Looking for Pro's and Con's on Bagless Vacuum Verses Regular Vacuum.

Updated on May 23, 2009
K.F. asks from Phoenix, AZ
19 answers

My vacuum broke and I need a new vacuum. I need a really good vacuum because I have a chocolate lab and (thick and a little taller than normal) carpet in my living room. So I need good suction. I would like to spend no more than $150 if possible. I haven't really heard great things about the bagless vacuum from a few people. I just wanted to get some pro's and con's on it like how often do you need to empty it? how well does it work? Is it messy, etc.? Don't know which way to go: bagless or with a bag. Also, which brands do you ladies like better? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone so much for your responses, it really helped a lot! Wow! Dyson seems pretty populare so I think I'm going to look into that one a little more. I might have to go with the bag vacuum for now due to budget but at least I know more about the bagless vacuums for the future! Thanks a lot for all your help everyone!

Featured Answers

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L.B.

answers from Phoenix on

I'd get a bagged vacuum. We;ve had both and it seems that the bagged gets less dust and yuk back in the air when you empty it. You have to buy bags, but totally worth it!
I'm looking for a new one too, but don't have much to spend. So glad you posted this so I can see some recommendations too!

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M.F.

answers from Phoenix on

Hey K.,

I just bought a Bissell from WalMart 3 weeks ago and I LOVE it! It is a canister and you cannot believe what this little machine picks up. Made me want to throw up at the filth! I have a kirby for the past 8 years,, but it was so bulky and I just did not feel as if it was doing a good job and based upon what the Bissel picked up, I was right! I only paid 46 dollars, I believe and I could not be happier. I went to the walmart website and looked at all the reviews on it before I chose it. Good luck, hope it helps!
M.

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L.P.

answers from Phoenix on

I love our Dyson "Animal" series vaccuum. It's bagless and does great with animal hair. I can't remember how much we bought it for b/c it was a few years ago, but it may be more than what you are willing to pay. You would have to check. We had a Kirby vaccuum before this one, though, and that one had bags. I so much more prefer the bagless b/c it's less messy I think. Our Dyson is VERY easy to clean out! Hope this helps and good luck!

L.

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S.C.

answers from Phoenix on

Here's the thing I've learned about bagless vacuums: They're great....if you're willing to spend hundreds of dollars on one.

My hubby and I have purchased enough "cheap" ($100-$150) bagless vacuums to last us several lifetimes and every single one of them turned out to be junk. But I just can't bring myself to drop $500 on a Dyson (the Cadillac of bagless vacs).

Which led us to good old bag vacuums. Ours was $50 from Walmart and it works pretty darn good for the money. $150 would have gotten us an even better one.

So here's my conclusion: You can spend $150 on a top-of-the-line bag vacuum, or a bottom-of-the-line bagless. I'd go with the bag.

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S.L.

answers from Tucson on

I like the kind with bags because you don't have to touch the horrible stuff, usually. As for brands, I have an old, old vacuum which is still going strong, but the best thing to do is go to your local library and look at the Consumer Reports magazine index, find the article about vacuums, and pick the one with the consumer best buy flag on it. I've done that for several major purchases now, and it always works out well. Good luck- S.

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S.O.

answers from Phoenix on

I have the Eureka Capture Plus Pet Lover (although I don't have a pet) and I really like it. We bought it at Sams CLub for about 150-160 (I cant remember exactly) and we have had it for 2 yrs now. (We had bought other bagless for around that price and took them each back after the first use, except for this one.) It has a really long attachment hose, which is nice for hard to reach places and even stairs. It gets everything up. It is bagless and I like that. You have to empty it after every use, but there is no additional cost for bags and the filters are washable so you don't have to replace them as often. And for my kitchen table area where the kids make the most mess on a regular basis I hve a little dirt devil hand held vacuum. That was the best idea I ever had because I can easily clean up after the kids at each meal with out lugging out the big vacuum. :)

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J.V.

answers from Phoenix on

I have an Australian Cattle dog with two coats and she sheds all the time! We waited for the Dyson Animal to go on a HUGE sale and bought it for around $250.00 (I know more than you wanted to spend). We have had it now for three years. We empty the canister as soon as we are done (never had any mildew problems and we suck up EVERYTHING!) We love our Dyson! I am shocked at how much dirt and hair it picks up and we vacuum twice a week. My two year old has bad outside allergies and the Dyson really helps to control her allergy outbreaks. We will never go back to bags! If anything ever happens to this vacuum I will replace with another Dyson in an instant. With two kids and a dog you will be very happy with this! Also you never have to buy or keep bags on hand. Our friends all have Dyson's after they saw how well ours picked up dirt and it never loses suction. But if you are not willing to spend that much I would say get a top of the line bag vacuum.

