The Best Cheap Vacuum Cleaners in Australia【 2021 List 】

Our best cheap vacuum reviews, we believe, will save you from buying a dud item.

We’ve been afraid to recommend certain popular vacuum brands as we have experienced issues such as the suction fading or parts disintegrating.

Most cheap vacuums will attract you with the low price, but then the product quality will be horrific.

Budget vacuums are designed to be more durable these days, but can the best budget vacuum cleaners hold their own against the premium brands?

The best cheap vacuum cleaner reviews are meant to open up your eyes to a world of excellent budget vacuums!

We’ve divided our pick of the best budget vacuum reviews based on the best cheap cylinder, best cheap pet vacuum and the best cheap cordless vac.

With the best cheap vacuums, however, you’ll be convinced that you won’t have to spend a fortune on vacuum cleaners.

Ultimately, we believe you will be hard-pressed to discover a sharper deal when it comes to cheap cylinder vacuums!

When you have to deal with particularly high-pile carpets, however, this can be more than just an annoyance.

Vacuum attachments keep slipping off the hose often.

One issue that our testers kept having with this vacuum is a minor one.

A telescopic tube and crevice attachment, combined with the lightweight stature, makes this vacuum a good contender for cleaning dark corners!

A 3-litre dust canister is heavily appreciated, and we also loved how easy Akitas has made dumping!

A 2-in-1 floor brush will ensure that you can switch seamlessly between carpets and hard surfaces at home.

The reason for that is the lack of a rotating brush or cleaner head that can agitate carpet fibres.

While suction power that is generated by the intense motor is potent, this vacuum does struggle to pick up pet hair .

Cyclonic dust capture is one of the key reasons why we recommend this low-cost vacuum cleaner.

At 5 kilograms, it is fairly lightweight for a cylinder vacuum, which makes it sweetly mobile and easy to carry upstairs.

Japan-based Akitas has produced a cheap, yet effective cylinder vacuum with this 2400-watt machine.

We reckon it is worth taking a punt on this vacuum as Hoover extends a one-year warranty on this affordable vac.

At 7.5 kilograms, it is not a light vacuum, but the telescopic tube will take care of most of your staircase cleaning needs.

HEPA filtration makes this vacuum one of the best options for homes with allergy sufferers or people with severe breathing troubles.

Washable HEPA filters will capture over 99.95% of all microscopic pollen, dust and allergens your vacuum sucks up.

The filtration on this budget vacuum really sets it apart from most other cheap vacuums.

Other accessories such as an extendable telescopic tube and crevice tool were useful in getting into tight corners.

A unique spinning turbo nozzle attachment makes this vacuum an especially potent contender in dealing with delicate pet fur.

This 2800 watt beast is not exactly the most energy-efficient device you could have at home, but it is an affordable powerhouse.

With their range of Enigma vacuums, however, Hoover is trying to claw back its market power.

With the rise of Dyson, Shark , Bissell, Bosch and Vax, the Hoover name – which used to be synonymous with vacuums – has taken a plunge.

The Enigma brand has been a god-send for Hoover’s fading international brand.

The power cord could have been slightly longer

With all of the features that have been packed in, the low price of the Bissell Featherweight 2024F will attract Australian homeowners that want the security of an established name of one of the best budget vacuum cleaners around.

By weighing only a little over 2 kilograms, our team of testers rarely broke a sweat while covering ground rapidly!

On the other hand, thick rugs are a nemesis of this vacuum as it has a tough time digging deep into the fibres, given the limited brushbar technology.

On thin carpets and hard surfaces such as porcelain tiles and floorboards, the Bissell Featherweight performs at a remarkably high level for the price-tag.

With about 0.5 litres of dustbowl capacity, we have to point out that you may have to often empty this device during long cleaning sessions!

By converting to a handheld cleaner, this is one of the best budget vacuums because of the cleaning versatility it lends.

The Bissell Featherweight 2024F holds a distinctive advantage over most lightweight cleaners as it is corded and does not depend on batteries. A 4.5-metre long power cord is not immense, but it sure does get the job done if you live in a modest space.

Although many people considering such an ultra-light cleaning device are looking for a budget vacuum that supports their primary vacuum at home.

U.S-based Bissell has long been working on lightweight stick vacuums that act as powerful cleaners that come in an affordable package.

The pet hair attachment can only be used in handheld mode

Our team of testers, however, reckon that it is a relatively low price to pay for the immense value provided through this budget upright vacuum’s cleaning prowess.

The low price of this vacuum also throws up one more complication – loud operation.

An extendable cleaning wand on this upright vacuum will easily reach underneath furniture and tight corners.

However, a drawback of the pet tool attachment is that it can only be made use of when the upright vacuum is in handheld mode.

For pet owners, the pet tool attachment with this budget vacuum will make pet hair upkeep much more manageable.

With the press of a switch, you can also easily switch to hard surfaces as well.

