Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

Your Vacuum Reviews provides independent vacuum reviews for consumers to help them make the right choice. We don’t sell vacuum cleaners through this site, so all our vacuum cleaner reviews are independent.

Check out our vacuum cleaner buying guide below to make sure you get the right vacuum…

Vacuum cleaner Buying guide

The first thing people normally need to decide when thinking ‘how do I choose a vacuum cleaner’ is whether they want an upright, or a canister (cylinder in the UK) vacuum cleaner. Really it comes down to personal choice, but there are certain advantages of one over the other.

Upright Vacuum Cleaners: These tend to be the most popular and are better when you have a larger area to vacuum. They are usually easier to store and to control when vacuuming.

Canister / Cylinder Vacuum Cleaners: These vacuums are normally cheaper and ideal for cleaning stairs and furniture. They are also better for cleaning hard, vinyl, or tiled floors. They are normally lighter and have a higher powered motor.

Both types of vacuum can be used on carpets, but turbo attachments need to be turned off on ‘loop pile’ carpets and canister vacuums should have a turbo brush attachment for ‘cut pile’ carpets.

Bag or Bagless?

Once you have decided on the style of vacuum that you’d like, the next decision is whether to go for a bag, or bagless vacuum cleaner?

Bag Vacuum Cleaners: are normally cheaper, but then you have the expense of buying new bags. Also disposal of the bags can be an annoyance. However, there are self-seal bags available, which make this job easier, and they’re also better for asthma and allergy sufferers, as they’re less likely to come into contact with dust.

Bagless vacuum cleaners: have none of these issues. They can be more expensive in the beginning, but you save yourself time and money over the longer term. Some models are specifically designed to be easy to empty and clean and come with anti-bacterial and dust mite protection.

Filters?

All vacuums come with some sort of filtration system. A filtration system allows the vacuum cleaner to remove dust, pollen, allergens, and bacteria. However, how much of these are removed depends on the sophistication of the filtration system.

Different types of filtration systems include:

Stage Filters: They are called stage filters because the dust is filtered out in different stages. There can be between 3 and 7 stages, but 4 stages is pretty standard.

Lifetime Filters: Very handy, designed to last the lifetime of the vacuum, typically between 7 – 10 years.

Charcoal Filter: Utilises an extra charcoal layer filter to get rid of any nasty smells – one for the animal lovers.

HEPA / S-Class Filtration Systems: An advanced filtration system designed to remove even the most fine dust and dirt particles.

How much Power?

The power of a vacuum cleaner is normally referred to in terms of its wattage, and is a good indication of how effective a cleaner will be. However, it’s a bigger issue on canister vacuums as they need more power, because the dust has to be sucked further up the tube. The design of the machine and the quality of its airflow also has a big impact on its effectiveness. On upright cleaners the power output is also affected by the type of brush that’s being used.

There are variable power settings on some models, which help when you are cleaning things like furniture, curtains, or different types of rug.

Attachments

There are 3 attachments that are standard for vacuums. They are the crevice tool and upholstery and dusting brushes. Some models also now have a turbo brush, which is useful on cut pile carpets, or if there is a lot of pet hair to pick up. However, if you do need to vacuum a lot of pet hair regularly, there are specialist vacuum cleaners designed specifically for pets. A horse hair, or specialist parquet brush is also ideal for wooden floors.

Also, many models have extendable tubes which make getting to those hard to reach places possible.

Other features to think about…

There’s a few other features to think about that can make using your new vacuum a lot easier.

Cable Length: If you have a large area to vacuum, make sure that the cable is long enough to make it easy to get to all the bits you need to.

Weight: This is an issue if you need to take it up and down stairs, or when you are putting it into, or taking it out of storage.

Bag (or bagless) Capacity: The bigger the capacity the less often the vacuum will have to be emptied, making life that little bit easier…

Full Indicator: Lets you know when the bag is getting full and needs to be changed, so you don’t lose any suction and wonder why your machine is not performing properly.

Auto Rewind Cord: Usually standard on Canister / Cylinder cleaners. Handy feature which can make storage easier and for some reason – it’s just satisfying too..

Other types of Cleaner

Although the vast majority of cleaners sold are canister, or upright, there are also a few other types of cleaner that maybe useful depending on your needs.

Hand Held Cleaners: Useful for awkward places like the car. Many are cordless and work on a charger without having to be plugged in and are much easier to use in small spaces and also to carry around. They are very handy to have in the home.

Polishers: Good on wood. They are combined vacuums and polishers. Again very useful.

Steam Cleaners: These are good for deep cleaning carpets and will get out those deep stains. They are especially useful if you have lighter colored carpets, which pick up dirt and stains more easily.

Conclusion to Vacuum Cleaner buying Tips

We always recommend reading as many vacuum cleaner reviews as possible before deciding on your vacuum, to really understand whether it’s the right machine for your needs, or not.

Once you have decided on the model you want, shop around to get the best price. Normally online retailers will have the best prices, because they have lower overheads.

Make sure you choose a machine that comes with a warranty and if you do purchase online, remember to find out if there is a delivery charge, and factor that into the overall cost as well when making comparisons.

Also, don’t forget to come back and give us your own vacuum cleaner review, to help others when they’re making a choice.

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