7 Best Canister Vacuum Cleaners in 2024

Canister vs. Upright

Canister vacuums are generally lighter weight than uprights, but you often have to bend over to use them. Though they have wheels, some find lugging around the canister part of the canister vacuum a pain, and would rather just wheel around an upright. 

On the other hand, uprights tend to me much louder, and can be difficult to get into the nooks and crannies of your home. Though both styles come with versatile attachments, canister vacuums often come with detailing attachments better for cleaning upholstery, stairs, curtains, and more, while uprights come with broader attachments like a brush for your floorboards and a hose for getting crumbs under the kitchen cabinets.

Amps

Amps correlate to how powerful the machine is. The more amps, the more powerful. But before you jump on the vacuum with the most amps you can find, consider what you’re planning to vacuum. You probably don’t need the strongest machine on the market, especially if you’re just getting it for home use. Most canister vacuums hover around the 12-amp range, and that’s pretty much the limit for what you can safely plug into standard home electrical outlets. Anything higher than this may not be suitable for domestic use, while anything lower may not get the job done right the first time.

Weight

The canister part of your canister vacuum is usually on wheels so you can easily drag it around the house with you, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to pick it up. Wheels aren’t infallible, and they may get stuck sometimes. You might also need to lug the machine up and down stairs. So be sure to check how much the vacuum actually weighs, and consider what amount you think you can comfortably carry around. 

Bagged vs Bagless

The only real difference between bagged and bagless canister vacuums is how they store the dirt, dust, and debris they collect. Both machines have an interior chamber, but bagged machines will have a bag lining that chamber where everything ends up. On bagged machines, the collection chamber likely won’t be removable, since you can change out the bag. On bagless machines, the chamber probably will be removable, so you can take it out and clean it between uses. 

Bagged machines are generally easier to clean up, but you have to remember to buy new bags. If you’re eco-conscious, the disposable nature of most vacuum bags might not appeal to you. You can get reusable bags that are washable (either by hand or machine), but that adds another chore to your list any time you need to vacuum.

Bagless machines are more eco-friendly, because you can take out the debris chamber to empty it. You can even give it a rinse once you’ve dumped it out if you need to. However, these are messier to clean. Remember, your vacuum cleaner is sucking up lots of dust and dirt, all of which will happily take to the air when disturbed. Also, the contents of your vacuum can smell, and no bag means no easy way to seal off the stink.

Attachments

You want a powerful machine, but you also need versatile attachments. Consider what kinds of things you’ll need to vacuum, and look at the available attachments to make sure there’s one for every kind of cleaning you want to do. 

Some of the major attachments you’ll probably want:

• The crevice attachment helps you clean corners and tight areas.
• The wall/floor brush helps you clean walls and bare floors.
• The upholstery attachment is great for cleaning draperies and curtains, mattresses, auto interiors, and upholstery fabrics.
• The dusting brush is good for cleaning off lampshades, moldings, floorboards, and blinds.

Filtration

When your vacuum sucks up dirt and debris, it also sucks in a lot of air that has to be pumped back out so the machine can keep doing its job. The last thing you want is for that air to be full of dust particles and pet dander, because then you might as well have not vacuumed! The filter in your vacuum is what makes sure nothing escapes along with that air. The better the filter, the higher-quality air you’ll be returning to your home. Many vacuums use HEPA filter systems, which are the gold standard when it comes to air filtration, but be sure to check. The filter should be easy to get to so you can change it.

You’ll also want to look into how often the filter will need to be changed, and how much replacement filters cost. A cheaper machine may save you money on the initial buy, but if you have to get a new filter every week, you’ll more than make up for it in the price of all those filters and the time and effort it takes to change them out.