How do you find the vacuum cleaner that’s right for you? Your vacuum should be a comfortable fit weight-wise as you or one of your family members will be pushing it around your home fairly often. From a functional standpoint, ensure its suction power is appropriate to the flooring or carpeting in your home. Review all the accessories, and make sure it is equipped with the appropriate attachments — a smaller head to focus on cleaning stairs, or underneath your furniture — and customizable features for the level and depth of cleaning you desire.

What types of vacuums are available?
• Upright vacuum cleaners: Upright vacuum cleaners have a motor, bag, hose and beater included in a single unit. Equipped with adjustment settings for different flooring heights, they work best on carpet but can accommodate to hardwood flooring. Wheeled cartridges make them easy to move around furniture, although they’re not the best for cramped spaces, despite attachments. Some styles have the ability to self-propel through the room.
• Canister vacuum cleaners: Composed of a long hose and canister containing a motor and bag, canister vacuum cleaners are smaller and more portable than upright and work well for hardwood floors, vertical surfaces, curtains and stairs.
• Hard bag vacuum cleaners: Instead of depositing dirt into a bag, hard bag vacuum cleaners filter debris into a container. These vacuum cleaners are ideal for those with allergies.
• Broom/stick vacuum cleaners: Great for hardwood floors, furniture, hard-to-reach spots and tight spaces. Broom vacuum cleaners are lightweight and smaller than similarly designed upright vacuums. However, this model does not have beaters or rollers, and uses a cup instead of a bag to catch debris.
• Handheld vacuum cleaners: For quick clean-ups on a smaller scale, handheld vacuum cleaners are ideal as they are small, light and usually cordless. Many have a wand attachment for tight areas, and use a cup instead of a bag for dirt.
• Robotic vacuum cleaners: These vacuums are self-powered, self-navigating and self-timing, and many come with sensors that focus the vacuum on dirtier spots for longer periods of time. They’re usually adjustable for different types of flooring and come with a bagless system for easy emptying.
• Central vacuums: Central vacuums require the motor to be installed permanently somewhere in the home. Then when it comes time to vacuum, you simply connect a vacuum hose to one of several inlets placed throughout your home. The debris is then carried to the motor and bag through pipes in the walls. This system removes the hassle of carrying the motor and bag with you as you clean.


Should you consider a carpet steamer or shampooer? If you find that your carpet’s dirt goes deeper than what a traditional vacuum can handle, you may want to invest in a steamer or shampooer to keep your carpets clean and fresh. Steamers mix steam with detergent solution to clean and sterilize carpets, while shampooers spray foam comprised of hot water and cleaning solution to fight heavy soil and grease stains.

Check out our assortment of vacuum cleaners to begin narrowing down what’s right for your home.