Vacuum Cleaners

Vacuum Cleaners - Buying Guide.
Space-age designs and colours make choosing a vacuum cleaner as much a style decision as a practical one. Inspired by Dyson's successful departure from the traditional vacuum cleaner, manufacturers have been busy coming up with new developments to make cleaning your home easier and more effective. There are now self-propelled cleaners, ones with direct drive motors, models with back-saver devices to reduce back strain and mite-killing functions to zap those nasty dust bugs that can lead to allergic reactions and cause problems for asthma sufferers. New technology has introduced previously unheard-of power levels and even robotic cleaning - though it will be a while yet before robot cleaners are in the shops at affordable prices.

Despite these latest advancements, the main points to consider when buying a new vacuum cleaner have not changed. Here are some things to consider:

Your home
If you've a particularly large house you should look for a vacuum with a large head - some models now feature heads that are 25% bigger than average and this will greatly cut down on the cleaning time.

If you have deep-pile carpets you'll want a powerful cleaner with a rotating brush - and if the cleaner doesn't already come with one you'll probably be able to buy an optional attachment called a turbo-brush or turbo power nozzle (which has its own power supply).

If you have different floor types you'll need a versatile machine - one with carpet height adjustment or with a 'floating head', which adjusts to suit the carpet pile.

If you have a long flight of stairs, a cylinder cleaner with a long hose may be a much better option than an upright; however, many upright cleaners now come with stair hoses long enough (three or four metres) to clean right to the top of the stairs. It's also worth thinking about the weight of your cleaner if you need to lift it upstairs. Cylinders are generally the lightest cleaners - look for one that weighs 3-4kg.

If you live in a house with awkwardly shaped rooms, you should look for the 360 degree swivel hose attachment that allows complete freedom of movement for cleaning hard-to-reach areas. It's available on cylinder cleaners, which incidentally are lighter and more manoeuvrable for getting under tables and cleaning stairs.

You
Asthma and allergy suffers should look out for the British Allergy Foundation seal of approval. This is based upon High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration. HEPA 12 is the highest possible and filters out 99.97% of the most penetrating particles (like allergens, dust mite faeces and tobacco smoke). Besides HEPA, there's the S-Class filtration, which also rates a 99.97% filtration. This standard is required of vacuums used in hospitals.

If you're a pet owner you should choose a cleaner with Active Air Clean filter. This filter will be more effective at removing pet hairs and eliminating odours. A turbo brush is also ideal for removing pet hair. Some new vacuum cleaners offer different types of filtration, including one that filters through water, which is a good way of trapping dust mites and allergens.

Also, if you have back problems then opt for an upright cleaner, which involves less bending and carrying - although beware, as these tend to be heavier than cylinder models.


Upright vacuums
Upright vacuum cleaners are tall all-in-one units designed for pushing along the floor.

Pros
Upright vacuum cleaners have bigger cleaning heads than cylinder models, so they can clean large areas more quickly.

The rotating brushes are ideal if you're a fan of deep-pile wall-to-wall carpeting. The brushes raise the carpet pile, and suction removes grit and dirt.

Today's upright cleaners carry a range of tools, making them almost as flexible as cylinders. Many come with extra-long hoses so that you can clean the stairs while the upright remains at the bottom.

Low-profile models are useful for cleaning under furniture, and models with side brushes can clean right up to skirting boards.

Cons
Uprights aren't generally very powerful on hard flooring, and cleaning curtains and lampshades can be awkward to say the least. However, both these problems can be addressed - new models from Hoover feature increasingly powerful motors that work well on hard floors; and the range of tools supplied with all but the most budget of upright aids can clean tricky areas.

Uprights are generally more expensive than cylinders. The average price of an upright is around £160, compared with a cylinder at just £80.

Cylinder vacuums

Pros
Cylinders are lightweight, versatile and easy to move around. They are a good choice if your home has a mix of carpet and hard flooring, awkward-to-reach nooks and crannies, and lots of stairs.

There's a big choice of cylinder models on the market, and prices start from as low as £30 for the most basic models. They are also easy to store.

Cons
They can be tiring to use if you have big expanses of deep-pile carpet - although some models come with extra cleaning heads that make cleaning deep-pile carpets easier.

Cleaning heads
Cylinder cleaners usually come with a standard cleaning head that is suction only, often with an adjustment for hard or carpeted floors. Nowadays, there is also a choice of additional cleaning heads, which may come as standard or as an optional extra, and can be attached to the cleaner as and when you need them such as cleaning in high or difficult-to-reach places.

A power-cleaning head is a more powerful version of a turbo brush, which has electrically powered rotating brushes. A hard-floor brush is also useful if you have parquet, tile or other hard flooring.

Bagged or bagless?
Today you even have to decide how you want to collect your dust.

