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The first factor to consider when buying a vacuum cleaner is what type you need. We use the word need here because you want to match the type of vacuum cleaner with your cleaning needs. There are 8 major types of vacuums: Uprights, Canisters, Robotic, Hand Held, Stick, Steam Cleaners, Wet/Dry, and Central. Each major type has pros and cons associated with it. For a good review of the 8 types of vacuum cleaners visit our guide to vacuum types.
There is a wide range of price for most major types of vacuum cleaners. You can buy vacuum cleaners for $50 and you can spend $1000 for a High End vacuum cleaner. We give average price ranges for the top models in our guide to vacuum types. We recommend sticking with the top rated models and you are very likely to get what you pay for with all of them. For the top value we recommend buying an upright because it offers the most performance for the money. However, your needs might favor buying a different type and there are good values for each of the major types.
There are 22 Brands in our Index of Top Vacuum Brands. All of them make a pretty decent vacuum cleaner. Some of them like Hoover make a very large number of models so it is important to decide what model to get in addition to which brand you are buying. We list the top brands for each of the of the major vacuum types in our guide to vacuum types.
Click here to see our top 10 vacuum cleaner brands
The most important aspect of performance for a vacuum cleaner is the power of the suction. Unfortunately, there are not good objective measuring standards for vacuum suction like there are for the 0-60 time for popular cars. The best specification is the watts of the motor but this is hard to find for some of the top vacuum cleaners and it is not a direct measurement of the actual suction of the cleaner - just an indication fo the power of the motor. Amps is a measure of the electric current for the vacuum motor and is not a good indication of how well the vacuum actually performs.
There are not many quality expert or user review options for vacuum cleaners. Consumer Reports and Allergy Buyers Club do a decent job of reviewing some of the top vacuum cleaners but they do not cover all the top models and most of the other review sources are just not that valuable. It would be nice to have better specifications for vacuums like computers and better testing of vacuums like cars but unfortunately neither exists today.
Dirt Capture - The most important feature is probably the filter system and this is especially true if you have allergy issues. Unfortunately, like suction, there are not great objective standards to measure the particulate levels both removed and kicked into the air when the vacuum is used in normal operating environments. There is even conflicting opinion on whether bagged dirt capture or bagless dirt capture is better and we do not believe that there is conclusive proof either way on this factor yet. The cyclonic technology of Dyson and Hoover for example is heavily touted in the marketpalce but again we do not believe there is enough objective data to determine its true effectivenes versus other dirt capture methods with respect to cleaning and allergies. If you are concerned about dust and allergies then the one feature we would recommend is a true HEPA filter vacuum cleaner.
Bagged/Bagless - While we are not sure about the choice of bagged/bagless for dust and allergies a bagless vacuum is more convenient because you don?t have to order bags and change them out periodically. Bags are also an expense over time that must be factored into the overall cost of your vacuum and so we prefer a bagless vacuum if all things were equal.
Telescopic Wand - Tjhis is an extendible arm that comes with some of the upright vacuum models. It is convenient for extending the reach of your cleaning and can allow an upright vacuum to extend its cleaning capabilities beyond the floor.
Self Propelled - These vacuums use part of the motors power to help push the vacuum so you need less effort to clean. Since some of the vacuum cleaners are heavy this can be an important feature for some users.
Bag Change Indicator - this is an electronic feature that lights up so that you know when it is time to change your bag if you have a bagless vacuum. This is a nice feature if you have a bagless vacuum cleaner.
Style is a very personal factor and we encourage you to look closely at the pictures of the top models to see what style you prefer. There is the high tech look of the Dysons and the sleek European design of the Mieles, Electrolux, and Bosch and then there is the functional look of the Euro-Pro and Kenmore. Style even came to hand held vacuums with the interesting Kone designed by Kasrim Rashid and the powerful looking Dyson 18 that looks like it could also function as a leaf blower. Pick the style you like and dont listen to what anyone else has to say about it.
This is also a really important factor when deciding which vacuum to buy. Some of the top uprights are quite heavy which might be a plus for power and sturdiness it is a negative when you actually have to push it. Even hand held vacuums vary in weight so it is important that you think about weight when selecting the right vacuum.