If there’s one piece of tech every home and RV owner values, it’s a well-performing, reliable, powerful vacuum. We’ve test driven several brands and models over the last 12 months and celebrate the three clear standouts in our Best of 2025 lineup. (PS it’s no longer unacceptable to buy home appliances for Christmas, especially ones this cool!)
Best smart cleaning vac: Roborock H60 Hub Ultra
Hands up who loves hands-free technology! Bringing something new to the vac offerings, the Roborock H60 absolutely tops the field when it comes to minimising all the parts of vacuuming we least enjoy. One of the best features is Roborock’s self-emptying dock technology (no more touching or breathing in vac dust and dirt), perfect for anyone who values hygiene. The unit self-empties into a sealed 3L bag in the dock so you never have to touch vac dirt again. It also makes deep cleaning effortless (the design is the closest thing to self-drive we’ve encountered). And while the docking station is a ‘large’ unit, it’s aesthetic for even the most modern home is definitely acceptable. Extra tools are stored in the dock making for a single uncluttered unit, which holds a permanently charged vac armed with multi-stage filtration and all the newest innovations (LED illumination, premium cleaning features, etc). Plus, with a quick change of nozzle, it’s a handy compact hand vac perfect for power cleaning your car or RV.
Best cordless handstick vac: Dyson PencilVac
In an era where all shapes and sizes are valued, the Dyson PencilVac unashamedly stands out from the crowd, earning its status as the world’s slimmest vacuum cleaner. With a diameter of just 38mm (the same as some Dyson hair tools!) the PencilVac brings new meaning to the word compact, and its svelte form makes it the perfect solution for RVers and homeowners who value streamline design. Despite its size, no concessions have been made when it comes to power or performance. The Dyson R&D team have truly excelled with the compact Hyperdymium 140k motor (the same diameter as a 2 Euro coin), which spins at 140,000RPM. In layman’s terms, it delivers outstanding cleaning in combination with the innovative FluffyconesTM cleaner head. With double green laser lights highlighting any missed spots, the PencilVac joyously operates just as well forwards and backwards (usually a letdown with other vacs). The rotating head also excels around corners and curves. There’s a definite satisfaction as you can feel (and see) the clever conical brush bar achieving a deep clean. Results confirm absolute success!
Best handheld vac: Shark Wandvac
Out of all the categories of vacuum cleaners, handheld vacs most commonly disappoint. While we’ve purchased and trialled several, they’ve all had one thing in common: not living up to their promises. So, imagine our delight (and surprise) when the Shark Wandvac continued to impress. There’s no doubt it is category leading: lightweight (just 640g) with two additional tools (that neatly store in the charger), it more than earns its keep for being sleek enough to permanently sit on a countertop, where it best works as a grab and go. Although it only has a 10-minute runtime, it’s not aimed at large sessions, but is perfect for a quick vehicle or RV refresh, for tricky corners and for quickly uplifting crumbs from upholstery.
