Bagged vs Bagless Vacuum: The Vacuum Debate
Whether you prefer a bagged vacuum or a bagless vacuum, I’m sharing why both are great (and why they sometimes aren’t). Plus, some Hip2BeHome sidekicks share what type of vacuums they use in their homes and why they love them so much!
Bagless vacuums
Pros of bagless vacuums:
- You don’t need to buy vacuum bags.
- Eco-friendly since you aren’t constantly replacing bags.
- Designed with new technology and more features.
- You can see the dirt it’s picking up, so knowing when to empty is easier.
- The vacuum won’t lose suction the fuller the chamber gets.
- More modern and sleek which make them more appealing to look at.
- Easy to dispose of debris.
Cons of bagless vacuums:
- Tend to spread a cloud of dust into the air when emptied.
- Not the best option for allergies.
- Holds less debris.
- More difficult to keep clean.
- The filters are not cheap to replace and normally cannot be washed.
- Filters can clog easily and cause the vacuum to lose suction.
Some of our favorite top-rated, bagless vacuums:
I searched different types of popular vacuum features with strictly high ratings across the board.
For Best Overall, I found a mid-price, highly-rated option with some bells and whistles. Budget-friendly is still a high-rated vacuum at a very affordable cost. Best for Allergies is the highest rated vacuum that eliminates the most amount of allergins in the air.
Best Overall – Shark Rotator Professional Upright Bagless Vacuum with Lift-Away Hand Vacuum and Anti-Allergy Seal
Budget-Friendly – Bissell 9595A CleanView Bagless Vacuum with OnePass
Best for Allergies – Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2 Upright Vacuum Cleaner Yellow
Bagged vacuums
Pros of bagged vacuums:
- Best for people with allergies.
- Put less dust in the air when changing the bags.
- Easier to keep clean.
- Slightly better for sucking up pet hair based on their design.
- Less likely to get clogged.
- Don’t have expensive filters that need to be replaced.
- Less maintenance since bags hold more and don’t need to be changed as often.
Cons of bagged vacuums:
- Changing the bags can be a hassle.
- Disposable bags add to the cost.
- Looks older and less modern.
- Loses suction as the disposable bag gets full.
Some of our favorite top-rated, bagged vacuums:
I searched different types of popular vacuum features with strictly high ratings across the board.
For Best Overall, I found a mid-price, highly-rated option with some bells and whistles. Budget-friendly is still a high-rated vacuum at a very affordable cost. Best for Allergies is the highest rated vacuum that eliminates the most amount of allergins in the air.
Best Overall – Oreck Commercial, Professional Upright Vacuum Cleaner, U2000RB1
Budget-Friendly – Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Pet Bagged Upright Vacuum Cleaner, UH30310
Best for Allergies – Kenmore Elite 31150 Pet-Friendly Bagged Upright Vacuum
So what’s the Hip2BeHome team verdict?
Bagged Vacuum Fans Said…
“I’m old school. I’ve tried the more expensive vacuums, and they’ve always crapped out on me. I’ve had 2 Bissels in the last 10 years. They aren’t pretty to look at, but they are total beasts! They just keep going and going and going!” – Tracy
“I used to have a cleaning business, and sometimes the clients would want me to use their fancy vacuums. And while I would do what they wanted, I never thought they worked nearly as well.” – Jessica
“I, personally, think I have the best, bagged vacuum. I’ve had Dysons, I but really like commercial grade bagged vacuums better. They are seriously the best and have never failed me!” – Michelle
“I’ve had the same Kenmore bagged canister vacuum for nearly 30 years, and it outperforms any bagless vacuum I’ve tried! I really like the ease and concept of a bagless, but I prefer the performance of a bagged vacuum.” – Jamie
“I’m a Bagged Vacuum Owner ALL THE WAY. Way more sanitary in my opinion, and no need to clean the nasty vacuum like you have to do with bagless. I LOVE my Oreck! “ – Collin
“I love our Oreck vacuum with that comes with bags! We’ve owned it for about ten years or so, and I think the performance is high-quality. I also don’t mind changing the bags.” – Lina
Bagless Vacuum Fans Said…
“I never really cared for bagged vacuums, and I love my Dyson, so I think it’s easy to say I’m a bagless girl!” – Amber R.
“I own a bagless vacuum, and it’s always done a great job for us! I never even gave a second thought to purchasing a bagged vacuum since they’re not marketed like bagless ones. I do feel good about the eco-friendly aspect though, and I love that I can wash my filter to save on costs.” – Sara
“I prefer bagless vacuums. I have pets, and with all the hair, my canister seems to fill up so quickly, so I need the vacuum to be convenient for the constant emptying I need to do.” – Angela
“I like my bagless as it seems to be one less thing to fool with or have to remember to do! However, I’ve never used a bagged vacuum.” – Amber S.
