Pros & Cons of a Bagged vs. Bagless Vacuum

Being the owner of a vacuum cleaner store, I also wear the hat of "buyer." I decide what brands and types of vacuums the store will carry.

Being in the industry for 18 years, I have seen the pro and cons to bagged and bagless vacuums. I will get right into it...

Bagless Pros:

1. Instant gratification: Vacuuming in general gives you this, but with bagless vacuums the satisfaction of seeing the dirt you have picked up is pretty cool.

2. You don't have to buy bags. You will never worry about running out of bags or the cost of bags.

...and that's all the pros...really...

Cons:

1. Instant gratification: you have to see all the dirt you just picked up. That's gross.

2. You may not have to buy bags, but you will have to clean and buy filters. The cost of filters and the time it takes to clean them exceeds the cost of most bags for vacuums.

3. Bagless vacuums have a low dirt capicity. Bagged vacuums hold way more dirt in their bags, than bagless vacuums do in their dirt cups. 4. If you have allergies, a bagless vacuum is the WORST type of vacuum for you to choose. These vacuums actually will begin to leak dust and dirt over time with temperature changes and environment changes. Emptying a bagless is also terrible for your allergies.

5. Emptying a bagless vacuum is dirty and bad for everyone; allergy sufferers and non allergy sufferer alike. Every time you empty a bagless vacuum, the dust and dirt is getting back into the air you breath. It's actually painful. Many manufactures have tried to design a smart way to dump a bagless vacuum dirt cup, but I have yet to find one that has solved this problem.

How about bagged? I carry mostly bagged vacuums at Vac MD and for good reasons, here are the pros:

1. Cleaner and healthier. Bagged vacuums are better for allergy sufferers and those who don't suffer from allergies. Bags are part of the vacuum's filtration.

2. Less maintenance, you won't have to clean your filters and dirt cups because bags typically trap and capture 99% of the dust and dirt. Some bagged vacuums will have extra HEPA filters for the smaller particulates or motor exhaust filtration, but those filters won't effect the performance as much as the dirty filters on a bagless vacuum will.

3. Bag hold more dirt. In some cases, bags will hold 10-20 times more dirt than a bagless vacuum.

Cons:

1. Running out of bags is a bummer. There are times where you may run out of bags...but don't worry, if you bought your vacuum from Vac MD we stock all bags for the models we carry all the time!

With all this said, I do have some bagless models. Most of my bagless are cordless stick vacs, but Miele does make an excellent bagless vacuum, and if you must get a bagless, then go with the Miele Blizzard.

If you care about your health and the health of your family, it's best to stick with a bagged vacuum. It's not always good to believe the advertising and hype! You use a bag in your garbage can, why wouldn't you use a bag in your vacuum? #bagsarebetter