What's the best budget vacuum cleaner? Here are our favourites, from just £40

Tested by Mumsnet floor care editor Natasha Gregson: Read our in-depth Henry HVR160 Vacuum Cleaner review

Hurray for Henry! This iconic appliance is MNHQ's best value vacuum, and judging by the love for the cheeky chap on our forums, it's not hard to see why.

Bulky and cumbersome he may be, but what he lacks in portability, he more than makes up for in power - even accidentally guzzling up some loose grouting in my bathroom. He's built to last too: Mumsnetter tougholdbirdy claims their Henry has lasted decades.

With a substantial six-litre capacity, you can go for weeks - maybe even months - without emptying it. Luckily, when the time does come, it’s very easy to manage. All the dust and debris is trapped neatly in a self-seal bag, so you just remove it, seal it and pop it in the bin - excellent news for those with allergies.

While Henry performs exceptionally well overall (especially on carpets), I did have a few issues with the floor head attachment. On hard floors, the brush tends to nudge larger debris, like cornflakes, ahead rather than picking them up. The combi tool works well in this situation, but it does mean swapping attachments mid-clean, which can be a pain.

All in all though, Henry is an excellent, powerful choice - and there's a reason he's the go-to choice for many professional cleaners.

Read next: The best handheld vacuum cleaners

Tested by Mumsnet editor Poppy O'Neill: Read our full Russell Hobbs Centaur review

If the Henry HVR160 sounds a bit too taxing to whip out for quick cleans, the Russell Hobbs Centaur is a brilliant alternative - and it comes in at less than half the price of Henry, too.

A lightweight, cordless vacuum, the Centaur is a clever two-in-one device that functions as both a stick and handheld vacuum, so you can reach every corner of your home with ease. Its power doesn't quite rival Henry's, but it does a decent job and is ideal for everyday cleaning. Weighing less than 3kg, it's impressively portable - but the trade-off is its small 0.5-litre capacity, so you’ll probably need to empty it after each clean.

The runtime on eco is decent - up to 60 minutes - but, as with all cordless designs, it drains much faster if you use the boost mode. Still, it's a great choice and our top pick for a cordless vac on a budget.

Tested by Mumsnet floor care editor Natasha Gregson: Read our in-depth VonHaus Stick Vacuum Cleaner review

For just £33, you can nab this "surprisingly powerful" vacuum, which comes with the coveted Mumsnetter seal of approval. It's the cheapest full-sized vacuum in our guide, but don't be fooled by the price tag - this is a seriously hardworking piece of kit.

The VonHaus can be used either as a corded stick vacuum or converted into a portable handheld for spot cleans and awkward corners, stretching its value for money even further. It's super lightweight too - at just 2.5kg, I found it ideal for whipping round the house quickly. It's portability is even more impressive when you consider its capacity (1.3 litres) - which, while far less than Henry's, is very good for a stick vacuum.

Suction is stronger than you’d expect from a £33 vacuum, and I was very impressed by how well the 17,000Pa of dust-busting power cleaned both my carpets and hard floors during testing.

However, as expected, the build quality isn’t quite up to premium Dyson or Shark levels, plus dust tends to cling around the filter, meaning you’ll need to get hands-on to clear it out properly. The power cord (6m) is also shorter than Henry's (10m), but at this price, that's easily forgiven.

A no-nonsense vacuum cleaner that’s easy to use, powerful on pet hair, compact to store and less than 50 quid? Step forward the Basics Cylinder Bagless Vacuum Cleaner, a range vetted by Mumsnetters and thousands of Amazon customers.

While the dust container is on the small side for a cylinder vacuum, this offering from the retail giant impresses thanks to its suction and ability to get the job done. Sure, it's not going to win any awards for innovation, but for a basic, decent vacuum, it more than holds its own.

It's surprisingly light for a cylinder too, weighing in at 5.35kg (for comparison, the Henry weighs 7.5kg). This means it's portable to move around from room to room, though you may find yourself having to swap plug points fairly often as the cable only stretches to 5m.

Reviewed by MNHQ staff Sarah Murray-Muncila: Read our in-depth Lefant M210 Robot Vacuum Cleaner review

Feeling the never-ending struggle to keep on top of housework? Let us introduce the Lefant M210, our best robot vacuum on a budget. For just over £100, you can have your very own robot assistant that trundles round, vacuuming your floors with you barely having to lift a finger.

Controlled through an easy-to-use app, my Lefant (or "cinders" as I like to call it), does a great job of keeping on top of everyday crumbs, dust and pet hair. I tend to stick to the automatic mode as it works well, but there are other modes too - spot cleaning, edge cleaning and planning - if you need something a bit more targeted.

With 2,200Pa suction, it’s not the most powerful robot vacuum on the market, but it impressed me for the price. Where it falls short, however, is in navigation: it doesn’t map your home like higher-end models, so it can occasionally bump into furniture or get caught on rug tassels.

Read next: The best floor mops

The Vax Air Stretch Pet Max is proof that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get impressive cleaning power. It’s a high-performance upright vacuum that tackles pet hair, crumbs and general family-life debris with ease - and at a price that won’t make your eyes water.

One of its biggest pluses is the generous 13-metre cord and two-metre hose, which means you can blitz almost the whole house from a single plug socket (always a small victory). It’s lighter than most uprights too, so carrying it up and down the stairs shouldn't be too taxing.

The built-in turbo tool works a treat on pet hair, whether it’s on carpets, hard floors or the sofa, and the HEPA filter helps trap pet dander and dust, leaving the air feeling that bit fresher.

Read next: The best Shark vacuum cleaners

Our best handheld vacuum cleaner on a budget, the Vax Gator gets its name from the easy ‘snap-open’ dustbin, which makes emptying quick and mess-free. It’s small, lightweight and easy to grab for those inevitable everyday messes - crumbs under the highchair, mud by the front door or the odd raisin that’s escaped under the sofa.

It’s not designed for marathon cleaning sessions - the 15-minute battery life is best suited for quick jobs - and you’ll need to plug it back in after each use, as the recharge time is an astonishingly long 12 hours. But for a low-cost, grab-and-go option that makes speedy spruce-ups easier, the Gator is a handy addition to busy family households.