Pros and cons of bagged vs. bagless vacuums (2024)

When it comes to the argument of bag vs. bagless vacuums, there really aren’t significant differences. Many high performance, reliable brands offer several reasonable and effective baggedand bagless systems. Youshould consider your own needs and choose a model that works best for you depending on your family’s lifestyle and your home cleaning habits.

A good vacuum can be a game-changer for anyone who suffers from seasonal allergies. But if you’re using a bagless vacuum that leaks and spews more fine, small dust and debris than it picks up, you could be doing yourself more harm than good.

While bagless vacuums can be lighter, cheaper, and less hassle, it’s the bag vacuums that really trap and contain more dirt, and emptying them releases less dust into the air and back into your face. With bagless vacuums you can save money by not having to buy bags, but these use interior and exterior filters that need to be periodically cleaned or replaced. This can be a challenge as many bagless owners are unaware of the inner filters and fail to change them.

Here is an overview of what you should know before you buy a new vacuum cleaner.

Bag Vacuum Cleaners

Pros

• Replacement bags are easy to find online or in our stores.
• The better quality inner bags usually supply better filtration.
• Dust comes up into the machine from the floor in most bag vacuums and gets dumped directly into the inner bag. No high pressure to cause leaks.
• The inner bag is a great filter (HEPA) usually.
• If anything gets out of the inner bag it is trapped by the outer bag/filter.
• If the inside of your outer bag is dirty you know the inner bag is leaking.
• When your bag is full usually 2-3 months YOU TAKE IT OUT AND IT AUTOMATICALLY SEALS SO NO DUST GOES INTO YOUR FACE OR BACK INTO THE AIR. It is sealed and the dirt goes out of your home without spewing back into the room or your face.

Cons

• You will have to buy replacement bags.
• Most vacuum cleaner bags are not reusable and need to be replaced regularly.
• The vacuum is less effective when the bag is full as suction is reduced. Change your bags every 2-3 months for peak suction power.

Bagless Vacuum Cleaners

Pros

• No need to worry about keeping bags on hand or where to find more.
• There is no extra expense for buying bags.
• If your bagless vacuum has a clear cylinder or tray, it’s cool to actually see all of the dust and dirt particles swirling around in the dust cylinder under high pressure.

Cons

• You just can’t get far enough away from the canister when you are dumping it into the trash, (hopefully outside and not in the kitchen – the dust goes everywhere).
• Your arms aren’t long enough to keep your face out of the nasty dust as it goes into the trash.
• Want evidence? As you vacuum, you can often see the dust particles floating in the sunrays after you vacuum in front of a window.
• The highspeed dirt and dust spinning – small particles always find a way to leak and get out. It’s high pressure with good suction, right?
• Bagless vacuums can require additional filters. They are costly and most people don’t clean or change them. If you don’t clean or change these filters, the vacuum loses suction.

Whatever you choose, the experts at David’s Vacuums will help you select the right vacuum cleaner for your home. Come into any of our stores nationwide and our team will help you try out any vacuum in our inventory before you buy it.