What Are The Different Types Of Vacuum Cleaners? (With Pros And Cons)

If you are on the lookout for a new vacuum cleaner, there are many criteria you should consider before making your purchase. Factors like the size of your household, the layout of your home, and the flooring all have a bearing on the type of cleaner you buy.

Then there are your personal preferences when it comes to housekeeping. Do you want something lightweight like a stick vacuum so that you can do a quick clean or a heavy-duty central vacuum that does a more thorough job? Maybe you’d like to have an active role in cleaning your home with a canister vacuum or prefer a more set-it-and-forget-it approach to your routine with a robot vacuum.

All these different considerations can be overwhelming, so we’ve got a ready reckoner of the different types of vacuum cleaners to help you decide what works best for you and your home needs.

Canister Vacuums

This is a corded vacuum in which the motor and dirt container are in a canister and connected to the power head with a hose. They work best on non-carpeted floors and homes with more floor space.

Pros: Powerful suction, versatile for different surfaces, quiet, long-lasting, lightweight hose and wand

Cons: Bulky, harder to store, less portable, needs effort to move canister unit between rooms or up and down stairs, may involve frequent cord management

Best for: Hardwood floors

Corded Vacuums

These more conventional vacuums plug directly into your home’s power source. They usually come with retractable cords, which lets users store the cord inside the vacuum when it isn’t being used and adjust its length during cleaning.

Pros: Powerful suction, unlimited runtime, works on different surfaces, long-lasting, cost-effective

Cons: Bulky, cord management required, limited portability, storage challenges, noisy

Best for: Deep-cleaning carpets and large homes

Read More: Robot Vacuum VS Regular Vacuum: What To Choose?

Upright Vacuums

This vacuum stands, as the name suggests, upright on the power head. It’s an all-in-one device in which the head, dirt container and motor are in the same unit.

Pros: Powerful, easy to, often includes a wider cleaning path, enhanced portability in cordless models, convenient to store 

Cons: Relatively heavy, less effective for tight spaces or stairs, reduced portability in corded models, limited battery life in cordless

Best for: Carpets and large, open areas

Cordless & Stick Vacuums

This is a lightweight and compact version of the upright vacuum cleaner, and is suited for small and medium-sized homes. Buyers have the option of getting the corded or battery-powered cordless variety, as is the case with the DEEBOT T30S COMBO Complete All-in-one Robotic Vacuum Cleaner that comes with a multifunctional stick vacuum.

Pros: Lightweight, portable, provides cord-free convenience, compact and easy to store, quiet operation

Cons: Limited battery life, weaker suction power, smaller dustbin capacity, expensive, not ideal for heavy-duty cleaning

Best for: Hardwood floors, quick cleanups

Read More: Robot Vacuum VS Cordless Stick Vacuum: What To Choose?

Robot Vacuums

Robot vacuum cleaners are advanced devices equipped with LiDAR technology for precise navigation and mapping, ensuring efficient cleaning routes. They are quiet compared to other vacuum cleaners, making them ideal for daytime use. There are many advantages of using robot vacuum cleaners, such as their self-emptying bins and their ability to offer reliable suction power to handle dust and debris. Their smart mapping features ensure targeted cleaning, combining convenience and performance for a hands-free cleaning experience, and they can be used in multi-storey homes with ease.

Pros: Hands-free convenience, compact, quiet, versatile for different surfaces, smart technology features

Cons: Limited suction power, small dustbin capacity in some models, battery-dependent, not suitable for deep cleaning, navigational hiccups in older models

Best for: Hardwood floors and light cleaning in homes with minimal clutter

Our robot vacuum with mops

Handheld Vacuums

These small and handy cleaners, which are typically battery-operated, are useful for homes with small children and pets. They’re more likely to be secondary vacuums because of their limited storage capacity. An example of this is the DEEBOT T30S COMBO Black Robotic Vacuum Cleaner, which comes with a handheld vacuum cleaner.

Pros: Compact, lightweight, cordless convenience, versatile for small messes, affordable

Cons: Limited suction power, short battery life, small dustbin capacity, not suitable for large-scale cleaning

Best for: Quick cleanups on upholstery, cars, and small, hard-to-reach areas

Wet/Dry Vacuums

Wet/dry vacuums are versatile cleaners capable of handling both liquid spills and dry debris. They’re generally larger and more robust than regular vacuums, making them ideal for workshops, garages, and heavy-duty cleaning tasks.

