For regular cleaning across several rooms, rugs, hard floors and furniture, a cylinder vacuum cleaner, with or without a bag, is a sensible place to start. It lets you choose attachments to suit different surfaces without relying on a battery. Whether you choose a bag or a dust container depends in part on how you prefer to deal with dust. A cordless stick vacuum or robot vacuum is better suited to quick clean-ups or as a handy extra. Check how well it performs on your floor coverings, as well as its reach, capacity and storage requirements.
You regularly move between rugs and hard floors, and also want to dust furniture and clean into corners. UFC-Que Choisir presents cylinder vacuums as a solution for cleaning a range of surfaces. Check that your chosen model comes with the brushes and nozzles you need.
You want to avoid changing plug sockets and stopping to empty the dust container or replace the bag. Compare the operating radius, capacity, weight and how much space the vacuum takes up when stored.
You already have a vacuum for a full clean, but would like to tackle a small area quickly with a cordless stick vacuum or keep accessible floors clean with a robot vacuum. UFC-Que Choisir generally positions stick vacuums as useful for quick clean-ups and points out that a robot’s dust container needs emptying regularly.
For a large home, start by choosing the vacuum that will handle your full clean. Then decide whether quick clean-ups or automated cleaning of accessible floors justify buying a second appliance.
Worth considering: for cleaning several rooms, provided you choose brushes and nozzles suited to your surfaces.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to buy and store compatible bags.
Worth considering: if you’d rather not use bags but still want a corded vacuum for your main clean.
Be prepared to: empty the dust container and maintain the filters as instructed for your model.
Worth considering: for quickly vacuuming the stairs or a particular area between full cleans.
Check: UFC-Que Choisir notes that battery life and power vary between models and may limit how long you can clean for.
Worth considering: for automated cleaning of accessible floors between manual cleans.
Be prepared to: empty the dust container regularly and keep another option for furniture, stairs and areas the robot can’t reach.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Floors and other surfaces | Check the results for each floor type and make sure the included brushes and nozzles are suitable for rugs, hard floors, upholstery and corners. | I want to clean the rugs and wooden floors, then reach the sofa and skirting boards with my main vacuum. Around 36% of consumers would make this ability to clean different surfaces a priority. |
| Reach and capacity | Compare the operating radius and capacity of a cylinder vacuum. For a stick vacuum, check the battery life in the mode you plan to use and how long it takes to recharge. | When I move from room to room, I’d rather not stop to change sockets, recharge or empty the vacuum. This would be a priority for around 29% of consumers. |
| Moving and storage | Check how heavy the vacuum is to move and measure the space available for the appliance and its accessories. | If I need to carry the vacuum between floors, I also want to be able to store it easily after use. Around 21% of consumers would prioritise this consideration. |
| Quick clean-ups | For a stick vacuum, check its practical battery life. For a robot vacuum, check how it handles rugs, edges and corners. | I already have what I need for a full clean and would like to cut down on little everyday clean-ups. Around 14% of consumers would put this need for a second appliance first. |
A wattage figure on its own won’t tell you how well a vacuum cleans rugs, hard floors or corners. UFC-Que Choisir tests performance on different floor coverings.
Look for results that match your floors and check that the vacuum includes useful brushes and nozzles for furniture and narrow spaces.
UFC-Que Choisir points out that battery life and suction power vary between stick vacuum models, and that these appliances are generally suited to quick clean-ups.
Before choosing a stick vacuum for your whole home, check its battery life in the mode you’ll use, its charging time, dust container capacity and performance on rugs.
If you’re counting on an additional battery, first check that your chosen model can use one.
A bagged cylinder vacuum needs compatible bags, while a bagless model needs its dust container emptied. This could affect your choice if you’d rather avoid handling dust.
Check the bag reference or emptying instructions, as well as the capacity and filter access for the model you’re considering.
Rugs, edges and corners all need to be considered separately. UFC-Que Choisir tests these areas individually and notes that a robot vacuum’s dust container needs emptying regularly.
Check how it performs on your floor coverings, whether it can get over thresholds and whether it can access your rooms before relying on a robot for regular floor cleaning.
Rowenta offers a range of cylinder vacuums, with and without bags. Features vary from one model to another.
Miele France offers several bagged cylinder vacuum configurations, including models designed for hard floors and others with different accessories.
Dyson offers cordless stick vacuums that are worth considering for quick clean-ups or as an addition to your main vacuum.
It depends on its battery life in the mode you use and how well it performs on all the surfaces you need to clean. UFC-Que Choisir generally positions stick vacuums as suitable for quick clean-ups and notes that battery life and power vary between models. Before making one your only vacuum, also consider the dust container capacity and how well it can reach rugs, upholstery and corners.
Choose based on how well the vacuum performs on your floor coverings and how you prefer to empty it. UFC-Que Choisir’s guide favours bagged cylinder vacuums for cleaning tiles, carpet and wooden floors. A bagless model saves you from buying bags, but you’ll need to empty its dust container. Compare specific models rather than assuming all vacuums in a category perform equally well.
For a large home with furniture, upholstery and areas outside a robot’s route, plan to use a manual vacuum alongside it. UFC-Que Choisir assesses robot vacuum performance separately on different floors, edges and corners, and notes that the dust container needs emptying regularly.