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D.T.

answers from Albuquerque on

K., I have a bagless vacuum and have since my son was a baby. He is asthmatic and the bagless is MUCH better for controlling dust. I am able to take out all the filters and clean them. You don't have to mess with a bag ripping or spilling and making a big mess anymore. You remove the canister and go outside to you poly cart and dump. All done. It's great! I personally have had great success with the ones I have purchased..... However I would not recommend a Hoover bagless. They are built cheaply. I would like to eventually be able to afford the Dyson vacuum. It rolls on a ball and works great from what I understand. So my advice is go for the bagless way less mess and allergins to mess with.

R.A.

answers from Phoenix on

I'm in my 40's so have owned a few vacuum's, including a Kirby. My fav has been the Dyson I currently have now. Turns out all four of my neighbors own the same one. I've had it a few years and no repairs yet. It picks up like a dream! However it will run you a little more. Sometimes Target has a good sale with a $100. gift card in return for your purchase of one. I have the yellow one, and it works great with the pet fur. However they do have one called the animal for homes with pets. I have also heard great things about the Oreck from professional Carpet Cleaners, but have not tried one. I have tried less expensive vacuum's, but don't believe they are better deal when you have to replace them every couple of years?

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B.M.

answers from Phoenix on

I have a yellow lab who sheds like crazy. Last year I also needed to get a new vacuum. The dyson animal was highly recommeded to me. It is pretty pricey but it is well worth the money. It gets up all of the hair and I have been really happy with it. I empty the conister every time I vacuum. But it only takes a couple of seconds to empty and it is done. It is amazing to see how much hair and dirt is actully picked up. We have never had a problem with this vacuum.

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G.D.

answers from Phoenix on

I bought Bissell Bagless powerforce turbo from Walmart a few months ago, for about $60-70. This model has the HEPA filter, but there is another one the same w/o HEPA for $40-50. My theory was that even if I had to replace it every 2-3 years, I'd still be spending way less than a Dyson at $300-500. Previously, I had a bag vacuum, and I'd have to use a new bag every 1-2 times, because of two dogs. Talk about expensive!

With the bagless, I empty it into a trash bag (or even just a plastic grocery bag) outside, and then tie it up, so any dust that might fly up doesn't land in the house. All the filters are washable, so I wash them often to prolong their life and keep it running well. Takes a few extra minutes, but saves money, and makes me feel like the vacuum is almost new again each time.

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C.Z.

answers from Phoenix on

I would do whatever you can to wait for a Dyson. Save your money or ask for it for a gift for your birthday, Xmas, etc. I have gone through Dirt Devils and similar $100-$150 brands like they're going out of style. My dad got me a Dyson for a gift and I thank him every time I vacuum. I have 4 kids and 4 dogs and lots of dirt and hair. The Dyson is incredible and easy (to empty, clean, etc). I don't work for them, I am just one happy customer!

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K.S.

answers from Phoenix on

Get a Dyson! It will cost you more, but it's so worth it. I got mine at Costco for a pretty good deal. It never looses suction and picks up my dogs hair perfectly.

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B.C.

answers from Phoenix on

I love my Dyson and my friend's Dyson that is specifically for pet hair seems to work even better. However, I think it's more than you want to spend. We were lucky and got ours free with credit card points.
Good luck.

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

I know, it's expensive, but I love my Dyson. Got it cheaper at Big Lots. Maybe you can find a floor model. Maybe someone will sell on e-bay or craig's list. Hard times make people part with all kinds of stuff.
But as someone already said, if you are going to pick up wet or sticky stuff..the canister might be a pain...go for the bag vacuums.

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H.C.

answers from Phoenix on

My vacuum is a dyson and it's bag-less. I have kids so this is not the best in my opinion. We suck up food, it's inevitable and it seems to ruin the canister (black yucky mildew, mold, just yuk. I have to wash it out constantly. I would prefer a vacuum with bags.

Let us know what you decide and how it works for you. :)

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J.S.

answers from Phoenix on

Hi K.,

We have a Dyson animal and it works wonders for our dogs and kids. We got ours at Costco for what I thought was a reasonable price for it. Plus with the Costco return policy you really have nothing to lose.

Good luck!
-J.

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J.H.

answers from Flagstaff on

We have a Dyson and love it! We have had another bagless vacuum cleaner (I can't remember the brand) and the hoses constantly got clogged and the filters needed to be changed all the time. We have 2 cats and 3 dogs and a 6 year old and have had no problems with the Dyson. The Dyson has never gotten clogged in the 4 years that we have had it even after we use it to clean up the pine needles left from the Christmas tree each year. The other bagless brands could never handle that! It is a little higher than your price range, when we bought ours it was about $400, but it is totally worth the price. Yes, you can buy a few of the cheaper vacuums for the same price, but you will have to buy a new one every few years. The Dyson will outlast any of the other brands! You empty is as often as it needs it, the bin that holds the dirt is clear so you can see if it is full. We usually empty it after every time we vacuum, its easy to do. It is a little messy because the dirt/dust is not contained so when you dump it out the dust kind of flies but if you empty it into your garbage bin it should be fine.

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J.S.

answers from Phoenix on

I was told not to get bagless cuz when you dump it out, the allergens and dirt fly all over the place.

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