Tips For Choosing A Vacuum

Tips for choosing a vacuum. Choosing a vacuum used to be easy.

One simply went down to the local appliance store, spent a few minutes inspecting the dozen or so similar-looking, comparable-performing models, picked an appealing color and style, and then brought one home.

How times change. Vacuums - the most effective tool in the home-cleaning arsenal - are the latest appliance to get sucked into the more-is-better, high-tech craze. Here's a look at some of the newer, top-rated models, along with tips for choosing a vacuum.

Choosing a Vacuum From the Many Sleek Designs Available

Features such as bagless units, allergen-grabbing filters, high-amperage motors, and onboard tools are all the rage with today's new crop of sleek, stylish vacuums in eye-popping colors - increasing the performance, price, and time needed to make a wise choice.

Now factor in the new generation of robotic vacuum - often called a robovac - with intelligent programming, spinning brushes to reach tight corners, and even mopping and UV sterilization options.

And no one will blame you if you feel like your head is spinning right along with the pricey automaton cleaning your carpet and floors. (Heck, they might be worth the average $1,000 price tag for the entertainment value alone.)

Is more choice in bells and whistles necessarily better? The answer depends on you, your home, and your lifestyle.

Choosing a Vacuum for Your Home's Surfaces

Person in jeans and tennis shoes vacuuming rug.

But do you need all those bells and whistles to get your floors and carpet clean? The answer depends on your home and your lifestyle. A few questions to consider when shopping for a vacuum:

Does your home have more carpeted areas or hard-surface floors?

Are there stairs and landings to clean?

Does the vacuum cleaner have physical limitations?

Does someone in your home suffer from allergies?

Do you have pets?

Consider your needs when deciding which features you need and which you can live without when it comes time to buy a vacuum.

There are essentially five categories to choose from: upright, canister, stick, handheld, and robotic vacuums.

Tips For Choosing a Vacuum: Top Rated Models

Here are the top vacuum cleaner models based on overall ratings - a combination of scores given for effectiveness in cleaning and ease of use - selected by Consumer Reports in a recent vacuum cleaner test.

Here's what they had to say about each of the top-rated models to help in choosing a vacuum:

1. Kenmore Elite Bagged Upright

The Kenmore 31150 Elite bagged upright vacuum cleaner earned top marks on bare floors and was exceptionally powerful when used with its attachments, including a crevice tool, bristle brush, and power roller.

On bare floors, it captured almost every particle it picked up, keeping them contained in its disposable bag. It was no slouch at removing embedded dirt from carpet or tackling pet hair, either, although it was a little louder and harder to handle than some other models of this type.

It's not the cheapest model you'll find, but this straightforward, solid performer was among the best vacuums tested.

2. Hoover Windtunnel Pet Rewind Bagless Corded Upright

The $129 Hoover Vacuum Cleaner T-Series Windtunnel Rewind Plus Bagless Lightweight Upright Vacuum is an impressive performer when it comes to bare floors, tool-airflow, emissions, and pet-hair tests and handles easily.

While it's noisier than some uprights, its performance beat out models costing hundreds more.

3. Miele Complete C3 Marin Canister Vacuum

The $1,049 Miele Complete C3 Marin Canister Vacuum Cleaner was the top-performing canister vacuum, and earned perfect marks in almost every test. It's a champ at bare floors and embedded pet hair but also excels at capturing dust particles.

Powerful airflow makes its attachments work especially well. It's also noticeably quieter than many models and easy to handle.

But at more than $1,000, it may suck a big chunk out of your bank account, too - certainly something to consider.

4. Panasonic 'Jet Force' Canister Vacuum

If you can live without bags, the Panasonic JETFORCE Mult-Surface Bagless Canister Vacuum Cleaner , this vacuum will save you almost $800 over the top-rated Miele without much sacrifice in performance. It, too, is a champ at cleaning bare floors.

It's also an active performer on carpets and pet hair, and it captures dust particles. Its powerful suction pairs well with ancillary attachments such as the crevice tool, bristle brush, and powered brush roll.

It's a little clunky to maneuver, but at 23 pounds, it's no heavier than most of the canister models we test.

Top-Performing Robotic Vacuums

The top performing robotic vacuum, Samsung POWERbot R9000 Robot Vacuum ranked #7 on Consumer Report's Top 10 Vacuums list.

The Powerbot powered through the dirt on carpets and bare floors, and even found its way into tight corners, thanks in part to its rectangular design.

It works quietly enough that it'll go unnoticed, although it's hard to resist watching it return home to dock and charge after each intensive, 99-minute cleaning session.

So now you've got the scoop on what's available to make your floor- and carpet-cleaning job more manageable. Next up: compare prices and choose your dirt-busting weapon!