tomamal

You cannot pass a general judgement as to which vacuum is better than another. Each performs well if put to use for the purpose for which it has been manufactured. While the light weight vacuums are easy to move, they have limited suction power; the heavier machines, though a little inconvenient in moving around, come with high suction power. While there are vacuums which are designed to clean pet hair, others are good on carpet cleaning. Hence, depending on your requirements and your abilities, choose a vacuum that suits your requirements.

Lot of factors to be considered before choosing a vacuum cleaner. Is your house big?, What type of flooring? Hardwood, tiled, carpeted?. Do you have pets? Are there many members in the family?. All these factors would decide on the type of vac you buy. A big house with many rooms would mean a vacuum that has high suction and a wide cleaning path to save on cleaning effort and time. Hardwood flooring or tiled flooring - canisters would be a better choice. On carpets, uprights would work easier. Before buying, read opinions or reviews of members who are using the particular model. Look for manufacturer's warranty and manual. Wish you a happy hunting!!

RHalfax, from your post, I understand that the main reason for your considering a backpack vac, is to avoid strain caused by leaning over. But these days, you do get advanced models of both upright and canister vacuums which do not require bending over as they have all the controls conveniently positioned on the handle and the movements are motorized to cause less strain.