In shopping for a vacuum cleaner, there are two basic designs. An upright vacuum cleaner is one you push in front of you, and a canister vacuum cleaner is one you pull behind you by its hose. They both have advantages.

Upright vacuum cleaners are made specifically to clean carpets. They have a revolving brush that separates the dirt and pet hair from the carpet fibers. The dirt is then thrown into a paper bag or compartment. The airflow is very fast, compared to a canister vacuum cleaner, and so the vacuum picks up better in most instances on carpet.

When customers come into our retail store, The Sweeper Store, the first thing we ask them is "Do you prefer upright or canister vacuum cleaners?" because that is the most basic fundamental starting point when looking for a good vacuum cleaner. We are talking about the basic design.

When we talk about canister vacuum cleaners, I mean the ones that have a separate power nozzle that has a second motor. This power nozzle has a revolving brush that separates the dirt from the carpet, in the same way an upright vacuum cleaner does. Canister vacuum cleaners have motors that are made differently than the upright vacuum cleaner motors. Canister vacuums have a motor that creates far more suction than the upright vacuum motor does. But the canister motor pulls the air at a slower speed than the upright motor.

At first, it would seem that the canister vacuum has more suction, so it must clean better. But the uprights have faster airflow. And faster airflow is actually what picks up the dirt out of the carpet better. The advantage of the canister vacuum cleaner is that it has much more suction on the attachments, than an upright. So the canister is made more for above the floor cleaning, and the upright is made more for carpet cleaning.

A few of the very best canister vacuums have very well made power nozzles with a high speed motor revolving the brush roll. Some canister vacuums with a power nozzle also are very easy to push because the nozzle automatically adjusts to any height of carpet. This feature is found on many higher end models.

Canister vacuum cleaners with a power nozzle also cost more than their upright counterparts. The reason is that they simply cost more to make. You have two motors instead of one, and the electrified hoe that they have is quite expensive to make.

The better quality canister vacuums as well as better upright vacuum cleaners can be found at your local independent vacuum cleaner dealer. Make sure they have a wide selection, to give you the best choices. We are in Wooster Ohio, but there are thousands of good dealers across the country.

I hope this helps.