Quick Steps for Vacuuming Stairs
The cordless, upright, canister, and handheld vacuums that make the job easier
Got stairs? These top picks from Miele, Shark, Black+Decker, and Samsung (left to right) alleviate some of the hassles of vacuuming them.
By Mary H.J. Farrell
With the exception of those pesky cobwebs that gather in the corners of your ceiling, stairs may be the most annoying area of your home to vacuum. Hauling a heavy appliance up and down can be cumbersome at best, and a vacuum cord poses a serious tripping hazard.
The task is trickier if you rely on one full-sized upright or canister vacuum for all of your household cleaning. While uprights are the vacuum of choice for carpeted floors, they’re difficult to maneuver on stairs. Canister vacuums are a bit less clunky because you can hold the hose and powerhead in one hand and the canister in the other as you make your way up and down. But as a practical matter, some uprights and canisters can weigh 25 pounds or more. That’s a lot of weight to tote up and down a flight.
But thanks to innovations in vacuum design, there are alternatives that take the ugh out of this ugly chore, especially if you’re considering adding another vacuum to your cleaning collection.
We asked the experts in our vacuum testing labs for some recommendations and they had some great tips. “Most stick vacuums convert to hand-vac mode, so you get the power of the stick vac but the versatility of a handheld,” says Susan Booth, who leads CR’s vacuum testing team. “In hand-vac mode, the vacuum may not be quite as light as a dedicated handheld, but it’s helpful in hard-to-reach areas.”
Frank Rizzi, another project leader, points to uprights made by Shark that have a “lift-away” feature that makes it possible to separate the collection tank from the powerhead, so it operates much like a canister. These are particularly good for carpeted stairs, where you may need more suction to remove the debris.
How to Vacuum Stairs
No matter what kind of vacuum you use, here are a few simple tips that make vacuuming stairs easier.
Sweep first. If it’s been a while or there’s noticeable dust and debris on the stairs, start with a broom and dustpan or a Swiffer-type floor cleaner with a microfiber cloth to remove the top layer of dirt.
Work from the top of the stairs down. Although your inclination may be to walk up the stairs with vacuum in hand, it’s more efficient to start at the landing and work your way down so you can suck up anything that gets dislodged and falls to the step below.
Use your attachments. Most full-sized vacuums and many stick models come with attachments that make it simple to clean in tight corners and along edges—and there are plenty of both on stairs. The crevice tool, with its angled design, is particularly handy for tight places.
Don’t forget the risers. Because you don’t want to carry out this task every week, do a thorough job when you make the effort. That means taking time to vacuum the vertical parts of your stairs as well as the treads. The crevice tool or a small brush attachment works well for this.
Best Vacuums for Stairs
Here are some recommendations from our vacuum team that also score highly in our tests. For many more, see our full vacuum ratings and recommendations. (While we don’t officially recommend any cordless stick vacuums because of battery-life issues, many score very well in our performance tests.)
Stick Vacuums
Samsung Bespoke Jet VS20A95923
Bespoke usually refers to custom-made clothing, not vacuums. But you can customize the Samsung Bespoke Jet VS20A95923 to the task at hand, and it converts into a handheld for cleaning stairs and other tight spots. It also has a multipurpose storage tower that automatically empties the bin after each use, capturing the dust in a bag instead of releasing it into the air. The tower also serves as a recharging station. The vacuum features a digital countdown display for monitoring the battery, which can run for almost an hour on low and for 10 minutes on high. Either is plenty of time to vacuum your stairs.
Shark Vertex Pro IZ662H
The Shark Vertex Pro IZ662H is a sharp performer in CR’s tough tests. It cruised through our tests for carpet, bare floors, and even pesky pet hair. And it didn’t leave anything behind along the edges, a key attribute for cleaning stairs. It converts to a handheld and is packed with features; testers liked the duo-clean power head with both bristle and soft rollers. (The roller also uses bristle guards and a combing device to remove hair.) Another plus: It folds for compact storage.
Upright Vacuums
Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away NV586 (Target)
A Target exclusive, the Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away NV586 has a 26-foot cord and weighs about 16 pounds, noticeably less than many uprights. It receives an excellent rating in our pet-hair and bare-floors tests, though it doesn’t fare as well on carpet. The “lift-away” in the model name refers to the fact that you can lift the collection bin away from the main handle and use it as a canister. Our testers found that this vacuum handles well, but it’s noisier than other upright vacuums. In our member survey, Shark earned top marks for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.
Shark Rotator Lift-Away ADV DuoClean LA500 (Walmart)
One of the many Sharks in our vacuum ratings, the Shark Rotator Lift-Away ADV DuoClean LA500 aces our tests for bare floors and pet hair and earns a very good rating in our carpet-cleaning test. The lift-away feature (allowing you to remove the collection bin from the main handle to use as a canister) comes in handy when cleaning stairs and reaching into corners for cobwebs. Airflow is ample, and the Shark comes with several attachments, including a crevice tool.
Canister Vacuums
Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog
The bagless, lightweight (15 pounds) Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog is on the pricey side for vacuums, but it’s one of the best canisters you can buy. It earns an excellent rating on our bare-floor and pet-hair tests, but it’s not as great when it comes to cleaning carpet. This vacuum also performs well in our emissions tests; it doesn’t release debris back into the air of the room you just cleaned. Miele vacuums have a devoted following, and in our member survey, the brand earned top scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.
Kenmore 200 Series BC4002
The bagged 19-pound Kenmore 200 Series BC4002 offers both performance and value. At this relatively low price, you get an impressive vacuum that vanquishes pet hair and leaves floors spotless. It’s also quite capable at cleaning carpet, earning a very good rating on that test. Emissions are clean and tool airflow is strong, so you’ll have no problem using your attachments to clean your stairs or other hard-to-reach places. Our testers found it pretty easy to handle and move under and around furniture.
Handheld Vacuums
Shark Ion W1 WV201
Not all handheld vacuums can tackle pet hair with aplomb, but the Shark Ion aces that task, earning an excellent rating. It’s also a champ at cleaning bare floors and getting into hard-to-reach places like the edges of stairs, and it’s not too shabby at cleaning carpet, either. The vacuum and all its attachments can be stored on the charging base, making it a real space saver. And at just 1.4 pounds, it’s one of the lightest hand vacs in our tests. The only downside to its small size is the small dustbin, which may have to be emptied more than once if you have a sizable mess.
Black+Decker Max+ DustBuster AdvancedClean+ HHVK515J00
The Black+Decker Max+ DustBuster AdvancedClean+ HHVK515J00 is a good bet if you have bare floors, and it earns a very good score for carpet. If you have a pet, however, try another model that rates better in our pet-hair tests. This Black+Decker earns an excellent rating for cleaning edges, perfect for stair steps. It’s one of the quieter handhelds in our tests and comes with tools that help you get into especially tight spaces, like stair edges and between the cushions of your car.
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