What Should I Look For When Buying A Vacuum Cleaner?

A vacuum cleaner can last you years to come if you purchase the right one. With so many different vacuum cleaners available, you may be confused as to which one to buy. Don't worry as we're here to help! Check out our vacuum cleaner buying guide that you can use to help you figure out the best vacuum to purchase for your household.

Consider What Flooring Types You Want To Clean

Your home may have a variety of different flooring types that you need to clean. Because of this, you first need to consider what types of floors you will be cleaning. Some vacuums will only work well on hardwood or laminate floors. If your floor cleaning will involve vacuuming carpet, you need to get a vacuum that has a lot of suction power and is made for deep cleaning. There are some vacuums available that will work on multiple types of surfaces as well.

There Are A Variety Of Different Types Of Vacuums For Every Need

There are numerous types of vacuum cleaners available. These include:

Robotic vacuums

Robotic vacuums are perfect for those that don’t want to deal with the hassle of vacuuming each day. A robotic vacuum using sensors to keep it from running into furniture or falling downstairs. These types of vacuums are both cordless and very compact, so they can easily get under areas that traditional vacuums can’t. The user does need to make sure things like large pieces of debris and cords are off the floor before vacuuming begins. Dreame F9 robotic vacuum uses path planning to thoroughly clean each room as quickly as possible. Robotic vacuums do need to be charged, but they will go back to their charging station on their own once their battery starts to run low. This type of vacuum requires very minimum supervision. They do have a debris canister that you will need to empty out once it gets full. Despite their small size and the fact they are battery powered, they do have a decent amount of suction and can clean larger messes. This is the perfect option for those that don't have a lot of time to spend on vacuuming each day.

Upright vacuums

Upright vacuums have a lot of suction power and work well on carpeted areas. They are very effective on flooring that needs a deep cleaning. Many upright vacuums do have adjustable heights and can be used on hardwood floors as well. They tend to come with a variety of different attachments, and they can be used for spot treatments in addition to whole floor cleaning. This is a great type of vacuum to choose if you want one that can clean multiple surfaces in your home.

Canister vacuums

Canister vacuums are particularly useful for smaller areas. They have a suction hose and can easily be picked up and moved from one area to another. In addition to floor cleaning, you can also use this type of vacuum to clean things like furniture and blinds. While canister vacuums don't tend to clean as well as larger vacuums, you may want to purchase one if you need a vacuum to only clean small areas at a time. This type of vacuum will come in handy if you only have a small area to clean and don't want to have to deal with lugging around a larger vacuum.

Stick vacuums

Stick vacuums are lightweight and tend to be battery-powered and not that powerful. A stick vacuum usually doesn't offer a lot of suction, so they are best used to clean up crumbs or small areas like bathrooms and kitchen. Many people purchase a stick vacuum because they are easy to move, and they don’t take up a lot of space. Most stick vacuums have dirt cups instead of bags that need to be emptied when they are filled with dirt and debris. While you may find that some stick vacuums need to be plugged in, they still don't offer a lot of power just because of their small size.

Handheld vacuums

Handheld vacuums are one of the few cordless vacuums that are also handheld. Because of their unique design, they are portable and easy to use for quick clean-ups. They are a great option for those that have kids or dogs and need a vacuum that can clean up dirt and debris quickly. A cordless vacuum can also be used to vacuum dirt out of a car or pet hair off of furniture. The downside to purchasing a cordless vacuum is that you have to remember to put it on the charger so that it is ready to use when you need it. They also have a small canister that will need to be emptied out frequently as it doesn't have the capacity to hold a lot of dirt.

Check The Product Specifications Carefully Before Purchasing

It’s important that you choose a vacuum that meets your needs. This can be a rather large investment, and you don’t want to purchase a vacuum that can’t clean your home properly. These are the product specifications that you need to take into consideration before purchasing a vacuum.


Features - There are a lot of different features that you need to take into consideration when purchasing a vacuum. These include the vacuum’s weight, height, and additional accessories. These accessories can include an extension wand, dusting brush, crevice tool, or even a mattress attachment. While these accessories aren't a necessity for most cleaning jobs, they may come in handy from time to time.

Noise - Some vacuums are noisier than others. If noise bothers you, your family members, or pets, you need to pay close attention to how noisy a vacuum is. Full-sized vacuums tend to have a noise output of about 80 decibels. To put this into perspective, most garbage disposals have a noise level that’s about the same. You should easily be able to check how many decibels of noise a vacuum emits. Keep in mind that when you are researching vacuums, you may see the word decibels shortened to the letters dB.

Power - You really need to make sure that you choose a vacuum cleaner that’s powerful enough to vacuum your home. If you don’t, you’ll be stuck with a device that isn’t capable of doing what you want it to. When trying to figure out how powerful a vacuum is, you need to look at the watts. Small vacuums may only have a suction rating of about 250 watts. Very powerful vacuums can have a suction rating of about 3,000 watts. If you aren't sure what you want, you should probably purchase a vacuum that falls somewhere in the middle.

Size - It’s important that you take into consideration the size of the vacuum that you plan on purchasing. Some vacuums can be bulky and are difficult to store. However, these types of vacuums tend to be the most powerful. If you are in need of a powerful vacuum, then you will probably need to purchase one that’s larger in size. If you are limited on space, try to choose a smaller vacuum that still has a lot of power.

Filters - A vacuum cleaner filter collects dirt and dust. It’s an important part of your vacuum cleaner as it helps clean the air in the area that you are vacuuming. Filters will need to be changed periodically. You do need to keep this in mind when purchasing a vacuum. Some filters will be harder to change others. Filters that are smaller in size will need to be changed more often than larger filters.

Don’t Forget About The Warranty

Almost all new vacuums come with some type of warranty. A warranty is especially important if something goes wrong with your vacuum. Before purchasing a vacuum, you need to be aware of what type of warranty it comes with. You need to make sure that it will cover the replacement of a variety of different parts just in case your vacuum stops functioning as it should. You may also be able to purchase an extended warranty fairly cheaply from the retailer that you purchase the vacuum from.

There are numerous types of vacuum cleaners available. It’s imperative that you take your time choosing the right vacuum for your household. By utilizing our vacuum cleaner buying guide, you can ensure that you purchase a vacuum that will meet all of your needs.