Canister Vacuums Reviews

Reviews say canister vacuums are best for those who have a combination of hard wood and rugs, as well as those who plan to vacuum stairs, upholstery, drapes and other above-the-floor items. Uprights, on the other hand, are best for homes with lots of carpeting. (See our companion report on upright vacuum cleaners .)

Consumer Reports' most recent vacuum roundup tops our All the Reviews Reviewed chart as the most credible review of vacuum cleaners we found. Over 20 canister vacuums are evaluated on performance on carpet and bare floors. In addition, editors test each vacuum's ability to pick up pet hair from carpet, along with noise level and emissions. In addition to its rigorous testing, Consumer Reports includes repair records culled from reader surveys in its article. We found comparable testing of canister vacuums in England's Which? magazine and Australia's Choice Online. Both test canister vacuums on carpet and bare floors, and like Consumer Reports, both also test for dust emissions. Only a small percentage of the canister vacuums tested by Which? and Choice are available in the U.S., however.

Good Housekeeping magazine appears to have given up testing canister vacuums. The Good Housekeeping Institute mentions canister vacuums in their short buyer’s guide, but when it comes to recommendations, the list of top picks leaves out canisters altogether. We also found some information on retailer websites like Allergy Buyer's Club, Ristenbatt Vacuum Service and ABC Vacuum, and while these sites recommend vacuums, coverage is limited in scope to the models sold on their sites and testing methods aren't clearly defined. We cross-referenced picks in professional reviews with owner-written ratings at Amazon.com and Epinions. Although there are far more user reviews at Amazon.com, Epinions posts user reviews of Kenmore canister vacuums, which aren't sold directly by Amazon.com and don't receive any ratings. The Sears website has also begun allowing owners to write reviews, and several Kenmore vacuums have received a dozen or more reviews.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with Retailer Links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Hoover WindTunnel S3765-040 (*est. $200)	details
3	SEBO C3.1 (*est. $970)	details
2	Miele S4 series (*est. $400 to $800)	details
2	Electrolux Oxygen EL6988D (*est. $400)	details
2	Miele S5 Series (*est. $650 to $1160)	details
1 each	Nilfisk Extreme X300, Kenmore 27914, Kenmore 27514, Wertheim 2000, Bosch BSG712666GB, Miele Parquet & Co, Miele Cat & Dog TT5000, Nilfisk Extreme X100, Nilfisk Coupe Parquet, Bosch BSG71810 Formula, Aerus Lux Guardian, SEBO C2.1 , Dyson DC21 Stowaway , Royal Procision RY3050 , Electrolux Oxygen 3 Ultra EL7020 , Bosch Compact Plus BSA 2222 UC, SEBO K3 , Sanitaire SP7025A, SEBO K2, Sanitaire SP6985B, Panasonic MC-CG973

Miele canister vacuum cleaners are often recommended on specialty websites as the best overall vacuums for performance and long-term durability. They are said to be especially good for those who suffer from allergies, with sophisticated filtration systems and bags. However, these models are more expensive than others, and since only the more expensive models come with a powered floor tool, are best for bare floors or flat rugs. Among mainstream canister vacuums, the Hoover WindTunnel S3765-040 is the best budget model, while the Kenmore 27914 is better on pet hair, with some extra convenience features.