Best Stick Vacuum |
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| Thursday, 05 May 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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After reviewing a large number of stick vacuums we have chosen 5 for our Best Stick Vacuums list. Machines were chosen after carefully considering consumer ratings and comments as well as length of warranty, features and cost. Vacuums that stood out scored well in most if not all of these areas. Stick vacuums range from inexpensive to somewhat pricey and as a result we have divided our list into three categories: inexpensive, mid-range and top-end. Our choices include machines manufactured by Hoover, Eureka, Bissell and Miele. Inexpensive
Mid-range
Top-end
Following are some highlights for each of the stick vacuums in the list. INEXPENSIVE Eureka 96DZ - Excellent consumer ratings, fairly durable, respectable battery longevity, good suction, very light (4 lbs). Also doubles as a handheld vacuum. It is inexpensive and available for around $50+. Warranty is only 1 year but this is pretty much standard at this price point. Read our Eureka Quick Up 96DZ review. Bissell PowerEdge Hard Floor Vacuum 81L2 (runner up) – very good consumer ratings (not quite as high as the 96DZ), good suction and easy to maneuver. Weight is about 7.5 lbs. The 81L2 is also corded and has about a 20 foot cord. It is about the same price as the 96DZ at around $50, and it carries a 1 year warranty. Read the full Bissell PowerEdge review. Both of these machines are great for quick pick-ups and small area cleaning. But for larger jobs and areas with lots of carpet these are likely not the right tools. The Bissell does not have a brushbar so carpet is certainly not its bread and butter. MID-RANGE Hoover Platinum Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum – Excellent consumer ratings, average weight (7.3lbs), and good on both bare and carpeted floors. It also comes with an exceptionally long warranty of 6 years. It is battery operated and has decent suction and battery performance. This machine can generally be found online for under $150. If we were looking for a stick vacuum this one would probably be our first choice. It does everything well, and while not cheap, it will not empty your wallet. This is a great vacuum for smaller area vacuuming and it is capable of picking up dust and debris from both carpet and bare floors fairly well. It is not a full size vacuum however and it also lasts about 15 minutes on a charge. You may wish to read our Hoover Linx Stick Vac review and view the video at the bottom of the review. Like many battery powered handhelds or stick vacuums the Linx receives some criticism regarding length of battery charge, but 15+ minutes is actually fairly good. While it may cause consumer grumbling, without using a corded vacuum it is difficult to find stick vacuums that provide more than 20 minutes of strong suction on a single charge. Corded stick vacs don’t have this issue but they usually have relatively short cords and involve plugging in the machine whenever and wherever you wish to use it. There is no runner up in this category. TOP-END Miele S168 Universal Upright Stick Vacuum – This machine has most of the features of a full size upright. It is corded (26 foot cord) and has strong suction so there are no recharging issues. It is also a bagged vacuum and it comes with HEPA filtration that includes activated carbon for odor removal. In addition, the S168 has fully variable suction and is also very quiet, but a little heavy at 10.5 lbs. It is capable on bare floors and adequate on carpet but comes with a socket for a powerbrush (which is not included) to provide excellent carpet cleaning ability. The S168 carries a 2-year warranty on the suction motor and 1-year on all non-wearing components. It is a good choice for small apartments but will set you back $399 or so. You also need to come to terms with the weight. It is lighter than most uprights but heavier than most stick vacs. Read our detailed Miele S168 review to learn more. Miele S163 Universal Upright Stick Vacuum (runner up) – Similar to the S168 but does not have fully variable suction (it has 2 speeds), no HEPA filtration and no telescopic wand (but it has a regular wand). It also has no socket for a powerbrush should you want one. However the S163 goes for about $289 and it weighs less than the S168 at 9.3 lbs. Read the Miele S163 review.
UPDATE: A new stick vac to keep an eye out for is the Hoover SH20030. This corded vacuum is fairly new but initial signs show it getting excellent owner feedback. It is priced well under $100. This is one to keep your eye on.
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