Canister Vacuums: Ratings of Sources
Total of 18 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
1. ConsumerReports.org
As of Nov. 2009
Vacuum Cleaners
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our Assessment
For this latest update, ConsumerReports.org's editors test 22 canister vacuums on their performance on bare floor and carpet (including their ability to pick up pet hair from carpet). Noise and ease of use are also considered and factored into the ratings. ConsumerReports.org's methodology is consistent and extremely thorough, making this the most valuable review we found for canister vacuums.
2. Which? magazine
As of Nov. 2009
Vacuum Cleaners
by Editors of Which? magazine
Our Assessment
British magazine Which? is as thorough and competent in its reviews as ConsumerReports.org is. Although many of the canister vacuums tested here aren't available in the U.S., there's some great general… information, buyer's guides and reliability information on this site. In the latest roundup, editors thoroughly test 108 upright and canister vacuums. We like that editors specifically test performance on different floor types, as well as with pet hair.
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3. Choice magazine
April 15, 2009
Vacuum Cleaners
by Editors of Choice magazine
Our Assessment
Choice is the magazine of the Australian Consumers' Association. Testing is as thorough as at ConsumerReports.org and Which? magazine, but most of the canister vacuums discussed here aren't available in the U.S. Vacuums are tested on carpet and bare floors. Top models are chosen in three price ranges, but only two of the top picks are available in the U.S.
Canister Vacuums
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Our Assessment
Most canister vacuums get mixed reviews overall, and it's tough to tell which are better. Still, once you have your choice narrowed down to a few models, Amazon.com is an excellent place to read owner-written ratings. Amazon.com lists a large number of discontinued models, which is confusing, but this is an excellent place for verifying the opinions of professional reviewers.
Canister Vacuums
by Contributors to Walmart.com
Our Assessment
Walmart.com lists less than 20 canister vacuums, but several have more than 100 user reviews each. Compared to Amazon.com, vacuums receive higher overall ratings here and user-submitted comments are cheerier. Users seem especially satisfied with the Hoover WindTunnel S3755, which receives an average rating of about 4.5 stars in more than 250 reviews.
Vacuum Cleaner Buying Guide
by Editors of TheGreenGuide.com
Our Assessment
This buyer's guide covers vacuuming in general, with a focus on products that are energy-efficient. The general information here is helpful, but nothing you can't find elsewhere. Editors choose the Miele Plus S251 as their top pick, but there's no evidence it was tested; in fact, the article states that picks are based at least partly on ratings at ConsumerReports.org.
Vacuum Cleaners: For Rugs, Carpets and Bare Floors
by Editors of AllergyBuyersClub.com
Our Assessment
This website, which includes many comparison charts and articles, focuses on the needs of allergy sufferers. Vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters are recommended for people who need maximum removal of… allergens. While this is mainly a retail site, editors do report testing and owner satisfaction for most models. Unfortunately, the ratings tightly correspond with price and are not detailed enough to convince us of their objectivity.
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Ristenbatt Vacuum's Preferred Models
by David E. Ristenbatt
Our Assessment
This retailer sells more than 75 models of vacuum cleaners and publishes comprehensive product summaries, features and specifications on a limited number of models. Ristenbatt lists the models he and his… staff recommend most highly -- all expensive models from Miele and Sebo -- along with a lot of info about specifications and features. There's great information here about types of cleaners, filter differences and agitator types. Since there is no independent testing information and models recommended here are also sold here, this site has limited scope.
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Canister Vacuums
by Contributors to Epinions.com
Our Assessment
Epinions.com invites users to rate their own vacuums, and while it takes a fair amount of clicking to get to the reviews, it's nice to check here when you have your choice narrowed down a bit. More than 600… different models have reviews posted, but the vast majority of them only receive a handful each. We found some interesting comments for Electrolux canister vacuums. Several owners note that Electrolux vacuums are now made by Eureka, and that quality has taken a nosedive.
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Best Vacuums to Buy
by Contributors to Helium.com
Our Assessment
Helium.com is an odd site. While these are essentially user-generated product reviews, contributions look more like longer editorial articles than quick reviews. While the individual articles are sometimes interesting to read, there simply are not enough of them written about any one particular vacuum to make this site worthwhile -- at least not so far.
Canister Vacuums Reviews and Prices
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Our Assessment
The editors at ConsumerGuide.com don't discuss test methods or results, nor do they mention any significant drawbacks to the machines they rate. Write-ups are based on features, and no testing appears to have been performed. Thirteen canister vacuums are named best buys and four of those are given five-star ratings, but we're not sure why.
Cleaning Tips Forum
by Contributors to GardenWeb.com
Our Assessment
In this forum, there are some good discussion threads between impassioned owners. Models by most vacuum manufacturers are recommended here, as are shop vacuums, which are plugged by a couple of contributors who use them on their home carpeting. It is challenging to dig through all of the threaded messages, but if you have a specific need or concern, you might find a thread on it.
Vacuums & Floor Care: Canisters
by Contributors to Sears.com
Our Assessment
If you're considering a Kenmore canister like the Intuition 28014, Sears.com is a good place to find user reviews; otherwise, you're better off looking at Amazon.com or Epinions.com. There are also a few scattered posts for other models.
Top 8 Canister Vacuum Cleaners
by Barbara Whiting
Our Assessment
Barbara Whiting, the About.com guide to stay-at-home parents, posts a short list of her top canister vacuum picks. While it's useful that the vacuums are ranked, there's no explanation of how they're… assessed and why they're chosen, and specific model numbers aren't given. There's also no mention of any drawbacks or vacuums that don't make the cut. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
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Vacuum Cleaners and Floor Care Appliances
by Editors of Appliance.com
Our Assessment
Although Appliance.com does not offer reviews or testing of canister vacuums, they do describe new models in extensive detail -- interesting if you're really into vacuums. There's no comparison information here, however. Helpful buying guides and articles with general information about the different types of vacuums and features are also available on this website.
Canister Vacuum Reviews
by Contributors to Viewpoints.com
Our Assessment
Viewpoints.com still lags well behind Amazon.com and Epinions.com as a source of consumer reviews, and only two dozen canister vacuums have been covered here so far. On the plus side, this site is nicely laid out and easier to navigate than most user review sites. Unless you really want to cover all your bases, Viewpoints.com probably isn't worth visiting for canister vacuums.
Canister Vacuums Reviews
by Contributors to ExpoTV.com
Our Assessment
ExpoTV.com is similar to other user-review sites, but contributors post videos instead of text reviews. With some product categories, there's enough content here to be worthwhile; when it comes to canister vacuums, though, there are just a few scattered reviews.
Vacuum Cleaners
by Contributors to ReviewCentre.com
Our Assessment
ReviewCentre.com is based in the U.K., and many of the models covered aren't available in the U.S. One nice feature here is the ratings breakdown included in each user review. Another plus is that contributors state how long they've been using the product in question, helping to put reviews by brand-new owners into perspective.
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