VACUUM TYPE

PROS

CONS

UPRIGHT
VACUUMS

Price Range

 $75 - $300 for most models.

Economical and easily stored, lightweight and portable. Attachments are easily stored on the body of the unit.

Tend to be excessively noisy, and cumbersome to operate on stairs. The entire machine is moved constantly to perform cleaning tasks.

CANISTER
VACUUMS

Price Range

$150 - $400

Cleans drapes, under furniture, and other hard to reach areas well. Only the powerhead is moved during cleaning operations.

More expensive than upright cleaners, and the canister unit is bulky and hard to store.

CORDLESS ROOM VACUUMS

Price Range

$250 - $300

Perform light-duty jobs well.

The Westinghouse Unplugged k cordless upright and robotic Roomba k work well on bare floors.  They operate automatically, just turn them on and let them do their job.

 

Both models perform poorly on carpets. The robotic Roomba k does not clean corners and it is difficult for it to transition from bare floors to carpets. (Details are available in our February 2004 report on the Roomba robotic floor cleaner available to subscribers.)

BROOM VACUUMS AND HAND VACUUMS

Price Range

$20 - $75

Economical, and perform best for cleaning small areas.  Easy to store and highly portable.

Small cleaning area makes them unsuitable for large cleaning jobs.

The dustbins do not hold much dirt.

CENTRAL
VACUUM SYSTEMS

Price Range

$500 - $1,250 with tools,

$300 - $700 to install.

Performs well like a canister vacuum without having to lug a canister body around. The suction unit is stored away from the living area, making them relatively quiet. Large soil capacity canister needs to be emptied infrequently.

Central vacuums are expensive. Professional installation is often required. The 30-foot hose is difficult to store and cumbersome to handle. And there's no place to carry tools while you work.