For starters, get a vacuum
designed for your mix of carpeting and flooring. If you have a lot
of flooring to vacuum, look for models with floor attachments that
use brushes and/or uprights with metal bottom plates. Make sure
that the height can be set low enough and that the plate, wheels
and so on won't scratch your flooring. For carpets, make
sure the vacuum has enough suction power, especially with deep pile
styles. On the other hand, there's no need for an energy hog if the
situation just doesn't call for it. Make sure the height can be
adjusted high enough for your needs.
If you or others in
your household have long hair, get a vacuum that has a stainless
steel brush roller with ball bearings. In general, metal components
are better than plastic ones. Of course, they also make the unit
heavier.
If keeping dust out
of the air is one of your goals (and it should be), choose a bag
model over a bag less one. Look for an after motor "true
HEPA filter" in a "sealed system". Be aware that there's no
standard that sealed models must meet.
If possible (and
especially if you suffer from asthma), test air-tightness for
yourself. One way is to vacuum for a bit with a floor model and
then see how much dust has collected on the outside of the
unit.
Try assembling and
disassembling the attachments before you buy. Make sure that
they're easy to assemble, that they stay together and are airtight
during use, and that you can still disassemble them with minimal
effort. Check the height of the fully assembled attachments to
ensure that you won't be stooping or holding your arm up in the air
to use them. Don't be dazzled by an array of attachments. Think
about what you really need and aim for that.
Make sure that the
power switch, height level controller and any other controls are
easy to access and use. They'll need to be sturdy, especially
if you'll be using your foot to operate them.
Make an inventory
of all the parts that will require replacement, how often the
replacement should occur and how much it will cost you annually.
For example, many units will need a filter, after-filter, bag and
maybe even belt replacements within a year's time or less.
When making
comparisons, compare apples to apples. The best floor sweeper in
the world won't do as good a job as the worst vacuum cleaner, and
an upright vacuum will handle differently than a canister. Cordless
models won't match the power of one that plugs into the wall. Don't
let fancy demonstrations cloud your ability to critically judge a
product.
