use, manufacturer-stated
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Publishes a suction figure (160 W) at all, which most of this price band refuses to do
+1-liter bin, 5.3 lb, and the runtime split is stated by tool
+67.1 dB rated — around 13 dB below the Shark line, which is a large perceived difference
Where it stops
−Tineco's spare parts network is thinner than Shark's or Bissell's
−The 60-minute headline is the crevice-tool figure; the number that matters is 40
−No stated battery-cycle rating, so battery life over years is unknowable from the sheet
Who it is for
Apartments and shared walls, where 67 dB versus 80 dB is the difference between cleaning at 9pm and not.
Skip it if
You want to buy replacement parts at a big-box store in three years. Shark and Bissell consumables are on shelves; Tineco's mostly are not.
Our score: 8.0 out of 10
Published power7.5
Runtime8.5
Bin and filtration8.5
Weight and handling9.0
Running cost6.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
06 · Best corded for pet hair
Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Upright (2252)
An 800 W corded upright with a triple-action brushroll: the deep-carpet answer for people whose cordless keeps running out mid-room.
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+800 W with a driven brushroll is a different class of carpet cleaning from any 180 W cordless
+Swivel steering, which most cheap uprights still do not have
+Nothing in it degrades with charge cycles
Where it stops
−12.5 lb, and you will feel every pound on a staircase
−80 dB
−Bagless with a disk filter rather than sealed HEPA
Who it is for
Carpeted houses with shedding pets, where a cordless keeps dying before the living room is finished.
Skip it if
Your home is mostly hard floor. A heavy carpet upright on tile is the wrong tool and a stick vacuum will be faster every time.
Our score: 7.9 out of 10
Published power8.5
Runtime10.0
Bin and filtration6.5
Weight and handling5.0
Running cost9.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
07 · Best published runtime detail
Levoit Anti-Tangle Cordless Vacuum
The only listing in this price band that publishes runtime three ways instead of quoting the flattering number and hoping you do not ask.
Up to 50 minutes in Eco with the crevice or pet tool; 30 minutes with the powered floor head; 12 minutes in Turbo
Motor
180 watts
Battery
22.2 V
Weight
6.2 lb
Dust cup
0.75 liters
Filtration
5-stage, rated to capture 99.9% of particles down to 0.3 microns, tested per ASTM F1977-22
Filter replacement interval
Every 3 months, manufacturer-stated
Suction in air watts or Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Publishes runtime by mode and by tool, which is the honest way to state it and almost nobody does
+6.2 lb, the lightest full-size stick here
+Lies flat at 180 degrees to get under furniture
+Names its filtration test standard (ASTM F1977-22) instead of claiming a bare percentage
Where it stops
−12 minutes in Turbo is the real number for deep carpet work and it is short
−Manufacturer-stated 3-month filter interval is the shortest here, and that is a running cost
−Explicitly dry-messes only
Who it is for
Hard floors and rugs, someone who wants the lightest machine and reads the footnotes.
Skip it if
You have deep pile carpet throughout. Twelve minutes of Turbo will not finish a carpeted house, and running it in Eco on pile is not deep cleaning.
Our score: 7.7 out of 10
Published power6.5
Runtime8.0
Bin and filtration8.5
Weight and handling9.0
Running cost6.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
08 · Best for long pet hair
Shark Cordless Pet (IY143H)
Doubles the dust cup over the IX141 and adds the self-cleaning brushroll, which is the single feature that matters if a dog lives here.
HEPA with Complete Seal, rated to capture over 99.97% of dust and allergens
Brushroll
Self-cleaning Turbo Pro, published as anti-hair-wrap
Floor detection
FloorDetect, adjusts brushroll speed by floor type
Suction in air watts or Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+0.7-quart cup is double the IX141's, which is the difference between one empty and three
+Self-cleaning brushroll is published as anti-hair-wrap, and that claim is specific rather than decorative
+FloorDetect removes the nozzle-swapping step between rug and hardwood
Where it stops
−Still no published suction figure
−Heavier than the IX141 by 0.2 lb, which you notice on stairs and nowhere else
−Battery is not published as user-removable on this model
Who it is for
Pet households with a mix of rug and hard floor, where hair wrap is the actual daily annoyance.
Skip it if
Your floors are entirely hard surface and nothing sheds. You are paying for the anti-tangle brushroll, and on bare floor it does nothing for you.
Our score: 7.5 out of 10
Published power6.0
Runtime7.0
Bin and filtration8.5
Weight and handling7.5
Running cost8.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
The ones to skip
Skip the Shark Rocket Pet Plus HV322 if more than about a third of your floor is carpet. It is on this page because 500 watts of constant corded power in an 8.6 lb stick is an excellent hard-floor machine and it handles a low-pile rug without complaint. But it publishes no height adjustment and no floor detection, and the slim low-profile head that makes it good under furniture is not built to dig into pile. Buying it for a carpeted house is the mistake this page exists to prevent.
