How to Buy a Vacuum Cleaner

Choosing the Right Type of Vacuum for You

• Bare floors or carpet: Uprights are generally better than canisters at cleaning carpets, while canisters are usually better on bare floors and are also easier to transition between bare floors and rugs or carpet. If your home is mostly carpeted, you’re probably better off with an upright. If your home has mostly bare floors or a mix of rugs and bare floors, a canister vacuum is probably better.
• Weight: Canisters are usually lighter, making them easier to carry up stairs.
• Storage: Uprights are more compact, making them easier to store.
• Maneuverability: Many people find it awkward to have to pull a canister behind them as they vacuum. Vacuuming with a canister also requires you to lean over more, which can be tough on your back. The pushing action of an upright is easier and requires just one hand.
• Versatility: Canisters are more versatile than uprights: you can use them to clean carpets, floors, and tough-to-reach spots. Though most uprights include hoses, their hoses are often shorter, stiffer, and have less powerful suction than canister hoses.

Choosing a Specific Vacuum Model

• Price: Never skimp on price when buying a vacuum cleaner. Instead, think of a vacuum cleaner as a long-term investment—you’ll likely have the machine for at least 3–5 years. Though you can certainly buy vacuums that look just fine for $50–75, you won’t find a truly high-quality model for less than $150–200 or so. Note that price alone doesn’t guarantee the quality or effectiveness of a vacuum cleaner—always consider the other factors on this list, such as power and features, as well.
• Power: Vacuum cleaner manufacturers rate suction power in terms of amperage (amps) and horsepower (HP)—but HP is a more reliable predictor of suction power. In general, uprights have higher HP ratings than canisters do, which makes them more powerful at sucking up dirt. If the vacuums you’re considering don’t have HP ratings, look for one rated at 10–12 amps.
• Features: The main features to consider are attachments, filtration (see “Vacuum Cleaner Filters” later in this section), and settings. For attachments, look for a model that includes all of the attachments covered in this guide—if you’re buying an upright, you’ll need to choose one that includes a hose feature in order for it to have any of these attachments. For settings, look for a model that lets you turn the beater bar on or off and that lets you adjust the machine’s suction power.
• Certification: The Carpet and Rug Institute™ (CRI) is the leading trade association for carpet and rug manufacturers in the United States. In 2000, the CRI introduced its Green Label Testing Program, which evaluates vacuum cleaners based on three criteria: soil removal, dust containment, and carpet appearance retention (how well the vacuum keeps your carpet looking as good as new). Vacuums that pass all three tests get the CRI’s Green Label, which has come to represent the industry standard for high-quality vacuums. Look for the Green Label on vacuums as you browse for vacuums in retail stores, and refer to the complete list of Green Label machines at CRI’s website (www.carpet-rug.org).
   
  
• Bagged vs. bagless: Both canister and upright vacuums are sold in bagged and bagless versions.
  • Bagged models: These suck dust into a disposable bag, which you have to throw out and replace whenever it fills up (usually every month or two, but sometimes more often, depending on how often you vacuum). Replacement bags usually cost just a few dollars.
  • Bagless models: These have a dirt collection compartment that contains a permanent built-in filter. The vacuum pulls air through the filter, leaving dust and dirt to collect in the compartment. You then open up the compartment and discard the dirt periodically.

Why You Should Buy a Bagged Vacuum Cleaner

• Mess: Opening up and cleaning out a bagless model’s collection compartment inevitably spews dust into the air and onto the surfaces you’re trying to clean.
• Allergens: The filters in bagless vacuums are generally not as effective at removing allergens as those in bagged models. In addition, the cloud of dust emitted when cleaning out a bagless can cause allergic reactions in allergy sufferers.
• Suction power: Bagless vacuums are much more likely to lose suction power than bagged models. As dust and dirt collect within the built-in filter’s tiny pores over time, less air permeates the filter, limiting suction power. Since it’s usually impossible to replace a bagless model’s built-in filter, once this happens, your only choice will be to buy a new vacuum cleaner.

Cyclonic Bagless Vacuums

Vacuum Cleaner Filters

• No filtration: These vacuums are the least expensive and still pick up dust off the floor, but a significant portion of that dust ends up in the air.
• Microfiltration systems: A step up from having no filtration system, both in cost and effectiveness, but not as thorough as HEPA filters.
• HEPA filtration: HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are the best and most expensive filters.