Vacuums are often divided into two groups – upright vacuums and canister vacuums.  The canister vacuums look a little like pods that slide along the floor.  They are often more popular in homes with hard wood or tile flooring, as their suction is not usually as great as the traditional upright vacuum.  The advantages of canister vacuums is that they take up less room, are often lighter, and usually less expensive.  You can see the canister vacuums we have looked at on this site below:

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.

The Miele S4582 Eclipse Canister Vacuum cleaner has a powerful 1200W motor using the innovative Miele Vortex Motor system to ensure maximum suction.

This cleaner comes with the SBD450-3 carpet/smooth floor combo tool and a deluxe handle assembly.

The HEPA filter in this vacuum will ensure more allergens are cleaned out of the carpet, and the air passing through the cleaner.  The vacuum uses Intensive Clean FJM bags, and comes with 2 supplied with the Miele S4582 Eclipse.

Accessory tools include:

• Upholstery tool
• crevice nozzle
• dusting brush

One complaint with many vacuum cleaners is the length of the cable.  The Miele S4582 Eclipse comes with a 29.5 feet operating radius.

What customers of the Miele S4582 Eclipse liked:

• Vacuum is very quiet thanks to silence-noise insulation.
• Very powerful motor
• Very light
• Easy to maneuver
• Excellent cord retractor
• No odour when vacuuming

.. and what they did not like:

• Cord could be longer.

The Miele S516 Cat & Dog canister vacuum cleaner includes a special filter made from activated charcoal to remove the smell of cats & dogs from your home and is perfect for low to medium pile carpets.

There is also a hand held turbo brush (STB101) to help remove the pet hair from carpet, stairs and upholstery.

The German motor on the Miele S516 is a powerful 1200W, and you get the  Electric Power brush.

What Miele S516 customers liked:

• Does a good job of picking up pet hair.
• compact.
• lightweight.
• non-clogging hose & great suction.

… and what they did not like so much:

• Short cord.
• Bags are small.

The Bissell 89Q9 Lift-Off MultiCyclonic Pet is a bagless upright vacuum cleaner with a detachable canister.

The Bissell 89Q9 Lift-Off Multi-cyclonic has excellent suction power thanks to the 12 amp motor and its multi-cyclonic suction system. The 15 inch cleaning path means you’ll get your floorings cleaner quicker.

The Bissell Lift-Off Multicyclonic is a bagless vacuum cleaner, instead using a detachable canister that allows quick and easy emptying of the vacuum.

Other great features of this vacuum cleaner include:

• Adjustable height (7 settings) so you can taylor the vacuum to the floor type you need to clean.
• Dual edge cleaning.
• HEPA media filter post motor filter.
• Flexible stretchy hose to reach those above floor areas that collect the dust.

You get a few accessory tools including:

• the pet hair turbobrush to help clean that stubborn pet hair off your floor, furniture, stairs and upholstery.
• Crevice tool to get into those hard to reach nooks and crannies.
• upholstery / dusting brush.

This vacuum is excellent for cleaning dust, dirt, pet hair and even dry spills from carpets and bare floors.

This vacuum cleaner has great reviews on Amazon from those who have bought it.

Things that Bissell 89Q9 Lift-Off multi-cyclonic pet vacuum owners liked about this vacuum cleaner:

• Easy to maneuver & not too heavy
• suction
• extension wand with pet hair attachment
• long electrical cord
• Lift-Off features on stairs
• Bagless
• On/Off switch for brush roll
• Furniture protection guard

.. and things that owners complained about..

• emptying a bagless cleaner can be messy
• short hose
• short cord (note that this is subjective as one reviewer said it was nice and long).

The Hoover S3765-040 WindTunnel Vacuum cleaner is a bagless canister vacuum cleaner.
If has a number of great features including:

• 12 amp motor plus Hoover’s WindTunnel technology to provide outstanding suction power. Dirt is funneled away from the spinning agitators and moved into the bagless canister.
• Bagless so no more buying and replacing vacuum bags.
• 15 Power Nozzle has a low profile so that you can get underneath low furniture.
• Deluxe pump handle.
• Finger-touch speed control for variable suction and total flexibility.
• HEPA filtration system to make sure the air passing through and out of this vacuum is clear of allergens like pollen, bacteria and dust mite debris.
• The wheels on the Hoover WindTunnel S3765-040 are large and made of a soft material so they don’t mark your flooring.
• Telescopic wand for attaching tools makes cleaning above the floor level much easier.

Customers who reviewed the Hoover S3765-040 WindTunnel bagless canister vacuum cleaner on Amazon awarded this cleaner an average of 4 out of 5 stars.

