Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Regardless of what any of us may think about bagless vacuums, it looks like they are here to stay.
I just gave a cursory glance to the Hoover, Dirt Devil, Bissell, and Eureka websites. None of the four brands has even 20% of their model offerings as bagged units.
Canisters are different. Eureka and Bissell have over 50% of their canister offerings as bagged units, Hoover less than 50%, and Dirt Devil, none. None offer a bagged stick vac, and only Dirt Devil offers a bagged hand vac. But uprights are the lion's share of the market.

The bagless units at the top of their price points are under the entry level Dysons.  Panasonic has almost left the bagless category.  So, it would seem, with the exception of Dyson, that the buying public has rejected all bagless vacuums above 300.00 with the noted exception of Dyson.  Are the BB manufacturers afraid to produce bagged units again for fear they will not sell?  Essentially we have a split in the market: low end = bagless, high end = bagged.  In terms of the respective consumer markets the only vacuum to be represented in both the specialty retailers and the BB superstores is Dyson. Not bad marketing.

Hello Trebor:

Bagless has been around in practical affordable house/workshop/garage applications long before the "d" brand came on the scene:  Shop vacs and CVS.

Handhelds and sticks are excellent venues for bagless containers due to the small dirt bin capacities.  As well as inexpensive vacuum models sold through the big box retailers. 

Of recent note, dyson models like DC14 and DC17 are regularly sold now at all big box retailers for between $300 and $350.  Even advertised at these prices.  For the latter, this is a $200 plus reduction from MSRP.  Recall its TOL DC28 upright price dropped from $599 to $500 in a few short weeks of launch.  No doubt to compete with the lower priced bagless and bagged brand prices in the big box store venues.  And even more, the reality that the US vacuum consumers are not willing to pay the once high priced bagless premiums commanded by retailers for the d brand.

Independent vacuum store brands are still bagged.  This will probably not change in the future.  Consumer Reports and other industry sources like the Carpet and Rug Institute still taut the benefits of bagged brands over bagless, not just for health and safety reasons but for convenience too. 

WRT to those here who like to ridicule bagged vacuum proponents as bag huggers, I'll add:  Bagged is beautiful.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
With the exception or our Dysons, all the canister and upright vacs we carry are all bagged and it's the way we like it.  Much of our business is from customers who have purchased bagless vacs from the box stores and have given up on them and are looking for a bagged vacuum.  The box stores can have all the bagless they can handle, in the end it's great for my business.

Dusty

dusty wrote:

This is not the first time this has been posted.  Procare and MOLE have said this here too.  All the independent vacuum cleaner store owners and operators say this too.  As well as many vacuum customers who bought into the bagless hype and were disappointed and/or frustrated by the results and reverted to bagged vacuums.

Bagged is beautiful!

Carmine D.

Speaking as a consumer and user, I have owned both bagged and bagless machines and, as well the alternatives -- either vacs with permanent bags or water-type machines. My first preference is a machine with a decently sized, high-filtration disposable bag. You put one in use it until it's full then remove it without a lot of dust exposure or fuss and insert a new one. The best in show allow little to escape them. Pre-filters are replaced only every four or five bag changes and that's all you need to bother yourself about. Second choice would have to be a permanent-bag machine. I am used to them its even though an old-fashioned filtration medium, I find them easier and simpler to empty. Though I much like the performance of my Sears Iridium bagless canister, which I consider a benchmark, I found I could live without the bother of washing the pre-filter and collection bin to satisfy performance requirements and my eye. (Nothing looks nastier when all the little cyclonic tubes start to collect dirt.) That all reminded me too much of working with Rexair and Rainbow. I crazy about vacuums but am not at all interested or inclined toward involvement in complex maintenance regimens. Good bagged machines with the right kind of filtering medium fit the bill for me. At one point in time I swore that Filter Queen was the ultimate for finite air filtration but have found in recent times that Miele, Nilfisk and even some less expensive non-niche brands are equal matches. Venson

Venson wrote:

Hello Venson:

I highlighted the part in parens to make it stand out.  I and every bagged vacuum consumer I talk with wholeheartedly agrees with you.  Looking at the bagless vacuum's dirt and/or dirty bin [even after dumping], whether it's stored away, and/or in use around the house is a huge eye sore.

Carmine D.

Well Trebor the story is different in the UK. Currently most high street shops are all selling bagless uprights, cylinders and hand helds whilst bagged models are being limited in the availability. Panasonic in the UK still sell bagless and bagged models but it seems to be bagless which is cheaper to buy (Hoover UK produce the dreadful DustManager series to rip off consumers, evident on both consumer sites and Which? for example). At the end of the day given that hospitals still use bagged vacuums I'd go for what they are using in a healthy environment and that's one reason alone to why I prefer bagged vacuums. I have cheap bagged vacs that do a good job just as well as premium brands and as Carmine says, the bagless idea has been around far longer than Dyson.