What's behind our vacuum cleaner Ratings? Vacuum cleaner user reviews and provide valuable feedback to other members and our testers. Recently reviewed vacuum cleaners Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away NV586 (Target) Bissell Air Ram 1984 Vacuum cleaner buying guide Sleek shapes and trendy colors such as sienna, taupe, and goldenrod are turning some of the latest vacuums into fashion statements. Our tough tests of more than 100 models show that when it comes to cleaning, beauty can be more than skin-deep.Our tests using more than 16 miles of carpet and floors also show that some pricey vacuums deliver less than their price tag suggests, and some of the lightest models are light on performance or features.It's probably safe to say that very few dwellings, no matter how small, lack a vacuum cleaner. Bigger homes with multiple levels and a variety of floor types may even have more than one, while smaller homes and apartments will probably do just fine with one good all-purpose model.

In this report we cover upright vacuums and robotic vacuums. Upright vacuum cleaners tend to be very simple and straightforward to operate -- just push a button and move it over the carpet. Though the technology behind them is more complex, robotic vacuums are even easier to use once they are set up as they move under their own power. The best vacuums will clean both carpet and bare floors efficiently, filter the air to keep particles from flying about, and include attachments for cleaning upholstery, stairs, baseboards, and for reaching into nooks and crannies. In addition to, or instead of, an upright vacuum, some people need a smaller vacuum for a smaller space, or a secondary vacuum for other living areas or for picking up spot messes in between cleaning days. If that's the case, take a look at our other vacuum reports: canister vacuums use slender wands that can reach farther into tight spaces, like under beds or up stairways, than the attachments on most uprights. Stick vacuums and hand vacuums are often used for quicker, spot-cleaning tasks, like sweeping up small, dry spills and messes without having to haul out the bigger upright.

Bagless vacuums cleaners operate on a two-step process -- larger particles are deposited into a removable canister, smaller particles go into the filter. When the canister is full, you just remove it, dump the debris, and replace. The filters also have to be cleaned occasionally and, eventually, replaced as they wear out. The most obvious advantage of a bagless vacuum cleaner is that you don't have to buy replacement bags, but some bagless vacuums are messy and awkward to dump. And, eventually, dirt and pet hair will accumulate in the nooks and crannies of the container so it will have to be cleaned -- a task most owners find unappealing. However, not having to dispose of the bag is more environmentally friendly as it eliminates an added layer of trash. One other advantage to bagless: If you accidentally vacuum up a small item, you don't have to tear open the bag and dig through the contents to find it; the canisters are mostly see-through. Bagged vacuum cleaners have a removable bag that you discard and replace when full.

Most bagging vacuums have bags that are constructed of filter media, adding an extra filtration step to the overall system. Many owners prefer this no-muss, no-fuss approach to getting rid of their vacuuming debris, although some bags are trickier to put in place than others. Some bagging upright vacuum cleaners use self-sealing bags, which prevent any particles from escaping back into the air during the bag-disposal process. Bagged vacuum cleaners tend to get better scores in professional tests for performance on both carpet and hardwood, although bagless models are closing in fast. best panasonic vacuum cleaner reviewsThe major downside to bagging upright vacuum cleaners is that bags must be purchased throughout the life of the vacuum cleaner. clean laptop fan hpBags typically range in price from $2 to $7 per bag, although generic bags are an option in some cases and bags can often be ordered in bulk for a lower per-bag cost. air duct cleaning reviews dallas

As with bagless vacuums, the air filters will have to occasionally be replaced as well. Robotic vacuum cleaners do the work for you. They can be programmed to vacuum your floor when you're at work, sleeping, or busy doing other tasks. Robotic vacuums can't replace a full-sized upright vacuum; they can't do stairs, for instance, and they don't deep clean as well as the best vacuum cleaners, but they're much beloved for touchup cleaning on a day-to-day basis, especially by people who have multiple pets. Like bagless vacuums, they use a container debris-system that has to be emptied, and there may be a bit of a learning curve to figure out where to set up the guides, also called virtual walls or lighthouses (depending upon if you use them as stops or guides). Some robotic vacuums damp mop as well. There are a lot of vacuum cleaner reviews out there. , , to name just a few. These user reviews give the best overview for how each vacuum operates in real-world, long-term use. In evaluating these reviews, we consider performance on different flooring surfaces, pet-hair removal, features and attachments, ease of use and lifestyle features to help you find the perfect vacuum cleaner for your cleaning needs.

