The Latest Vacuum Cleaner Technology

by Allen Roberts

Vacuum cleaners may be seen as a stodgy old appliance that does not change much, but there have been advancements in the last several years that make vacuuming easier and more enjoyable as well as more effective. The most innovative changes have come from Dyson. Today's vacuums run cleaner than those in the past (less dust in the air), and are more powerful to grab pet hair and dirt that older vacuums could not pull out of a carpet.

Bagless Upright Vacuums - Many of the newest vacuums are bagless. This means that you do not have to buy bags. With a bagless vacuum, you empty the dirt and dust directly into into your trash can and you are ready to go. This innovation has been available for quite a while. The latest bagless vacuums allow you to empty your dirt container with the press of a button (so you don't have to handle the dirt). Dyson Bagless Vacuums empty at the bottom of the dirt container for easy disposal.

Sealed Canister Vacuums - Miele bagged canister vacuums are sealed to prevent dust from escaping, and have self sealing bags that close up when removed from the vacuum, eliminating your having to be exposed to the dust and dirt in those bags.

Ball Upright Vacuums - This is the latest type of vacuum which was introduced by Dyson. Instead of wheels, the Dyson uses a ball in the front of the vacuum making it much more maneuverable than traditional vacuums. To our knowledge, only Dyson has this type of vacuum.

Quiet Vacuums - Most vacuums are pretty loud and can scare pets. Electrolux makes an ultra quiet canister model, the EL6985a. Miele's entire line of canister models are sealed and made for quiet performance.

Cyclonic Vacuums - This technology (available on all Dyson uprights) separates the dirt and debris from the air before it meets the filter. This keeps the filter from clogging. Clogged filters are a big problem, especially when dealing with pet hair. Cyclonic vacuums can be more powerful since an unclogged filter allows for more suction.

Direct Drive Motors - Most upright vacuums have one motor that drives the compressor for suction, and with a belt drives the beater bar. Using a separate motor for the brush makes the vacuum beltless, so you don't need to replace belts. Many Dyson vacuums are beltless.

Hepa Filtration - Many vacuums have Hepa filters which get rid of dirt and dust out of the exhaust air. Many older vacs spew out dirt and dust in the air when vacuuming. This feature is important for allergy sufferers and those that don't want to inhale what was in the rug.

Dirt Sensor - Some vacuums have a dirt sensor that detects when the vacuum is no longer picking up dirt, so you know when to move on to another area of the carpet.

As you can see there are many new features of vacuums to consider. You need to determine which technologies are important to you before choosing the best vacuum for your needs. Reading reviews of these vacuums can give you an idea of how others have used them in real world situations. Low end vacuums usually do not have many of these advanced features.