Vacuum Cleaner Face-Off
We ruined the floor with a mess of household items. See which vacuums left our room spotless.
We tested seven upright vacuum cleaners on coffee grounds, flour, pet hair, paper clips, and more. Here's how they stacked up on a carpet and a hardwood floor.
Dirt Devil Reaction Dual Cyclonic
Price: $170HEPA: Yes (What's HEPA all about? Read our sidebar for the details.)
How it's promoted: A two-chamber design means two cyclones create a stronger, longer-lasting flow of suction.
We liked...
-The wide nozzle that works well on big stretches of carpet.
-That when you push a button, the canister dispenses the gross dirt from the bottom, so you don't get messy cleaning up.
We didn't like...
-That it's bulky, and a lot harder to move around than the other vacuums we tested.
-That there were a few suction issues: It had trouble picking up some of the fine-grained filth (like flour) on our hardwood floor.
Nesties say:
"We have a Dirt Devil. People told me it would break down right away. Well, three years later, and it's still going. We even take it to our place of business, as it seems to work better than our 'industrial,' 'commercial' vacuums." -- tdkandcjc *
The verdict:
The Dirt Devil did okay on both carpet and hardwood floors, but not great. It took a few swipes to clean each area. And despite being one of the larger vacuums we tested, the Dirt Devil didn't feel as sturdy as some of the more compact vacs.
The grade: 6/10
DirtDevil.com for stores
Hoover Z 700 bagless
Price: $499HEPA: Yes
How it's promoted: The first "sports utility vacuum," this can be used as an upright, and then folded into a canister when you use the extensions.
We liked...
-The DigiTouch control pad, which is like a computer and makes it easy to switch from carpet to hardwood cleaning modes.
-The collapsible design, which allows you to store it in a smaller space.
-A HEPA filter that cleans itself every six seconds, so you don't have to rinse or replace it.
We didn't like...
-That it's bulky (pushing this thing was like moving an airplane!) and hard to maneuver, especially when backing up.
-That we had trouble picking up larger pieces of trash (like popcorn kernels) and really tiny pieces of dirt (like the flour).
-That it's loud (again, like an airplane!).
-The price.
Nesties say:
"I have my mom's old Hoover and love it. It has lots of useful attachments and gets the job done." -- PenelopelePhew *
The verdict:
Even though the Hoover's folding design is cool and the touch-pad controls are really convenient, this vac didn't clean as well as the others on carpet or hardwood. It left spots of coffee grounds behind, and forced us to make multiple passes on our messes -- a pain because the vacuum is big and hard to control in the upright position.
The grade: 5/10
Hoover.com for stores
Eureka Optima
Price: $70HEPA: No
How it's promoted: Lightweight vacuum with ergonomic O-shape handle.
We liked...
-That it does a very strong cleaning on both carpet and hardwood.
-That it's easy to handle -- thanks, in part, to the handle!
-The price.
We didn't like...
-That the small nozzle would make cleaning a big area a big task.
-That it's messy to empty. We got a little dusty when we popped open the canister.
Nesties say:
"I recently bought the Eureka Optima, and I like it. The Optima gets pet hair out of the carpet really well, and the filters are easy to rinse. My only complaint is that I have to empty the bucket every time I vacuum. I have the static dust wand attachment and it works well for very dusty areas, like mini blinds and windowsills, but not so well with a little bit of dust, as it just seems to spread it around." -- dreddin
The verdict:
The Eureka proved good things do come in small packages. This vacuum was the least expensive one we tested, and it cleaned very well on every surface, picking up both flour and coffee grounds on the first pass. With its O handle, small size, and light weight (11 pounds), the Eureka is really easy to maneuver. It would take a while to clean a large space, but this compact vac is ideal if you only have a few rooms to go through.
The grade: 9/10
Eureka.com for stores
Vax X5
Price: $299HEPA: Yes
How it's promoted: A brand that's new to the United States, the Vax is designed with easy-to-reach controls so you never have to hunch over.
We liked...
-The automatic retractable chord.
-That the canister pops open from the bottom for a very tidy cleanup.
We didn't like...
-That it's not very strong on hardwood.
-That it's a little bit on the heavy side.
Nesties say:
"It picks up a ton of pet hair, and since it's bagless, I can see how much -- the added sense of accomplishment is a plus! It does well on other kinds of dirt and crumbs as well. And I love the self-retracting cord -- it's a small feature, but a good one. From the little bit I used it on the hardwood alongside my carpet, it didn't seem as effective, though." -- alisalat
The verdict:
Though the Vax has user-friendly controls and cleaned well on carpet, it had a few problems picking up a mess on hardwood. In particular, it missed coffee grounds at the edge, where the carpet met the hardwood. A solid vacuum on carpeting, but not the best for an all-around deep clean.
The grade: 7/10
VaxUSA.com for stores
Dyson DC14
Price: $430HEPA: Yes
How it's promoted: This much-hyped vac claims superior suction on all floor types.
We liked...
-Its very strong cleaning on both carpet and hardwood.
-The 17-foot hose extension, which is incorporated right into the vacuum's body so you don't have to attach it every time you use it.
-That it feels light and easy to maneuver.
We didn't like...
-The price.
Nesties say:
"We have the Dyson DC14, and we love it. Not only is it great at picking up everything, but it also totally fascinates my husband. He actually fights to be the one who gets to vacuum. I thought the only miracle it would perform would be sucking up all the dog hair from our supersheddy dog, but it turns out it also inspires men to clean! I highly recommend it!" -- MrsVedder2B
The Verdict
True to its claim, the Dyson cleaned better than any other vacuum we tested on both carpet and hardwood. While the nozzle was a little too low to pick up pieces of popped popcorn, the quick-draw hose did the trick without having to turn the vacuum off to attach the extension. If cost is no object, this vacuum's a sure bet.
The Grade: 10/10
Dyson.com for stores
Oreck XL Ultra
Price: $500HEPA: No
How it's promoted: An eight-pound vacuum (most others are closer to 20 pounds!) with a Saniseal bag, which traps 99.99 percent of allergens.
We liked...
-The strong suction on both carpet and hardwood.
-That it's quiet.
-That it's so light -- it felt like we were pushing a toy!
We didn't like...
-The neon-green color, which doesn't make it the most attractive upright on the block. The good news: It's also available in black or teal.
-The price.
Nesties say:
"I have an Oreck XL, and I love it. It's lightweight and has a really long cord (so I can vacuum almost the entire floor of the house before I have to move the plug). And I also like little air freshener packs it has." -- cfranko *
The verdict:
The Oreck may look like it belongs in grandma's closet, but the cleaning power was impressive. This was the only vacuum we tested with a bag, which some say is an advantage (because emptying a bagless canister can get messy). The downside: You have to figure the $2.50 per replacement bag into the already steep price tag.
The grade: 9/10
Oreck.com to buy
* [Nest Note] The asterisk indicates that the Nestie quoted is talking about an older version of the vacuum we tested (because some of the vacs we've reviewed here have just arrived on the market). But you can tell a lot about a brand's quality by how well older models have held up.
Special thanks to Popular Carpet Distributors in New York City for providing our test rug.