Vacuum cleaners choosing the right standard vacuum
Working out the right vacuum for you is just a matter of asking the right questions.
Working out the right vacuum for you is just a matter of asking the right questions.
We look at a few things to consider when buying a vacuum cleaner.
Canister models (which lie parallel to the floor and have a flexible hose connecting the wand to the canister) are much more common here than upright models. Canisters are easier to use on stairs and in awkward places under the furniture. You can also use them for jobs that an upright can't do – like vacuuming the car.
Upright models have a built-in power head, which means they clean carpet well. If your priority is to clean a large area of carpet that's all on the same level, an upright can be a good choice.
We no longer test for hard-floor performance because experience tells us that all models these days are good at this. But we do test to see whether the cleaning heads scratch the floor: none of the models in our test database have this problem.
Tip: If you’ve got hard floors only, buy on price.
Carpet can be more complex, because of the types of cleaning heads available. But a standard head is all you’ll need – unless you have a problem with pet hair, or carpet that gets especially dirty. A standard head’s also lighter and more manoeuvrable around and under furniture than either a turbo or a power head.
Tip: Unless your carpet needs more vigorous cleaning, choose a model that has a really good carpet-cleaning score (70% or above in our test results).
If pet hair’s a problem you could need a turbo head, or even a power head. Both use a rotating brush inside the head to sweep up and shake out dirt and pet hair. Power heads have a small electric motor in the head unit to turn the brush; turbo heads use a turbine in the main airflow.
Check the "Pet hair removal" scores in our test results and choose a model with a score of 90% or greater. Note that in some of our recent tests some standard head models have performed well at pet-hair removal. Standard heads are less bulky and easier to manoeuvre than power or turbo head models.
There's another downside here, too. The rotating brush of turbo or power head models can get pet hairs wrapped tightly around it, and the hairs will need to be cleared regularly.
Tip: A good turbo head will remove pet hairs well, but it’s unlikely to be any better than a standard head at getting dirt out of carpet. A good power head will remove pet hairs really well and is likely to get dirt out of carpet better than anything else (see “Especially dirty carpet?”, below). Look for scores of 80% and above in our test results.
If your carpet often ends up with embedded dirt, choose a model with a power head. This scrubs the carpet cleaner than a standard head can. But power heads have their drawbacks. They're bulky and awkward to use – and having a power head's brush scrubbing away is likely to cause more wear on your carpet than a standard head (which glides over the top).
Tip: A good power head model will give you the best combination of carpet cleaning and pet hair removal.
Buying disposable bags for a bag model is an ongoing cost you’ll need to factor into your purchase decision.
Bin models usually have a clip-off section that you remove and then empty into a rubbish bin.
We prefer bags for 4 reasons:
Tip: Before you buy, always try a vacuum cleaner in the shop.
Whether the fault is catastrophic or just annoying, we need your help. Take our two-minute survey to report what went wrong.
Compare vacuum cleaner test results and reviews, check our recommendations and find out more about choosing the best vacuum cleaner for your needs.
Member comments
Get access to comment