There are lot of manufacturers of vacuum cleaners. We will be adding the most popular ones to this site. At the moment, these are the Vacuum Brands that we cover:

Dyson – One of the more expensive brands of vacuum cleaner, but one of the best. With patented Cyclone technology, plus a lot of other innovations like the Dyson Ball, washable HEPA filters, etc, Dyson is a brand that more households are turning to.

Hoover – One of the older Vacuum companies, Hoover is still a name that many households trust. The word Hoover has often been used by people when referring to “vacuuming”, in much the same way people say today “Google” the web.

Eureka – A leading vacuum cleaning company that includes Electrolux, Sanitaire, Eureka and the Electrolux Central Vacuum systems, providing both home vacuum cleaners as well as professional grade cleaners.

Bissell – Anna & Melville Bissell are responsible for the Bissell vacuum cleaners. Working it a sawdust covered crockery shop, Melville invented a vacuum cleaner that would help clear the place up. That was just the beginning for the Bissells.

Dirt Devil – Famous brand name after its Royal Dirt Devil Hand vac was introduced. Now the Dirt Devil range has been expanded to include a wide range of different vacuum cleaners.

Kirby – Kirby is one of those easily recognized vacuum brands. While they have received some bad press over salesmen techniques, their vacuums are innovative and high quality.

Electrolux – a Swedish company and manufacturer of a wide range of home and professional applicances. Electrolux is one of the best known manufacturers of vacuum cleaners.

Miele – German company renowned for reliability, durability and long-lasting electrical appliances for the home and for professional use.

Miele is a German company founded in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann. Miele manufacture a wide range of domestic appliances and commercial equipment. Since its formation Miele has been family owned and family run.

In the early days Miele crated machines to separate cream, butter churns and washing machines. Between 1912 in 1914 Miele produced 125 motorcars. In 1914 they produced their first electric motor washing machine and branches of Miele was set up in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Paris Warsaw and Vienna. Between 1924 and 1960 Miele produced bicycles and motorcycles.

Miele pride themselves on innovation and invention. In 1929 they created Europe’s first electric dishwasher, and in 1956 the first fully automatic washing machine. This was closely followed by the first domestic tumble dryer in 1958, the first microprocessor controlled washing machine, dryer and dishwashers in 1978 and then in 1997 the first washing machine with a program for hand washable woollens.

The innovations kept coming with the launch of the patented honeycomb drum in 2001.

In the words of Karl & Reinhard, "success is only possible in the long term if one is totally and utterly convinced of the quality of one’s products". Miele has certainly kept up that tradition.

To Miele, their brand stands for the highest quality, durability, reliability, and security. To prove this point of Miele washing machines were recently independently tested for durability. The results of this independent study showed Miele washing machines were head and shoulders above the competition. They were still working after an equivalence of 20 years of service.

Miele are a leading manufacturer of coffee machines, cooking appliances, dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and of course vacuum cleaners. Miele produced a range of canister vacuums, stick vacuums and upright vacuum cleaners which all adhere to the strict manufacturing guidelines of Miele, meaning that your vacuum cleaner will be of the highest quality, and should last you a long time.

Electrolux is a Swedish company that is one of the leaders in home appliances. While we know Electrolux for their vacuum cleaners and carpet cleaners, Electrolux also have a range of cookers, cookertops, ovens, fridges, dishwashers, air conditioners, tumble driers, washing machines etc.

On their website, Electrolux state that they sell more than 40 million products a year to customers in around 150 countries. That’s sure is a testament to the Electrolux brand.

Electrolux began life in 1910 as Elektromekaniska AB but changed their name in 1919 after a merger with Lux AB. Hence the name ElectroLux.

In 2003 Electrolux began a restructuring program throughout Europe and Electrolux operates over 20 factories in Europe.

Below you can review some of the Vacuum cleaners made by Electrolux. If you own one of the models, please feel free to review it and give it a rating based on your experiences.

Dirt Devil is a one of the top brand names in vacuum cleaners and floor care. The Dirt Devil hand vac was introduced in 1984, and that model was so successful that it allowed more products to be released under the Dirt Devil brand name.

The company began life in 1905, Cleveland Ohio as the P.A. Geier Company where Mr. Geier hand built metal vacuums in his garage. The company’s very first hand held vac was called the “Royal Prince” which was introduced in 1937.

