10 Best Vacuum Cleaners

Buying guide

When shopping for a vacuum cleaner, there are several important factors to consider, such as operating radius, filter, attachments, capacity, etc. In this buying guide, we will look closely at these factors and help you find the best vacuum cleaner to suit your needs.

You can use our tool below to compare the specifications of the vacuum cleaners represented in our comparison.

Bagged or bagless

When choosing a vacuum cleaner, one of the key decisions you’ll need to make is whether to go for a bagged or a bagless model. Both have their pros and cons, and the best option for you depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Bagged vacuum cleaner

Advantages

Generally more quiet

Better filtration

Less maintenance

Generally longer operating radius

Disadvantages

Ongoing costs for bags

Price

£56-330 (Avg.: £162)

Noise level

62-80 dB (Avg.: 75 dB)

Operating radius

7-15 meter (Avg.: 10 meter)

Weight

3-8 kg (Avg.: 6 kg)

Bagless vacuum cleaner

Advantages

No ongoing costs for bags

Consistent suction power

Easy to empty the dust container

Generally lower weight

Disadvantages

Noisier

More frequent emptying of the dust container

Requires more maintenance of the filter

Generally shorter working radius

Price

£54-341 (Avg.: £187)

Noise level

65-80 dB (Avg.: 75 dB)

Operating radius

6-12 meter (Avg.: 9 meter)

Weight

4-10 kg (Avg.: 6 kg)

You can compare bagged and bagless vacuum cleaners here.

Operating radius

An operating radius is the distance between the outlet and the vacuum cleaner’s nozzle tip.

It’s important to remember that while a larger operating radius may give you more flexibility to move around while cleaning, it also means that the vacuum will be heavier to move around. However, a large radius is typically recommended for large households.

The vacuum cleaner with the longest operating radius is the Vax U85-AS-Be, which has an operating radius of 17.0 m meters. These are the five vacuum cleaners with the longest operating radius:

You can find the best vacuum cleaners with a long operating radius here.

The operating radius varies from 5 to 17 meters, depending on the model. This chart shows how the operating radius is distributed across vacuum cleaners:

Capacity

The bag capacity of a vacuum cleaner refers to the amount of dirt and debris that the bag/dust container can hold before it needs to be replaced or emptied.

The dust bag capacity can vary widely, depending on the specific vacuum cleaner model.
The larger the dust bag capacity, the less frequently you will need to replace the bag.

It’s worth noting that the dust bag capacity should be considered in relation to the size of your home and how often you plan to use the vacuum. For example, a vacuum with a smaller dust bag capacity may be sufficient if you have a small apartment and only vacuum once a week. But if you have a larger house and vacuum daily, consider a vacuum with a larger dust bag capacity.

You can find the best vacuum cleaners with a large bag capacity here.

Attachments

Vacuum cleaners come with various attachments to help clean different surfaces and areas of a home. The most common attachments include:

• Crevice nozzle: A narrow, pointed attachment used for cleaning tight spaces such as corners, along baseboards, and around furniture. Almost all vacuum cleaners come with this attachment.
• Dusting brush: A soft-bristled brush used for dusting surfaces such as furniture, bookshelves, and window sills. Almost all vacuum cleaners come with this brush.
• Furniture nozzle: A brush or nozzle attachment used for cleaning fabrics such as upholstery and curtains. Almost all vacuum cleaners come with this nozzle.
• Combi brush: This attachment is designed to clean both carpets and hard floors efficiently, as the brush roll is used to agitate dirt and debris on carpets, and the hard floor tool is then used to pick it up and suction it away. The brush roll can be turned on or off, depending on your cleaning surface. Almost all vacuum cleaners include this attachment.
• Parquet brush: An attachment with a smooth bottom used for cleaning hard floors such as tile and wood. You should pick a vacuum cleaner with this brush if you have delicate parquet floors. You can find the best vacuum cleaners for parquet floors here.
• Turbo brush: A brush roll attachment used for picking up pet hair and debris from carpets and upholstery. If you are looking for a vacuum cleaner for pet hair removal, you should pick one with a turbo brush. You can find the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair removal here.
• Mini turbo-brush: A small, handheld brush attachment that is powered by the suction of the vacuum cleaner. It is designed to clean pet hair and debris from furniture, stairs, and other small areas that are difficult to reach with a regular vacuum cleaner. If you are looking for a vacuum cleaner for pet hair removal on furniture, you should pick a vacuum cleaner with this brush.

When it comes to storing these accessories, some vacuum cleaners will allow you to store them in the main body of the vacuum cleaner, while others may require separate storage. Choose something that will best suit your storage space.

Filter

All vacuums have filters that keep the dust you suction up from entering the atmosphere once again. Some come with both a primary filter and a secondary one. You also need to check for their kind of filter, as some can be washed while others need to be replaced occasionally. Below is an overview of the various filters:

Explanation of efficiency rating: Efficiency rating shows how well a filter can trap particles of a specific size. For instance, if a filter has a 99.97% efficiency rating for particles of 0.3 microns or larger, it captures almost all of these particles. If it has a rating of 95%, it captures 95 out of every 100 of those particles.

These are the three best vacuum cleaners for allergies in our comparison.

Rank	Image	Vacuum cleaner	Score	Verdict	Price
1		Shark NZ801UKT	96	Very good	£179
2		Philips FC9555/09	92	Good	£275
3		Philips FC9729/09	92	Good	£201

You can read more in the following articles:

• The best vacuum cleaners with HEPA 13 filter

Noise level

Some vacuums are a lot noisier than others. Before buying one, you might want to check the noise or noise level first (usually written in decibels). The lower the decibel, the softer the operating sound of a vacuum cleaner. This can be helpful, especially if you live with pets or kids, as both are usually sensitive to sound.

These are the five most quiet vacuum cleaners:

You can read more about quiet vacuum cleaners in this article.

The following chart shows the distribution of noise levels among vacuum cleaners. As the chart indicates, the quietest vacuum cleaner has a noise level of 62 dB, while it is 86 dB for the noisiest. That is a very big difference.

Budget

The price of a vacuum cleaner varies from £35 for the cheapest one to £419 for the most expensive one. The advantage of an expensive model, compared to a cheaper one, is typical:

• It will be quieter
• It will have a longer operating radius
• It will have a better filter
• It will have a longer lifespan
• It will have more attachments included
• It will have more advanced settings (such as control buttons on the handle, etc.)

The chart below shows the price distribution among vacuum cleaners.

If you are looking for a budget-friendly vacuum cleaner, take a look at one of the following models, which are the five cheapest: