Vacuums Uprights Vs. Canisters
The biggest battle has been between uprights and canisters. The uprights have always held an edge in performance tests, but some of the newer canisters are gaining ground.
The ever-trusted Consumers Union tested 58 uprights and canisters and offered its choices of “Best Buys” in its October 2008 notify of Consumers Reports. The ratings, comments, and “Best Buys” of the top 15 vacs are analyzed.
Uprights are still considered the best for deep-cleaning carpets; they usually cost less and are easier to store than canisters. Disadvantages: you are pushing and pulling the machine most of the time, and they are not as stable as canisters for stair-cleaning tasks. Prices range from $70 to $1,350.
Canisters are considered better for bare floors, stairs, drapes, and upholstery. The smaller power head fits better under furniture. Disadvantages: the machines are bulkier, higher-priced, and harder to store. Prices range from $170 to $1,900.
Smaller, lighter-weight vacuums are being sold, which are noble as second choices for smaller, snappily jobs. None can do the deep-cleaning required for regular carpet maintenance. The handheld vacs, sweepers and brooms, stick vacs and robotic vacs will be listed separately. [CR also reported on these in the October 2008 grunt but the sheer volume of material is too much for one article. Search for "Small Vacuuums."]
Features: uprights and canisters have bagged and bag-less choices. Vacs with bags hold more dirt and are less messy to dapper when emptied.
“Manual pile-height adjustment lets you raise or lower the brush for carpets and bare floors, while a brush on/off switch helps prevent scratching floors and scattering debris.”
Although cordless vacs are nice to utilize, they only ran up to 49 minutes per charge; and most of the small ones only worked for 6 to 15 minutes.
Remarks on necessary designs: The $400 Dyson DC24 is a smaller version of its famous swivel-ball create, which is to allow for easier maneuvering. “But carpet cleaning was mediocre, and airflow for tools proved meager.”
Bissel’s Pet Hair Eraser lawful ($150) did aesthetic for pet hair, but didn’t effect well on other jobs.
Eureka’s Capture upright ($170) “has a brush that extends to the sides for cleaning edges, though it didn’t stand out on bare floors.”
CR tested 58 uprights and canisters. The “overall regain” – up to 100 points – includes “cleaning, airflow, handling, noise, and emissions.” “Carpet” measures lifting embedded talc and sand from medium-pile carpet. “Bare floors” denotes vacuuming sand without dispersing.
“Tool airflow” measures flow through the hose at launch, with empty bag or bin, and “increasing amounts of dust-simulating wood flour.”
“Noise” was measured with a decibel meter; if rated poor, users should use hearing protection.
“Emissions” is the release of small particles with motor on, with and without vacuuming.
“Handling” is the ease of pushing, pulling, and carrying.
“Pet hair” is pickup on medium-pile carpet.
“Weight” includes vac and onboard tools.
“Price” is approximate retail.
Ratings for Uprights are given on a scale ranging from “pleasurable,” to “very good” to “good,” to “fair,” to “unpleasant” on 6 test results plus two features.
1. Kenmore (Sears) Progressive 35922 cost $350; scored 75; (wt. 21 lb.); rated “excellent” for carpet, bare floors, emissions, and pet hair; rated “very honorable” for tool airflow and noise; rated pleasing for handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
2. Kenmore (Sears) Progressive 36932 cost $350; scored 70; (wt. 22 lb.); rated “excellent” for bare floors, emissions and pet hair; rated for carpet and tool airflow; rated “good” for noise; rated fair for handling; no bag; includes brush on/off switch.
3. Eureka Boss Smart Vac 4870 cost $150; scored 68; (wt. 20 lb.); rated “obedient” for bare floors, emissions and pet hair; rated “very good” for carpets; rated “good” for tool airflow and noise; rated “lovely” for handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
4. Kirby Sentria [self-propelled] cost $1,350; scored 67; (wt. 25 lb.); rated “excellent” for carpet, bare floors, and emissions; rated “very good” for tool airflow and pet hair; rated “fair” for noise and handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
5. Riccar Supralite RSL3 cost $350; scored 66; (wt. 9 lb.) rated “excellent” for bare floors, emissions, and pet hair; rated “very good” for carpet; rated “good” for handling; “fair” for noise; (does not accept tools so no rating for airflow); includes bag; no brush on/off switch.