In 1953, the P.A. Geier Company was bought by the Walter E. Schott Organization – an investment company – who renamed the company Royal Appliance Manufacturing. However, the company was dissolved in 1954 when it was purchased by a group of employees. Stan Erbor was head man, and under him the company thrived. In 1969 they moved to Ohio where the company expanded.

In 1981, Erbor died. A group of investors bought the company and took annual sales from around $5 million in 1981 to over $400 million in 2000. During this time, their vacuum cleaners were stocked in popular retail outlets like Wal-Mart.

Today, the Royal Appliance Manufacturing company is called TTI Floor Care North America (TTI stands for TechTronic Industries, a Hong Kong based firm), and they manufacture a range of uprights, sticks, hand-held vacuums, canister and carpet shampooers.

The Kirby Company has been building vacuum cleaners for over 90 years based on the original Kirby design by inventor Jim Kirby. In fact, Jim was so prolific as an inventor that today there are over 200 patents attributed to his success.

His first design used water to separate the dirt, but deciding it was too inconvenient to empty, he developed a system that blew dirty air into a bag.

Jim designed vacuums for George Scott and Carl Fetzer after World War I, but his name was not used until the 1930s. His 1925 Vacuette Electric was the predecessor of the modern day multi-attachment vacuums. It is this product that the Kirby company have spent years perfecting, improving design and function such as the innovative TecDrive Variable Power Assist that helps propel the vacuum as well as the introduction of a HEPA filtration system.

In 1970, the Kirby Classic became a huge success and Kirby has been an easily recognized brand name the world over.

Anna & Melville Bissell owned a crockery shop in Grand Rapids Michigan back in 1876, when Melville created a carpet sweeper machine after Anna complained about the sawdust littering the floor in the shop (saw dust was used to pack the china).

The sweeper was so good at cleaning the shop that word quickly spread, and in 1883, the Bissell factory was built.

Today, Bissell’s reputation has grown as it has invested heavily in research & development. The have a range of vacuums that meet the requirements of every household.

If you suffer from allergy and/or Asthma the Bissell allergy-control products are designed to help clean the air in your house, by filtering out the allergens that pass through the vacuum cleaner.

If you have pets, Bissell has its own range of pet lovers vacuums. These are designed to remove the “footprints” left behind by your furry friends.

Bissell have upright vacuums, stick vacuums, canister and hand-helds. They also create deep cleaner machines that are specifically designed to help remove stains and deep clean your floors. They have multi-tasker vacuums that deep clean carpets but can easily become hard floor cleaners with different easy-fitting heads for each floor type.

Bissell also have a range of bare floor products that can clean up the messiest of spills. Bissell have hard floor sweepers, steam mop and cleaning solutions.

Eureka was founded in 1909 by Fred Wardell, a former auctioneer, and the company was deliberately named after the famous Archimedes quote when his body displaced the water in his bath.  Meaning “I found it!”, Fred used the phrase as he felt his company would provide innovative products.

Its range of vacuums included the Eureka Boss SmartVac which won a number of “Best Buy” & “Best Vacuum” awards.  In 2007, the Eureka Capture vacuum won the Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

Nowadays, Eureka is part of the Electrolux family.  Eureka’s main focus is in the cleaning industry, both home and commercial vacuums (see later).  With over 130 models distributed through their brands – Eureka, Electrolux, Sanitaire (serving commercial cleaners such as hospitals, schools and offices for more than 30 years) and Electrolux Central Vacuum systems (formerly known as Beam Industries).

Eureka’s design philosophy is to look after the consumer and study the impact that their vacuums have on the environment.  They have a comprehensive range of vacuum designs including:

• Upright vacuums
• Canister vacuums
• Sticks
• Battery powered vacuums
• Hand held vacuums
• Built-in home cleaning systems
• Steam cleaners

Eureka have a vacuum cleaner for all needs.  Their vacuums can be categorized according to the needs of the user.  There are vacuums for:

1. convenience cleaning – for when you want to clean up quickly.
2. comfort designed vacuums – when ergonomic design is important.
3. those for hard to reach areas – to get into the smaller spaces and difficult to maneuver areas.
4. multi-surface vacuums – All floor types and even the ceiling if you want.
5. allergen control – HEPA vacuum cleaners for those who suffer from asthma or allergy, or maybe you just want to make sure your carpets are thoroughly cleaned.
6. Pet hair – ideal for people who have pets and need to clean up hair regularly.
7. eco-friendlier vacuum cleaners – for the eco-warriors out there.  These vacuums are eco-friendlier, e.g. the Envirovac 3041 uses an 8-amp motor that uses 33% less energy than a typical upright vacuum cleaner.  These also include washable allergen filters, so you don’t need to buy replacement filters.

