In fact, it cleaned up every material in just a pass or two, regardless of flooring type. We found that the 1.4-quart dust bin empties easily, but given the vacuum’s powerful suction and long-lasting battery, we do wish it had more capacity. The suction is strong enough in every model that even the cleaning heads with air-powered, turbine-driven brush rolls outperformed many other brands’ electrically driven brush rolls in our tests. The Calima was second best in our debris-pickup test on short-pile carpeting, vacuuming up 84 percent of the sand–and–baking soda mixture. Although our main pick, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away, picked up nearly all of the debris, we think the difference won’t be noticeable to most people.
Filters also clog up pretty quickly and you’ll need to clean it often. Since this is a bagless vacuum there is still exposure to dust and allergens. If you suffer some sort of allergy or really allergic to dust then go with a shark canister vacuum bagged canister like a Bissell Zing or Miele Compact C1. And the 23 foot power cord is pretty generous for a canister vacuum. If you’d like to do the work of choosing yourself, here’s the list of our canister vacuum reviews.
Dr. Shyam Joshi, MD and CMO of Nectar, finds HEPA filters and model type (i.e. bagged or bagless) to be one of the most important aspects of anyone’s vacuum search. “Either type of vacuum is reasonable if used with an appropriately designed HEPA filter and seal, thus reducing the risk of contaminants escaping into the air when vacuuming,” he explains. While size, price, dust bin capacity, and attachments are extra components to consider, this is one to keep top of mind throughout the process. The best canister vacuums we picked earned the highest Overall Score in our rigorous lab tests. As you browse through the models, consider which vacuum would work best for you in terms of weight, versatility across different surfaces, noise level, and reliability.
Spoke with brand reps, product managers, and engineers of brands we reviewed, including Dirt Devil, Dyson, Miele, Sebo, and Tacony . Some of these chats were during product demonstrations at trade shows; others were more-formal conversations about particular products. We vacuumed a mix of sand and baking powder from medium and high pile rugs and used a scale to measure how much we picked up. After our pet vacuum tester’s lackluster experience with his own Miele – Calima, though, we thought long and hard about how to qualify value for a general review.
We’ve found that the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe V360 is currently the easiest to nab for a good deal, so start there. Other filtering vacuums had good dust-management results, but the Kenmore’s sealed system, large HEPA-class filter and high-power motor actually work together as an air purifier. We also looked at consumer satisfaction numbers from Consumer Reports and J.D. shark robotic vacuums Power, along with retailer customer reviews and YouTube reviews, to pick three more competing designs that could fit into tighter budgets along with the mid-range Kenmore and Shark vacuums. You still get essential features, like a retractable power cord and adjustable-length wand, but the only accessory comes in the form of a clip-on brush and crevice multi-purpose tool.
For about a $200 savings compared to the Elite, you’ve given up handle-mounted controls, the bigger bare-floor tool, two feet of hose length, noise reduction, dust capture performance and more agile steering. This isn’t a vacuum we’d choose above other designs unless budget were the primary consideration. Bissell has aimed squarely at the budget vacuum target, and hit the mark. For bare floors and cleaning tight spots, this is a tool that will get the job done efficiently. The agility of Shark’s motorized brush head makes steering with one hand no problem, but if you’ve got a large room to cover you’ll definitely want to use upright mode most of the time. If you want the flexibility of a canister vacuum for maneuvering in tight places, the Shark – Apex is a contender than also works as an upright vacuum for covering lots of floor area quickly.