What is the difference between a canister and an upright vacuum? GoVacuum Explains.
When considering purchasing a new vacuum, many factors come into play. But the most commonly asked question is whether you will be purchasing an upright or canister. If you were to shop in one of our retail stores in northern Virginia, one of our professional salespersons would find out your cleaning habits and needs. When choosing between a upright and canister, the type of flooring in your house is the most important consideration. Traditionally, homes with wall to wall carpeting are most easily vacuumed using an upright. This is because uprights generally have a strong beater bar that always spins when the vacuum is on. The beater bar is then able to dig deep into your carpet to get the dirt and grime out.
Canisters, on the other hand, are better for homes with both carpets and hard floors. Canisters generally have power heads that can be turned on and off depending on whether you are vacuuming carpet or hard floors. Power heads are turned off when vacuuming hard floors so to avoid scratching or damaging the surface.
Most people who have any kind of experience vacuuming have an opinion on canisters and uprights. This is usually because people feel one way or another about how maneuverable uprights and canisters are. Some enjoy the fact that uprights utilize direct maneuverability, where one unit is simply pushed where you want it to go. People say canisters can be cumbersome because they feel like they have a dead weight dragging behind them when they vacuum. Others enjoy canisters because holding the power head part of the vacuum is lighter than holding an entire upright machine with one hand.
The good thing about canisters and uprights is that that the technology has improved tremendously over the years. In terms of maneuverability, some canisters have seen improvements through the introduction of new wheel systems. For example, the Miele Canisters have 3 independent wheels that let the vacuumer push or pull the machine around in any direction without any friction. Check out the maneuverability of the Miele Callisto Canister wheel system in the video here.
Uprights have also seen significant improvements. The Sebo X series uprights automatically adjust the head of the machine to accommodate different types of floors. The machines actually automatically lower and raise the head of the machine depending on what type of floor it is vacuuming. The problem of breaking belts is no longer a concern on these machines. If something gets vacuumed up into the machine that isn’t supposed to (a sock or small toy, for example), the machine automatically shuts off the beater bar to avoid damaging the belt, and potentially overheating the engine.
In the end, the final decision between a canister or upright can really be about personal preference. Some people hate uprights and swear by canisters, and vice versa. Interestingly enough, canisters are the most popular machines worldwide; meanwhile, uprights remain king in the United States.
If you can’t decide which upright or canister you want, feel free to check out our GoVacuum pages for both categories with research and comparison tables available.
Research Uprights
Research Canisters
