Vacuum Cleaners: Reviews

Updated December 2009

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Best budget vacuum cleaner

*Est. $140 Compare Prices

Reviews say the Eureka 4870 is the best value in a bagging upright vacuum, cleaning as well as or better than more expensive models. The Eureka vacuum also ships with a sealed HEPA filter and does well in noise tests.… Experts say this vacuum does a good job of picking up pet hair on carpeting. It has on-board attachments and brush roll on/off control. At 21 pounds, the Eureka can be cumbersome to push, as well as hard to carry up and down stairs. In addition, you have to change a bag. We did read some complaints about breakdowns, especially after the two- or three-year mark. For those who want a good all-around upright vac for a modest price, however, the Boss is the best vacuum cleaner. The MZ version comes in red, but other colors are available.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org evaluates more than 50 upright vacuums, including the Eureka SmartVac 4870, by testing them on the equivalent ...

Walmart.com: Nearly 300 users weigh in on the Eureka Boss SmartVac 4870MZ at Walmart.com, collectively giving it an average rating of 4.5 ...

Amazon.com: The Eureka 4870MZ, one of the newest styles in the 4870 series, is reviewed by almost 200 owners at Amazon.com. The majority of ...

Epinions.com: More than 100 owners weigh in at Epinions.com, but the comments are for many models in the Eureka 4870 series and some are more ...

ConsumerGuide.com: The reviews at ConsumerGuide.com consist mainly of features, with no evidence of hands-on testing. More than a dozen vacuum ...

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Lightweight bagging vacuum

Hoover Tempo Widepath U5140-900

*Est. $75 Compare Prices

Although reviews say it's nothing fancy, we found excellent ratings for the 16-pound Tempo Widepath from experts and from satisfied owners who say you get a lot of vacuum for your money. The Hoover Tempo is easier to push… and pull than others, and it does a very good job on carpet and rugs. Owners also like the allergen filter included with this vacuum cleaner. Because its brush roll doesn't turn off, however, it can stir up dust if used on bare floors. Another drawback may be its short 25-foot power cord. You can find vacuums that weigh even less, but they cost three times as much as the Hoover Tempo Widepath.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org road-tests the Hoover Tempo Widepath upright vacuum cleaner in its comparison evaluation of 51 models. The ...

Amazon.com: More than 1,500 owners have posted their experiences with the budget-priced Hoover Tempo Widepath, and they're overwhelmingly ...

Epinions.com: Epinions.com has some good in-depth reviews of the Hoover Tempo Widepath, which rates an average four stars out of five. Comments ...

ExpoTV.com: There are only about half a dozen reviews here for the Hoover Tempo Widepath, but they're video reviews. Most of these are ...

ConsumerGuide.com: The Hoover Tempo Widepath gets a Budget Buy designation plus a five-star rating at ConsumerGuide.com. Editors have a few minor ...

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Bagless upright vacuum

Kenmore Progressive 36932

*Est. $220 Compare Prices

Bagless vacuums collect dust in a removable bin. While that saves you from buying replacement dust bags, bagless vacuum cleaners do expose you to dust during emptying. In reviews, the Kenmore 36932 performs just as well… as or better than Dyson bagless vacuums on carpet, bare floors and pet-hair-covered rugs. Although the Kenmore is not truly self-propelled, its rotating brush roll helps move the vacuum across the floor. Reviews also say the Kenmore works well with tools, which is an important consideration if you plan to vacuum stairs, drapes and upholstery. Owners seem to like the LED lights on this model, which change color to indicate how dirty a particular patch of carpet is. The Kenmore weighs about 20 pounds.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

ConsumerReports.org: ConsumerReports.org includes the Kenmore 36932 in its latest roundup, in which models are pushed over carpet and bare floors and ...

Sears.com: More than 100 owners have posted reviews for the Kenmore 36932 bagless upright vacuum, giving it a rating of four out of five ...

Viewpoints.com: About 20 owners of the Kenmore Progressive weigh in on the vacuum. Given the vacuum's rating of about four out of five stars, ...

Epinions.com: About 50 owners at Epinions post comments for various Kenmore Progressive vacuums, but most of the reviews are for older models ...

ConsumerGuide.com: Editors at ConsumerGuide.com evaluate the Kenmore Progressive 36932 and provide several paragraphs of commentary about the ...

Mrs. Clean House Cleaning Specialists: This site is mainly a promotion for a maid service, but it does have a decent complement of vacuum cleaner reviews. Editors call ...