Things customers liked:

• Great suction
• Aggressive beater bar
• Nice design with all of the controls easily accessible at your fingertips.
• Bagless
• Automatic power cable rewind
• Easy to empty dust bin
• Excellent at picking up pet hair and dander

.. and things customers did not like:

• Not all tools are stored on the vacuum cleaner
• No dirt sensor
• wand and attachment design could be better

Hand held vacuum cleaners are very useful for cleaning the car and other hard to reach places in your home where you cannot get your normal vacuum. This Eureka 71B handheld vacuum cleaner has a powerful 5.5 am suction power and a stretchy hose. Its ideal for cleaning carpets in your car, and getting down in between the seats and pockets. You can also clean upholstery and stairs with ease and get down behind the sofa cushions to get those biscuit crumbs.

At just 5 pounds in weight, its easy to carry around without tiring.

The onboard crevice tool is great for tight spaces, and the revolving brush has its own motor (another motor powers the suction of the Eureka 71B.

This Eureka handheld vacuum cleaner is bagless and the clear dust bin makes it easy to see when it needs to be emptied.

There is also a 20 foot cord that wraps around the back end of the vacuum cleaner for easy storage. At 20 feet, the cord gives you ample room for moving around the room or car, without having to re-plug the vacuum into another power outlet.

The stretchy hose also gives you more room for maneuver as it stretches up to three times its retracted length.

One Eureka innovation on this vacuum is the Riser Visor. The idea behind this clear plastic cover is that it stays down for cleaning horizontal surfaces, but flips up when vacuuming vertical surfaces like stair risers. This means the revolving brush can clean horizontal and vertical surfaces with ease.

The vacuum has a filter, and emptying it is a case of shaking out the dust bin.

This Eureka 71B handheld vacuum cleaner is one of the most popular handheld vacuums around, and the reviews from places like Amazon reflect its popularity. At the time of writing this, 551 people reviewed this hand held vacuum on Amazon, with 374 awarding it 5 out of 5, and 126 awarding it 4 out of 5. Just 51 reviewers awarded it a 3 or less.

What Eureka 71B Hand held users liked:

• Fantastic for getting pet hair off surfaces
• Hose is conveniently situated to get off the vacuum quickly and return it when finished.
• The riser visor for vertical
• heavy duty filter that seems durable
• clever storage of the crevice tool

What they did not like:

• It is a little bit big & a little heavy.
• Loud

The Dyson DC23 comes in two models.  The DC23 Turbinehead and the DC23 Motorhead.

The Dyson DC23 vacuums are canister cleaners with Level 3 Root Cyclone technology.  The Turbinehead model has a turbine head for multi-purpose cleaning, whereas the Motorhead has a motorized brush bar to help remove dirt and pet hair from carpets.

Dyson DC23 Turbinehead features

• Root Level 3 Cyclone technology to ensure maximum suction and capturing of even the smallest dust particles.
• Turbine head brush bar is driven by air for cleaning short to medium length carpet.  The brush bar can be turned off if required.
• Lifetime HEPA filter + Bactisafe system meaning the air expelled by the DC23 has up to 150 times less bacteria and spores) than the typical air you are breathing in.
• Certified asthma & allergy friendly by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America.
• 220 Air Watts constant suction power.
• Fixed wheel movement.
• Stair Cleaning design means that the vacuum fits between the stairs.
• 0.44 Gallon clear plastic dust bin.
• Stair, brush and crevice tools are included with this model.
• Weight 19.5 lb (8.8Kg)

Dyson DC23 Motorhead features

• Level 3 Root Cyclone technology for the most effective suction ever.
• Telescopic Wrap system so that the vacuum can be easily stored.
• Motorized brushbar with powerful bristles for deep cleaning and removal of dirt and pet hair.
• Certified Asthma & Allergy friendly.
• HEPA + Bactisafe system.
• Hygienic and quick to empty.
• 220 Air Watts constant suction.
• Motorised brush head, stair tool, brush, crevice and hard floor tools are included with this model.
• Weight 23.89 lb with attachments (10.8 Kg)

Customer reviews for the Dyson DC23 Vacuum

If you own either the DC23 Turbinehead or the Dyson DC23 Motorhead models, we would love to hear what you think of them.  You can leave your thoughts, comments or full reviews at the bottom of this page.

Being a relatively new addition to the Dyson vacuum range, the DC23 only has 4 reviews on Amazon at the time of writing this.  However, those 4 reviewers scored this cleaner an average of of 5 stars out of 5.

What DC23 Owners Liked:

• Design of the cleaner.
• Extreme power of suction.
• The telescopic wand.
• The motorhead is impressive.
• “The new Level 3 Root Cyclone performs brilliantly at separating dust, sand, and large debris from the airstream more efficiently than past iterations of Dyson cyclone technology”.
• “ I have very expensive and old rugs with tassels. When the motorized brush runs over the tassels, the brush shuts off.”
• Compact design.

What DC23 Owners Disliked:

• Motorhead is noisy.
• Attachments from earlier models won’t fit on the DC23.
• Motorhead is so strong it can suck in delicate and fine rugs.  Would be nice if there was a level control for older carpets.
• The hose will collapse if you step on it.
• Bin fills up quickly (but some might see this as a positive as it means the vacuum is doing its job properly.