What is the best vacuum cleaner?

Philips = Eureka Forbes > Karcher >= Kent > Black & Decker > Panasonic

When buying a vacuum cleaner, always ensure that you buy the ones that do not expose you to harmful allergens found in dust.

There are particularly two broad categories of vacuum cleaners that one can find in the market. Those are:-

• Vacuum Cleaners with debris collecting bag
• Vacuum Cleaners without collecting bag

Both the bagged and bagless categories of vacuum cleaners have their fair bit of advantages and disadvantages, which I will discuss in detail.

Okay, I have a confession to make that I will make towards the end of this answer.

Now, depending upon the state of debris they clean and the technology used in them, bagless vacuum cleaners are available in three configurations, namely – Wet and Dry, Cyclonic, Robotic.

As a rule of thumb, the following factors would determine the type of vacuum cleaner that would best find its use in one’s home.

• The type of litter/debris one intends to clean.

If one requires a vacuum cleaner mostly to clean solid debris from the floor, remove cobwebs from windows or ceilings, remove dust from other household objects, a bagged vacuum cleaner or a Cyclonic-bagless vacuum cleaner makes for a wise choice. Whereas, if one is looking for an all round solution to cleaning and requires to clean both solid debris or liquid spillages, one is better off going with a Wet and Dry-bagless vacuum cleaner.

• One’s work routine.

Considering the ever increasing work hours and little to no-work life balance most companies pose on their employees, if one finds oneself at workplace for most part of the day and therefore can not accommodate taking work from a house maid, a Robotic-bagless vacuum cleaner would work wonders in such scenario. A robotic vacuum cleaner is an autonomous device that does all the cleaning work by itself, once directed to do so. One can track the progress of the device by the help of a mobile app. Furthermore, it can reach sites where an ordinary vacuum cleaner can not, such as under the racks, beneath the beds, below the tables, etc.

Also, while purchasing a vacuum cleaner, one should be aware of the ways in which some manufacturers cut production costs so as to increase their profit margin. As a result of cost cutting, the products they manufacture are of substandard quality. They primarily do so by:-

1. Installing low quality electric motor that overheats on use.
2. Using ineffective rubber seals and gasket.

Now is the time for confession.

The information that I have written above is not my findings but of someone else. I was looking to buy a vacuum cleaner for my home since the past several days and had researched both Quora and Google for an answer that could help me take a buying decision.

Some of the questions to which I was seeking answers were:-

• What should I look for when buying a vacuum cleaner.
• Which type of vacuum cleaner among the ones available in the market would best serve the cleaning requirements of my home.
• What is the typical operable life of the various components of the vacuum cleaner before the need for replacement arises.
• Which brands manufacture the best built vacuum cleaners.

Unfortunately, most of the answers here focus primarily on the product and the features that are on offer. (No offence). I had almost lost all hope to find a satisfactory answer, but then…

Then, today morning, I finally found what I was looking for. I came across a post that explains:-

• How a Vacuum Cleaner works and what processes occur inside it.
• What are the Pros and Cons of different types of vacuum cleaners
• What are the parameters that help determine which type of vacuum cleaner would suit one’s needs.
• How some manufacturers, in order to make profits and keep manufacturing costs low, use smart marketing tricks so as to lure the customers.
• Which are the best vacuum cleaners available in the market that offer efficient cleaning capabilities, are reliable and provide good value for the money.