Households that mainly need quick cleans
You want to clear away crumbs and dust regularly without getting out a bulky appliance. Ease of use and storage matter just as much as the time each clean takes.
Which households are these types suited to?
Households with a large area, rugs or carpets
Your main appliance needs to cover several rooms and clean different floor coverings. Compare how each model performs on hard floors, floorboard gaps and fabrics.
Households looking to delegate repetitive cleaning
You’re considering a robot to take care of some routine cleaning. How useful it is also depends on how well it handles rugs, edges, corners and hard-to-reach areas in your home.
Which factors should you prioritise?
First, choose a type based on the task it will need to do most often, then compare models on the floor coverings in your home. UFC-Que Choisir’s guides and testing protocols distinguish between quick cleaning, larger areas and performance on different types of flooring.
Cordless stick vacuum
Choose one if: you mainly need to clean quickly and often, and want to put the appliance away with minimal fuss.
Bear in mind: battery life depends on the mode you use. Check the runtime in the mode you need for your rugs and carpets.
Cylinder vacuum
Choose one if: your main task is to give several rooms and floor coverings a thorough clean.
Bear in mind: the cord, weight and size can make it less convenient for quick cleans.
Robot vacuum
Consider one if: you’d like to delegate some regular cleaning on floors that are easy to access.
Bear in mind: automation doesn’t mean you can skip checking how it cleans rugs, carpets and hard-to-reach areas.
| Factor | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Quick cleans | Ease of use and storage; battery life in the mode you actually use. | If I often clean up small messes, I want to be able to get the vacuum out and put it away without any preparation. Around 36% of consumers would prioritise this ease of use. |
| Thorough cleaning | Performance on hard floors, floorboard gaps, rugs, carpets and fibres; how easy the floorhead is to manoeuvre. | When I clean several rooms with different floor coverings, I first need an appliance that can clean each one effectively. This would be the priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Automated cleaning | Performance on the floor coverings in your home, in corners and along edges. | To cut down on repetitive manual cleaning, I’m looking for a robot that can reach the areas that matter in my home. Around 21% of consumers would put this kind of assistance first. |
| Appliance maintenance | Emptying the bin or replacing the bag; filter maintenance and availability. | If I mainly want to keep handling dust and routine maintenance to a minimum, I look at what the appliance needs after use. Around 14% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
Which pitfalls should you avoid?
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Assuming the maximum runtime is enough for a thorough clean
For a cordless stick vacuum, the quoted runtime may refer to a low-power mode, while rugs, carpets or tougher messes may call for a different setting. UFC-Que Choisir reports an average runtime of around ten minutes at full power for the stick vacuums it tested.
Compare the runtime in the mode you plan to use, and check the battery replacement terms.
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Choosing based on watts, volts or air watts alone
These figures don’t tell you on their own how well a vacuum picks up dust, debris and fibres from different surfaces. UFC-Que Choisir assesses performance on different floor types separately in its testing protocols.
Look for results that match your tiles, wooden floors, rugs or carpets, then check which brushes are included with the exact model.
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Forgetting about emptying and consumables
A bagged model needs its bag replacing; a bagless model needs its bin emptied and filters maintained. UFC-Que Choisir also looks at any loss of performance as these parts become clogged.
Check which bags and filters are compatible, and what maintenance the appliance requires.
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Assuming a robot will immediately replace your main vacuum
Performance can vary depending on the floor covering and the areas the robot needs to reach. UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocol assesses edges and corners separately.
Compare test results for the floor coverings and areas in your home before deciding which cleaning tasks to hand over to the robot.
Brands to consider, model by model
These brands feature in the vacuum cleaner categories reviewed by UFC-Que Choisir. Their inclusion doesn’t guarantee the performance of a specific model or its availability at Joybuy.
Rowenta
The brand has stick and cylinder models, so you can compare both types.
- Compare models based on the type of cleaning you’ll use them for.
- Check performance on your floors and, for a stick vacuum, the runtime in the mode you’ll use.
Electrolux
The brand features among the cylinder vacuums reviewed and the stick vacuum brands cited by UFC-Que Choisir.
- Look at individual models separately to find the type you’re after.
- Being included in these categories isn’t enough to draw conclusions about a particular model’s performance.
Bosch
Bosch features in the stick and cylinder vacuum categories covered by the comparisons consulted.
- First, choose the type that suits the size of your home and how often you clean.
- Then check the performance and maintenance requirements of the specific model.
Dyson
The brand features among the stick vacuums tested by UFC-Que Choisir.
- Its models are worth considering if you need to clean quickly and often without a cord.
- Compare runtime in the mode you need and performance on rugs and carpets for each model.
LG
LG also features among the stick vacuum brands tested by UFC-Que Choisir.
- Consider its cordless models in light of your regular cleaning routine.
- Cleaning performance, noise and maintenance requirements vary from one appliance to another.
Vacuum cleaners for different needs
These Joybuy models cover three different needs: a bagged cylinder vacuum for cleaning several rooms, cordless stick vacuums for frequent quick cleans, and robots for automated cleaning. If you’re choosing a main appliance, also compare how well it cleans the floors in your home.
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Electrolux 600 EB61C4OG, bagged cylinder vacuum cleaner
Worth considering if you’re looking for a cylinder vacuum to clean several rooms and don’t mind replacing the bags.
Check how the model performs on your rugs, carpets and hard floors, and make sure compatible bags are available.
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Monsga ME03, cordless stick vacuum cleaner
Its cordless design is handy for frequent cleans. If you also want to use it for a thorough clean, check how well it handles your rugs and carpets.
The product name lists 55KPa, 550W and a quoted runtime of 55 minutes. Compare this with the mode you’ll need for your floors: this runtime is quoted for hard-floor mode.
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MONSGA X UNINELLHOME UV5, cordless stick vacuum cleaner
Worth considering for regular cordless cleans on hard floors, rugs and carpets, but check how it performs on each surface.
The product name lists 60.000Pa and a runtime of up to 65 minutes, quoted in standard mode. If you’ll mainly use a rug or carpet mode, or turbo mode, compare the runtime in that setting.
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Dreame X40 Ultra Complete, white robot vacuum cleaner
Worth considering if you want to automate some regular cleaning, rather than assuming it will take care of a thorough clean entirely.
Before making it your main appliance, compare its performance on your rugs and carpets, in corners and along edges, as well as the area it can cover on a single charge.
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Lefant N1, white robot vacuum cleaner
A robot is worth considering for automated cleaning, but the quoted runtime alone doesn’t tell you how well it will clean a large area.
The product name lists 4500Pa, a quoted runtime of 165 minutes and four cleaning modes. Check which mode this runtime applies to, and how the robot performs on your rugs and carpets, along edges and in corners.
Frequently asked questions
Can a stick vacuum be enough for a large home?
It can be, if its runtime in the mode you use and its performance on all your floors are suited to the length and type of cleaning you need to do. UFC-Que Choisir describes stick vacuums mainly as supplementary appliances and reports an average runtime of around ten minutes at full power for the models it tested. Check this carefully if you have rugs or carpets.
Can watts or air watts help you choose between two vacuum cleaners?
No. These figures aren’t enough to tell you how well either model will clean your floor coverings. To choose between two models, compare their performance on the same types of floors and dirt. UFC-Que Choisir also highlights the importance of cylinder vacuum floorhead design.
What should you check when cleaning rugs and carpets?
Check how the model performs on rugs or carpets when picking up dust and fibres. Then check which brush is included and, for a stick vacuum, the runtime in the right mode. UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocols distinguish between floor coverings and types of dirt, so performance on hard floors alone won’t answer this question.