There are a number of different types of vacuum cleaner.  We have made every effort on this site to categorise the vacuum cleaners we cover, so that you can easily find what you are looking for.

The following are a list of types we cover:

• Bagless Vacuum Cleaners – Save money on vacuums that don’t use bags to collect the dirt.
• Ball Vacuum Cleaners – Easier to maneuver, Ball vacuums are mainly the domain of Dyson.
• Canister Vacuum Cleaners – Canister vacuums are popular particularly in homes with hard floors.
• Handheld Vacuum Cleaners – For portability, hand held vacuum cleaners can do a job in tight spaces, like your car and other hard to reach places.
• HEPA Vacuum Cleaners -  HEPA filters are fantastic for removing tiny particles from the exhaust air of your vacuum cleaner, often producing much cleaner air than you normally breathe in your house.
• Upright Vacuum Cleaners – traditional and often the choice of carpeted homes.
• Cordless vacuum cleaners – handy for cleaning the car and other areas away from electrical sockets, these vacuums are generally lower powered.
• Steam Cleaners – Not actually vacuum cleaners, Steam cleaners use hot water and/or steam to deep clean your carpets.
• Stick Cleaners – Small, lightweight vacuum cleaners that are easy to store, and wont tire you out as you clean your house.
• Central Vacuum Systems – Vacuum systems built directly into the house structure with central dirt canister.

Central vacuum cleaner systems turn your house into one large vacuum cleaner and the good news is, they have become a lot more affordable in recent years.

These systems have a central collection point where dirt and grim is deposited, with outlets distributed throughout the house.  To use the vacuum, you simply plug the hose into an outlet and vacuum.  The dirt that is sucked up is transported down the tube you are holding, through the tubes in the wal and down to the receptacle in a remote area.

There are two main types of central vacuum system – cyclonic and filtered systems.  The cyclonic systems use centrifugal force to separate the dirt from the air, whereas the filtered system uses filters.  The downside of the filtered systems include the need to replace of clean the filters on a regular basis.

There are a number of advantages to these central systems.

1. Air quality in the home can be improved, and the fact that the single large dirt canister only needs to be emptied about once every 3 months, the dirt you have just picked up does not end up back in the air when you empty the canister as often happens with traditional vacuum cleaners.
2. The central vacuum cleaners can have a lot more suction than traditional vacuum cleaners, although with vacuums like Dyson with their cyclonic suction technology, and Hoover‘s Windtunnel technology, traditional vacuums have become very powerful indeed.
3. These systems offer ease of use since you don’t have to carry the vacuum cleaner around the house.  The only thing you need to carry is the lightweight hose and attachments. The power switch for the vacuum is typically on the handle of the hose.  The wall outlets are usually located in the skirting boards around the room, with usually one outlet per 600 square feet of room.
4. House value can increase with a central vacuum system installed.
5. These systems are quieter than traditional vacuum cleaners.
6. Automatic dustpans are available, so that dirt can be swept into the vents using a standard broom, making sweeping the floor an easier task as well, without having to bend over.

One of the downsides of this type of system is that they have been quite expensive, but as technology has advanced, the prices of these systems has fallen.  The one thing you need to bear in mind is that you will need a professional installer, though this is something that the retailer will help you with.

There are a number of manufacturers that have central vacuum systems in their portfolio of products including: Beam, Electrolux, Bissell, Dirt Devil, Eureka, Hoover, Honeywell, Air King & Astrovac.

HEPA is a filter that removes up to 99.9% of allergens from the air that passes through it.  Because of this, a growing range of top vacuum manufacturers now include HEPA filters in their vacuum cleaners.  When air is sucked into the vacuum cleaner, it passes through the filter on the way out of the machine, so that the air being expelled from the vacuum is allergen free.  HEPA vacuums are ideal for those who suffer from allergy and/or asthma, as well as any health conscious individual who doesn’t like the idea of breathing in dust mite debris on a daily basis.  Below we have listed the HEPA vacuums covered on our site.

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:

Dyson have a number of patents for their vacuum cleaner technologies, and the Dyson Ball is one of the latest.  The Ball is surely going to find itself of a plethora of other brand vacuums because of the way it adds effortless turning to heavy vacuum cleaners.   The idea came originally from a wheelbarrow design by Mr. Dyson, and its application to vacuums has been a revelation.  Below you can see the Ball vacuum cleaners we have covered on this site.

Old vacuum cleaners required bags, and these needed to be emptied and replaced, costing quite a bit over the lifetime of the vacuum cleaner.  More and more modern vacuums are bagless, meaning you don’t have paper bags to collect the dirt.  Instead, dirt and dust is sucked into a plastic bin that can be easily & hygienically emptied.  Below are the bagless vacuum cleaners that we have covered on this site.

