Hoover Platinum Bagged Upright with Canister UH30010COM

The Hoover Platinum Bagged Upright with Canister UH30010COM gets very good ratings from professional and user reviewers who say it is easy to maneuver and carry up and down stairs. This simple bagging vacuum doesn't have any tool attachments; instead, it comes with a separate canister vacuum for cleaning upholstery, drapes and basically everything other than carpet. Some users say this a handy feature, while others say the canister could be easier to use. Note that you can buy this upright vacuum without the canister vac -- sold as the Hoover Platinum Bagged Upright Vacuum UH30010 (*Est. $180) -- but it's harder to find this version in stores.

Reviewers generally agree that this model is great at digging dirt out of carpet, but they are divided over its bare-floor performance. One professional reviewer finds it excellent on bare floors, while another says that its rotating brush (which cannot be switched off) tends to scatter dirt across floors rather than picking it up. And like most vacuum cleaners, it gets its share of noise complaints. However, it does include a HEPA filter, and its five-year warranty is longer than most. If you're willing to trade a little more weight for a lower price tag and on-board accessories, you might prefer the 16-pound Hoover Tempo Widepath U5140-900 (*Est. $80).

The most reliable review for the Hoover Platinum Bagged Upright UH30010COM comes from ConsumerReports.org, which rates more than 80 uprights in a series of rigorous tests. Good Housekeeping also includes the Hoover Platinum in their detailed tests of vacuum cleaners, with testing conducted by professionals as well as ordinary consumers. We found more than 800 owner reviews for this model at Amazon.com and about 75 at BestBuy.com, most of them extremely positive.