10 Best

Canister Vacuum Cleaners

of June 2023

You don’t have to be a neat freak to need a vacuum cleaner. If you have carpeting, there’s no real alternative to using a vacuum for getting dust and debris out of the carpet (unless you want to use a carpet beater every few days!) And vacuum cleaners are convenient for cleaning hardwood floors, drapes, and high shelves as well. Among all of the vacuum cleaner options, there are definite advantages to a canister vacuum cleaner.

A canister vacuum cleaner has a large chassis with a dust bag that collects the debris. There is a hose with a wand that attaches to the chassis. You only have to move the wand to the area that you have to clean. Thus, using a canister vac will not be as tiring as an upright vacuum, where you have to push the entire vacuum along with you when cleaning. Also, a canister vacuum can usually collect more debris before you have to empty it out. And they usually have a larger, more powerful motor for greater suction and efficiency.

We’ll go through some of the canister vacuum options in the Best Reviews Guide list. They usually are more expensive than the alternatives. But, they usually can offer greater suction and more years of dedicated service!

What are the advantages of a canister vacuum?

Canister vacuums are very versatile and can be used to vacuum a variety of surfaces. Besides floors, they will usually have attachments to be able to vacuum hard-to-reach areas that are above your arm’s reach. Canister vacuums are also usually more powerful than alternative vacuum models (upright vacuums, stick vacuums, or handheld vacuums).

Looking over the Best Reviews Guide of the best canister vacuum cleaners, we see a number of options available:

• Bagless: There are bagless canister vacuums which collect the dust and debris in a cup that you have to empty every so often as it fills up. One bagless model is the Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo Team Bagless Canister Vacuum.

Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo Team Bagless Canister Vacuum

One drawback of bagless models is that they release dust and debris when you empty them out. A model that attempts to avoid that is the innovative Dyson Big Ball Multi-Floor Canister Vacuum. Although its dust cup is relatively small at only 0.47 gallons when you want to empty the dust cup, it ejects the dust out deep into the garbage bin, so that you don’t have to breathe it in.

Dyson Big Ball Multi-Floor Canister Vacuum

• Bagged: These will typically use disposable bags that you have to empty out every so often. For example, the Miele Classic C1 Turbo Team Bagged Canister Vacuum uses AirClean Filter Bags. Dirt collects in the bag, but can’t escape outwards. When the bag is full, you simply dispose of it and replace it with a new bag.

Miele Classic C1 Turbo Team Bagged Canister Vacuum, with a removeable dirt bag

Miele also makes bags for canister vacuums that are washable and reusable. Besides saving you money by not having to buy replacement bags, they also allow for 20% more suction than a paper bag. Each bag can be used up to 40 times!

Miele reusable dirt bags for canister vacuums

Here are some of the impressions of customers regarding their choice of canister vacuum cleaner:

• Lighter and more maneuverable: One customer who bought the Miele vacuum said that it was lighter and more maneuverable than a conventional upright. Also, it only would require one pass with the canister vac to clean the floor, while it would take several passes with an upright to get the same results.

• Able to get under furniture: An upright vacuum might give you problems when you try to maneuver around the legs of a table or under furniture. On the other hand, a canister vacuum will have a low slope to its vacuuming head, so that you won’t have trouble getting under furniture. Some also have a swivel head to get into corners as well.

• Telescoping wand: Many canister vacs will feature a telescoping wand to allow you to vacuum way above your height. The Miele Compact C1 Turbo has a wand that extends up to 43” long. Also, there is a power switch on the wand to allow you to transition from cleaning a carpet to cleaning a bare floor.

• Good for pet hair: People who own a dog or cat that sheds a lot will need a vacuum that's good for picking up pet hair. You’ll see canister vacs that have a special attachment just for pet hair.

Here are some tips and essential features to look for when selecting a canister vacuum cleaner:

• Attachments: Canister vacuums are not just for vacuuming up floors and carpets. You’ll notice that canister vacuums will have a number of attachments, to give you more cleaning options. For example, the Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction Powerline Canister Vacuum has a combination floorhead that you can use on either hard floors or low-pile carpets. (You switch between the two settings by pressing a button on the floorhead.) There’s also a dusting brush for vacuuming curtains or along the trim, a crevice tool for reaching in between cushions on your sofa or armchair, and an upholstery tool for vacuuming the surfaces of furniture. The Miele vacuum’s chassis has a bracket for holding the attachments in place as you clean around the house.

Miele vacuum attachments: dusting brush, crevice tool, and upholstery attachments

• Filtration: You’ll see many canister vacuum cleaners that feature HEPA filters. “HEPA” stands for “High-Efficiency Particulate Absorbing”. A HEPA filter is capable of removing 99.97% of impurities larger than 0.3 microns from the air. The dirt collection bag on the Miele Classic C1 Turbo Bagged Canister Vacuum will also act as a filter. It has a motor protection filter and an exhaust filter. This ensures that the air going out of the vacuum is cleaner than the air that is going in.

• Adjust to different carpet thicknesses or floor types: A canister vac is usually significantly more expensive than an upright or a stick vacuum. If you’re going to invest in a canister vacuum, you’ll want that it can handle all floor types. Some allow you to adjust the suction manually, such as the Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo Team Bagless Canister Vacuum. You can adjust the suction by turning a dial, for either vacuuming on carpet, tile, or drapes. Some vacuums have an electronically-driven power brush that can adjust to different carpet heights, ranging from hardwood floors to low, high, and plush carpets. Customers usually prefer a vacuum where you have to change the settings yourself for different carpet thicknesses. That ensures that the vacuum can indeed handle a plush carpet as well as a hardwood floor.

• Retractable cord: You’ll see that some canister vacuums have a very long power cord–as long as 26 feet long! If you’re concerned about the cord getting tangled, the Miele canister vacuums have a button on the vacuum’s chassis to retract the power cord automatically.

Final Verdict

We went through a few of the canister vacuums featured on Best Reviews Guide. There are canister vacuums that are suitable for hardwood or tile floors as well as carpets, with special attachments for upholstery, drapes, and pet hair. And they have a long wand to reach practically any spot in your house that needs to be cleaned! Look through the list and select a canister vac today!