Looking for the best performing vacuum cleaners? We look at the latest models in our labs, including leading brands like Miele, Dyson and Electrolux in our vacuum review (member content). We also help you decide on the type of machine in our latest vacuum buying guide.
Ask a question or share your vacuum cleaner experiences in the comments below.
Iāve owned a few vacās including a couple of bagless models. Iām back to the Miele with a bag for the simple reason that all vacās become dusty, inside and out, and require a āserviceā once in a while to spruce them up - and I like just removing the bag and disposing the lot, with a minor cleanup before fitting the new bag.
I tried various tricks with the bag-less ones I had, including a Dyson, to empty them without it looking like Mt St Helens for the next half hour. Encasing the ācatching tube of evilā in a garbage bag and encouraging every last ounce of dust out of it then leaving it to āsettleā seemed to be the best approach. Bang it on the inside of a wheelie bin and cover everything in a square mile with the dust you sucked out of your lounge room wasnāt fun ā¦
Iām a fan of tiled or otherwise hard floors. Carpet holds too much evil. Until moving to where I am now there was ancient carpet, and nothing out-sucked my Hoover model 612 - it ābeats as it sweeps as it cleansā 
they donāt make them like they used to ā¦ (mine is pre-1967 and still works well!) ā¦ Itās a bit loud though, and with little carpet the Miele is more pleasingly quiet.
We also have hard floors (timber prodominately to reduce allergies) and complement our Miele vacuum cleaner with a static mop. Static mops are quick and easy to run over the hard floor and capture most of the dust. Coarser materials not held by the mop fibres are swept into a pile using the mop and dust panned up. The mop is shaken outside to remove collected dust.
Static mops also or near 100% reliable, doesnāt use electricity, last for a very long time and only need a wash every year or so to remove any very fine dust build up.
Furniture and rugs are vacuumed or washed.
Doing this, we use about a bag ($7) every 9-12 months.
It is amazing how much dust (fabric fibres, dead skin, mineral dust etc) falls out in a house every weekā¦and is more obvious with hard flooring.
I currently have two vacs and a carpet cleaner. The CC and one of the vacs (bagless) are Bissell brand, and I bought those because my last cat was the moultingest cat I have ever had. I could brush him 4 times a day and get enough fur to fill a small cushion each time, and still there was tons of cathair everywhere. The bagless was bought specifically for cleaning cat and dog hair, its its pretty effective, but I really detest the bagless thing. Iām with @draughtrider on that matter, which is why I now also have a Volta bagged vac. Trouble is, its not as effective as the Bissell. So, I use both, at various times. I really need to clean them up, sell them, and get a single vac which has a bag and is great at picking up cat hair. I had a Wertheim once which wasnt bad, gave it away to a friend when I bought the Bissell. Wish I had not. Decisions, decisions. IN the meantime its Mt St Helens more often than I would wish.
We have all smooth (hard) floors too; and a Miele vacuum with disposable bags.
I get others to remove bag and bin it and put new bag in - due to dust allergies so there is no way I could have a bagless vacuum.
Weāve had a Dyson DC23 Motorhead for several years and were initially so happy to be rid of a previously Choice recommended disposable bag model Miele.
It wasnāt that the Miele was that bad - it was a great vacuum when the bags were new - however a 1/3 to 1/2 full bag & away went its vacuum power.
So on the DC23, good points:
@BrendanMays, this is another of those curious ratings where the disparity across the recommended to not recommended is curious. Have a look at how the scores go down from the top to the end of the recommended list, and then up as the not recommended group begins. If the ordering is purely based on cleaning I understand how it goes, but if that is the case the overall scores might be expected to follow suit.
I can see what you mean, Iāll follow up on this to find out more. Thanks for the heads up 
An update for you @PhilT, the rationale is that to receive a CHOICE Recommendation the vacuums must score at least 75% overall and also 70% or over for cleaning performance score. In the current example overall higher scored product misses out on a recommendation because of its cleaning performance score. Despite this, itās still worth considering for those on a budget though.
That report really sucks.
Canāt argue with that 
Only one Dyson hit some significant level statusā¦is that telling of how hyped marketing can be to actual outcomes? By all the advertising you would think Dyson would be ācleaning upā in this market . They might be but not in the way we would like them to be?
A Vax one at a much cheaper price even performed betterā¦
No doubt about the cost factor of the Dysons, I think that marketing is certainly a factor for consumers as youāve suggested. Some models still perform well though 
A lesson in marketing. A few decades ago there was a global advertising program for Montblanc Meisterstuck pens. The pitch to pen lovers who were also status seekers was that it was the most recognised pen in the world. Having one was a key to success and status 
Analysis was that it was indeed the most recognised pricey pen in the world because of the marketing blitz. A self-made prophesy. Dyson seems to be on a similar marketing plan where they tell āusā it is so good enough believe it.
Choice to the rescue!
Weāve been using a ShopVac for a few years now, it performs way better than the more traditional type vacuum cleaners weāve had over the years (and cost less!), so long as you donāt mind the industrial appearance.
For me itās function over form any day!
Referencing also Choiceās poll in vac testing we just purchased a new vacuum selected from the Choice tests (thus no specifics here) and primarily used the scores for cleaning.
We went to the shops ādumb and blind and stupidā to see how it would go. The pitches (when there were sales people rather than buy it from the shelf or not) went like:
Observation:
On getting āitā home (subtitled: reality sets in):
Recommendation for Choice to consider: Add runs on each of nylon, polypropylene, and wool carpets with low and medium pile to the report. Who does 10-strokes (or religiously even 4) with their vacs? Differing carpet types should be added to the mix, and most carpets would thus be represented.
Thanks for this (apologies for the delay in response).
Weāve considered adding more carpet types to the testing, but itās been a time issue with the project so weāve targeted what we think is a majority use case (blend - 80/20 nylon/wool if I remember correctly).
If we find a way to streamline other sections of the testing we might be able to fit more carpet types into testing.
Adds a bit of cost to the project, since we buy about 15yrs worth per type.
