The GoVacuum Blog

Everyone’s always asking, so I’ll try to help clarify matters: Vacuums that use a bag or bagless vacuums?  Which kind is better?

It depends on your needs but it comes down to one basic question: Are you a clean-freak?  Or, do you have allergies?  Does dirt’s very presence in your home completely squick you out?  Do you wish you could pretend that every dust particle you sucked up in your vacuum was magically being transported to a fairy-tale land where kittens considered dirt to be vital nourishment?  Yeah?  Well, then don’t even bother with a bagless vacuum.  Bagless vacuums just won’t suit you.  Dust, dirt, and debris (not to mention nasty allergens) will escape and it will most likely be terribly messy.  Sure, some bagless vacuums make it less of an ordeal to empty the dirt container ( e.g., Dyson’s push button release), but even the best designs can’t compete with a quality paper bag system (or even better: paper bags with HEPA filtration).

If you’re not worried about a little extra dirt being released back into your environment, there is one advantage to bagless vacuums: You don’t have to buy replacement vacuum bags.  That’s good for two reasons:

1) Cost. This is the advantage bagless vacuum manufacturers talk about the most, claiming it’s more cost effective.  Honestly, it’s not all that cost effective, considering that most bagless vacuums come with more expensive filters that have to be replaced more often.  But, it can be less of a hassle, not having to keep a constant supply of bags at hand (not that it’s very hard with GoVacuum’s vacuum bag subscription plan) and that’s always nice.

2) Environment.  It’s environmentally friendly, obviously.  And if you’re the environmentally conscious sort, you’re probably used to dealing with less-than-sterile conditions and a little extra effort.  Again, however, the filters still have to be replaced more regularly.  You can try to prolong the life of your filter by washing it often but carefully and always letting it dry thoroughly in the sun (otherwise some customers complain of a mold/mildew odor).

If you have any more questions, please ask them in our comments section, and we’ll do our best to answer them promptly.