How to Choose the Perfect Vacuum

With so many available options on the market, how do you choose the right vacuum cleaner? Learn how to choose the best vacuum for your household’s needs.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Carpet

1. Consider the flooring of your home – the type of carpet and any hard-floor surfaces. Canister vacuums tend to work the best on hard flooring such as tile and wood while upright vacuums equipped with a beater brush is ideal for carpet. The height of an upright vacuum should be able to be adjusted in order to accommodate different types of carpeting.

2. The height and weight of the vacuum should be considered. You should be able to stand upright with shoulders back without bending over the handle; otherwise, the vacuum is too short. Many upright vacuums are replete with a myriad of features but can be quite heavy, especially if you need to haul it up and down stairs. If you are using a canister vacuum, most of the features are in the attachments, so they tend to not be quite as heavy.

3. There are pros and cons to both bag and bagless vacuums. Vacuums that use bags typically have no mess – you simply pull out the old bag, throw it away, and replace it with a new one. Filtration on vacuums with bags typically tends to be better as well. However, bagless vacuums can be just as convenient since you simply dump the dirt chamber once it starts to get full.

4. Take into consideration the maintenance involved and warranties provided. Take inventory of all the parts of the vacuum that may require repair or replacements. Are you going to need to general repairs once a year? If so, approximately how much will it cost?

5. If you are trying to decide between a couple different brands or models, consult consumer reviews to see what the pros and cons of both are. Buyers will be open and honest about their vacuums – as opposed to a salesman.

Resources

• consumer reviews

[totalvac]

on 4/2/2009 Many consumers believe they will save money by not having to buy vacuum bags when they buy a bagless vacuum cleaner. The problem is that the filters on bagless vacuums can cost between $25 to $60 dollars. See http://www.totalvac.com/vacuum_cleaner_filters.htm for a list of vacuum filters and their cost.