This page either does not exist or is currently unavailable.You can also search for something on our site below.Vacuuming is a no-brainer. You flip the switch, clean out the filter every now and then, and go to work on that area rug your dog likes better than his bed... right? We aren't saying buying and using a vacuum is rocket science, but we do want to point out a few of the things you might have missed when, like most of us, you tossed your machine's owner's manual into a junk drawer. Here to help: Consumer Reports' Senior Home & Yard Editor, Ed Perratore, who shared some of the most common vacuum cleaner dos and don'ts with HuffPost Home. DO: Keep in mind what you'll use your vacuum cleaner for the most. "The toughest job for a vacuum is deep-cleaning carpets, which is what our research says is the number-one job people want in their vacuum. Equally important is being lightweight enough that it's not hard to push, pull, lift and generally maneuver. DO: At least try and lift the vacuum before you leave the store.

"Try, in the store, to push and pull it around. Try to turn it around tight corners and lift it from its intended handle. Look for a power switch that's mounted high on the unit to avoid bending. DO: Check out the "minor" details. "If it's a bagless, compare its bin size to that of other models. Look for a brush on/off switch if you have bare floors, suction control if you'll be vacuuming drapes. And before buying either a bagged or bagless model, look up the price of the bags and filters. Some filters just need washing out, not replacing, but there's often more than one." DO: Buy a vacuum that works with your lifestyle. "We test for pet-hair pickup and find that some models do very well at getting up what their pet sheds without the hair wrapping around the brush. Neither uprights nor canisters have the edge there. For apartment dwellers, the size of the unit matters a lot. If you have lots of carpets, we recommend bagged uprights since they tend to have the best airflow and suction.

If you don't want to lug around an upright and also maybe vacuum stairs a lot, consider a canister. And for general pickup of spilled dry items and dust, many people also have hand, stick and even robotic vacs--though you can't count on them for deep-cleaning." DON'T: Get hung up on the pricey models. "Our best models are often not the most expensive. And occasionally, a very inexpensive model scores highly, like the Hoover WindTunnel T-Series UH30300, priced at $140 and the Panasonic MC-CL935, which goes for $330. DON'T: Forget that it's all about HOW you use the vacuum. "There are a few ways to vacuum "wrong." Never vacuum water or even a wet floor; use a wet/dry vac instead. Change your bag or empty your bin promptly; it affects available airflow. Ditto for the filters; inspect them every couple of months. If you vacuum up something big like a sock, turn the vacuum off right away--besides blocking airflow, you could break the belt, which is there to protect the motor.

And if you vacuum a bare floor like wood or laminate and don't turn off the brush (or don't have a brush on/off switch), you'll wear away that floor's finish over time." DO: Get to know your machine. "Usually there's at least a crevice tool (for edges and tight places), a bristled brush for furniture, and one or two extension wands. Some vacuums also have rubber-bristled brushes for picking up pet hair from furniture without static." DON'T: Expect your vacuum to last forever. "We've seen recent EPA figures of 5-8 years, but we think people replace their vacuums more often than that." You know a vacuum is ready to be replaced "when it either will not start, or it starts, but no longer picks [anything] up. [Provided you've checked that] hoses and other points of airflow are neither damaged nor clogged, the brush roll is not jammed up or filters don't need replacing, and the bag or bin isn't full. In other words, if you're properly maintaining the vac and it still won't pick up, it's time to at least get it looked at--perhaps replaced.