Eureka Commercial Vacuums

Eureka have designed the Eureka Commercial vacuum cleaner for those with professional-grade cleaning requirements.  These include a sealed HEPA filter that captures 99.97% of dirt, dust, mite debris and allergens that pass through the vacuum. The long cord on these machines allow you to clean all around the house with minimal plugging and unplugging of the power cable.  These vacuums come with professional grade cleaning accessories.

Murray Spangler was a struggling inventor at the turn of the 20th century.  To help make ends meet, he took a Janitor job in a department store, but the primitive vacuum cleaners he used to clean the masses of carpet chucked out as much dirt and dust as they removed meaning a very unhealthy environment to work in.  Being an asthma sufferer, Murray put on his inventors cap.

He was determined to improve the design and the functioning of his vacuum cleaner.  Using a pillow case to catch the dirt, plus a number of innovations like a suction fan, Murray soon had his first prototype “Suction Sweeper” which was probably the first upright vacuum cleaner.  In 1908, Murray got the patent for his new sweeper.

Spangler ended up selling one of his sweepers to a cousin, Susan Hoover, whose husband W. H. Hoover became interested after glowing reports from his wife.  W. H. Hoover ended up buying the patent from Spangler in 1908, and he kept Spangler on the payroll to help design more suction sweepers.

Initially, there wasn’t much interest in the new upright vacuum cleaners, but Hoover had a master plan.  He offered free 10 day trials of his machines to anyone who wanted on.  It really helped kick off sales.

By 1926, Hoover’s research and development department had perfected the “beater bar”, and it was introduced in the 543 & 700 models.  The beater bar was an innovation (that became “Positive Agitation”) that tapped the carpet to help dislodge dirt and dust.

Hoover introduced a number of innovations in his vacuum cleaners, including disposable paper bags, and a headlamp which Hoover called the “Hoover Hedlite” which lit up the carpet in front of the cleaner.  This was especially welcome in dark corridors and darkened rooms.

Another fine addition to the Hoover vacuums, was the self-propelling mechanism which evolved into the Powerdrive system to help move these heavy machines around the floor for you.

Today, Hoover is a world-known brand that has become synonymous with the term vacuum cleaner.    They produce a wide range of cleaners for all types of floor.  These include Hoover Upright cleaners, canister vacuums, hard floor cleaners and more.

You can read about some of the more popular Hoover vacuum cleaners below in out review section.

Dyson vacuums are the brainchild of Sir James Dyson. They are different from conventional vacuum cleaners. While normal vacuums have bags and filters (that can clog up and reduce the suction), Dysons include a patented Root Cyclone technology which uses centrifugal forces to spin the dirt and dust straight into the bin. Since there are no bags, there’s no loss of suction and the Dyson just keeps on working.

Sir James Dyson was born in Norfolk in 1947, and although he created a number of early products from the 1970s onwards, he is best known for his Dual Cyclone bagless vacuum cleaner, that would not lose suction as it filled up. James had become disillusioned with his Hoover, as it kept clogging with dirt, so had the idea of using rotational force (cyclone) in a vacuum cleaner.

After several years of trial and error, Dyson released the G-Force cleaner in 1983 to the Japanese market. It was very expensive to produce but did win design awards and in 1986, he got his first patent for the vacuum cleaning appliance.

Despite the obvious potential of his cyclonic vacuum cleaners, manufacturers in the UK refused to back his products. Maybe it was partly or wholly due to the costs of producing them. Undeterred, Dyson setup his own factory in Wiltshire. Eventually the Dyson vacuums became big sellers as a bagless vacuum that didn’t clog up. Other manufacturers tried to jump on the bandwagon, and Hoover ended up being sued by Dyson for patent infringement.

In 2005, Dyson used the wheel ball (taken from an earlier wheelbarrow invention of his), and added it to a vacuum cleaner to create the Dyson Ball. The Dyson ball allowed the vacuum to move easily around corners and turn on a spot. This solved one of the big problems associated with standard vacuums – fixed wheels on a fixed axle make vacuums difficult to turn.

There are a number of discontinued Dyson models, including G-Force, DC01, DC02, DC03, DC04, DC05, DC06, DC07, DC08, DC08T models.

