Panasonic MC-CG885 OptiFlow Canister Vacuum Cleaner Review

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Avg. consumer rating = 76/100 

Panasonic is a well known company providing modern appliances to households & businesses worldwide, but they are not particularly well-known for their vacuum cleaners. They do, however, have a fairly wide range of both household and commercial vacuums.  One of their popular canister vacuums is the Panasonic MC-CG885 OptiFlow Lightweight Bag Canister vacuum cleaner. 

87 consumer ratings were found on the following retail websites. When averaged these create a score of 75.6 out of 100.

Vacuum Cleaner Features
The MC-CG885 is equipped with a 12 amp motor and comes with a nozzle overload motor protection system.  The vacuum also has four different height settings allowing for easy transition from bare floors, through to short-pile carpet and long-pile carpet.  The unit has a brushroll that can be turned on and off via a convenient foot switch, allowing for deep carpet cleaning (brushroll on) and safe cleaning of bare floors or delicate rugs (brushroll off).  The vacuum hose is 6 feet in length and swivels a full 360 degrees – a useful feature that helps stop the canister from tipping.  On board tools are a little limited with this machine and include only an upholstery tool for effective furniture cleaning and a crevice tool for cleaning in hard to reach areas.

The Panasonic MC-CG885 OptiFlow utilizes a three-stage HEPA filtration system (the HEPA filter on the MC-CG885 is washable).  What is a HEPA filter?  HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air and is a filter that removes 99.97% of all airborne particulates of 0.3 microns or larger that pass through it.  HEPA filtration is particularly popular with allergy sufferers.

The MC-CG885 OptiFlow is also lightweight, weighing in at 13.5 lbs and it comes with a headlight (a very handy feature in our opinion – provided the light is bright and long-lasting).  The 26 foot power cord comes with automatic rewind (auto rewind is popular with consumers, although a 30+ foot cord would be better).  The unit also has a respectably wide cleaning path with its 14 inch wide power nozzle, and has quick release chrome wands.

As the name states this is a bagged vacuum cleaner.  At one time bags for this unit were expensive and hard to find but this is no longer the case and they are readily available at a number of outlets.  Costing varies but is, for example, about 2.50USD per bag on Amazon.  The proper bag is the Panasonic AMC-J3EP Canister Replacement Bag.  There is a long standing debate about whether bagged or bagless vacuum cleaners are better.  It is typically easier to dispose of collected dirt and debris with a bagged vacuum cleaner. With a bagless vacuum cleaner it can be more of a chore to empty the dirt container (while keeping yourself and surroundings clean), however you do not have to purchase or toss away bags.  At the end of the day is seems to come down to personal preference.

Panasonic do not go into great detail about what “OptiFlow” really means but it, at least in part, involves a specially designed vacuum bag that provides 32% more airflow (than a normally designed bag) thereby ensuring stronger and more constant suction than typical bagged vacuums.  A video that explains the details of the OptiFlow technology can be viewed here.   The Panasonic MC-CG885 OptiFlow are all “Alpine White” in color and come with a 1-year parts and labor warranty.

Consumer Comments
A review of consumer comments finds these common likes and dislikes of the Panasonic MC-CG885 OptiFlow:

PROS
- Maneuverable
- Relatively quiet
- Powerful suction
- Retractable power cord
- 4 adjustable heights
- On/off switch on the handle
- A number of comments about the unit being well-constructed
- Stylish

CONS
- Dusting brush is too small
- Additional bare floor tool not included
- Hard to find bags – used to be major complaint but they are now available on Amazon for a reasonable price (4 for about 10 USD).