Your guide to choosing the right vacuum cleaner
Michael Irving
STACK Writer
'Tis the season for spring cleaning! If you have trouble motivating yourself to keep up with the chores, a new vacuum cleaner can make it fun. But which type is best for your needs: a stick vacuum, a robot, or a wet and dry?
What’s the difference?
The three main types of vacuums you’ll find now are the stick vacuum, the robot vacuum, and the wet and dry vacuum. Which type suits you best will depend on a range of factors, including the size and layout of your home, how many people there are in your household, whether you have kids or pets, your routine, and the kinds of messes you normally deal with, among other things.
Why not both?
Of course you don’t have to choose just one – multiple vacuum types can work well together to cover different situations. For instance, a robot vac could keep your main rooms consistently clean, backed up by a stick or wet and dry vac for bigger messes or places that the robot can’t reach, like stairs or furniture.
Stick vacuums
A stick vacuum is the closest thing to the traditional form factor, with the nozzle at the bottom and the motor and dust canister up near the handle.
Being battery-operated means you no longer need to drag a power cord around behind you, or move from outlet to outlet as you vacuum different rooms. Instead, it’s easy to do as much or as little as you need, making it perfect for a weekly, whole home clean or quickly dealing with a spill.
The stick form makes vacuuming floors comfortable, and lets you reach deep under furniture. Pop the head off and use the pipe to reach into corners, or detach the stick itself for handheld mode, which is good for giving couches and beds a quick clean.
Many stick vacuums also come with a variety of attachments, for things like dusting or pet hair. And, when you’re done, you can put it back on the charger stand, tucked away in a corner or cupboard, ready for next time.
Robot vacuums
Robot vacuum cleaners are the closest thing we have to Rosie from The Jetsons. These little robot butlers run around our homes, cleaning up dust or spills on demand or on a routine, leaving our spaces consistently cleaner and reducing the time and effort we spend on housework.
Most can be controlled with an app, allowing you to send them out on patrol when there’s a spill. Or you can set up routines – for example, your robot vac could tidy up every night while the household is sleeping, or during the day when everyone’s at work or school.
Robot vacs are equipped with sensors to help them navigate through rooms and around furniture, while some even map out your house for more efficient cleaning. When they’re done or running low on juice, they’ll automatically return to their dock to charge, and in some cases, empty their dust into an attached bin. Some models pull double duty by mopping floors too.
Robot vacuums are best for smaller spaces, or for busy people who don’t have time to give their floors a regular clean. They’re also great for keeping pet hair under control.
Wet and dry vacuums
A wet and dry vacuum handles… well, both wet and dry messes! You wouldn’t try vacuuming up a leak or spilt drink with a regular stick vacuum, but a wet-and-dry will make short work of it, switching between dust and liquids with ease.
These devices have two chambers that separate solids and liquids, allowing you to use them for regular dust and dirt as well as small leaks and wet spills like mud, drinks, sauces, and spreads – the kinds of messes that you’d normally reach for a paper towel to clean up.
Wet and dry vacuums can also help you give carpets a deep clean. Apply detergent and water to a spot and vacuum it up to remove a stain.
As you’d expect, wet and dry vacuum cleaners are ideal for those tackling a range of cleaning tasks, and are especially useful for professional, industrial and commercial cleaning.
^Discounts apply to previous ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. As we negotiate, products will likely have been sold below ticketed/advertised price prior to the discount offer. Prices may differ at airport stores.
