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Cleanliness is one of the most important elements of a happy and healthy home. Regular cleaning prevents allergens and pests from affecting you and your loved ones. A staple of everyone’s cleaning closet is a vacuum. In addition to the standard upright vacuum, there are a variety of models offered to suit specific budgets and needs.
What type of vacuum best suits your needs?
When vacuum shopping, it’s important to keep in mind that there are a variety of models available for specific needs. There are a few things to consider to ensure you get the best vacuum for your dollar. Which vacuum will work best for your home’s needs depends on the size of your home, the amount of carpet vs. hardwood, whether you have stairs or pets, and if an outlet will be accessible while cleaning.
UPRIGHT
Traditional upright vacuums are best suited for carpets, though some newer models are built to easily switch between hard surfaces and carpet. Ideal for large living spaces and carpeted areas, though it’s rigid design doesn’t provide ease when cleaning stairs and small spaces. Some models are built for hose attachments to reach small spaces, but they often come at an additional cost.
CANISTER
Unlike traditional one-unit vacuums, canisters are designed with a separate nozzle which can be helpful for cleaning smaller spaces, though some may find the canister to be clunky or in the way. However, the added mobility allows for cleaning stairs and other tight spaces with ease. The design of most canister vacuums makes them better for cleaning hard surfaces, as upright vacuums tend to just push dust around instead.
STICK (CORDED & CORDLESS)
Similar to canister models, stick vacuums allow for more maneuverability and are more efficient on hard surfaces. Cordless vacuums are ideal when you don’t have an outlet accessible, such as when vacuuming your car, or in rooms where cords won’t reach. Stick vacuums tend to be cheaper than upright and canister models, and so are ideal for smaller living spaces with hard floors where a vacuum may not be needed as often.
HANDHELDS & ROBOTIC
Handhelds are popular with pet owners as it’s portable enough for a quick clean, while still packing enough power to clean up pet fur and dander. Robotic vacuums are great for daily upkeep to minimize the build up dust and dander. You most likely won’t want to buy a handheld or robotic as your only vacuum, but they are nice to have to keep dust in check without having to constantly pull out the big vacuum.
Best Vacuum for Every Budget
Under $150: Eureka Blaze Stick Vacuum – $33.99
The Eureka Blaze is a powerful corded stick vacuum, perfect for hard surfaces such as wood and tile, and more effective on low pile carpets and rugs compared to other stick vacuums.
Best for smaller living spaces as the bag capacity isn’t high enough to hold all the dirt from a larger house without trips in-between to empty the bag.
Its 18-foot cord measures longer than most stick vacuums, which average around 15 inches, allowing for additional reach, though if you have a larger living space, you may have issues with the cord reaching where you need to go. Not ideal for long hair or pet fur, but great for smaller debris, the Eureka Blaze is better at cleaning up large debris than it’s stick vacuum competitors.
$150 – $300: Dyson Ball Multi-Floor – $299.99
Dyson has been a top name in vacuums for many years and continues to deliver reliable customer support. This upright model packs a lot of power for its price, with comparable models breaking costing nearly double. While better suited for residences with a majority of carpet, there are separate settings for carpet and hard surfaces to best target dust and dander. The rotating ball design allows for maneuverability normally only found in canister or stick models and comes with a detachable tool for stairs and other hard to reach places. Though some may find the bagless design more efficient, they are not recommended for people with allergies as bags prevent allergens and dander from becoming trapped within the vacuum itself.
$300 – $450: Miele® Classic C1 Turbo Team Vacuum – $399.99
Miele is considered to be one of the best vacuum brands by consumers and vacuum technicians for their performance and durability. The Miele’s canister design is optimized for performance on both hard floors and low pile carpets. Though other companies may offer cheaper versions of the canister model, Miele vacuums are built to last up to 10-15 years and have been known to last even longer with proper care and regular maintenance.
Over $500: Riccar Deluxe Clean Air Upright Vacuum – $599.99
For a high-powered vacuum that’s effective on both carpet and hard surfaces, you can’t go wrong with the Riccar Deluxe. This upright model automatically switches its brush roll on and off between carpet and hard surfaces for seamless cleaning. Compared to other upright vacuums that tend to be a bit clunky, this one can lay completely flat for hard-to-reach spaces. While other more expensive vacuum models are offered, they don’t ship with enough features for it to be worth the extra cost. All Riccar vacuums come with a 5-year warranty that includes tune ups every other year as well as reliable customer service if anything goes wrong.
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