6. Hoover Tempo Widepath U5140-900 cost $70; scored 66; (wt. 16 lb.); rated “excellent” for carpet and emissions; rated “very good” for bare floors, tool airflow, and pet hair; rated “good” for noise and handling; includes bag; no brush on/off switch.
7. Eureka Boss 4D 5893 cost $140; scored 65; (wt. 24 lb.); rated “excellent” for carpet, emissions, and pet hair; rated “very good” for tool airflow; rated “good” for bare floors; rated “fair” for handling; no bag; brush for on/off switch.
Out of 36 rated uprights, the only other product that earned CR recognition for a “Best Buy” or “Recommended” mark was Number 19, the Bissell Momentum 82G71.
19. Bissell Momentum 82G71 cost 4120; scored 61; (wt. 18 lb.); rated “excellent” for emissions; rated “very good” for carpet, bare floors, tool airflow, and pet hair; rated “good” for noise and handling; no bag or brush on/off switch.
Numbers 1, 2, and 3 are rated CR “Best Buys” for best performance and price. #1 and #2 Kenmores are “tops for all-around cleaning and pet hair,” but #1 is quieter and better on carpet while #2 is bagless.
High performing are numbers 5, 7, and 19, which are “Recommended.” Note that # 5, the Riccar, is light but doesn’t accept tools; # 7, the Eureka, is better on carpets and has more air flow for the price; and # 19, the Bissell, can accept tools, is quieter and costs less than others.
Rating scores drop as low as 39, but worthy of mention is # 35, The Dirt Devil Reaction M110000, scored 47, because the Turbo Tool accessory was recalled, although the recall did not affect the vacuum.
Ratings for Canisters:
1. Kenmore (Sears) Intuition 28014 cost $600; scored 73; (wt. 26 lb.); rated “excellent” for bare floors, tool air flow, emissions, and pet hair; rated “very good” for carpets and noise; rated “good” for handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
2. Electrolux Oxygen EL6988 cost $400; scored 71; (wt. 22 lb.); rated “excellent” for carpet, bare floors, emissions, and pet hair; “very good” for tool airflow; “good” for noise and handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
3. Electrolux Oxygen3 Ultra EL7020 cost $500; scored 68; (wt. 24 lb.); rated “excellent” for bare floors and emissions; rated “very good” for carpet, noise and pet hair; rated “good” for tool airflow; rated “fair” for handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
4. Kenmore (Sears) Progressive 27914 (and comparable 27915) cost $500; scored 68; (wt. 23 lb.); rated “excellent” for bare floors and pet hair; rated “very good” for noise and emissions; “good” for carpet, tool airflow, and handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
5. Kenmore (Sears) Progressive 27514 (and comparable 27515, 28614, and 28615) cost $300; scored 67; (wt. 22 lb.); rated “excellent” for bare floors and emissions; rated “very good” for carpet and pet hair; rated “good” for tool airflow, noise, and handling; includes bag and brush on/off switch.
6. Hoover WindTunnel Bagless S3765-040 cost $250; scored 66; (wt. 22 lb.); rated “excellent” for bare floors and tool airflow; “very good” for carpet and emissions; “good” for noise and pet hair; “fair” for handling; no bag; includes brush with on/off switch.
Out of 22 canisters, the only other vac that earned special mention as “Recommended” is number 15, the Hoover Duros.
15. Hoover Duros S3590 cost $170; scored 61; (wt. 22 lb.); rated “excellent” for bare floors and emissions; “very good” for tool airflow and pet hair; “good” for carpet and noise; fair for handling; includes bag and brush with on/off switch.
CR’s “Best Buys” for performance and price are numbers 5 and 6. Numbers 1 and 2 are tops for cleaning; number 15 is cheaper, but doesn’t perform the best for cleaning or handling.
Source:
Consumer Reports magazine is published by Consumers Union, an independent, nonprofit organization that accepts no paid advertising, tests thousands of products a year and publishes their results for consumers. They are based in Yonkers, NY. “Vacuums” was published in the October 2008 Consumer Reports.
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Filed under Consumer Reports by on Oct 8th, 2010. 