Pros: Powerful suction, multipurpose functionality, durable, large capacity, works on various surfaces

Cons: Bulky, difficult to store, restricted portability, noisy, maintenance-intensive

Best for: Garages, workshops, cleaning large spills, areas with heavy debris

Carpet Cleaners

Carpet cleaners are specialized machines designed to deep-clean carpets by removing embedded dirt, stains, and odors with water and cleaning solutions. They are best suited to households with pets, children, or high foot traffic.

Pros: Powerful suction, built-in cleaning solution system, specialized for carpets, handles large areas, versatile attachments

Cons: Heavy, requires drying time, high maintenance, inconvenient due to cords, not suitable for all surfaces

Best for: Deep-cleaning carpets and rugs in homes with heavy foot traffic or pets

Steam Mops

Steam mops use heated steam to clean and sanitize floors without the need for harsh chemicals. They’re especially effective when it comes to removing tough stains and bacteria on sealed hard surfaces like tiles and hardwood.

Pros: Chemical-free cleaning, quick-drying, lightweight, easy to maneuver, versatile attachments

Cons: Limited to hard surfaces, small water tank, no suction power, restricted portability, potential for damage

Best for: Sealed hardwood floors and tiles requiring sanitization without chemicals

Central Vacuums

The motor of this heavy-duty vacuum is generally kept in a separate space from the cleaning components. Dirt and dust picked up by the vacuum head travel through a long hose plugged into an inlet valve, which is connected to the central device of the cleaner via PVC pipes.

Pros: Powerful suction, quiet, versatile for different surfaces, long-lasting system, convenient

Cons: Expensive, incompatible with small homes

Backpack Vacuums

These vacuum cleaners are worn on the user’s back and come with or without cords. Since they’re portable, they’re largely used by commercial cleaners who work in large spaces or by professionals who deep-clean homes.

Pros: Powerful suction, ergonomic design, versatile for different surfaces, lightweight wand and hose, efficient for large areas

Cons: Bulky to wear, corded models require management, may require specialized training, inconvenient to store, limited battery life in corded versions

Best for: Commercial cleaning and large spaces with heavy traffic

Discover Smart Vacuums, the Future of Home Cleaning

ECOVACS, pioneers in the field of smart vacuum cleaners, is at the forefront of in-home robotic cleaning solutions. The company has a host of robot vacuums that come with a variety of features. Some standout products are:

DEEBOT X5 PRO OMNI

DEEBOT X5 PRO OMNI is the latest robotic cleaning solution from ECOVACS designed to deliver unparalleled cleaning precision and efficiency. It’s equipped with the AINA 2.0 Intelligent Navigation Model to priovde real-time navigation and obstacle avoidance, as well as the TruEdge feature to meticulous edge cleaning. This model also comes with ZeroTangle technology to prevent hair entanglement, as well as Al Instant Re-Mop that intelligently identifies significant stains, adjusts water levels accordingly, and makes multiple passes over the soiled area to ensure that they are eliminated.

Shop DEEBOT X5 PRO OMNI Now

DEEBOT T30S PRO

The ECOVACS T30S PRO comes with AIVI 3D 2.0 Technology, which uses structured infrared light patterns to deduce three-dimensional object contours and depth information, thereby allowing precise obstacle avoidance with tailored strategies for various objects. This is enhanced by its TrueMapping 2.0 technology, which has the ability to map 100 square meters in just six minutes, allowing the device to navigate complex scenes and multiple floors. This model also uses ultrasonic sound to recognize carpets with extraordinary accuracy, and the Auto-lift Mopping System raises the mopping plates when a carpet is detected — therefore ensuring that your carpets don’t get wet during the cleaning process.

Shop DEEBOT T30S PRO Now

DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS

The DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS gives users powerful and long-lasting suction for pristine floors and cleaner air, all thanks to the ECOVACS PureCyclone Technology. This uses a two-stage separation process and multi-cone structural design to ensure 95% dust separation rate, minimal suction loss even after 100 uses, an extended lifespan for the motor and cotton filter, and stable dust collection efficiency. This model also has a new OZMO Pro 2.0 Vibrating Mopping System that uses high-frequency vibration to eliminate stubborn stains. As with other ECOVACS robot vacuum cleaners, the DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS is operated via the ECOVACS HOME Appby giving users customisable cleaning settings such as suction power adjustment, water flow regulation, and vibration frequency control, along with various cleaning modes and scheduling options.

Shop DEEBOT N20 PRO PLUS Now

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