For the main clean in a home with a mix of hard floors, rugs and carpets, a cylinder vacuum is a good place to start: UFC-Que Choisir describes it as suitable for cleaning different floor coverings. Whether to choose a bag or a bin depends in part on how you feel about dust when emptying it. Then check that the supplied floorheads are suitable for each surface, rather than judging performance by wattage alone.
If you regularly move between wooden or tiled floors, rugs and carpets, choose a main vacuum and check which floorheads are designed for each surface. As UFC-Que Choisir points out, the motor’s stated power isn’t enough to make the decision.
Changing a bag and emptying a bin involve different tasks. Also compare the filter maintenance instructions and check that compatible bags are available for the model you’re considering.
If you already have a main vacuum, a stick model can be useful for quick clean-ups. To decide whether it’s right for your home, consider how easy it is to store and empty, and how long it lasts in the mode you’ll use.
If you regularly clean several types of flooring, start with the surfaces you need to tackle, then compare models based on how easy they are to maintain and use.
| Feature | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning different floor types | Floorheads supplied for delicate hard floors and rugs or carpets; test results for the exact model on each surface. | When wooden floors, rugs and carpets share a home, I want a suitable floorhead for each without compromising on the main clean; around 40% of consumers prioritise cleaning different floor types. |
| Bag, bin and dust | How it empties, filter maintenance and availability of compatible bags. | If dust escaping when I empty the vacuum bothers me, or I’d rather clean a bin than replace bags, that everyday task will shape my choice; it’s a priority for around 30% of consumers. |
| Ease of use and storage | Operating radius or battery life, depending on the model; storage dimensions and stated noise level. | For some households, moving the vacuum between rooms and finding somewhere to store it matter more: around 20% of consumers prioritise this practical aspect. |
| Cleaning between main vacuuming sessions | For a stick vacuum, battery life in the mode you use; for a robot, how it handles edges and corners. | If I already have a main vacuum for the big clean, I’m mainly looking to keep certain areas tidy between sessions; this need for a secondary vacuum comes first for around 10% of consumers. |
The stated motor power doesn’t, by itself, show how much dust a vacuum removes from each surface. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the importance of the floorhead’s design.
Check which brushes are supplied and look for test results covering hard floors, rugs and carpets separately for the exact model.
A brush designed for delicate hard floors and a turbo brush intended for textiles have different uses, as shown by the accessories Miele and Bosch list for their respective models.
Check exactly what comes in the box and whether each accessory is compatible with your floors.
If the pack doesn’t include a tool suitable for carpets, you’ll need to buy a compatible accessory separately.
You still need to empty the bin and maintain the filters. UFC-Que Choisir says emptying a bin exposes you to more dust than removing a bag.
Before you choose, read the emptying procedure and filter-cleaning instructions for the model you’re considering.
For stick vacuums, UFC-Que Choisir draws attention to battery life at high power. Its robot vacuum tests assess different floor coverings, edges and corners, among other things. So no single feature can tell you how well a vacuum will clean your whole home.
Consider which areas and cleaning jobs you’d use these vacuums for, then check test results for the exact model before relying on it as your only vacuum.
The range includes bagged cylinder vacuums worth considering for cleaning different types of flooring.
The bagless BGC21POW1 cylinder vacuum is worth a look if you want a bin model with a tool for rugs and carpets.
The Guard L1 Parquet XL is worth a closer look if delicate hard floors make up a large part of your home.
The brand’s cordless stick vacuums are worth considering as secondary models for quick, targeted clean-ups.
These two bagged cylinder vacuums are worth considering if you’re looking for a main vacuum for a home with a mix of floor types. For both models, the choice of brushes and their stated uses are key if you also have rugs or carpets.
Image unavailable
This bagged cylinder vacuum is worth considering as your main model if your home has a mix of hard floors, rugs and carpets.
Check which accessories are included and what each one is designed for, particularly on delicate wooden floors and textiles. Test results for different floor coverings will help you assess this model’s performance.
Image unavailable
This bagged cylinder vacuum is worth considering if you’re looking for a main model and want to check its accessories for hard floors and rugs separately.
Its stated motor power is 550 W, but this figure alone doesn’t tell you how well it performs on different surfaces. Check which brushes are actually included and what they’re designed to do on rugs and carpets.
Not necessarily in a home with a mix of hard floors, rugs and carpets. UFC-Que Choisir highlights how easy stick vacuums are to handle, but also notes their limited battery life at high power. Before making one your main vacuum, check its battery life in the mode you’ll use, the brushes supplied and its results on each of your floor types.
A bagged cylinder vacuum is worth considering first: UFC-Que Choisir says removing a bag exposes you to less dust than emptying and cleaning a bin. Also check the model’s filtration and whether compatible bags are available.
Look for a brush designed for delicate hard floors, and check separately which tool is intended for rugs and carpets. A parquet brush doesn’t prove the vacuum will perform well on textiles, so check what’s included in the pack and look for test results for the model you’ve chosen.
Check the repairability index shown for the model in question: the French Ministry for Ecological Transition says vacuum cleaners are among the product categories covered by this index, which is scored out of 10. If you buy a new, second-hand or refurbished item from a professional seller, the DGCCRF also reminds consumers that the legal guarantee of conformity applies. This should not be confused with a retailer’s returns policy.