Quite often you a large upright or canister vacuum cleaner is over-kill.  If you want to clean the car for example, a better solution is a smaller, handheld vacuum that perhaps doesn’t require an electrical outlet to operate.  This type of vacuum certainly has its advantages in terms of portability, but they also often suffer a few disadvantages, like:

• poor suction
• poor battery time

Below are a list of hand held vacuum cleaners that we have looked at on this site.

Upright vacuum cleaners are the traditional vacuum cleaners we all grew up with.  In recent times, canister vacuums have also become popular, but upright vacuum cleaners have a number of advantages over the canister vacuums.  Generally speakin upright vacuums have stronger suction and this is a major factor in choosing an upright over a canister model.  If you have mainly carpets throughout your home, an upright may be the best solution, though do check out some of the All Floor models by Dyson because they have fantastic suction, and are often suitable for most homes.

Below we have listed the upright vacuums covered on this site.

Hoover built the SteamVac Spin Scrub TurboPower carpet cleaner to offer an economical, yet functional, option to consumers. The unit manages 12 AMPs of power that move five rotating brushes that offer a deep down clean on almost any type of carpeting. The SteamVac Spin Scrub is equipped with two separate water tanks and a quick release latch to remove them for water refills and emptying. The easy use latch is a great design choice that can reduce the amount of time needed to prep the machine for another run.

Hoover backs its SteamVac Spin Scrub carpet cleaner with a one year limited warranty. The Clean Surge and direct heat features help remove stains in heavily trafficked areas in the home. A Spin Scrub powered hand tool is included to make cleaning stairs and upholstery much easier without lifting the entire carpet cleaner.

The SteamVac Spin Scrub carpet cleaner can handle three vital steps to remove stains and floor debris. First it applies hot water and cleaning solution to soak stains, then it scrubs carpet fibers and finally rinses with clean water. The SteamVac Spin Scrub takes hot air generated by the motor and blows it onto carpeting to add an element of heat to the cleaning process. It does not heat the water in the tank, but this design is a step up from carpet cleaners that offer no heating function at all.

What did customers who bought Hoover’s SteamVac Spin Scrub TurboPower carpet cleaner like?

• The cleaning power is a big draw to the SteamVac. The five scrub brushes also help fluff carpeting during the cleaning process.
• Requires minimal time to work out tough stains, including many difficult to get out substances such as juice.
• The price is economical for the amount of cleaning power offered by the SteamVac Spin Scrub, especially when compared to higher end Hoover models.
• Filling and emptying the water tanks is very easy and takes minimal time.

What did cHoover’s SteamVac Spin Scrub TurboPower carpet cleaner ustomers dislike?

• The SteamVac does not actually heat water and create steam on its own. Hot tap water must be put in (boiling water is not recommended).
• The design includes numerous small compartments and spaces that can hold sediment and old, dirty water that generates an unpleasant odor over time if not completely cleaned.
• Debris, such as pet hair, must be removed if it begins to accumulate in the front compartment of the cleaner or it will not work properly.

Eureka’s catalog has expanded in recent decades to include a handful of ‘specialty’ cleaning appliances. The Pet Lover Oh! upright bagless vacuum is one example of Eureka’s pet related products. Cleaning up pet messes is a big concern for pet owners. Many vacuums cannot handle this task very well. Pet hair and other animal generated debris can clog tubes and become a burden on the appliance. With the Pet Lover Oh! upright, pet owners can find a better way to keep their homes clean and their pets happy.

Utilizing a bagless design helps keep the long term cost of the Pet Lover Oh! Vacuum down. After the initial purchase, consumers only have to replace filters rather than buy new bags every week. The unit is designed to take care of pet hair problems on smooth floors, upholstery and carpeting. It offers a total of 12 AMPs of power to get the job done.

The Pet Lover Oh! bagless vacuum is equipped with a 20 foot power cord which provides a decent cleaning radius. Accessories include a pet upholstery brush and crevice tool that help consumers clean on and around furniture. The unit is backed by a one year manufacturer warranty.

What did customers who bought Eureka’s Pet Lover Oh! upright bagless vacuum like?

• Assembly was made easier by clear, concise directions and took generally under ten minutes for most consumers.
• The compact size is ideal for smaller living spaces, such as apartments, single rooms or town homes.
• Emptying the collection container is very easy and requires only the push of a button to remove from the vacuum.
• The Pet Lover Oh! vacuum proved effective in homes with multiple pets, even heavy shedders.

What did Eureka’s Pet Lover Oh! customers dislike?

• The Pet Lover Oh! sometimes blows pet fur and debris in front of the vacuum, mainly when used on smooth surfaces, which makes it very difficult to suck up.
• The Pet Lover Oh! bagless vacuum seems to frequently break after only a short period of regular use. Longevity was not noted as a strong point for this model.
• Some consumers found that the tiny roller wheels placed on the bottom of the vacuum scratched their hard wood floors, leaving permanent damage.