11 Essential Tips for Buying the Best Canister Vacuum

If you start searching for canister vacuum cleaners, you’re bound to find a variety of models, one better-looking than another. Many of them have different or even similar specifications, but there are a couple of factors to consider in order to ensure that you will be making the right decision.

To find out the right choice, you need to be tricky, otherwise, your investment might not be worthy. Here I’m going to show a critical analysis of a canister vacuum, which can successfully meet your demands within an affordable budget limit.

Keep reading the short buying guide below to learn the factors to consider when buying a reliable canister vacuum cleaner.

1. How Much Power Do Your Need?

One of the most important factors to consider when buying a canister vacuum is power. This is usually influenced by what you’re planning to vacuum (clean).

For carpets, rugs and upholstery, a suction power of at least 200 air watts are needed to lift successfully the dust, debris and pet hair from their fibers. For bare floors, you won’t need as much suction power so that you can choose fewer air watts.

2. Bagless or Vacuum with Bags

Many people prefer a bagless cleaner since they thought that it eliminate the needs of buying the bags and hence save money. Is that true? In reality, bagless vacuum owner must regularly clean or take care of their vacuum to avoid any clog in order to prolong the life of the cleaner.

The bagged canisters also have their advantages like it lifespan is longer, quick disposal of dust bag (hygienic), and it’s more suitable for allergy or asthma sufferers. It’s especially true if the cleaner comes with HEPA filter.

3. Make Sure the Handle Is Expandable

Bending your middle section while vacuuming can result in lower back pain and discomfort. It’s important that you choose a canister vacuum cleaner with an extendable telescopic wand or handle, which can be adjusted based on your height.

Vacuuming will be more comfortable this way, and you won’t have to take breaks to rest while you’re doing this job. Also, the wand can extend the reach of the vacuum, which is especially useful for above-floor cleanings.

4. Buy a Canister Vacuum Cleaner with HEPA Filter

Even if you don’t currently suffer from allergies, asthma or other breathing issues, it’s better to purchase a canister vacuum with HEPA filter. It helps prevent dust and allergens from coming out of the bag and prevents potential leaks that may get dirt back into your indoor environment.

5. Price or Cost of the Device

This is another crucial factor as every family or individual has their own budget when getting a new vacuum cleaner. Try to search a machine that is within your budget so that it will not burden you.

6. Consider the Weight

It’s no use buying a canister vacuum if it’s very heavy and awkward to maneuver. Choose a model that’s lightweight, and doesn’t require you to put a lot of effort when dragging it around.

Also, larger wheels usually mean better maneuverability, so make sure yours has them too. Make sure that it’s a rubber wheels so that it won’t scratch your hardwood or laminated floors.

7. Vacuum Designed for Special Purpose

As you may know, some canister model comes with various accessories for different needs such as for pet hairs, for stairs, for carpets or hardwood floors. So, if your house has mainly hard floors, then you can choose a device that is specially designed for that. Usually, those vacuum will comes with special attachments for the cleaning needs.

8. Warranty Vs. Brand

If you do some research, you will know that some brands are more expensive like Miele, Sebo, Dyson, etc. Usually, those brands also build to last longer and hence the manufacturers tend to offer longer warranty i.e. 5 to 7 years.

The cheaper brands like Eureka, Dirt Devil, Bissell, and more is producing budget vacuum models and the warranty usually is one year.

The above are some of the crucial vacuum features that you need to take into considerations when you want to get a new cleaning device. Following are some extra factors to consider:

9. Local Store Vs. Online Store

By now, you should have only a few candidates left for best canister vacuum cleaner. Now is the time to go to a vacuum store near you and actually test the vacuum to see if you like it. Check to make sure the vacuum is easy to maintain, that the bag or dust bin is easy to empty and that the filter is accessible.

10. Read Online Reviews

There are sites that professionally review vacuum cleaners, search these first. If you happen to subscribe to Consumer Reports Magazine, you can use their website. However, don’t get a subscription just to look up the best canister vacuum cleaner. There are plenty of other places that review products and some mention Consumer Reports’ opinion as well.