Bag vacuums
Traditional 'bag' cleaners are generally cheaper than the bagless alternative. Most have bags that are not reusable. Some are multiple layered for better filtration, and some have a dust flap which closes automatically on removal to prevent dust escaping. This is a very useful feature if you suffer from allergies. While bags are more hygienic and less messy than bagless cleaners, you have to weigh this up against the cost and inconvenience of having to buy replacement bags every so often. You should choose a model with as much motor power as possible to be sure of effective cleaning.

Bagless vacuums
Bagless cleaners are becoming increasingly available. Different models work in different ways, but essentially, as there's no bag, the vacuum's suction is better. Most have clear plastic bins instead of bags, and the main advantage is you'll never have to buy another bag - and you'll never have the inconvenience of running out of bags. You may also like to get a model which features washable filters - then you won't need to buy replacements for these either. On the downside though, it's worth noting that emptying and cleaning the dust container can be a sneezy, smelly business. However, if you have allergies, then opt for a cleaner with a self-sealing bag.

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Since Dyson's original bagless cleaner, many manufacturers now offer them, and Hoover do an almost identical range that come in either bagged or bagless versions, allowing you to choose the features you want with either system.

Power
Most people judge the power of a vacuum cleaner by the power of its motor, measured in Watts, probably because this has traditionally been the only performance guide readily available to the public. Motor power varies from 800W up to a massive 1600W or 2000W on the most powerful cylinder cleaners.

Although motor power is indicative of the power of the appliance, it is not a measure of cleaning performance, which is better expressed as suction power.

Suction power
This is a more effective measurement of cleaning performance. Suction power is measured by air Watts, and is a combination of motor power and airflow efficiency inside the cleaner.

Around 100 air Watts will offer very effective cleaning on an upright, while on cylinders over 250 air Watts will deliver exceptional cleaning performance - though it's worth knowing that the top performing cylinders have a suction power of around 350-450 air Watts.

Cleaners with Dyson's patented Dual Cyclone Technology maintain suction power, while traditional bag cleaners lose some suction after dust collection. Since the introduction and rapid growth in popularity of this technique, other manufacturers have developed similar solutions.

Uprights have different airflow systems to cylinder cleaners. They are also closer to the ground (so the air doesn't need to be sucked through long tubes first) and their beating action agitates the carpet, loosening dirt. This means that an upright needs less suction power than a cylinder to achieve the same cleaning results.

Variable power
Upholstery, hard floors, loose-fitting carpets and deep-pile carpets all require different settings for efficient cleaning. Adjustable power means you can select the optimum power setting for the surface being cleaned.

Some cleaners have autosense cleaning, which automatically boosts suction power when it is needed on heavily soiled carpets, while others must be turned up or down manually.

Filtration
Look for the pick-up percentage rate and the size of the particles guaranteed to be taken up by the cleaner. The greater the former and the smaller the latter, the more effective your vacuum cleaner will be. This is particularly important if you have an allergy, suffer from asthma or keep pets. Keep an eye out for specific filters to do these jobs.

Polishers
The current trend is for wooden flooring. Cleaners that both vacuum and polish wooden floors are still rare, but are increasing in numbers. If your house has a mixture of flooring, these may be a good idea, perhaps partnered by a budget carpet cleaner.

Steam cleaners
These cleaners used to be out of most people's price range, but prices are dropping, and they make a good secondary cleaner, especially if you have pets or mucky children in the house.

Features to look out for

Auto cord rewind
The cord shoots back into the body of the cleaner at the touch of a button. Common on cylinder cleaners, it means compact storage and easy retrieval.

Bag full indicator
Shows when cleaning efficiency has decreased, and the dust bag or bin needs to be changed or emptied.

Cleaning radius
Refers to the length between the plug and the cleaning head. The greater the distance, the less likely you are to have to stop and plug the cleaner into another, nearer mains socket.

Direct drive
Models with a direct drive beater bar have two motors - one for the suction and one for the beater bar, making the cleaning more effective.

Dust bag capacity
Most models hold between four and six litres, although capacity can be as high as nine litres. Cleaners are now available with disposable bags, reusable bags and bins. Self-sealing bags with fail-safe systems are also available.

Noise levels
At last vacuum cleaning needn't drown out all conversation. The quietest models around now have a decibel level of around 71-73dB.

On-board tools
Most cleaners have an on-board storage compartment, so tools for dusting and cleaning upholstery are always handy. Tools vary between cleaners, but most should have the circular dusting brush, small upholstery head and narrow pipe for reaching into crevices.

Self propulsion
Self-propelled models take the effort out of cleaning, driving the cleaner forwards or backwards as required.

Stair cleaning hose
Look out for longer, stretchy hoses on uprights and cylinders for top-to-bottom stair cleaning without changing sockets.

Telescopic extension tubes
Look for these if you want to be able to adjust the height of your cylinder cleaning.

Edge-to-edge cleaning
Vacuum cleaners that go right up to the very edge of your room; great for that perfect all-over finish.

360 swivel hose
This hose moves freely in its socket, which means that it allows complete freedom of movement and won't twist awkwardly when cleaning in hard-to-reach areas