If you have a lot of carpet that needs to be vacuumed on a regular basis, then nothing beats what an upright vacuum cleaner can provide. When uprights are compared to canister vacuums, wall-to-wall carpet benefits from the strength and stamina of the upright design. Knowing how to find the best upright vacuum to meet your needs will help you be able to budget wisely and take better care of your carpet.
Here are the key points that you’ll want to think about as you shop for your next upright vacuum.
#1. Cleaning Width
Uprights tend to have the largest cleaning widths in the industry. Most allow for at least 20 inches of cleaning with each pass, while larger models may approach 30 inches. Even smaller, entry-level models offer between 10-15 inches of cleaning width. If you have a lot of carpet, then a wide cleaning width makes quick work of the chore. For tight spaces, consider an upright with a smaller width, but more maneuverability.
#2. Cleaning Depth
The amount of dirt and debris you can pull out of a carpet depends on the bristles that are on the rotating bar of the upright vacuum. If the bristles are lengthy and offer a low setting, then you’ll be able to agitate the debris out of the carpet. This can be problematic for longer pile carpets, however, so consider using an upright if you have short-to-medium length carpet.
#3. Weight
You can get a lot of cleaning power with an upright vacuum, but that comes with a price. Many of the best upright vacuums weigh 20 pounds or more. That means you must push and pull that weight around your carpet until the work is done and that can be exhausting. Lightweight models can reduce this fatigue, but for many brands, that also means you’re sacrificing the strength of suction received. It becomes necessary to balance weight and suction power to obtain the best possible result.
#4. Noise
Most uprights tend to have the loudest decibel ratings in the entire industry. It is common for an upright vacuum to be above 60 decibels, with many models exceeding 70 decibels. Although this exposure level isn’t necessarily harmful or painful to human hearing, it does make it difficult to have a conversation or listen to anything but the vacuum while it is operating.
#5. Bagged or Bagless
Bagged upright vacuums tend to provide the best overall performance. They also have the largest ongoing maintenance costs. Going bagless doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice power today thanks to brands like Dyson, Electrolux, or Shark, but the disposal design needs to avoid debris exposure. If you need to reach your hand into a canister to remove pet hair, the benefits of owning a vacuum cleaner are dramatically reduced.
The best upright vacuums are a cost-effective way to clean large swaths of carpet quickly and easily. By considering each of these key points and then comparing them to what each vacuum make and model can do, you’ll be able to find the best vacuum for your home.
