If you have carpets or rugs of different heights, as well as areas of hard flooring, you’ll want a height-adjustable head to cater for all your surfaces. Now that you’ve got all the information you need to decide on a vacuum, we can take a look at some of the features and accessories that are available with your purchase. Last, but not least, the regularity and thoroughness of your cleaning schedule also plays a big role in allergen control, and it is important to clean curtains and furniture as well as the floors. There is also a chance for collected dust to be released back into the air when emptying your vacuum’s bin or bag, although this can be avoided by disposing of waste outdoors. Despite having a HEPA filter, if a vacuum cleaner is inadequately sealed, not all air will be drawn through the filter, which may result in unprocessed air leaking from the machine. However, a HEPA filter should not be treated as a 'silver bullet' solution to dust and allergen control. HEPA filters are usually recommended for any persons with asthma or low allergen tolerance, as they can filter out triggering particles like pollen. It should be noted that a denser, more comprehensive filter will require a more powerful motor to generate the desired amount of suction. Vacuums with HEPA filters usually cost more up-front, and the filter will need to be replaced or, if possible, properly washed at least every 12 months. For comparison, a standard vacuum micro filter can remove around 96% of these particles. HEPA Filtersįor a filter to meet the HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) standard, it is required to filter out 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns or larger. Unfilling the bin can also be a mess, as a lack of a sealed bag means that the process can release more dust and allergens back into the air than bagged vacuums (although unfilling outside mostly mitigates this). Maintenance is more tedious with bagless vacuums, as the filter will need to be cleaned on a more frequent basis. The lack of consumable vacuum bags mean that it’s more convenient - no need to worry about running out of bags and operating costs are much lower, too.īagless vacuums do have their drawbacks, though. Reviewers have commented that the transparent bins on bagless vacuums are incredibly handy for finding small objects accidentally sucked up by the unit, such as coins or rings. Bagless VacuumsĬurrently the more popular of the two types, bagless vacuums are appealing due to their clean design. Additionally, as the bag fills up, bagged vacuums lose suction, and reduce the effectiveness of Turbo heads. However, bagged vacuums have a significantly higher running cost compared to bagless vacuums, as bags can be an expensive consumable. The bags are also designed to be part of the filtration system, and are easy to remove without mess - which make them a good choice for users sensitive to allergens. The benefit of finding them is that a bagged vacuum will typically have a higher capacity than that of a bin. These days, with newer, efficient models on the market, the decision is by and large down to personal preference.īagged vacuums usually require proprietary bags, which can be difficult to find if you can’t buy them directly from the manufacturer (most supermarkets no longer stock vacuum bags). Use in conjunction with regular vacuuming, hard flooring, surface debrisĬhoosing whether to go with a bagged unit or a bagless unit can be a tricky decision - especially with a lot of marketing hype for the latter. Spot cleaning, car cleaning, secondary vacuumĪutomated, can extend the time between more thorough vacuums.
Handy to store in your kitchen or garage for small, unexpected spills, or getting dirt out of your car. Lightweight, cordless, and easy to store! However, limited power means they’re best for low-pile carpets or hard floors only.ġ-2 bedrooms, low-pile carpet, spot cleaning, secondary vacuum, limited storage space Their rigid form allows mobility in spite of their weight - although stairs can pose a problem.ģ+ bedrooms, any carpet type, pets, tough cleaning jobs Most powerful vacuum type - best for a thorough clean of any carpet or rug. Bulkiness is their main drawback.ģ+ bedrooms, any carpet type, pets, multi-storey homes Easy to get under furniture and into crevices.