The Best Bagless Vacuums And What's Not

What’s the best bagless upright vacuum cleaner?  One of the advantages of being a vacuum ‘hospital’ is that we get to see (and hear) every brand being sold in the marketplace and get continuous vacuum reviews from our customers.  We also get to see the changing environment of the vacuum cleaner market, vacuum repair, vacuum reliability and the vacuum parts availability.  You may be aware that bagless uprights represent the majority of what’s offered in the Big Box Stores (BBS).  If you weren’t, that’s great because it means you’re happy with what you’ve bought from us!  But we realize that if you’re in the market for a new vacuum, you want to make sure you’re getting the best vacuum for your money so you may dare to look at the BBS offerings or look at the vast array online.

So what will you find in the BBS stores?  Hoover, Bissell, Dyson, Dirt Devil and Shark (EuroPro) are the predominant brands these days.  Bagged vacuums are scarce in the BBS retail world.  As you probably know, we are advocates for bagged vacuums but we do feel the Dyson is the best bagless vacuum on the market.  Why?  Their relentless attention to engineering the best bagless vacuum cleaner is what motivates them to come up with new offerings every year.  They recently introduced the DC50 upright and a small canister DC47 in May and you’ll see a great deal of advertising in the coming months.  Dyson’s investment in research & development is impressive.  “Every assembly within has new technology.  Over 100 engineers contributed and over 1000 prototypes were tested.”  For example, the technology of the brush roll is based on the very popular hand vac except the brush motor is located inside the brush roll itself.  Not an industry first but still an innovation in its relatively small size brush.  A list of the new features is on our VacuumHospital.com Dyson Sales & Service Page. Take a moment and watch this video.

So what shouldn’t you buy?  First and foremost, be aware that the Shark vacuum is a poor imitation of Dyson’s cyclone technology (and so is Eureka’s upright for that matter).  In addition, Shark makes very few parts available to the independent dealers so if you need a repair we may not be able to order parts for you.  You’d have to order it yourself – after you diagnose the problem – and then bring it to us after you’ve waited a week or more to get it.  Not an easy path in today’s hurried lifestyle.  Weigh that against the confidence in having Vacuum Cleaner Hospital as a Certified Dyson Warranty Center.

The second brand to avoid?   It’s a vacuum cleaner by a well-known appliance maker, LG.  Already off the shelves at Sears and HH Gregg, it will soon only exist in the virtual world of the Internet BBS websites until LG finally kills it a couple of years from now.  That’s speculation on my part but let’s just say Consumer Report’s recent love affair with some of their models didn’t exactly create shelf space for them in the BBS.

I hope this helps you when it comes time to buy a new vacuum.  Of course, we’d love it to come from us and we’d be glad to help you when you’re ready.   While we can’t carry every top quality brand that exists, we certainly do hand-pick every vacuum that’s in our store.

Why Vacuum Cleaner Hospital chose to carry Miele vacuums

In the world of vacuum cleaner retail, brands come and go and so do the companies that make them.  We happen to be lucky to have gotten connected with Miele, a quality, family owned company in Germany, many years ago.  Fortunately, Miele has grown over the years just like Vacuum Cleaner Hospital.

My first exposure to Miele (pronounced Mee-lah) was at the 1988 Vacuum Dealers Trade Association (VDTA) show.  What caught my eye was one of the representatives tossing the vacuum about 10 – 15 feet across the carpet and seeing it land intact.  If a piece came off the vacuum, it snapped back in place and wasn’t broken.  The Miele vacuum cleaner line intrigued me because of its durability and strong suction.  By 1994, Miele had put a power nozzle in the box with the same canister and called it the Series 10 since it had been 10 years since Miele entered the US market.

What got me to carry the brand was a customer who came in and asked if we could get her one because she lost hers in a divorce.  After that, she ordered one for her sister and mom and then a few other people bought them.  In 1992 that sales begin to take off when Miele packaged a turbo (air-driven) nozzle in the box with the canister.  It was called the Flamenco and we sold a good number of those.

From the mid-90’s, we’ve always carried at least 8 – 10 models and that’s grown to around 18 today.  We are frequently asked “what makes Miele special?”  There are 3 characteristics that Miele vacuum cleaners are known for: very quiet operation, extremely high filtration and very versatile.  I could easily add ‘stylish, well-engineered and easy to maneuver’.  We’ve never sold a vacuum brand that’s had the customer satisfaction - some call it ‘love’ – that Miele has.

As the business owner, I appreciate the fact that they are a 113 year, fourth generation family owned company that doesn’t have to answer to the demands of the marketplace.  In fact, Miele is so financially strong, they've never had to borrow a penny (or ‘mark’) in their entire history; much to chagrin of the German banks I’m told. 

Their design is very well thought out and they don’t try to ‘reinvent the wheel’ every few years like a lot of the other vacuum manufacturers.    Yes, they’re stylish and attractive but logical function is much more important.  Their motto has always been ‘Immer Besser’ or Forever Better and I think that exemplifies the approach they’ve taken in their design. 

Although they don’t use the slogan “the best example of German engineering on three wheels” any longer (pre-upright era), I believe it really is true. The biggest advantage of buying in our retail store is that customer needs in a vacuum is matched the right model for their home and the security that Vacuum Cleaner Hospital is an authorized Miele Warranty Center.  Visit our Miele page.

Vacuum Cleaner Hospital Business Model

I am often asked what are the key components of the Vacuum Cleaner Hospital business model?  There are basically four:

Personal Essentials for Clean Living™ total support for carefully chosen state of the art vacuums, full service & parts and a loyalty program* to add additional value. 

Commercial equipment and supplies with the same full parts and service for the cleaning professional as well as supporting the needs of restaurant staff, retail businesses, church cleaning crews.  Plus we offer the same loyalty program*

Central Vacuum Experts serving Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Hillsborough, Morrisville, Raleigh and all areas within 70 miles of Chapel Hill.  A central vacuum system can be installed in existing homes or commercial as well as those under construction. We can fully integrate such unique central vacuum products as the Hide-A-Hose and the VacPan.  

Indoor Air Quality  Quoting from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America " Indoor and Outdoor Allergies – (Allergic rhinitis; seasonal/perennial allergies; hay fever; nasal allergies) Approximately 40 million Americans have indoor/outdoor allergies as their primary allergy. (Many people with allergies usually have more than one type of allergy.) Approximately 10 million people are allergic to cat dander, the most common pet allergy. The most common indoor/outdoor allergy triggers are:  tree, grass and weed pollen; mold spores; dust mite and cockroach allergen; and, cat, dog and rodent dander."  Prevention is paramount with the personal Essentials For Clean Living mentioned above and air filtering systems such as IQ Air.

*Vacuum Cleaner Hospital's Royalty Rewards program rewards customers for every dollar they spend, earning points towards FREE Loyalty Certificates. It's a 'thank you' card.  The VCH Royalty Rewards card is Free!