Upright vs. Canister: Which is the best vacuum cleaner for you?

The time has come to buy a new vacuum cleaner!! Well, maybe you don’t get quite as excited as I do about finding the best vacuum cleaner. However, when it comes to making it easier to clean your house, I’m sure can get a little bit excited.

When searching for the best vacuum option for your home one of the big considerations is canister or upright… Many times it depends on what type of vacuum cleaner you grew up using. Most people stick with what they are used to but don’t let yourself get stuck in that mind set. Let’s explore what will truly work best for you in your home.

What can you afford?

A vacuum cleaner is not a glamorous purchase. It’s just a fact. It is however a necessity and a sometimes pricey one. You can spend anywhere from $50 to well over $1000 on a canister or upright vacuum cleaner. Generally speaking, canister vacs are more expensive than uprights so if you have a limited budget and are looking for the best quality within your budget range – you will get the “most bang for your buck” with an upright. With that said, don’t be fooled into thinking that just because a vacuum is expensive it is good or it is the right choice for you. Next we will look at the area you have to clean, including your floor types, and the storage space you have available to help determine your best option.

What will you be cleaning?

Take a little assessment of the rooms in your house. Do you have mostly carpet, hard surfaces, area rugs? In the past canister vacs were believed to be the best on hard surface floors (tile, hardwood, or vinyl). Uprights were believed to be better on carpet and had adjustments for different carpet pile. Today both types of vacuum cleaners will work well on carpet and hard surface floors. Many homes have a combination of flooring types so while this may be a consideration it isn’t as important of a deciding factor as it once was.

Where will you keep your vacuum cleaner?

Size and weight of vacuum cleaners vary as much as the cost. Canister vacs do tend to take up a little more storage space and they can be a little more bulky and awkward to store. Uprights are a little more compact and can free stand in their own space. Look at where you will be storing your vacuum cleaner. Is it a smaller broom closet, in with the coats, the top of the basement stairs? Make sure your new vacuum fits into its storage space comfortably and safely.

Other Considerations.

So, I have to say that I fall outside of the norm because I grew up using a canister vac and now own an upright (and a robot vac, more on that later). I can see the benefits of both. I loved having a canister vac because it makes cleaning stairs easier, it works a little better to clean around and under furniture and I could use it to clean my car. On the other hand my current upright is perfect for the storage area that I have, the extendable wand is great for reaching the corners of the high ceilings in my house, so as I’m going along and see cobwebs I can take care of them, and my upright happens to be bagless ( a whole other topic we will explore).

In Summary.

There are many things to consider in the purchase of a new vacuum cleaner. There really isn’t one way to get the best of all vacuum worlds. You are the one who will be using your vacuum cleaner and you are the only one who can determine what will best suit your unique needs. Remember to balance the pros and cons of each related to cost, storage, weight, and flooring types. Then make your best educated choice, purchase and enjoy!

 

For additional assistance take a look at our other articles about vacuum cleaners.