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Sears

for $219.99

Luxury bagless vacuum

Dyson DC25 All Floors

*Est. $500 Compare Prices

Dyson gets a lot of buzz for its bagless uprights, and reviewers say they're solid performers if you're willing to spend around $500 on a vacuum cleaner. The Dyson DC25 All Floors has a ball-shaped hinge that most owners… say makes it easy to maneuver, but a few dislike that the size of the ball makes vacuuming under furniture tricky. At 16 pounds, this model is also lighter than most. It receives more consistent praise from experts and owners than other Dyson vacuums, and performs equally well on carpet and bare floors in professional tests. The Dyson DC25 All Floors comes with Dyson's five-year warranty. Although it's expensive, many happy owners say this vacuum is worth the extra cost.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Which? magazine: Which? magazine is the U.K. counterpart to ConsumerReports.org magazine, with the same reputation for rigorous independent ...

The Green Guide: Editors at TheGreenGuide.com provide shopping tips and information on the environmental impact of vacuum cleaners. The focus here ...

Amazon.com: Almost 200 users contribute to the Dyson DC25's extremely high average rating at Amazon.com. Owners say the vacuum works ...

CrunchGear.com: Reviewer Matt Burns praises the Dyson DC25 for its performance, saying his home "has never been this clean." However, Burns ...

GearPatrol.com: Blogger Dusty Overby test-drives the Dyson DC25 for this article, but doesn't go into much detail about his methodology. He does ...

Viewpoints.com: About three dozen users contribute to the Dyson DC25's average rating of more than 4.5 stars (out of five). While almost every ...

Target.com: The Dyson DC25 receives an average of 4.5 stars (out of five) in more than two dozen user reviews at Target.com. A few owners ...

Walmart.com: About two dozen users contribute to the Dyson DC25's near-perfect average rating at Walmart.com. The most critical review gives ...

Epinions.com: There aren't quite as many reviews for the Dyson DC25 at Epinions.com as there are at retailer websites, but the comments here ...

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Basic robotic vacuum cleaner

iRobot Roomba 510

*Est. $250 Compare Prices

While most professional reviews say the Roomba robotic vacuum is unlikely to eliminate manual vacuuming, other reviews say this disc-shaped, battery-powered robotic vacuum cleaner does a good job. Because of its size, it… can get into small spaces such as under furniture and near baseboards. Some wish its dustbin held more dirt. Still, owners say the Roomba is a fun gadget, and reviews call it a good light-duty vacuum cleaner. More expensive versions of the Roomba vacuum include extras such as a self-charging base, on-board scheduling and a remote control.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: A smattering of owners (20 or so) talk about the iRobot Roomba 510 at Amazon.com. Contributors here agree that the Roomba is a ...

Amazon.com: More customers (187 as of this report) weigh in on the iRobot Roomba 510's step-up model, the 530, which incorporates a charging ...

ConsumerGuide.com: Editors at ConsumerGuide.com appear to have done some informal testing for this short write-up on the Roomba 510. They're fairly ...

Viewpoints.com: These customer reviews focus on the step-up Roomba 530, which is basically the same as the 510, save for its self-charge feature. ...

Good Housekeeping: This short article describes four vacuum cleaners, including the iRobot Roomba 560. Although Nathaniel Benforado is mainly ...

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Dyson DC17 Absolute Animal *Est. $550

4 picks including: Amazon.com, Target.com…

Kenmore Progressive 35922 *Est. $220

3 picks including: The Green Guide, AssociatedContent.com…

Dyson All Floors DC14 *Est. $400

2 picks including: Amazon.com, Target.com…

iRobot Roomba 560 *Est. $350

2 picks including: Amazon.com…

Miele S7580 *Est. $800

2 picks including: Allergy Buyers Club.com, Ristenbatt Vacuum Cleaner Service, Inc.…


	Dyson DC17 Animal Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner from Amazon.com New: $369.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Kenmore Progressive Upright Vacuum with Inteli-Clean System, Slate Blue from Amazon.com New: $332.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Dyson DC14 All-Floors Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner from Amazon.com New: $319.00 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	iRobot 560 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, Black and Silver from Amazon.com New: $449.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Miele S7580 Tango Upright (Titian Red Metallic) from Amazon.com New: $999.00 $849.00 In Stock. Average Customer Review:

Vacuum Cleaners: Reviews

Best budget vacuum cleaner

Lightweight bagging vacuum

Bagless upright vacuum

Luxury bagless vacuum

Basic robotic vacuum cleaner

Vacuum Cleaners by Price Range