One burning question in most people’s lives besides the real meaning of life is “upright vacuum or canister which is better?” Well wait no longer to find the answer to this critical vacuum cleaner question as
we look at the good the bad and yes even the ugly side of this question.
Upright Vacuum, Upright Vacuums Or Canisters – Which Really Suck?
By Carolina Forest Vacuum Inc.
Simple vacuum cleaner fact 101 is that most people are upright vacuum cleaner people simply because that is the type of vacuum cleaner most grew up with. Upright vacuums have always been the most popular primarily due to the price.
The reason that most uprights are less expensive is because they often have smaller motors while most canisters often have larger motors and often employ two motors one in the main canister body  another smaller motor in the power nozzle to turn the roller brush when used on carpet. Keep in mind the motors are the most expensive part of your vacuum.
Don’t confuse the size of the motor’s or performance (power) with the amperage the unit draws or the horsepower.
The real size of the motor and performance comes from the diameter and the number of suction fans the main motor has. Canister vacuums or power team vacuums, which is a canister with a second motor unit located in the nozzle that spins the roller brush ( designed to clean carpet) often generate more raw suction or air flow than most uprights because of the larger-multi fans motors using better bearings and as a result will tend to work better with hoses and cleaning attachments.None of the vacuums sold for home use draw more than 12 amps.Â
Canister vacuums work real well on non carpeted surfaces as well. The longer hoses with the extension wands result in a longer reach which is nice to have when cleaning under the bed or the ceiling fan. They can also come in handy for dealing with unruly children or a game of stick ball, just kidding that was a joke.
The problem most upright customers have with canisters is pulling the product around banging into walls and little Timmy riding it down the stairs. First thing first, get Timmy a skate board and stop pulling the darn vacuum around!
You should pick up the main vacuum ,they have handles, and carry it to the next room not pull it , Â place it in the middle of the room. Then start cleaning from the far wall pulling the cleaning head back towards the main tank. If you work left to right you will be able to clean the entire area with the main tank moving just a few feet in any direction which will be much less fatiguing as the cleaning nozzle are much lighter than a full size upright vacuum.
The low profile of the floor nozzle will allow you easy access under furniture and beds. The wands on most models ratchet out to allow you longer reach which is a great feature when cleaning ceiling fans and curtains.
If you have all non carpeted surfaces canisters should be your choice as they have much more suction power with the tools than most uprights and as a result they will in most cases out perform  uprights on non carpeted surfaces.Be sure to purchase models with rubber wheels as they will not scratch the floor.
If you’re cleaning carpet as well as non carpeted floors be sure and purchase a canister unit with a motorized brush roller (Power Nozzle).
Some canister tanks pull around units feature a turbo brush which robs air flow in order to spin the roller brush. Electric motor units are a much better choice as they clean much better on area rugs and carpets. The Miele Delphi is a great choice for people who have a lot of hard wood floors and area rugs and low pile carpet as it combines a variable speed cyclonic motor design with a small lite weight motorized nozzle to tackle the various cleaning jobs.
Having the variable suction control is a great feature as you don’t want to use full suction on the curtains and smaller area /bath rugs like you will  on the hard wood /non carpeted flooring. If you have thicker carpet in the home or the bed rooms and or if you have a pet that sheds a lot you will want to look at the larger Miele power team units like the Cat and Dog or the Soft Carpet model Miele. The power nozzle units is much more powerful then the Delphi and the tools are stored in a compartment on the machine so they will be much less likely to fall off.
The Electrolux Ultra Flex EL 4335B is a smart choice for those on a budget it provides good cleaning ability with a full size power head and a dump canister . It has fewer cyclones and as a result is a little less powerful but it is cheaper. It also has a 3 speed variable suction control.
The dirt cup feature will save on bags just remember to wash the pre filter and you will need to change the HEPA exhaust filters more often on models with dirt cups vs HEPA bags and HEPA filters COMBINATION vacuum cleaners. On the flip side you will save some money but you will sacrifice on the clean air front, dust and the odor. Which can be a deal breaker for some with allergies or others who need to avoid odor issues.
Some folks choose to sweep or damp mop/swiffer the floors however you will short change the cleaning process and push a lot more dust back into the rooms air which leads to a lot more dusting and for allergy suffers a lot more issues.Another choice available is the use of the robotic vacuum units. These units primarily work by sweeping the floor as they have extremely small motors that have little to no suction/air flow.
The lower priced robot units also are very erratic in the cleaning path as they randomly run around bumping into furniture and changing direction. More expensive units tend to have much better navigational systems which provide much better results. These units are poor choices for carpet but may work for you on non carpeted homes if you don’t have too many area rugs.If your interested in exploring this option be sure to look at the Miele Scout which has a super navigational system, you can learn more about this unit here.Â
If you are a upright person and you have a lot of non carpeted surfaces to clean you should look at a upright with a canister type of motor. Miele, Dyson , Riccar and Shark offer units that feature these motors. The Miele S7 has the strongest motor based on air flow  and they are the best in performance in capturing and retaining house hold dust.The S7 Miele upright models are also the quietest on the market. Direct air motor vacuums are excellent choices for carpeted homes. The Riccar Superalite R10E is a top performer that combines low weight 8 LBS, with great air flow and superior agitation brush roll to deep clean .
The Dyson is the best performer in the bagless world and are more durable when compared to the Shark. The Sharks wins when you use the tools as it allows you to lift off the main tank from the frame which then provides a much lower profile which works much better when cleaning under beds and low furniture. The Dyson Cinetic is the only dirt cup upright on the market that does not use a pre filter. The advantage of not having to wash the vacuum cleaner filter and or replace the filter is for many is a major advantage.
The Riccar twin motor uprights provide the best overall cleaning performance on carpet and non carpet surfaces.These units are the only upright vacuums in the world that utilize two cleaning motors the rest only use 1 motor for air flow while the 2nd is strictly to turn the brush roll. The Riccars twin motors provide excellent performance on non carpet and top of the class deep carpet cleaning.
One of the Riccar motors is in fact a canister style motor while the second motor is the direct air motor design which is similar to Kirby and Sanitaire commercial vacuum motors. Couple that with metal brush roller that provides excellent agitation on the carpet and improved durability. The build quality of both the Riccar and Miele vacuum cleaners are also the best of class which reflects the USA and German craftsmanship.
As you study the choices you will find at the end of the day there is NOT in fact just One BEST BUY choice but rather the best unit for your needs. That is why we carry so many machines. Thanks for dropping by!