“We love our bagless to help cut down on the costs of purchasing bags. Plus, it’s eco-friendly.” – Alyssa
“We are a bagless vacuum home over here! We have two vacuums, a Shark Navigator and an Arnica stick vacuum. Both have amazing power, and I love that I don’t have to change a bag.” – Stacy
The verdict? Bagged vacuums – 6 vs. Bagless vacuums – 6
Our team ended up being a tie! Half of us love our tried and true bagged vacuums, while the other half love our eco-friendly bagless ones. What I find most interesting? Many of our sidekicks who love their bagless vacuum cleaners have never actually tried a bagged vacuum!
Enough about us, though! What type of vacuum do you have at home?
Let me know in the comments below!
How about the water vacuums? I’ve never had one but have family and friends that have the “Rainbow” vacuum. All of the dust goes into a water canister, this makes for allergy free vacuuming!
How neat! Thanks a bunch for the suggestion, Katy! I think my house needs one for sure! We’ll be sure to look into those too!
they are incredibly disgusting in my opinion. my mother in law paid 1800$ for hers, you fill it with water, you vacuum and the dirt goes into a water canister that is filled with water and then you have to find somewhere to dump it, or if you are lazy like my husband and father in law you don’t dump it and a few days later it smells like death and decay
I can’t imagine why anyone would want a bagless vacuum. After I have vacuumed up filth, I DON’T want to see it again, let alone have to handle it! (And is there anything dustier/filthier than vacuum receptacle contents?) UGH.
That’s true! I never thought of it that way. I have always had a bagless vacuum, but I’m thinking my next one will be bagged for sure! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!
Bagless all the way! We have two English Springer Spaniels. They shed a ton. I could literally vacuum every day with them. With all the hair they lose, there is no way we could fathom a bagged vacuum. Every time we run the vacuum in our home, we have to dump the canister. A bag would have to be changed weekly here. I don’t want that expense. We have a Dyson Animal and love it.
I can totally understand that! My mom has that same issue with her dogs, Beth! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
My son always want to help Grandma with the vacuuming at her house and that means emptying out the bagless canister. Of course, that means that a lot of the dirt empties out all over the floor…so more work to clean it up. That’s why I prefer to have the bagged vacuum at home right now. It’s easier to change the bag less frequently than empty out the canister and then clean up again right after.
Thanks for the helpful comment, Lora! You’re right! When emptying my bagless there is a possibility of making another mess to clean!
I hate my Shark bagless. Two dogs and three kids, I am sick of the cloud of dust when I empty it, it is disgusting. Would love to get a bag one again but have to wait for a great deal or for this one to completely die.
We have had a Dyson for over 10 years and only one. It has never needed a repair. It still does an awesome job of cleaning and the filter is washable. You hold the canister over the trash and pull the trigger and the bottom opens to dump the contents. It does not make a dust cloud. We have a vacuum with a bag at our vacation house and I hate that thing. I think it stinks by the time the bag is full and the bags are expensive. When that one dies it is a Dyson for that house, too.
I have both. A Shark bagless; I empty the canister inside a used shopping bag out on our deck. No mess. Also have a bagged Oreck. Great performance, but it does smell, especially when it gets humid. I love both.
Oh cool! Thanks for the review on each! Very interesting to hear the comparison!
I didn’t know bagged vacuums were still being made.
I bought a Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E from Amazon($97.41 after tax) last year because my mother has owned one for a few years. It also has a button that releases the contents through the bottom of the canister. The two-part filters are hand washable.
I have two shark vacuums and do want to mention I usually have about 3 extra sets of filters at all times. I get the knockoff replacements through Amazon and they fit and work fine. I always sweep when I change trash bags so it is at the bottom and then I can put something over it. I do rewash those filters but seriouslynthe cheap replacement knockoffs on Amazon work just as good as the Shark filters and so much cheaper and you can replace more often or have spares in case you just want to toss your current set.
Thanks for the helpful tip on where you grab your filters, Lee! Good to know they have worked well for you!
I want to comment on Lee’s post. I have a Shark bagless (love it!) and have used both bagged and bagless vacuums. I like to vacuum when it is time to change the trash bag too, but I like to empty the vacuum on top (when I’m about to take the trash out) precisely so I don’t need to worry about covering it. The mess folks reference really isn’t a problem unless you hold the canister up in the air, above the trash bag, when emptying it.
Bagged CON: I have a sensitive nose and found (as others have mentioned) that bagged vacuums can retain smells. I used to use the Carpet Fresh-type powders you sprinkle on the floor precisely so the bag would have THAT smell instead.
Bagless PRO: I also find a strange satisfaction in seeing what I’ve just vacuumed up as it goes out of the bagless canister into the trash! Because of the volume of pet hair, I empty my bagless every time I vacuum. It takes about 30 seconds! It is also way easier to find something that’s been accidentally vacuumed up.