For the low price, we absolutely love how Hoover cuts no corners, by fitting a motorised powerhead on this vacuum that easily lifts carpet fibres to dislodge stubbornly embedded debris.

Although it may look bulky at first glance, the Essential Upright is a remarkably versatile cleaner as it can convert to a handheld.

The world-famous Hoover brand has practically become synonymous with vacuum technology because of a strong emphasis on producing for the needs of homeowners and families.

One of the best budget vacuum cleaners from U.S.-based Hoover, the Essential Upright has also found a place in Vacuumit’s list of the best vacuum cleaners in Australia .

The battery will last for 35 minutes on lower power modes

All things considered, the versatility of this cheap stick vacuum makes it a winner in our book!

We do wish that there was a larger dust canister capacity than 0.5 litres.

On lower power modes, we found that the WP536 will last for about 35 minutes.

For those especially stubborn spots, there is are two power modes – with the maximum power mode a real MVP!

Carpet performance is especially great, with a direct-drive cleaner head going a long way in agitating carpet fibres.

The battery does take about 3 hours to recharge completely, which isn’t especially great.

With 25 minutes of battery life, the WP536 isn’t really miles off the 30 – 45 minutes of battery life you can expect in high-end stick vacuums.

HEPA filtration is a major positive in such an affordable vacuum.

You can also swivel the vacuum head up to 180 degrees for greater coverage and excellent mobility around obstacles.

This stick vacuum will convert to a handheld device for better versatility in cleaning your car interiors or stairs.

At barely 2.5 kilograms, the WP536 is super-lightweight and nimble.

As our team of testers got their hands on the lightweight WP536 stick vacuum , we could see that this was a seriously underrated beauty.

Puppyoo, through careful marketing and excellent build-quality, has captured a place as the number one vacuum manufacturer in this market.

The Chinese market is the largest appliances market on the planet, overtaking the United States a decade ago.

Don’t scoff at, or write off, Puppyoo just because it’s Chinese-made.

What Should I Inspect Before Buying A Cheap Vacuum?

The top vacuum brands such as Dyson, Miele, Shark, Bissell and Hoover have made a name for themselves with sturdy vacuums.

While the wide array of accessories and high-tech features may not be present in even the best budget vacuums, don’t be disheartened.

More often than not, some of the cheapest vacuums we’ve reviewed give even the best vacuums a run for their money in suction power and versatility!Let’s inspect some critical factors to consider before buying a cheap vacuum for your home. 

Filtration 

Through our experience in vacuum testing, the best kind of filters we have seen are HEPA filters.

HEPA filtration can remove over 99.95% of all allergens, up to 0.3 microns in size.

Washable HEPA filters don’t come cheap though, so it will be a challenge to find them in a budget vacuum.

Suction

With a swing towards more energy-efficient appliances, even the vacuum industry has begun to spend more time and effort in developing powerful, energy-efficient motors.

This has helped in the development of good cheap vacuums, with adequate suction power. 

While some cheap vacuums will not disappoint, an overwhelming majority have shoddy suction.

Some cheap vacuums even have suction that wears off after a few weeks of use, which is super-hard to predict.

Bagless or Bagged

Bagged vacuums have one significant advantage over bagless vacuums – there is a lower risk of dust re-entering while dumping.

For homes with allergy sufferers, this is a major positive.

But if you are after a budget vacuum, then perhaps you are looking for a low-cost option.

Bagged vacuums, where you may have to keep spending on replacement bags, may not be the answer. 

Accessories

This is one area where cheap vacuums have a lot of catching up to do with the bigger brands.

We recently did a Dyson V11 review and found that the pricey vacuum comes with thirteen (yes, you read that right!) different attachments.

With budget vacs, however, you may not be able to find more than a couple of essential attachments – if any at all!

Dustbin Capacity

In order to minimise costs, almost all of the cheap vacuums we’ve come across have a limited dust canister capacity.

While this isn’t anything more than an annoyance, if you have a lot of cleaning or live in a large space, this can be more than just irritating.

Keep an eye out for a budget vacuum with a large dust canister, so that you can clean with relative ease over long periods.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do High-End Brands Make Cheap Vacuums?

We know how everybody is – we trust a brand before we trust a product!Some of the top cheap vacuums we’ve had a chance to review are not from famed brands.

That does not mean that the top vacuum manufacturers aren’t testing this space.

We’ve seen some of the best cheap vacuums come from renowned brands such as Numatic (the Henry Hoover parent) or Vax and Bosch.

Are Cheap Vacuum Cleaners Any Good?

Let’s state the reality. You have to measure your expectations when you are buying a budget vac!

The premium vacuum brands have an array of features and well-crafted engineering that sets them apart.

The good news is there are plenty of cheap vacuums that can match premium brands in a few ways.

Some of the best cheap vacuums we’ve tested could match up with the big boys on suction, filtration and accessories included. The top cheap vacuums could even display cleaning versatility by converting to a handheld device.

Our top advice to you would be to identify the greatest need for your home – and choose a budget vacuum that can deliver in that regard.