The current list of Dyson Vacuums include the following models: DC11, DC12, DC12plus, DC14, DC15, DC16 Animal, D16 Car & boat, DC17, DC18, DC19, DC19 T2, DC20 Allergy, DC21, DC22, DC23, DC23 T2, DC24, DC25, DC26, DC27, DC28, DC29, DC30, DC31. Many of these models have more than one vacuum with slightly different features. We’ll have a look at many of them on this website (scroll to the bottom for specific model specifications and reviews).

You’ll notice that there was no DC09 or DC10 models. This is because of aircraft with the same name. You may also hear about Dyson Hand Dryers. These are once again innovative “airblade” technologies from the Dyson company that dry your hands in just 10 seconds. With air travelling at 400 mph, water is scraped from your hands.

Dyson Vacuum Technology

The technology behind the Dyson range means that Dyson can offer very special features:

2. Patented Cyclone technology meaning no loss of suction as the dirt is separated from the air using cyclone technology. The dust spins at high speed.
3. Cleaner Air coming from the exhaust – Dyson uprights are asthma and allergy friendly, with the exhaust air being reported to contain up to 150 times less bacteria and mold than the air you breathe.
4. Works on all flooring surfaces.
5. Lifetime HEPA and washable filters.
6. 5 year guarantee parts & labor.

Dyson introduced a number of innovative technologies. We mentioned the ball earlier for easy turning of vacuums, but there are a host of other innovations including the carbon free motor.Traditional electric motors are large, heavy and tend to break easily. As they are used over and over again, the brushes wear and give off carbon dust. Dyson changed the type of motor in his vacuums by creating a digital motor that was controlled by microchip. The Dyson digital motor can spin at 88,000 rpm, and is half the size and weight of traditional electric motors. Since the digital motor has no brushes, Dyson brushed off the carbon dust problem.

Which Dyson Should I buy? The Dyson Comparison Chart allows you to compare Dyson vacuum cleaners.

NOTE: Every effort has been made to make the Dyson comparison chart accurate, but we cannot guarantee this information, so please check with your vacuum supplier. To read more details on each vacuum, you can click the Model Name link. To check the latest price and availability, click the price link. All links open in a new window so you don’t lose your place on this site.

Key to Columns:

Type – The type of vacuum
Pets – Recommended for pets
AF – All Floors
Ball – Dyson Ball movement
AA – Asthma & Allergy friendly
Su – suction in air watts
lb/Kg – weight in pounds/Kilograms
Hepa – HEPA filter?
Wand – Telescopic Reach Wand
AIRM – Air Muscle technology

$ – Rough Price guide (in US Dollars). These prices were correct on 5th October 2009, but may change without notice.

Tools included:
CAT – Combination Accessory Tool
ST – Stair Tool
MTH – Mini Turbine Head
FOH – Flat Out Head
BT -Brush Tool
CT -Crevice Tool
LRFT – Low Reach Floor Tool
HFT – Hard Floor Tool
CCK – Carpet Cleaning Kit
MBH – Motorised Brush Head

Miele have a reputation for building good quality vacuum cleaners.  This German companycreate a lot of canister vacuumsand the Miele S5281 Callisto canister vacuum cleaner is a really popular one.

Featuring an ergonomic handle and telescopic stainless steel wand, the Miele S5281 Callisto comes with sound insulation so that this vacuum cleaner is very quiet.

You also get a sealed system with the Miele’s active HEPA filter which will remove 99.9% airborne allergens passing throughthe vacuum cleaner, including dust mites and pet dander.

The 1200W Miele Vortex suction motor comes with a seven year warranty, and as with most Miele vacuum cleaners the motor is really good.

You get an electric power brush for the low medium and high pile carpeting so this one vacuumcan be used throughout your house on the different floor types.

The vacuum comes with 4.76 quart IntensiveClean Plus dustbag.

What Miele S5281 Callisto canister vacuum cleaner customers like:

• The 10.5 inch wide electric power brush.
• The brush duster which is small with durable bristles.
• Parquet floor brush ( wider brush duster ) .
• Cord rewind mechanism is excellent.
• Very quiet.
• Easy to manoeuvre around the house because it is small and lightweight .
• HEPA filtration (especially for those suffering from asthma or hayfever) .

.. and what they didn’t like:

• The price
• The attachment release buttons  are not very intuitive.
• Stiff no swivel hose.
• Bag full indicator actually appears to bean indication of how hard the vacuum is straining to suck.