Skip the Shark Navigator NV356E if your house has a lot of stairs. 13.7 lb is the heaviest machine we recommend anywhere on this site. The Lift-Away pod genuinely helps and it does not fully solve it. In a three-story house the honest answer is the 7.1 lb cordless IY143H, or one machine per floor.
And a caution: do not buy a cordless machine as the whole answer for a heavily carpeted house. The published gap is not subtle — 181 watts against 1,200 — and no cordless machine on this site is recommended as a deep-pile solution. On mixed floors that lean hard-surface, a cordless is the right primary. On mixed floors that lean carpet, it is the second machine.
What we cannot tell you
How well any of these actually transitions in your house. Nobody publishes a test for it, no two brands measure agitation the same way, and we have not run these machines. We also cannot tell you whether a given bristle roller will mark your particular floor finish — that depends on the finish, and your flooring manufacturer's own guidance is the authority, not us. Our method page states exactly where the evidence stops.
How to choose in one paragraph
If your house is mostly carpet with hard-floor rooms, buy the Shark NV356E and accept the weight. If it is mostly hard floor with carpeted bedrooms, buy the Shark IY143H and let FloorDetect do the switching. If it is genuinely half and half and you want one corded machine, buy the Hoover UH71300 for its five height settings and its 1.29-liter bin. If a long-haired animal lives there, the Shark ZD201 adds a self-cleaning brushroll to the same Lift-Away design. And if you would rather buy two cheap machines than one compromise, that is a legitimate answer too — the value desk is where that arithmetic lives.
Common questions
What is the best vacuum for hardwood and carpet?+−
On published specifications, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV356E: 1,200 watts onto a driven brushroll for carpet, a brushroll that can be switched off for bare floor, and filtration rated at 99.9% per ASTM F1977-22 as tested by IBR Laboratories. For a cordless machine, the Shark IY143H, because FloorDetect changes brushroll speed by surface without any input from you.
Can one vacuum really do both hardwood and carpet well?+−
Only if it publishes a way to change what the brushroll is doing. The two surfaces want opposite things — carpet needs agitation, bare floor is harmed by it. Four published mechanisms solve this: automatic floor detection, manual height adjustment, a brushroll off switch, and a head designed never to agitate hard in the first place. A machine that publishes none of them is a single-surface vacuum sold as an all-rounder.
Will a vacuum brushroll scratch hardwood floors?+−
A stiff bristle roller spinning at full speed on a bare floor is the published risk, which is why machines aimed at hard floors either soften the roller, slow it down, or let you turn it off. We cannot tell you whether a specific roller will mark your specific finish — that depends on the finish, and your flooring manufacturer's guidance is the authority.
Is a cordless vacuum enough for a house with carpet and hardwood?+−
It depends which way the house leans. On mostly hard floor with rugs and carpeted bedrooms, the published figures support a cordless as the primary machine. On mostly carpet, they do not: the gap between 181 watts of cordless motor power and 800 to 1,200 watts of corded upright is not marketing, and no cordless machine on this site is recommended for deep pile.
Do vacuum height settings matter on mixed floors?+−
They are one of the two published mechanisms that solve the problem. Head height sets how hard the roller engages: too low on carpet and the machine stalls, too high and it never touches the fibers; on bare floor the same setting either scatters debris or seals against the floor and kills airflow. The Hoover UH71300 publishes five levels for exactly this reason.
Is it cheaper to buy two vacuums instead of one that does both?+−
Often, yes. Two budget machines on this site — a corded upright for the carpet and a light stick for the daily hard-floor pass — cost less on published prices than one flagship cordless, and each is better at its own surface than any compromise machine. The cost is storage space and a second filter to wash.
What about a canister vacuum for mixed floors?+−
Good for hard floors, stairs and rugs; not for wall-to-wall carpet. The Eureka Whirlwind on this site publishes 960 watts, a 2.5-liter bin and washable HEPA, but no powered brushroll — and suction alone does not agitate pile. If your carpet is a couple of area rugs, it is a strong and cheap answer.
Sources
Manufacturer-published specifications — Every runtime, wattage, capacity, weight, filtration and warranty figure quoted on this page is the manufacturer's own published number for that model, retrieved September 1, 2026. Where a manufacturer publishes no figure, the page says 'Not published' rather than estimating one.
ASTM F1977 — standard test method for vacuum cleaner filtration efficiency — Named by Shark (tested by IBR Laboratories, per ASTM F1977-22) and by Levoit (ASTM F1977-22) in their own published filtration claims. Where a brand names this standard we treat the claim as checkable; where a brand states a bare percentage we do not.
Sweep & Suction — How We Pick — Our published method, including the scoring rubric, the three-year running-cost formula and an explicit statement of what published specifications cannot tell you.
