Households cleaning several rooms in one session
In a large home, compare the vacuum’s reach, weight and ease of manoeuvring. Bag or dust-container capacity also matters if you want to avoid interruptions while cleaning.
Who are these criteria useful for?
Homes with wooden floors, rugs and upholstery
One floorhead won’t necessarily suit every task. Que Choisir assesses performance on wooden floors, tiles and carpet separately. Check which brushes are designed for your floors, then look at the tools you’ll need for sofas, furniture and narrow spaces.
Buyers who care about maintenance and repairs
Before choosing, find out which bags or filters are compatible and check which parts are available for the exact model. In France, ADEME notes that vacuum cleaners are among the appliances covered by the repairability index.
What should you check before choosing?
First decide whether you’d rather empty a dust container or replace bags. Then consider how each vacuum will handle the surfaces and the distances involved in your home.
Bagged cylinder vacuum
Worth considering: for longer cleaning sessions if you’d rather replace a bag than empty a dust container. Que Choisir found that bagged models expose you to less dust during maintenance.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to replace the bags and check they’re compatible with the exact model.
Bagless cylinder vacuum
Worth considering: if you’d rather not replace bags and are happy to empty the dust container after use, following the appliance instructions.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to clean the dust container and maintain the filters, as well as use the right brushes for each floor type.
Stick vacuum as an alternative or extra
Worth considering: for quick clean-ups or areas where a stick vacuum better suits the way you like to clean.
Check: its reach, dust container and attachments before relying on it for all the cleaning in a large home.
| Criteria | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Floors and upholstery | Check which floorhead is supplied for wooden floors and which is designed for rugs. Separately check for a crevice tool and an attachment for furniture or cushions. Don’t assume that a compatible accessory is included. | I move from wooden floors to rugs, then on to the sofa. I need tools suited to each surface, not just a floorhead described as suitable for floors. |
| Moving around | Compare the stated operating radius, the weight and how easy the vacuum is to move between rooms. Check the bag or dust-container capacity against the length of your usual cleaning sessions. | If I’m cleaning several rooms in a row, I want to move around without changing sockets or interrupting my cleaning too often. |
| Bags and filters | Find the bag reference for a bagged cylinder vacuum. For a bagless model, check the instructions for emptying the dust container and maintaining or replacing the filters. | I’d rather decide now whether I prefer replacing compatible bags or regularly maintaining a dust container and its filters. |
| Noise | Check the stated noise level for the exact model. If you’re comparing appliances, make sure the figures are measured on the same basis. | Noise matters during my longer cleaning sessions. I don’t want to judge it from the power rating alone. |
| Repairability | Check the model’s repairability index, if one is shown. Look up the references for filters, brushes and spare parts before assuming they can be replaced. | I want to keep my vacuum in good working order over time and be able to find parts for its exact model. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Choosing based on motor power alone
A wattage figure on its own doesn’t tell you how well a vacuum cleans wooden floors, tiles or rugs. Que Choisir tests these surfaces separately.
Make a list of your floor types and check which floorheads are supplied for each. If you’re comparing suction performance, look for test results covering the same surfaces.
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Assuming every accessory shown is included
A brush shown in a brand’s range may be sold separately or may not be compatible with the version you’re considering. You might then need a different accessory to clean the sofa or wooden floor you had in mind.
Check what’s included in the box and make sure the brushes are compatible with the vacuum’s full model reference.
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Forgetting about maintenance after purchase
A bagged cylinder vacuum needs bags with the right reference. A bagless model needs its dust container emptied and its filters maintained. The tasks differ, but neither option is maintenance-free.
Identify the compatible consumables and read the maintenance instructions before choosing between models.
A guide to some of the brands
The details below relate to specific models. They don’t automatically apply to every product from a brand or to the appliances featured later.
Miele
The Guard L1 Parquet XL is worth considering if your large home is mainly made up of delicate hard floors.
