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“If you live in an apartment with all hard-surface flooring, you could get one of the stick vacuums that are very compact,” says John Galeotafiore, who oversees CR’s vacuum testing.
“If you have a lot of carpeting, then you’re going to need a vacuum that can deep clean, but you could get by with a bagless upright, which tends to be smaller and lighter than a bagged model,” he says.
Here are some of the best small-space choices from our vacuum cleaner ratings, listed by vacuum type. We spotlighted highly rated, compact vacuums that are convenient to use in a limited space. We’ve included several types of vacuums here; if you’re not sure which type is right for you, check out our vacuum cleaner buying guide.