Our tests often find cheaper brands that perform the same or better. The strongest suction doesn't necessarily mean the best performance; you also want one that's also easy to move up and down the surface, particularly if you're vacuuming rugs and carpet.
The motorised head provided with many models can give a vac extra power for stubborn areas. Wattage generally doesn't have an affect on performance either; we see many models under W which perform very well overall. When it comes to traditional corded vacuums, we often see cut-price models outperform their costly counterparts. However, they may not necessarily last as long over time our vacuums reliability survey for members reveals the best brands. If you're after certain features such as a selection of cleaning heads and accessories, as well as the ability to repair rather than replace your unit, you may be willing to pay a little extra.
Skip to content Skip to footer navigation. Top of the content. Vacuum cleaners. How to buy the best vacuum cleaner Our handy guide to vacuum types, price, pros and cons, and which one's best for your home. The simplest way to explain how vacuum cleaners can suck up debris is to think of each like a straw. When you take a sip of drink through a straw, the action of sucking creates a negative air pressure inside the straw: a pressure that is lower than that of the surrounding atmosphere.
Vacuum cleaners use an electric motor that spins a fan, sucking in air — and any small particles caught up in it — and pushing it out the other side, into a bag or a canister, to create the negative pressure.
You might think then that after a few seconds it would stop working, since you can only force so much air into a confined space. To solve this, the vacuum has an exhaust port that vents the air out the other side, allowing the motor to continue functioning normally. The air, however, does not just pass through and get ejected out the other side. That would be very harmful to people using the vacuum. Well, on top of the dirt and grime that a vacuum picks up, it also collects very fine particles that are almost invisible to the eye.
If they are inhaled in large enough quantities, they can cause damage to the lungs. Since not all of these particles are trapped by the bag or canister, the vacuum cleaner passes the air through at least one fine filter and often a HEPA High Efficiency Particulate Arresting filter to remove almost all of the dust. Check out the controls and features.
If you find a lower price online, see whether the physical store will match it. Keep an Ear Out for Noise No vacuum cleaner in our ratings is so loud that we recommend hearing protection, but any vacuum will seem louder in a room with a lot of echo, such as a tiled bathroom. Canister vacuums tend to be quieter than uprights. Watch for Sales Discounts of 20 to 30 percent off are increasingly available, especially during the holiday season.
Check store circulars or sign up on manufacturer or retailer email lists to receive coupons and news of upcoming promotions. Connected or Not? Not all robotic vacuums have WiFi connectivity—some just simply clean. Some vacuum cleaner features improve performance or take some of the drudgery out of cleaning. Here are the more helpful vacuum features to consider.
Most vacuums come with basic tools shown that should suffice for most cleaning jobs: a narrow tool for crevices, a small upholstery brush, and a round brush for dusting. On canister vacuums, a powered intake cleans carpets more thoroughly than a simple suction intake.
Edge cleaners are an optional tool and can pick up debris under the entire area of the cleaning head. Some upright vacuums and canisters use bags; some collect dirt in a bin. Bagged-type vacuums tend to hold more dirt, and switching a new one for a full one releases less dust into the air. An indicator tells you when the bag or bin is full. With bagless vacuums you can save money by not having to buy bags, but these use more filters such as HEPA filters that need to be periodically cleaned or replaced.
Replacement filters tend to be significantly more expensive than bags. Another caveat: Emptying the dustbin and cleaning a filter can be messy, and handling them can expose you to dust and other allergens. These include equipment and features that help when cleaning hardwood, vinyl, and other uncarpeted floor surfaces. This roller has bristles attached to it and spans the width of the base.
It dislodges dirt, dust, and grit from the carpet so that the intake can pick it up more easily. Some models have a switch to turn the roller brush off for cleaning bare floors.
A rotating brush on a bare floor can move dirt and debris around before it can be sucked up. The switch also makes it less likely for throw rugs, bedspreads, and the like to become tangled in the roller. This feature adjusts the height of the machine's brush roll to a carpet's pile height to allow for easy movement and thorough cleaning.
Adjustments are automatic on some models, but a manual control is more precise. A switch for suction control lets you reduce the flow of air through the hose, which can be helpful when cleaning upholstery and curtains.
A growing number of vacuums are claimed to filter the fine particles that could pass through the machine and escape into the air through the exhaust. Micron filters can provide a higher level of filtration than standard models either through the bag or a separate filter, but possibly not as high as HEPA filtration. HEPA filtration might benefit someone with asthma.
In our tests, models with a HEPA filter have been very effective at reducing emissions. Some models that don't have HEPA filters, however, have performed just as well in our tests, and such vacuums may cost less. More common in canisters, it lets you rewind the cord with a slight tug or the push of a button.
Most machines have an electrical cord of at least 20 feet; some cords are longer than 30 feet. A cord-release clip, found mostly on upright models, lets you free the entire cord at once, rather than one wrap at a time. This feature typically uses a transmission and drive system to assist the pushing and pulling of the vacuum, thereby requiring less effort by the user.
The downside: It adds weight that can make some vacuums difficult to carry. We respect your privacy. All email addresses you provide will be used just for sending this story. Sign In. Become a Member. Remember Me.
Forgot username or password? Not a member? Need further assistance? Please call Member Services at Vacuum Cleaners. Sign in or Become a Member. How We Test Vacuums To determine how well a vacuum cleans, we conduct a different set of tests on each type , based on what they're designed to clean. Vacuum Ratings.
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