Canister Vacuums vs Upright Vacuums: Which is Better?
What is a Canister Vacuum?
From retail establishments, homes, and school libraries to hospital waiting rooms and office buildings, vacuum cleaners are found in nearly every company and facility. Almost every facility has a soft floor that must be vacuumed on a regular basis.
A canister vacuum, for example, is a vacuum that has wheels, can clean a range of surfaces, and has compact, movable cleaning heads, making it ideal for cleaning around workstations and furniture.
Benefits & Advantages of Canister Vacuums
Pros of Canister Vacuums:
Canister vacuums include longer cleaning wands and flexible hoses to make it easier for employees to reach beneath furniture.
Staff can simply and quickly transfer the vacuum from one location to another thanks to the wheels.
Canister vacuums are often lighter and simpler to transport than upright vacuums
They feature a higher suction and flow rate, making cleaning simpler and faster for your cleaning crew.
Canister vacuum cleaners are quieter than conventional vacuum cleaners, which is beneficial in calm situations such as hospitals.
Cleaning personnel may use a variety of tools with canister vacuums to efficiently clean a variety of surfaces. Clean various types of floors and dirt with crevice tools, tiny brush tools, dry floor tools, and carpet tools.
Canister vacuums generally have larger motors because the weight is uniformly distributed on the wheels, allowing them to accommodate larger filters.
Cons of Canister Vacuums:
To utilize it, you must bend.
It's up to you to drag it behind you.
You'll have to juggle two pieces at the same time.
Canisters are inconvenient to store.
Common Types of Canister Vacuums
Wet-Dry Canister Vacuums and Dry Canister Vacuums are the two most common varieties of canister vacuums.
Wet-dry canister vacuums, as the name indicates, can remove both wet and dry spells, such as water or even oily residue, as well as other typical debris that may be vacuumed up. Depending on the capacity of the tank, some canister vacuums may even clean flooded regions.
Dry canister vacuums are ideal for cleaning dust and debris from soft floor spaces such as hotel rooms and offices and hard floor areas such as restaurants and small retail establishments. Dry canister vacs are a piece of helpful cleaning equipment since they can clean both hard and soft flooring.
Overall, canister vacuums are flexible, lightweight, simple to use, and offer excellent mobility, making them high-performing and productivity-oriented.
What are Upright Vacuums?
It doesn't get any easier than an upright vacuum when it comes to simple cleaning gear. These machines are ready to use right away. Many include inbuilt attachments that allow you to change focus on the fly. I'm sure you're ready for a rest after a long cleaning session. The good news is that upright vacuum cleaners are simple to stow in a closet or a corner. Some small versions also include wall-mounting options.
For big regions, upright vacuums are ideal. Because of its wide-body shape, they can cover more territory in less time. In addition, dust and grime have little chance against a beater bar in these vacuums, which are especially effective on carpet.
Finally, most uprights do not require bags, making cleanup a snap. Plastic collecting cylinders click into place on bagless versions. You'll understand if you've ever struggled to replace a vacuum bag.
Pros & Cons of Upright Vacuums
Pros of Upright Vacuums:
Upright vacuum cleaners are often less expensive than canister vacuum cleaners.
They are effective at cleaning thick carpets and rugs because they employ powered brushes.
Your foot can easily manage the transition between bare flooring and carpeting.
Unless you use a hose attachment, you won't have to bend your back.
Because there are no attachments to dismount and store, storage is simple. They can also be used without any prior preparation.
Typically, they have a longer cleaning route.
Cons of Upright Vacuums
Upright vacuum cleaners are louder than canister vacuum cleaners because they rarely have excellent sound isolation.
They may be rather hefty (up to 20 pounds) and difficult to transport about the house. They're also a lot more difficult to carry up and downstairs.
Even while some models now come with a tiny hose for this reason, they are less effective for cleaning corners or hard-to-reach areas.
Deeper Dive into Comparing Canister Vacuums vs Upright Vacuums
Design
A canister vacuum has a wheeled body with a flexible plastic hose connecting it to a suction wand and powerhead. The primary motor, filter, and any dust bags are all contained in the vacuum's canister; depending on the type, the powerhead may also include a smaller motor. Canister vacuums are typically easier to use since they just need the operator to move the wand and powerhead while cleaning. Furthermore, the wheels on the canister body make dragging the vacuum across a room a breeze.
The motor, filter, and dust bags, and the powerhead are all part of one unit in an upright vacuum, which users push in front of them while cleaning. Uprights are generally heavier because of their all-in-one construction, but with that weight comes more power, which deep cleans carpets. However, there is a drawback to the increased power: upright vacuums are usually considerably louder than canister vacuums. Even yet, if one tries hard enough, quieter designs may be found.
Depending on the model, a variety of extra functions may be offered on either an upright or canister vacuum. Suction control, cleaner height adjustment (enabling you to clean bare floors differently than a taller shag carpet), powerhead illumination for better vision in dark corners and behind furniture, and retractable cables are also typical design elements.
