Bagged Vs. Bagless Vacuums: What You Should Know

Over the past few years, bagless vacuums have been steadily increasing in popularity and bagless vacuum manufacturers have been touting the benefits of these vacuums over traditional units because they are supposedly "maintenance-free." However, because bagless vacuum technology is still in the infancy stage, many consumers may not fully understand this technology, and further explanation is needed.

Bagged Vacuums
PROS:
Provide neat disposal of dust and debris.
Offer better performance than bagless vacuums over the life of the unit.

CONS:
Vacuum bags need to be replaced regularly
Dust can sometimes leak out of the bag and exhaust back into the room.

Electric domestic vacuum cleaners have been in production for nearly a century, with early models utilizing pillow cases for bagged collection. Bagged vacuum cleaners are the types of vacuums most people are familiar with - a replaceable bag acts as a filter to trap dirt while allowing air to flow through the bag, and these bags must be replaced when full.

In the past, most vacuum bags were composed of thin, porous paper with a cardboard collar to connect the bag to the vacuum cleaner. Because of the porosity of these bags, smaller dust and dirt particles were sometimes leaked, and if a vacuum had a cloth or vinyl zippered bag, these dust particles could be exhausted back into the air. Vacuums with metal or plastic housing could also result in dust settling on the inside of this type of housing.

However, disposable vacuum bags have fortunately come a long way in the past decade or so, as most manufacturers are now designing 3 ply or more bags with a cotton liner that filters far better than just standard paper alone. Some manufacturers even make vacuum bags that are composed of materials other than paper, such as spun cotton, and these types of vacuum bags have even greater filtration abilities. In addition, most modern vacuum bags have a cardboard or plastic enclosure which allows you to cover the hole in the bag before disposal, and this helps prevent dust from leaking back out.

Bagless Vacuums
PROS:
Bagless vacuums do not require replacement bags.

CONS:
Use filters for the exhausting air, and these still need to be replaced.
Regular maintenance will need to be performed on the dust collecting bin and filter to ensure proper performance.

Like the name suggests, a bagless vacuum is a type of vacuum cleaner that does not require a separate collection bag inside, as it is designed in such a way that dirt is collected in a compartment within the vacuum and can be emptied directly into the garbage. As such, bagless manufacturers often claim that bagless vacuums are cost-effective because there is no need to purchase separate bags.

Modern bagless vacuums are generally of the Filtered Cyclonic style. In order to remove dust and debris from the carpet, bagless vacuums use this cyclonic technology to separate particulates from the main air stream, and these are later deposited into the clear, plastic dust compartment. Unfortunately, the problem with cyclonic technology lies in the fact that only large dirt and debris particles are removed, and that fine dirt can sometimes exhaust back into the room. To overcome this one caveat, all bagless vacuums utilize filters to capture these smaller, hard-to-capture particulates. Therefore, while it may be true that over a number of years, substantial savings could be had from using a bagless vacuum, as it can eliminate the need to purchase vacuum bags, replacement filters are still a necessary expense, and these can cost upwards of $50 per filter and should be changed every year.

Those contemplating purchasing a bagless vacuum should also keep in mind that in addition to disposing the dirt inside the dirt compartment, you may have to periodically wash the dirt cup inside the vacuum from time and even unclog the cyclonic filter cup. Also, when the bagless vacuum is filled with dirt and needs to be emptied, this should only be done outside, as dumping the container elsewhere may result in the re-spreading of dirt within your home.

Ultimately, whether a vacuum cleaner uses a bagless filter or disposable bags, all of these will need to be replaced at some point, and you should expect to spend the same amount of money on either collection system for filters or bags in the average life of a vacuum.