IMPORTANT FEATURES
Typical attachments include crevice and upholstery tools. Most vacuums also include extension wands for reaching high places. A full-bag alert can be handy, since an overstuffed bag impairs a vacuum’s ability to clean.
Lately, many uprights have adopted a bagless configuration with a see-through dirt bin that replaces the usual bag. Performance has improved for bagless vacs, though emptying their bins can raise enough dust to concern even those without allergies. You’ll also find dirt-collection bins on most stick vacs and hand vacs. Some of these have a revolving brush, which may help remove surface debris from a carpet. Stick vacs can hang on a hook or, if they’re cordless, on a wall-mounted charger base.
Canister vacuums we’ve tested have a power nozzle that cleans carpets more thoroughly than a simple suction nozzle. Look for a suction-control feature; found on most canisters and some uprights, it allows you to reduce airflow for drapes and other delicate fabrics. On uprights, also look for an on/off switch for the brush if you plan to use attachments. Stopping the brush protects the user from injury, the power cord from damage, and your furnishings from undue wear. Some uprights automatically stop the brush when the handle is in the “up” position.
Most canisters and a few uprights have a retractable cord that rewinds with a tug or push of a button--a plus, considering the 20- to 30-foot length for most. Another worthwhile feature is manual pile-height adjustment, which can improve cleaning by letting you match the vacuum’s height to the carpet pile more effectively than machines that adjust automatically. While a self-propelled mode takes the push out of more and more uprights, it can make them heavier and harder to transport.
Midpriced accessory kits for central vacs typically include an electrically powered cleaning head--a must for carpets--as well as a floor brush, crevice tool, upholstery brush, dusting brush, and extension wands. Spending more gets you more tools, a premium powerhead, and a longer hose. A sound-deadening muffler, installed in the exhaust air pipe near the central-vac base unit, comes on some models but can be added to any model for about $10 to $25. Most central vacs have a suction switch at the wand’s handle so you can turn the vacuum unit on and off where you’re standing.
Some vacuums have a dirt sensor that triggers a light indicator when the concentration of dirt particles in the machine’s air stream reaches a certain level. But the sensor signals only that the vacuum is no longer picking up dirt, not whether there’s dirt left in your rug. That can result in your vacuuming longer and working harder with little or no more cleanliness.
You’ll also hear lots of claims about microfiltration, which typically uses a bag with smaller pores or a second, electrostatic filter that supplements the standard motor filter in an attempt to capture fine particles that may pass through the bag or filter and escape into the air through the exhaust. Some vacuums have a HEPA filter, which may benefit someone with asthma. But many models without a HEPA filter have performed just as well in Consumer Reports emissions tests, since the amount of dust emitted depends as much on the design of the entire machine as on its filter.
A vacuum’s design can also affect how long it lasts. With some uprights, for example, dirt sucked into the machine passes through the blower fan before entering the bag--a potential problem because most fans are plastic and vulnerable to damage from hard objects. Better systems filter dirt through the bag before it reaches the fan. While hard objects can lodge in the motorized brush, they’re unlikely to break the fan.
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