Upright Vs Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner- Which Is Best?


Upright and cylinder are the two categories of vacuum cleaners. But, do you know which one of them is best? Deciding the answer is overwhelming because these vacuums are available in a wide range of makes and models.

A vacuum suitable for carpets might not work well on hard surfaces and vice versa. So, we will take you through all the differences between upright and cylinder vacuum cleaners, which will help you narrow down the models and choose a suitable option.

Upright Vacuums


Upright Vs Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

Great to cover large areas, upright vacuums are lightweight and easy to use. You can stand and clean your house without putting much pressure on the back.

But, such a variant is challenging to use when you are cleaning the stairs. Plus, an upright vacuum cannot reach the areas under low-level furniture.

Most of the uprights comprise many attachments that are helpful to clean hard floors and carpets. However, these models need a significant space to store until and unless they are convertible.

Pros:

  • Easy to use because you push an upright instead of dragging it behind
  • Puts less strain on your back as you don’t have to bend too much
  • Height adjustable for convenient usage
  • Large cleaning head for better coverage
  • Most of the upright is bagless, so you don’t have to worry about the replacements.

Cons:

  • Difficult to store because of bulky dimensions
  • Cannot clean spaces under low furniture
  • Makes more noise as compared to cylinder variants

Cylinder Vacuums


Upright Vs Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

Cylinder vacuums come with lots of valuable attachments useful to clean a wide range of surfaces and materials.

Most of these cleaning devices are available with two types of cleaning heads – a traditional brush and a turbo brush that can easily clean the hard floors and carpet to dig out the dust particles from the deepest corners.

The cylinder vacuums are easy to manoeuvre and are perfect when you want to clean tough to reach areas like the underside of a bed or sofa.

Plus, the long hose is also helpful when you are up for star cleaning, which is challenging using an upright. Most of these cleaning devices are available with foot-operated buttons and a power cord rewinder on the rear.

Pros:

  • Small, compact and hence, easy to store
  • Versatile and can easily clean under the furniture pieces or stairs
  • Powerful suction resulting in better cleaning
  • Lightweight, so easy to carry from one floor to another

Cons:

  • It cannot rotate for 360 degrees
  • Not suitable for users dealing with a bad back
  • Tough to push over thick carpets

Cordless Vacuums


Both upright and cylinder vacuums are available in mains powered and battery dependent versions. However, there are smaller versions of cordless devices that are only useful for quick cleaning. For instance, you can use one of these battery-dependent tools to clean your dining table.

The battery runtime of these vacuums is 20 minutes on average. High-end models can offer up to 45 minutes of backup and even more. But, do not expect a powerful suction from the entry-level models. Plus, you have to keep the battery recharged.

So, such a cleaning tool is easy to use but cannot work as a direct replacement for regular-sized vacuums.

Pros:

  • Very lightweight, compact and easy to use
  • Convenient to store due to small footprint

Cons:

  • A small dust canister, means it cannot cover a significant area at once
  • Cleaning time is restricted due to limited battery backup

Pick An Upright Vacuum If


  • You own a medium to the large-sized house because upright vacuums generally come with a significant cleaning head. So, an upright will cover more area in less time and effort.
  • Most of the furniture in your house is solid without any space under them. Upright models cannot clean the areas beneath of your beds, tables or sofas. Even if an upright a low profile built, it’s not as manoeuvrable as a cylinder variant.
  • You have carpets with deep piles. Some of the upright vacuums are available with turbo brush heads that can easily collect dirt and dust from the deep corners of the carpets. This brush is also perfect for drawing pet hair.
  • An upright might be suitable if you have a variety of carpets types in the house. Only these vacuums give you an option to adjust their cleaning height according to the carpet.
  • You don’t have too many staircases in your house.

Pick A Cylinder If


  • You own a small to medium-sized flat because cylinder vacuums have small cleaning heads, which might take a long time to cover extensive areas.
  • There are a lot of furniture pieces with space beneath them. Cylinder variants are easy to manoeuvre and can easily clean the area under your furniture pieces.
  • The floors are mixed; hardwood, concrete and carpets because cylinder vacuums are perfect for cleaning mixed surfaces.
  • You are running low on storage space
  • You own an office or house with lots of stairs

Pick A Cordless If


You want something lightweight that can be used for spot cleaning. For instance, choose a cordless vacuum if you want to remove pet hair from your bed or kitchen.

These devices are suitable for hard floors but might not work well on carpets.

Final Talk


Now you can understand which is the best upright or cylinder vacuum cleaner according to your requirements. We have discussed both the types, so you can easily decide which one suits your needs.

About Sakibul Islam

Sakibul is a product reviews analyst at the Smart Housekeeping, where he research, compare, review and writes about home appliances, cleaning products and cleaning tips. Prior to joining SH in 2023, he graduated from National University with a Master's degree in business management and accounting.

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