Vacuum regularly to rid your carpets, area rugs, and hard floors of dirt, pet hair, and food particles. You'll find a wide selection of different cleaners. Choose a vacuum cleaner that works on your flooring or carpet and includes all the attachments, accessories, and features you need.
Types
With so many different vacuum cleaners and other floor-care machines, it can be difficult to choose exactly what's right for your floor. Learning about the different types of vacuums on the market is very important.
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Uprights generally provide a wider cleaning swath than canisters, and they tend to be better at deep-cleaning carpets. Most are also easier to store. Canisters tend to be better than uprights for cleaning bare floors, drapes, upholstery, and under furniture, and they're easier to handle on stairs.
Although central vacuums are convenient, central vacuums are pricey, and they typically require professional installation. Small vacuums are handy for light, quick surface cleaning on short-pile carpets and bare floors.
Robotic vacuums are more as expensive novelties than practical appliances. Stick vacuums generally provide smaller capacities than upright models but they do weigh less.
Features
Some vacuum cleaner features improve performance or take some of the drudgery out of cleaning. But don't be dazzled by gadgets. Here are the vacuum features to consider.
How to choose
Start by matching the type to your cleaning. Uprights, especially with a bag, do best overall on carpets. Canisters are easier to maneuver, particularly on stairs. Here's what else to consider before you buy:
| Check the features. A brush on/off switch helps protect bare floors and avoid scattered debris. A motorized brush cleans carpets better than only suction. Consider bagless carefully. Bagless vacuums save on the cost of bags but still require filters. And the dust and mess of emptying their bins is a concern if you have asthma or allergies. | |
Try it out. Even if you'll order online, go to a store first. Push, pull, turn, and lift models you're considering. Check out the controls and features. If an online price is low, see if the store will match it.
Know about the noise. The noisiest vacuums we tested produced 85 decibels or more, the level at which we recommend hearing protection. Canister vacuums as a group tend to be quieter.
written by Nicolas Yang