- Miele lists a 41 cm Parquet Twister XL floorhead and an upholstery and crevice tool for this model.
- Check which floorhead you’ll need for rugs and which bags are compatible. Miele says parts are available for up to 15 years after production ends for the appliances covered by this policy, but this doesn’t confirm that every part is available for this model.
Rowenta
The Silence Force² Parquet RO7747EA is one bagged configuration to consider for hard floors, rugs and furniture.
- For this model, Rowenta lists a floorhead for hard floors and rugs, a parquet brush, an upholstery tool and a crevice tool. Its page shows a repairability index of 9.4/10.
- Check which accessories are actually included and confirm the reference for bags and filters compatible with the version you’re choosing.
Bosch
The BGS41PET1 is a bagless cylinder vacuum to consider if you’d rather empty a dust container than replace bags.
- Bosch lists a 2.4 L dust container, a 10 m operating radius and a washable HEPA filter for this model.
- Check which brushes are included and how to maintain the filter. Bosch says parts for its vacuum cleaners are generally available for 10 years; check which parts are available for this model.
Joybuy options by vacuum type
This selection includes bagged and bagless cylinder vacuums, as well as a corded stick vacuum to consider as an alternative or an extra. To compare the models, weigh up their attachments and maintenance requirements against the surfaces in your home.
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Electrolux 600 EB61C4OG, bagged cylinder vacuum
Worth considering if you need to clean several rooms with a bagged cylinder vacuum. If your home has rugs and wooden floors too, check which brushes are included, then see whether it comes with the tools you need for sofas and crevices. Check the references for compatible bags and filters before choosing.
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Philips 5000 Series FC9556/09 LED, bagless
Consider this model if you’d rather empty a dust container than replace bags, and need to clean floors and furniture. Check which brushes and tools are included, as well as whether the vacuum can reach all the areas in your home. Also check the maintenance instructions and the reference for compatible filters.
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Electrolux EB61C2GRN 550 W, black bagged cylinder vacuum
Another bagged cylinder vacuum to compare against the size of your rooms and the floors you need to clean. Check which floorhead is designed for wooden floors and which is intended for rugs, then check the box contents if you clean sofas or skirting boards. Also check the references for bags and filters.
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MONSGA HQ1 Gold, corded stick vacuum
This corded stick vacuum could be useful for quick clean-ups or as an extra alongside a cylinder vacuum. For a large home, check that the cord length and dust-container maintenance suit your needs. If you have delicate wooden floors, confirm which brush is included and that it’s suitable for the surface.
Frequently asked questions
Which brushes should I check for wooden floors, rugs and sofas?
Check for a brush suited to delicate floors, a floorhead designed for rugs and an upholstery tool for the sofa. Add a crevice tool if you clean skirting boards or narrow spaces. For each accessory, check whether it’s included with the model you’ve chosen or simply listed as compatible.
Bagged or bagless: which should I choose for a large home?
Choose based on the maintenance you’re happy to do: replace compatible bags, or empty a dust container and maintain its filters. Que Choisir found that bagged models expose you to less dust during maintenance. Whichever you choose, also check that the floorheads suit your floors and that the vacuum has enough reach for your rooms.
Which consumables should I plan for?
Find out which bags and filters are designed for the exact model you’re considering. For a bagless vacuum, check the filter cleaning instructions and whether the filter can be replaced. Also make sure the brushes you plan to use are compatible.
How can I check a vacuum cleaner’s repairability in France?
Check its repairability index, if one is shown, then look for parts that match the full model reference. ADEME says the index in France covers corded and cordless vacuum cleaners, as well as robot vacuums. A model’s score alone doesn’t confirm that every part you might need is available.
Who should I contact if a vacuum bought from a retailer doesn’t conform to the contract?
In France, contact the retailer under the statutory legal guarantee of conformity. The Ministry of the Economy says this mandatory guarantee applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to a private individual. Keep your proof of purchase and a description of the product so you can explain how the vacuum you received differs from the contract.