apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i love my new $59 vacuum - a consumer reports best pick. Hoover U5140-900 Tempo Widepath Bagged Upright Vacuum

i blogged about it here:

http://houseno8.blogspot.com/2007/11/works-as-promised.html

Just a quick review of the Electrolux Rapido that was so generously given by AT in the give-away:

We love it!! It holds it's charge long enough that I can vacuum all of the main areas in my 800 sf house. It's really great for all of the pine needles, leaves, and dirt that get tracked in daily during our soggy seattle winters, and the hand-held portion is a great feature. It gets a lot of use sucking up cracker crumbs left behind by our 3-year-old.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/at-gift-bags/holiday-gift-bag-ergorapido-cordless-vacuum-in-gold-037740

Another bonus: My son is still using the interior cardboard packaging to drive his cars on (It looks like a giant canyon).

Thanks AT!

I don't think they sell the Dyson Ball anymore since I haven't seen one in any store for a long time, but I think the Dyson Slim has replaced that model, which I bought and love. It's easy to maneuver with a push and a twist of your wrist and very easy to empty out; it's such a well thought out machine.

If you want to save some money, use a 20% off coupon from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I ended up paying around $410 dollars with tax included (give or take a few dollars); the Slim sells for $469.99. It's still pricey though, but I have no regrets.

I have had my Miele Flamenco for 6-7 years. http://www.vacorama.com/miele_flamenco_s251.html
It uses double layered bags so that those nasty dust mites won't escape, as well as two other filters inside of the canister. Miele was recommended to me by my allergist, as up to that point, I had been using a beautiful refurbished coral colored 20 year old Electrolux that probably expelled more dust than it picked-up.
When I bought the Miele, it was a huuuuge financial sacrifice, but I have never been sorry. It made house cleaning much easier (I don't get sick every time I vacuum!), it is small for easy storage, it is really quiet, and it works just as well as the day that I bought it. The manufacturing quality and design are outstanding....it's just bad-ass.

Frankly, I don't understand the vacuums that are bagless...doesn't that make a huge mess when you have to empty that filthy receptacle? I can't imagine that these are a good idea for anyone with sensitivities to dust/dust mites.

I love my Oreck hand me down from my mom, it's lasted forever and is so lightweight and efficient. And it has a heppa filter. Although if I needed a new vacuum, I'd probably buy a Dyson ball since so many of my friends rave about it like they receive a sales commission.

HonoluluSu -- I agree, the bagless vacuums are such a pain. Especially my last one which had a HEPA filter which I had to bang against the garbage to get rid of the dust and hair on it every time I emptied the canister. Woosh -- dust in the face. Ugh.

Glad to see this list, I've been looking for a bag-vacuum to replace my previous bagless vacuum.

I used to know someone who had a bagless vacuum that used water to clean. It wasn't a shop vac, and it was probably ridiculously expensive. One of the benefits was that the dust wasn't getting back into the air. I saw her vacuum her rug; the rug was dry afterward and the water was very dirty.

Oh yes, that is a veeeerrrrrryyyyy expensive Rainbow Vacuum. Every once in a while, I see one on craigslist, but Rainbow vacs are almost a grand, but yes, it's so very satisfying to see the nasty dirty water at the end, collecting all the dust. They are fantastic, from my experience.

I'm a fan of the Electrolux Oxygen3 canister vacuum. It makes even our crappy rental apartment carpet look brand new. Pet hair comes up like a charm, and we don't have to spend an hour vacuuming the same room like we did with our old Hoover vacuum.

i love my dyson slim. i also did the 20% BB and B coupon and got it for a great deal. it has really also made cleaning baseboards extremely easy.

I went to the vacuum store to buy a Miele and learned about Simplicity vacuums instead - http://www.simplicityvac.com/products/canisters/. Excellent little machine and I got a higher end version for the same price I'd spend for the low end Miele. I never see them mentioned anywhere, so I'm giving them a little shout out!

My folks have a Simplicity. Not particularly powerful or large-capacity, but super light, easy to tote around and switch attachments.

It has a powered wand that works fine for carpets in a small house that don't get a lot of traffic. (like theirs). It would make a great 2nd floor vacuum. For heavy cleaning (pets and kids), I'd stick with a full-size like Dyson. BTW, I've had a DC07 for 5 years now with no problems save a broken wand attachement. You do, however, have to clean the hepa filter often.

Dyson is awesome. We have the purple model. Can't remember the name, but it works very well and it's easy to empty & clean.

We have the Dyson Animal (maybe the same as Vanessa?). It's by far the best, but with all of the dog/cat hair, we need to empty the cup several times each time we vacuum, the hose does in fact get clogged, and we need to pull fur/random string bits out of the brush thing about once a week. A great machine, but at nearly $600 one would expect a little less maintenance (or for it to be easier to carry up the flight of stairs).

i have the yellow dyson, which i believe is about $100 cheaper than the animal. i think it's every bit as good, though. i'll never own another brand!

A couple of years ago, I bought a Hoover Cyclonic, called 'Hoover Fusion'. It is Bag-less and no filter to replace (which I found can be really pricey). I did some internet research before I purchased it and found a bulletin board that had nothing but praise for this model. It was about $150, I think. I love it! it cleans so well! and I have never had a clogged hose or vacuum head.
My only complaints are: It seems to be 'back heavy' and tends to tip over when I use the hose. The only place to buy it was through Walmart! I don't love the Dyson-like colors (it's purple and red), but I got over it. But other than that, I really love it. I think Hoover has replaced this model with the Mach 3 & 5?

