Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
This Dyson canister model features a specialized self-righting design and a superior reach, but it doesn't have great suction for its price. Read More
The Miele Boost CX1 excels at cleaning up hardwood floors. Its compact and quiet motor allows it to clean your house without much fuss. Read More
Every Miele we've tested feels well designed and sturdily built, and the Kona is no exception. Nothing feels cheap or wobbly, and it glides across floors with ease. Read More
The Kenmore Elite 21814 provides powerful suction and great onboard tools. However, it is extremely heavy and difficult to wield. Read More
The Kenmore 81414 is a beautiful vacuum that boasts a powerful motor. However, our testers did not like it unwieldy it was Read More
For people serious about cleaning, a canister vacuum cleaner is worth considering. The best canister vacuum cleaners have a powerful motor, are easy to maneuver and lift, and come with plenty of attachments.
While they can be more difficult to store, a canister vacuum’s brush head can reach tight spaces that even the best upright vacuum cleaners may have a difficult time cleaning. They're also not as bulky as an upright, which you'll definitely notice when it's time to vacuum stairs. Canister models often are quieter, too, and they excel at cleaning bare floors.
We've been testing vacuum cleaners in our labs since 2011, and we're here to help you sort through the myriad choices out there on the market. After testing the best canister vacuums on the market, the Dyson Big Ball Multifloor (available at Amazon) takes the cake. We love the Multifloor because it combines power and ease of use. For example, this bagless canister vacuum can seamlessly transition from cleaning medium pile carpet to tile with its self-adjusting head.
Our testing included other brands that stand out in the canister vacuum market at different price points, so you can find the right canister vacuum for your budget.
The Dyson Big Ball Multifloor is powerful and easy to use.
The Miele Boost CX1 excelled at our bare floor testing.
Powerful suction
Sturdy design
Difficult to push across plush carpet
Hi, I’m Jon Chan, the senior manager of lab operations at Reviewed. We’ve tested hundreds of vacuums in our labs, including everything from traditional upright vacuum cleaners to robot vacuums. I, along with product testers Beckett Dubay and Michael Elderbee tested the vacuums on this list.
One of our tests involve seeing how well a vacuum can deal with large debris
We test every vacuum in such a way so that we can have both reproducible performance data and information that will be useful to our readers. We assess the performance, features, and usability of each vacuum cleaner.
When it comes to performance, a good vacuum cleaner should be able to remove both fine dirt or dust and larger debris from your floor surfaces. In our lab, we push each vacuum cleaner to its limit by making it clean up four types of messes: our homemade “dirt” (sieved sand and baby powder), pet hair, rice grains, and raw macaroni. We test these vacuums out on two swaths of carpet (high pile carpet and low pile carpet) and on a linoleum floor surface.
We also think it’s important to see how a canister vacuum will do in circumstances that are more difficult than a bare floor. For edge cleaning, we place a 2” x 4” piece of wood along the edge of our test carpet area, sprinkle baby powder on the carpet, and run the vacuum cleaner with one side of the vacuum head pressed against the 2” x 4”. Ideally, the vacuum should pick up all of the baby powder without leaving a strip of white dust next to the 2” x 4”.
This is how we test how well a vacuum can clean under furniture.
A canister vacuum needs to do more than clean carpets and bare floors, so we also test how easy it is for the vacuum cleaner to clean dirt or dust bunnies that have collected under furniture. Using a wooden dowel suspended at different heights, we push the vacuum forward until the top of the vacuum hits the dowel to determine how far a given vacuum can extend under a piece of furniture.
We also consider the canister vacuum’s noise level, attachments, cord length, weight, dirt capacity, warranty, mobility, and overall user experience. If a vacuum can both clean up a lot of dirt and debris and make the cleaning process easy and hassle-free, it will make its way toward the top of our ranking system.
A canister vacuum is made up of two connected parts. A hose and a wand separate the motor and dirt container—also known as the canister—from the brush head or cleaning nozzle, which is located at the bottom of the wand. Typically, the motor is on wheels and follows behind the user while they clean. Many have automatic cord rewind.
When it comes to storing canister vacuums, they take up more space than an upright or a cordless vacuum, but the trade off is that they run more quietly and do a better job on bare floors than upright vacuums.
The bag or dirt cup is typically located inside the canister. Usually, the canister body is opened via a lip or latch near its center-mass. If there is none, look for a button or lever labeled "Open."
We get asked this question often. Your cleaning style and frequency should match your lifestyle.
If you live in a small apartment and spend lots of time in your car, you should shift your budget and your efforts toward a cordless vacuum. But, if you have a multi-level home with mostly hardwood floors, then a canister vacuum is going to serve you the best.
As far as how often you should vacuum, that depends. If you have two dogs and three kids you're probably looking at least once or twice a week. People living alone can probably stand to vacuum once a week or every other week..
In the sub-$100 category, every extra dollar you spend usually goes toward more power. Of the models we tested at this price range, all of them carry the same bare-minimum array of attachments.
When you spend a bit more, around $100 to $300, you start to see stratification in usability and features. We’re talking about more attachments, better joints so the vacuum moves with you, and better warranties.
Anything above the $300 range is showing for a premium market. When we test these vacuums, we’re looking for brush heads that won’t scratch delicate flooring, designs that won’t tip over, and motors with enough power to tackle the thickest of carpets.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Keith was the Editor in Chief of Reviewed's appliance and automotive sites. His work has appeared in publications such as Wired, Car & Driver, and CityLab.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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