Consumersearch.com may be the most thorough site for your needs. While it does not name the best canister vacuum cleaner, it does compile results of other tests and discusses what users have had to say about each product. Once you have read through their thoughtful articles and come up with a few brands and models you like, go to shopping.com, where consumers post feedback about products in thousands of categories. Get an idea of common problems or quirks with each one especially from anyone that rates the vacuum badly.

Also, you can use online retailers like Amazon or Walmart to check out the latest price and read the real customer reviews (both positive and negative) of a particular canister model. This can give a great info on a particular vacuum model.

Don’t forget to keep notes on prices. Review sites will include each model’s estimated retail price, and epinions.com even searches several reputable stores and displays their prices for you. Look for the price of replacement filters and bags too, if necessary.

11. Buy it

The last step is to decide where to buy your best canister vacuum cleaner. If the local store can offer you a good deal, go ahead and buy it. Or ask the professional sales consultant when it might go on sale.

Otherwise, check out reputable web stores like Amazon, Costco for the best price, and don’t forget to take shipping into account. Hope that this simple and straight-forward buying guide can help you get a most suitable canister for your cleaning needs.

 

FAQs on canister vacuum cleaners

Q: How is a canister vacuum cleaner different from an upright model?

A: Typically, a canister vacuum cleaner is more versatile than the upright model. You can use the canister vacuum cleaner for carpets, but it’s more reliable for cleaning bare floors, stairs, and picking up dirt from corners.

Q: Does a high number of amps mean better cleaning?

A: Buying a canister, or any kind of model of a vacuum cleaner with high amps is tempting. But the numbers only tell you about the electrical current used by the motor. A vacuum cleaner’s performance depends a lot on the airflow; the amount of suction is capable of and other factors. The attachments you’re using, and the overall design can also impact the performance of the vacuum cleaner.

Q: Is the vacuum with a bag better than a bag-less model?

A: It’s not an easy answer, as each of the models has its benefits and downsides. It all depends on what you’re using the vacuum cleaner for. A bag-less model is easy to maintain as you don’t need to worry about continually buying extra bags. It can get messy when cleaning it, though, and you have to keep the containers and filters clean at all times.

A vacuum cleaner with bags maintains the dust and dirt contained, but it can also be challenging when trying to remove a tiny object that gets sucked up by accident.

Q: Is a canister vacuum cleaner more reliable than an upright model?

A: truth be told, there is no limitation to the size of the engine in the case of canister vacuum cleaners. Therefore, they can be more potent than upright models. The suction is also better for the canister models, and the flow-rate is more effective. Briefly, the canister vacuum cleaner helps you clean faster and more comfortable, especially when cleaning bare floors.

Q: Are canister vacuum cleaners loud?

A: Vacuum cleaners with canister are powerful, but they’re not as loud as other models. They provide more room for efficient canister sound insulation, so using a canister model won’t be very disturbing for you or other people living in the house.

Q: Do you get back pain from using a canister vacuum?

A: When you’re vacuuming, you will need to bend a lot, especially if you’re using a canister vacuum cleaner. A proper manufacturer considers it, designing modes with hand controls on the wand. Some canister vacuums feature controls on the canister that is effortless to operate with the feet. In all fairness, you will bend from time to time when using a canister vacuum, but a good model is going to ease out your efforts.

Q: When to buy a canister vacuum cleaner?

A: If you’re interested in buying a vacuum cleaner for overall use, the canister vacuum cleaner is your no.1 choice and not the upright model. Not only that, it runs quietly, but it’s also sturdy and easy to maneuver, speeding up the cleaning process.

Let’s say you live in a two-story house, with both bare floors and rugs, and plenty of bare floors, tiled and wood altogether. If so, the canister vacuum cleaner is your best shot. However, you need to check the accessories too to see if they’re suitable for the floors you have in your house. The last thing you want is to buy a canister vacuum only to realize it doesn’t have accessories for short-hair carpets.