I wouldn't even consider a dyson, they're so damn heavy, you'd break your back in about 10 minutes. I think I have to bite the bullet and purchase a miele, trying it out the store demonstrated what a great job it does, but the price kills me.

I love my Dyson Animal, but I would like one of the newer, light models even better. We just order the Kone handvac designed by Rashid. It hasn't arrived yet. It better work! I love the design. We got a white one that lights up!

electrolux oxygen vac with hepa filter..... love that canister vac. we've had it for several years. It is very powerful, doesn't spew any particles into the air, and the bags seal automatically when you remove them. oh, it's also light, not too noisy, and pretty cute looking :-)

I love my little red Miele. just the right size for my apartment, quiet enough to vac late at night, sucks it up like a warrior, I don't sneeze...and it's cute ... but yes.. expensive! I have no regrets (we've been together for a year now, lol)

Love our Kenmore, a good buy from Consumer Reports.

I like my Shark, which is kind of a stick one. I don't think I paid too much for it at Bed, Bath and Be Broke, but it works pretty well for me. I only have 3 rugs. Meanwhile, this little post has just prompted me to actually use the dang thing for the first time in a couple of months!

Like Mangosteen, I was looking to buy a Miele and the salesman at the vacuum store recommended the Simplicity. You can get a Simplicity with a power brushhead and ALL the attachments you could want for the same price as a entry-level barebones Miele. I think the Simplicity might be a little louder, but it does a great job on everything and keeps the cat hair under control.

I used to have a Simplicity canister vacuum for many years. I loved the variety of attachments, size, weight, but it eventually 'bit the dust' after cleaning up 1 too many construction projects.

I replaced it with a Miele (which I got for cheap from a project I was working on), which I also love. I think it has a better HEPA filter, and a better design.

It is much heavier & larger, though. If you have the $, buy the Miele. If not, get the simplicity.

Love all the reviews!

Is there anyone out there who has long, crazy hair like mine that gets EVERYwhere no matter what you do? Every other time we vacuum, my hair gets wrapped around the belt of my current vacuum and then you not only can't vacuum anymore but you get the horrible burned rubber smell. *sigh* My hair is such a pain.

So I was wondering if anyone with similar hair issues has any recommendations on a vacuum that can handle the insanity. Thanks!!

Tried the Shark (sucked), the Electrolux cordless rechargeable with the built-in hand vac (sucked) and some other models from LNT, BBB, etc under or around $100. Tried bagless (made a mess and definitely aggravated allergies when emptying). Ended up realizing that you get what you pay for with vacuums. Got the Kenmore Canister vac from Sears (yeah, I know!) with an extended warranty (special prices / rebates available when checking just now, less than what we paid) and we haven't looked back since. The features on this are amazing with attachments, telescoping poles, retractable cord, HEPA filter, bag, attractive design, pet hair rotary attachment for your sofa, large soft rubber wheels, stairs support (if you have stairs), etc. It's worth looking up -- they have great color choices too and it doesn't take up a lot of room! Model 27614 or 27615, don't remember which.

Parhelia- The dyson animal is "made" to handle pet hair. I also have long hair, so it all gets wrapped around the brush thing but is pretty easy to remove. No burning rubber smells or broken belts.

Miele is the Best. It will pick up anything. If you want something that will cut down on the allergens there is only one true answer. Miele is the only truly HEPA certified vacuum cleaner, because you can put a HEPA filter on any vacuum but most just leak before the dirt even makes the HEPA filter so you are really just redistributing particles in your house. Don't believe me, check this out:

Through a particulate analysis on YouTube, I show how well the Miele vacuum works and truly traps the dust. My findings prove that the Miele Vacuum is completely sealed and really is HEPA.

YouTube Miele Vacuum Video – As seen on ABC 7

You can see from this video that the Miele will trap all of the particles in a cloth like bag that self-seals on its way out and you are actually purifying the air in your house by vacuuming! The filtration is 99.95% effective at 0.3 microns which is amazing. Thanks to its HEPA filter and super intensive clean bags the vacuum is able to achieve this kind of filtration.

Also check-out my blog called Consumer Reporter - a vehicle to educate consumers about the vacuum and air purification market.

If you appreciate the information I provide on Miele vacuum cleaners via You Tube and my blog, please support my on-line store, KillDirt.You’ll get free shipping and no tax (as long as you do not live in New Jersey). We will be sure to make your shopping experience a pleasant one.

We have a right to breath clean air




TRUE HEPA air purifiers, trap the dust and particles with a minimum efficiency of 99.97%, up to 0.3 microns – as measured with my particle counter seen in

my">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pJMsskDQ0c&feature=related">my YouTube Air Purifier Videos – As seen on ABC 7


Over the years, HEPA filtration has become a marketing scheme deployed by both vacuum cleaner and air purifier manufacturers to lure customers to buy products that do not meet the HEPA definition. Most vacuums and air cleaners that I have tested on the market claim to be “HEPA,” however, lack the filtration efficiency and other important benefits that are intrinsic to HEPA technology – so they are “fake HEPA.” They are simply imposters that do not deliver what they claim – in other words, they do not trap the dust.

To precisely find real HEPA machines, I test products (where the air flows through) with the particle counter. It is important to note, that I not only test the middle of the filter, but also the side edges and other areas of the chasis, where more often than not, there is high readings due to leakage.



Also check-out my blog called Consumer Reporter - a vehicle to educate consumers about the vacuum and air purification market.



If you appreciate the information I provide on Miele vacuum cleaners via You Tube and my blog, please support my on-line store, KillDirt.You’ll get free shipping and no tax (as long as you do not live in New Jersey). We will be sure to make your shopping experience a pleasant one