Bag-Less v. Bagged Vacuum Cleaners

When choosing a vacuum cleaner, you must decide on the brand and whether to get an upright or canister model. Once those decisions are made, you must decide on various cleaning features and options. One choice involves deciding whether to purchase a vacuum cleaner with a bag for containing the debris, or a bagless model that gathers the debris in a receptacle. As is the case with most options, there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Bagged vacuum cleaners

Vacuum cleaners that collect the dirt and debris in bags are fairly standard. The advantage of this type of dirt collection method is that you need not come in contact with the contents of the bag. When it is full, merely open the vacuum cleaner, remove and discard the full bag and replace it with a fresh one. The disadvantage is that vacuum cleaner replacement bags grow increasingly expensive, and that makes it more costly to use this type of vacuum cleaner. Because the bags are expensive, you may try to avoid changing the bag, and a bag that is too full can cause the vacuum cleaner to operate less efficiently. In addition, some things that you vacuum up, such as insects or pet fur, may have an unpleasant odor. Each time you use the vacuum cleaner, you smell that odor until you change the bag.

Bagless vacuum cleaners

The other type of vacuum cleaner collects the dirt and debris in a special receptacle that you must empty regularly. While this eliminates the necessity of purchasing replacement bags, the main problem with this type of vacuum is that emptying the receptacle can make a mess. The dirt and dust may billow out or spill as you try to remove the receptacle from the vacuum, and that means that you must clean again. If you have this type of vacuum, it is a good idea to take the vacuum outdoors when the time comes to empty the receptacle.

Bagged and bagless vacuum cleaners both have their pros and cons. With bagless vacuums, you do not have to worry about constantly buying and changing bags, but you must take care when emptying the dirt receptacle. Bagged vacuums offer you the convenience of merely tossing the full bags in the trash, but the bags are expensive. It is really a matter of personal preference, so look at a number of vacuums before you make your decision as to which to buy.