Best Kenmore Upright Vacuums (2026)

The Elite is the family's flagship, and it earns the title with its motor arrangement. Two motors in the nozzle drive the brush directly, so there are no belts to snap or stretch, and a third, the Inducer Motor, generates the suction the maker calls its most powerful in this range. A bag collects the dirt, and triple HEPA filtration traps 99.97 percent of particles down to 0.3 microns by the maker's rating.

Next to the Intuition models it is heavier and more capable, with the beltless nozzle as the main upgrade. The Pet Handi-Mate is a small motorized tool for stairs and furniture.

For ownership, the bag and the filter are the recurring costs. Replace the bag when it is about two thirds full, seat it flat against the intake and close the bag door until it latches. Replace the HEPA filters on the interval in the manual, and wipe the nozzle's sole plate with a dry cloth monthly, because the two motors sit close to the floor and a build-up of lint raises their running temperature. Because the drive has no belt, a sudden stop in the roll usually means a jam, so switch off and unplug before you reach in, and clear the cause rather than forcing the machine on, since a jammed roll with a running motor overheats quickly. Keep a spare bag set and a spare filter on a shelf beside the vacuum, because running without either is the most damaging habit for this design.

Hair Eliminator is a brush roll that automatically removes hair from itself, so it is always ready to clean and you skip the scissors. Add a button that releases a lightweight pod for stairs and above-floor cleaning, and a press-to-release bag that spares you from touching the dirt, and the Intuition becomes the most convenient Kenmore in the lineup.

Compared with the Elite it is lighter and simpler, with a conventional nozzle and no third motor, but its hair feature solves the most common complaint. It is a strong pick for a pet household that wants a bag.

Seat the bag carefully each time, since a bag that is not latched leaks into the housing, and buy spare bags in the right style. Wipe the pod joint monthly and check the hose when you use the pod, because pet hair plugs form at the bend. A clog in the hose looks exactly like a failing motor. When you use the pod on stairs, work from the top step down so the dust you dislodge falls onto treads you have not yet cleaned, and carry the pod with the hose clipped to it so it does not trail on the steps. A roll that clears hair on its own still benefits from a monthly look at its end caps, where a few long strands can hide.

At under 12 pounds, the Featherlite is a full-size upright that a person can carry upstairs, and it still includes a lift-up pod for above-floor cleaning. Two motors deliver suction, and a HEPA filtration system the maker rates at 99.97 percent of dust down to 0.3 microns sits inside the machine.

It is a bagless cup design, so it is cheaper to run than the bagged models but releases dust when emptied. Compared with the Intuition it is lighter and drops the Hair Eliminator and the bag-release convenience.

Empty the cup outdoors into a bag held tight to the opening, wash the filters on schedule and let them dry fully. The pod adds a joint to keep clean, so wipe it monthly, and check the roll for hair every few weeks since this model does not have a self-clearing roll. At this weight the machine can feel light on a thick rug, so go slowly and make overlapping passes rather than quick strokes, and remember that a pod that is attached while you vacuum the floor adds weight at the handle, so for large rooms it is worth leaving the pod docked on the body and only lifting it when you reach the stairs.

Four height adjustment levels set the head for the floor: lower for rugs, higher for bare floors. That is a manual control, and it matters, because a head set too low on hard floor scatters crumbs and a head set too high on carpet leaves dirt. A weight under 12 pounds keeps it manageable.

It includes the Pet HandiMate and two cleaning tools, so stairs and upholstery are covered. Next to the Featherlite it has no pod, but it is simpler.

Set the height when you change rooms, empty the cup before it fills to the line and wash the filter monthly. A height dial that is left on the lowest setting is the most common reason for a model like this to seem to push hard, so make adjusting it a habit. A good rule is the lowest setting for a rug, the next for a low-pile carpet, and the top two for tile and hardwood, with a glance at the head each time you change rooms. If the machine starts to feel as if it is dragging, raise the height one notch before you suspect a fault, because the most common explanation is simply a head that is too close to the floor for the pile.

The DU2001 uses a two-motor system for deep cleaning and a large dust cup so you cover more floor between emptying. Swivel steering helps around furniture, and a 3-in-1 combination tool handles upholstery.

At under 14 pounds it is heavier than the Featherlite and has no pod, but it has more capacity. Next to the DU2012 it has the bigger cup and the same two-motor design.

Empty the cup at the line, wash the filter and clear the roll. A large cup is heavy when full of sand or soil, so empty it at about two thirds and tip it into a bag held close. The swivel steering depends on a pivot at the base of the handle, so tilt the machine back now and then and pull out any thread or hair that has wound around it, because a stiff swivel makes the machine harder to turn and tempts you to drag it, which strains the wheels and the belt. Keep the cord wound loosely on the hooks.

The DU2012 is the straightforward bagless upright: two motors, a 2 liter cup, a 10 foot hose for stairs and furniture and a HEPA filter the maker rates at 99.7 percent. Suction control lets you tune the airflow for the floor.

It gives you the family's two-motor design without the pod or the bag, which makes it the budget sibling. The 10 foot hose gives reach but makes it awkward to carry.

Empty the cup, wash the filter and coil the hose loosely. A long hose can crack at the connection if bent sharply, so store it in a loose loop. The suction control is a small slide valve that opens an air bleed, so keep it clear of dust, and open it when you use the hose on curtains or loose upholstery, because full suction on a light fabric pulls it into the nozzle and makes the tool hard to move. A long hose also adds airflow resistance, so expect the nozzle suction to feel a little gentler than on a model with a short, direct path.