For a thorough, regular clean throughout a large home, start by considering a cylinder vacuum. Que Choisir describes it as particularly well suited to large areas, provided you choose brushes that work with your floors. A cordless upright is handy for quick clean-ups, but its battery life in the mode you need must be enough to cover the planned session. A robot can automatically maintain accessible floors if your layout suits it; you’ll still need to check how well it cleans different floor types and keep its bin maintained.
If your cleaning session covers several rooms, different floor types, rugs or furniture, start by checking which surfaces the vacuum can handle and what accessories are included. Que Choisir describes cylinder vacuums as particularly well suited to large areas; the brush supplied with the model still makes a difference to how well it works on your floors.
For quick pick-ups of everyday dirt, an upright means you don’t have to get a cylinder vacuum out. If you’d rather schedule floor cleaning, consider a robot, after checking it can move around the rooms you want it to clean. Que Choisir highlights how easy uprights are to manoeuvre, while noting that robot vacuums’ results vary depending on the floor type.
If you’re buying a new vacuum cleaner, its repairability index can help you compare eligible models. For a refurbished or second-hand appliance, also check its actual condition, the accessories supplied and whether parts compatible with its exact model are available.
Worth considering: for regularly cleaning an entire large home without having to stop to recharge a battery.
The trade-off: the cord and moving the appliance around can be more of a hassle on stairs or between rooms that are far apart.
Worth considering: for quick clean-ups and areas where moving a cylinder vacuum around isn’t practical.
The trade-off: if it’s going to be your only vacuum in a large home, check its battery life in the mode you’ll use—not just the maximum run time advertised.
Worth considering: for scheduling regular cleaning of floors it can access.
The trade-off: according to Que Choisir, results vary depending on the floor type. You’ll also need to deal with obstacles, thresholds and emptying the bin.
Once you’ve decided what you need the appliance to do, compare each model against the most challenging surfaces in your home and the level of maintenance you’re happy with.
| Feature | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Surfaces | List the hard floors, rugs, corners, furniture and heights you need to clean. Compare the brushes supplied and results on different floor types, rather than focusing only on the type of appliance. | I want to be able to clean rugs and higher areas as well as everyday floors, without assuming a robot will cover every surface. |
| Ease of use | Consider moving between rooms, using the stairs and reaching under furniture. For a robot, check thresholds, access routes and space for its docking station. | Quick clean-ups should be easy, even if I keep another appliance for a thorough clean. |
| Run time | For an upright, compare battery life in a mode suited to more demanding areas, as well as charging time. For a robot, check the bin capacity and how often it needs emptying. | I’d like to finish the area I planned to clean without an unexpected recharge or repeated stops to empty the dust container. |
| Maintenance | Check how easy it is to access the filters, brushes and any bags, and to clean the bin or docking station. If noise matters in your home, look for comparable noise measurements. | Emptying and maintaining the appliance should fit with how often I clean. |
| Repairability | Look for a repairability index where one applies to the new model. Check which parts and batteries are compatible with its model number; for a second-hand appliance, also assess the condition of the actual item being sold. | I want to identify the parts I might need and check the appliance itself if I choose a refurbished or second-hand model. |
This figure may refer to the least powerful setting, while rugs or certain types of dirt may call for a different one. A flat battery can bring cleaning a large area to a stop.
Estimate how long your cleaning session will take, then look for a run-time figure in a mode similar to the one you’ll use. Also check that a compatible battery is available for the model you’ve chosen.
Que Choisir says robot vacuums’ results vary depending on the floor type. The bin and brushes—and, where applicable, the docking station—also need regular maintenance.
Check how it handles rugs, thresholds and spaces under furniture, and make sure there’s room for the docking station. Before choosing a self-emptying station, find out how it needs to be emptied.
It’s also worth checking how much power a robot uses in standby and while charging if it stays on its docking station.
The index gives information about how repairable the product is; it doesn’t tell you the condition of the battery or accessories on the refurbished or second-hand item you’re considering.
For a new appliance, compare the index for the exact model. For a second-hand one, ask for its full model number and check its operation, accessories and compatible parts separately.
The floor head, accessories and ease of moving the appliance also affect how practical a cylinder vacuum is on different surfaces. A bagged model also needs compatible bags.
Start with the floor types in your home, then check which brushes are included or available for the exact model, as well as which consumables you’ll need.
You may need to buy a brush or bags separately if they’re not included, so check what comes with the offer.
These brand notes can help you check individual models; they don’t confirm that every part will be available when you buy.
Worth looking at if access to parts and repair options are important when choosing a Rowenta model.
Worth looking at if you want to identify the parts compatible with a Bosch vacuum cleaner.
Worth looking at for a Dyson cordless vacuum if finding parts by generation and model is important to you.
These options include a cylinder vacuum for a thorough clean, robots for maintaining accessible floors and an upright for quick clean-ups. Compare each model with your floor types, home layout and planned maintenance.
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Worth considering for cleaning several rooms from top to bottom. The product details list a 12 m operating radius, a 3.5 L dust bag, an all-floor brush, a parquet brush and a turbo brush. Check that compatible bags and the brushes you need for your floors are available; these specifications don’t measure how well it will perform on your particular surfaces.
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For scheduling cleaning of accessible floors, the product details list LDS/LiDAR navigation, no-go zones and a 2 L bagless station. They state a run time of 180 minutes and coverage of up to 140 m², although these figures don’t guarantee the results you’ll get in your home. Check thresholds and rugs, and consider how often you’ll need to empty it for your intended use.
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Worth considering for a cleaning routine across accessible floors on multiple levels. The product details mention multi-floor mapping, carpet detection and a station that automatically empties the bin, washes the mop pads and dries them. Make room for the station and allow time to maintain the brushes, filters and tanks; check how much of your home it can cover per charge.
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For scheduling cleans on accessible floors, the product details list LiDAR navigation, no-go zones in the app and a self-emptying station. Check how it moves across your rugs and thresholds, as well as its run time and the station maintenance required for the cleaning schedule you have in mind.
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Worth considering for quick clean-ups, stairs and awkward corners. The product details describe a model that converts into a handheld vacuum, with a removable battery and a 700 mL bin. It claims up to 65 minutes in standard mode; if you want to clean a large home from top to bottom, check its battery life in the mode needed for your rugs and whether a compatible battery is available.
Yes, if its battery life in the mode you need and its performance on your floors are enough to finish the planned clean. Que Choisir particularly highlights how easy uprights are to manoeuvre for quick clean-ups, and describes cylinder vacuums as suited to large areas. If you’re replacing one with the other, compare how they handle a full cleaning session—not just how easy the upright is to grab for a quick clean.
Look for measurements taken using the same testing method, and check battery life in the mode suited to your floors. In its tests of cordless uprights, Que Choisir measures factors including battery life, charging time and noise levels. The advertised maximum run time alone may not reflect how long your cleaning session will take.
Not necessarily: Que Choisir says robot vacuums’ results vary depending on the floor type. Check rugs, thresholds, corners, access under furniture and any areas the robot can’t reach, then allow for emptying and maintaining its bin or station.
The index provides information about how repairable eligible models are, as explained by the French ministry responsible for the ecological transition. To help you decide, check the index for the exact model and find out which parts you might need; it doesn’t guarantee immediate parts availability or tell you the condition of a second-hand appliance.
Ask for the full model number and check that it works, the condition of the brush, which accessories are included and whether compatible filters or bags are available. For a cordless model, also check the battery and charger, and whether you can get a suitable replacement battery. Don’t assume the appliance is in the same condition as a new model with the same repairability index.