Consumer Reports also put Hoover back on the winners’ list for upright vacs after the brand improved in the magazine’s latest repair survey. Spending $180 on the new Hoover Wind-Tunnel Max UH30600 buys a bag and even better pet-hair pickup than Eureka’s. Hoover has tried to improve quality, in part by bringing customer-support staff back in house, says brand owner TTI Floor Care, which also makes the reliable Dirt Devil.
Here’s what else tests revealed:
Some lightweights carry the load. At 16 pounds, the high-scoring Hoover Tempo Widepath U5140-900, $100, is among the lighter bagged uprights tested. Dirt Devil’s 13-pound Featherlite Bagless M085845 upright, $50, also made the winners’ list. But less weight meant less cleaning for Panasonic’s new MC-UG471, MC-UG509, and MG UG413 bagged uprights; all three were unimpressive at sucking up talc and sand from the test carpet.
A swiveling upright doesn’t shine. Like the Dyson DC25 Ball and high-scoring Miele S 7210 Twist, the Electrolux Nimble upright, $300, swivels at its base to ease steering. But that bagless vacuum was just so-so when it came to carpet cleaning. Shark’s Navigator Lift Away NV352, $170, also has a swivel-steer design and did better at carpet cleaning. Consider it if you don’t need to pick up pet hair.
One Kompressor gets squeezed. LG’s new Kompressor LcV900B, $400, now tops the bagless canister Ratings and joins three recommended Kompressors among bagless uprights. True to their name, they use a rotating blade to help pack debris in the bin, boosting capacity and easing emptying. The Kompressor LuV250C bagless upright, $250, is also new. But mediocre carpet cleaning and subpar airflow in tests made it an also-ran.
How to choose
All of CR’s recommended vacuums come from brands with a solid repair history. Here’s what to consider when shopping:
Select a type carefully. Upright vacs do better overall on carpets, though canisters are easier to maneuver, especially on stairs. Bagless vacuums save you the cost of bags, but like bagged models they still require filters. Emptying a bagless vacuum is also a dustier process, a concern if you have asthma or allergies.
Check the features. Edge-cleaning tools help at corners and baseboards. Suction control protects drapes, and a brush on/off switch safeguards bare floors and prevents scattered dust and debris. Most recommended models have all three. Top canisters also have a motor-driven head for better carpet cleaning. We’ve also found that some regular filters contained dust as well as pricier HEPA filters.
Give it a spin. Even if you order your vacuum online, visit a store first. Push, pull, turn, and lift any models you’re considering. And see if the store is willing to match the lowest price you find online.