Cleaning Ability and Suction Power
Many vacuum cleaner manufacturers advertise amperage (input power), implying that the larger the input, the stronger the suction. "There is a limited link between electricity and cleaning efficacy," according to EnergyStar.gov. More crucial are suction power, the efficiency or inefficiency of the vacuum's parts (if they fit tightly enough together to avoid disrupting suction), and the cleaning head design.
According to a Consumer Reports assessment from 2014, upright vacuums with all-in-one designs fared better in testing, sucking up more dirt and pet dander. Furthermore, high-end uprights tended to outperform lesser versions, indicating that they were well worth the money.
Filters
According to a 2012 Australian research, certain vacuum cleaners, especially older ones, may cause more damage than good by releasing dust, allergens, and germs back into the air.
[1] The researchers also discovered that high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are less efficient than they are advertised to be; this was also discovered in Consumer Reports testing in 2014. However, HEPA filters outperformed normal, non-HEPA filters, indicating that it is still worthwhile to spend the (little) extra money on a vacuum with a HEPA filter.
Vacuums with Bags vs. Bagless Vacuums
Even though bagless vacuums are the most popular form of vacuum accessible in the United States, if maximal cleanliness is a concern owing to health concerns such as asthma and/or allergies, a bagless vacuum may not be the ideal option. Cleaning the dust container of a bagless machine may be unpleasant and re-release allergens, while changing vacuum bags is an annoying, continuing expenditure.
Maneuverability and Weight
In general, upright vacuum cleaners are heavier than canister vacuum cleaners. Consumer Reports claims that high-end upright versions can weigh up to 20 pounds (9 kg). Canister vacuums' powerhead, wand, hose, and canister can weigh just as much as upright vacuums, but their shape makes them feel lighter and makes cleaning tight spaces like corners and under furniture easier. Because uprights need a forward-and-back, pushing/pulling action to operate, those with back problems may find them particularly challenging to manage.
Pulling a canister unit, however, can be inconvenient and may need more (human) energy and coordination. There's a chance that a draw on the canister can dent or scratch a piece of furniture. Using a canister vacuum on a bare floor rather than a carpet also necessitates manually changing the unit's head. Switching floor "modes" on uprights is frequently as simple as pressing a button on the handle.
Storage
In comparison to canister vacuums, which are large and strangely shaped, upright vacuums are rather small. For this reason, those who live in flats or other cramped spaces will generally favor uprights.
Noise
If noise is an issue, a canister vacuum cleaner is typically much quieter. While there are some quieter variants, uprights can be loud enough to require hearing protection.
Rugs & Carpets Accessories
To better work with carpets and rugs, most canister units come with a crevice nozzle, upholstery brush, and, in certain cases, the motorized brush, which is featured on upright units.
Upright versions feature powered brushes and can clean thicker carpets and rugs more effectively. Furthermore, while operating an upright vacuum with your foot, transitions from bare floors to carpets are considerably smoother.
Floors with No Carpet
A canister vacuum, especially one with direct suction rather than one with a spinning brush head, maybe a preferable alternative if a residence does not have carpeting. Cleaning carpets and area rugs is easier with the motorized revolving brush design.
Vacuum Costs: Upright vs. Canister
Canister vacuums are somewhat more expensive ($50 to $1,300) than upright vacuums ($50 to $1,000) in the United States, depending on the model. Hoover, Bissell, Oreck, Dyson, and Dirt Devil are some of the most popular vacuum cleaner brands. The majority of these companies specialize on upright vacuums, although they also have a limited but increasing line of canister vacuums.
Upright Vacuums vs Canister Vacuums: Which is The Right Choice?
Up until recently, upright vacuum cleaners were the greatest choice for carpets and rugs, while canister vacuum cleaners were the best choice for non- carpeted bare floors. With upright vacuum cleaners with tiny hoses and canister vacuum cleaners with motorized brush attachments, both types are now attempting to bridge the gap. The line between their favored usage is blurry, yet it still exists.
If your home has a lot of carpets or rugs, especially thick ones, buying an upright vacuum cleaner could be a good idea. The upright cleaners' spinning brushes extract more dust from thick carpets than a traditional floor tool.
However, in terms of total performance, the canister vacuum cleaner outperforms the upright vacuum cleaner. A canister vacuum cleaner is more powerful, quieter, and easier to use. It cleans faster and with fewer annoyances.
A canister vacuum cleaner is a better investment if your property has primarily bare flooring (tiles or wood), a combination of bare floors and carpets, or if it is a two-story residence. Simply ensure that the canister you pick, as well as its attachments, are appropriate for the type of flooring you have.
Finally, it's a question of personal preference: some individuals enjoy the mobility of the two pieces of a canister, while others prefer moving an upright in front of them.