If you buy a corded vacuum, you'll likely find yourself choosing between a canister or upright when purchasing a new vacuum cleaner. Regardless of whether your home is mostly carpeted or covered in hardwood floors, both upright and canister models have their place, with uprights performing best in single-story homes with lots of open space to cover, while canisters tend to be best suited to homes with lots of stairs or smaller, tight spaces.
However, there are also some other factors you'll want to consider when deciding between a canister vacuum and an upright, including the size of your home and your cleaning habits. Here's what you need to know.
What is a canister vacuum?
"Canister vacuums consist of a separate canister unit connected to a long hose and wand," said Pomil Price, a product representative at Dyson. "The canister is pulled behind you as you clean." Because of the bulky and usually fairly static nature of the canister in this style of vacuum, they're not ideal for covering a lot of ground at once. While some vacuums of this type include wheels for the canister portion, they're still not nearly as portable as an upright.
That said, the fact that the hose and wand are separate from the main bulk of the vacuum means it's easy to maneuver them into tight spaces, behind or under furniture or on surfaces above the floor. This makes them ideal for vacuuming bedding, both on top of and under furnishings (or even counters or appliances), and hard to reach areas that you could never wedge an upright into. While the canister may be cumbersome, the flexible hose and lightweight wand mean using attachments is typically easier to use than an upright where everything is fixed to the body.
The Dyson DC47 Animal canister vacuum weighs just 13.84 pounds.
Pros and cons of a canister vacuum
Pros
Canister vacuums are more versatile: They tend to perform better on hardwood than upright vacuums and are far better for vacuuming upholstery, drapes and behind/beneath furniture or appliances.
Lighter than a full upright: Though you'll likely have to move the canister itself around multiple times if you're cleaning an entire room or home, the wand and hose themselves are much lighter than an upright, and much more maneuverable.
Better for stairs: If you live in a home with multiple floors or flights of stairs, a canister vacuum may be a better choice, as the flexibility and weight mean that they're much better suited for vacuuming both the stairs themselves as well as underneath them, though it'll be more difficult actually to carry them up the stairs compared with an upright.
Cons
More difficult to store: Because canister vacuums can be slightly bulkier overall and oddly shaped when compared with an upright, and many include attachments that aren't stored on the body of the vacuum, they can take up more room when storing them.
Disposal may fill up quickly: While canister vacuums have separate cups for detritus, they're often smaller than those on upright vacuums, meaning you may have to dump them more frequently.
Has to be frequently moved: If you're cleaning a larger space, you'll find yourself either carrying the canister around with one hand the entire time, which can be awkward, or forced to continually move the canister body to keep up.
What is an upright vacuum?
Instead of a distinct canister body and wand/attachments, an upright vacuum is a single unit. "Upright vacuums are a single unit with the motor and dustbin integrated into the main body," Price said. "You push the entire unit in front of you," meaning there's no awkwardly toting the canister body around or constantly relocating it while you clean.
The advantages of an upright become clear when you need to address a bigger area. "[U]prights are generally easier to maneuver on carpets and large areas due to their design," Price said. "They're also often easier to store as they stand upright on their own." Because of the vertical design and smaller footprint, they take up less overall room than a canister. Also, unlike most standard canisters, upright vacuums are usually equipped with powerful brush heads.
Pros and cons of an upright vacuum
Pros
Better for large and single-story homes: Uprights are much easier to move around large, open floors, making them suitable for bigger homes, particularly those that don't include a lot of stairs that require frequent attention. Some uprights are even self-propelled, offsetting some of their additional weight.
Uprights are better for carpet: According to Pomil Price at Dyson, upright vacuums tend to have better suction and motorized brush heads, making them a better fit for deep pile carpeting, or any home with more carpet than hardwood.
Attachments can fill in gaps in functionality: While a standard upright isn't well suited for tight spaces or vacuuming surfaces above the floor, many come with a suite of attachments that make them more versatile. Some include a detachable hose that makes them operate closer to the way a canister model does, including wands to allow you to get into harder to reach places or brushes for vacuuming bedding or upholstery.
Cons
Uprights are heavier: Compared with canister vacuums, uprights tend to be heavier, which means lugging them up and down stairs or even pushing them around larger homes can be a workout. Some of this issue is alleviated by self-propelling models, however.
Prone to tipping over: While a detachable hose is nice for getting into tight spaces, uprights can be prone to toppling over while you're using attachments, which can be a pain or even cause damage to the vacuum.
Awkward for smaller spaces: Getting into corners, under or behind furniture, or vacuuming stairs can be difficult with an upright, and while attachments can help, they don't match the versatility of a canister, particularly for vacuuming beneath furnishings.
Canister vs. Upright Vacuum: Which one should you choose?
Ultimately, whether a canister or upright vacuum is best for your home will come down to two major considerations: the size of your home and how you clean.
According to Price, both configurations have their strengths: "Upright vacuums are great for large carpeted areas and tend to be easier to store, but they do lack some of the versatility of canister vacuums. Canisters are generally easy to use for a variety of different surfaces, and better at getting into those hard-to-reach places." If you find yourself vacuuming lots of pet hair off your bedding, or other off-the-floor vacuum scenarios, a canister may be the better fit.
For larger homes, particularly those with lots of open spaces and carpeting, an upright vacuum is a far superior choice for most. Constantly carrying or moving a canister vacuum in open spaces is a pain and can stretch out the time it takes to vacuum an area exponentially. Uprights are also better for those that like to clean entire rooms (or vacuum their entire home) all in one pass, because of how efficient they are at covering larger areas.
On the other hand, those whose space is divided vertically in multi-story homes may prefer a canister vacuum, particularly because of how much easier it is to address stairs themselves. Canister vacuums are also great for anyone who tends to spot clean more frequently than doing complete passes through a room. Also, anyone struggling with issues like lots of pet hair on bedding or upholstery, or who frequently finds themselves vacuuming up dust bunnies in corners or their drapes, may find that a canister vacuum is a better option.
Are canister vacuums more powerful than upright vacuums?
Ultimately, the difference in power between a canister and upright vacuum will depend on the specific manufacturer and model. Generally speaking, the powerful difference tends to be fairly marginal; while some canister vacuums afford more space for larger motors, the basic design of uprights means that some uprights actually have better suction.
Which type of vacuum works best for hardwood floors?
A canister vacuum is often the better choice for hardwood due to its light weight, maneuverability and variety of attachments. Some specialized attachments available with canister models are gentler on hardwood and can clean with less chance of scratching or otherwise damaging the surface.