New technology or an old standard: choosing the right vacuum cleaner

Need a new vacuum cleaner? With so many vacuums on the market today it's hard to choose. However, all considerations regarding bells and whistles aside, your choices these days will generally come down to bagged or bagless. Which is best? Let's do some comparisons. Price is the first concern in the consumers mind and, truthfully, bagged vacuum cleaners are typically cheaper. You can purchase one for 49.99 brand new off the shelf. These models use bags (usually attached to the back of the handle) to store dust, dirt, and debris. The bags themselves range in price from 2-4 dollars depending on which vacuum you have and when the bag is full you simply detach it and throw it out--though, as everyone knows, changing a vacuum cleaner bag can be a sooty affair. Bagless systems, by definition, avoid such mess; however, they are a little more expensive to buy in the beginning. Base models of bagless vacs can be purchased for around $80.00 and do not require the use and changing of a bag. But they are not maintenance free either. Most bagless vacuums have a filter, or filter system, that requires occasional cleaning and, eventually, changing. How much do the filters cost? This is where the true cost of a bagless system becomes revealed. Filters run from 19.99 up to 39.99 depending on the model. Luckily, though, most filters will last through many fills of the canister and may only need to be changed once per year, if even that frequently. Of course, there are other considerations that come into play when choosing between a bagged or bagless system. For instance, convenience. Emptying the canister of a bagless system is far and away simpler and more convenient than detaching a bag. And for asthmatics and individuals with allergies, it's safer as well. As we mentioned, the changing of a bag can release a fair amount of dust and dirt into the air, a clear no-no for those who have a respiratory-related illness. How effective and "safe" is a bagless system? This is clearly a selling point as most bagless vacs will remove over 99 percent of dust and allergens from the air. Which type of vacuum cleaner should you purchase? It many cases, it will probably boil down to convenience and personal preference. For most individuals, the 30 dollar jump in price from a bagged system to a bagless system may seem very reasonable when you consider the advantages that come with bagless cleaners: no bags to change and, straight to the point, cleaner air. However, if budget concerns are preeminent in your considerations, the standard bag vacuum may simply be the best choice.