What Vacuum Cleaner is Best for You?

Buying a new vacuum, whether you are looking for a simple model to use around the house, or are looking for the best industrial vacuum cleaner on the market, is often a difficult task as there are so many choices and types available today. Although, knowing of the various features to look for and the benefits of each will make it far easier to make your final choice while shopping for your new vacuum cleaner.

How to Buy a Vacuum Cleaner

Some of the factors you will want to consider when browsing through the many brands and types of vacuums available today include:

Attachments - Many upright vacuum cleaners come with at least a few onboard attachments for cleaning those hard-to-reach areas, like under the beds or sofa. Some of the attachments you will see include crevice tools, upholstery tools and brushes, and extra wands for extending the hose.

Canister or Upright? - Choosing an upright or a canister vacuum is mostly a matter of personal preference. Besides these two basic types of vacuums, there are also wet/dry vacuums for cleaning spills and larger bits of debris, and also built-in, or the central vacuum cleaner that are usually used in an industrial setting.

Power - Obviously, the greater wattage a vacuum cleaner uses, the more powerful it will be, however, this is far more important when it comes to the cylindrical style of vacuum as opposed to the usual upright, as with those, the type of brush is what matters even more. If you are interested in cleaning a variety of surfaces with your vacuum, such as upholstery and draperies in addition to carpeting and hardwood flooring, look for a unit that enables the user to quickly change the speed of the brush roll.

Price - If you are on a budget, you will want to make sure you do plenty of bargain shopping, looking for sales and discounts without compromising on any the features you would like to have. Reading consumer reviews on vacuum cleaners is a great idea to learn what people really think about a product after using it, instead of simply going by the manufacturer's word.

Type of Filters - While it is true that all vacuum cleaners have some kind of filtration system in place, there are generally four different types to choose from; stage filters, charcoal, HEPA, or high efficiency particulate air, and lifetime filters that will not ever need to be changed.

Type of Flooring - What type of floors will you be using the vacuum on? For cut pile carpeting, cylindrical or upright vacuums work best, and for carpeting with loop pile, either type does the job, just be sure to protect the carpet by not using any turbo brush attachments. For wood flooring, cylinder vacuums do a better job getting rid of dirt and dust.

Weight - And lastly, you will also want to consider the overall weight of the vacuum cleaner when completely assembled, this is particularly important if you plan on vacuuming stairs or are not able to lift or push a heavier unit.

Jenny Watson is the owner of Vacuum Cleaner 101. Visit her site for tips on choosing the best commercial vacuum cleaner for your needs.