How To Find The Best Vacuum Cleaners For Your Home Or Office

First you need to understand what the vacuum will do and what you need it to do.  What will be your goal and purpose for the vacuum?  Are you looking for a carpet vacuum, hard floor cleaner, hand held vacuum, one for the car, one for the office, one for pet hair, one that’s lightweight, one that’s durable, a cheap one, a good brand name?

Now that you have your ‘wish list’ for your vacuum we’ll try to match you with the one that’s right for you!

TECHNOLOGY

What is a vacuum cleaner?  How does it work?

A vacuum’s suction is caused by a difference in air pressure.  An electric fan reduces the air pressure inside the machine.  Atmospheric pressure then pushes the air through the carpet and into the nozzle; the dust is literally pushed into the bag.

Cyclonic vacuum cleaners use centrifugal force to separate dust and particles from the air flowing through the machine’s bag-less collection vessel.

Robotic vacuum cleaners are self-propelled machines that randomly criss-cross the floor collecting dust and dirt in their dustbin.

VACUUM TYPES

Some of the best vacuum cleaners to buy are not just upright, traditional, styles.  There are some very good hand-held & canister vacuum cleaners on the market today.

UPRIGHT VACUUM CLEANERS

The most common type of vacuum cleaner is an upright.  The handle incorporates the bag, electrical power, and suction mechanism.  The handle is adjustable and makes its use easy and maneuverable.  Most uprights have a rotating brush or beater bar which loosens dirt from the carpet through a combination of sweeping and vibration.   There are two types of uprights; dirty fan/direct air (found in most commercial vacuums) and clean air/fan-bypass (found in most of today’s vacuums).

The best vacuum cleaners to buy are the fan-bypass uprights which have their motor mounted after the bag.  Dust is removed from the airstream by the bag, and usually a filter, before it passes through the fan; much cleaner than the dirty fan models.  Fan-bypass models are good for both carpet and above-floor cleaning, since their suction is not lost over the length of the hose.

HAND-HELD VACUUM CLEANERS

Whether powered by batteries or electricity, hand-held vacuums are extremely portable and convenient to use and take anywhere.  If you want one of the best vacuum cleaners to buy for the car, truck, or boat, than a hand-held is the right choice for you.  They are very well priced, and equipped, now days.  Performance does not suffer just because the unit is smaller.

CANISTER VACUUM CLEANERS

Canister vacuums have a separate motor and dust collector, a ‘cylinder’, which is mounted on wheels.  A long hose is attached to the cylinder and there usually various attachments that can be added to the hose based on the type of cleaning you are doing.  One reason the canister is one of the best vacuum cleaners to buy is for its flexibility and maneuverability.  The attachments and hose make it easy to reach underneath furniture; vacuum stairs, drapes, upholstery, and other vertical surfaces.  The more recognized canister vacuum cleaners are the ‘shop vacs.’

ACCESSORIES

Most vacuum cleaners come with a set of accessories.  The most common are dusting brush, crevice tool, and upholstery tool.  Depending on the type you choose, there are many different filter and bag options as well.

Some of the best vacuum cleaners to buy are equipped with a HEPA filter and no messy bag to change.  The HEPA filter provides clean filtration for allergens and pollens which aggravate allergies and asthma. When looking at vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter note the words “sealed HEPA” or “true HEPA” as those are the most effective.  Some vacuums have a HEPA filter; however, they do not force all of the vacuumed air through it.  A ‘true HEPA’ filtered vacuum expels all of the air drawn into the vacuum through the HEPA filter.

FEATURES TO LOOK FOR

The performance of the best vacuum cleaners to buy is measured in a few key areas:

• Airflow (in cubic feet per minute)
• Airspeed (in MPH)
• Suction, vacuum, or water lift (in inches of water)
• Weight (pounds)
• Noise (Decibels)
• Power cord length
• Hose length

How To Find The Best Vacuum Cleaners For Your Home Or Office