It's spring cleaning season, a time of year when many people are in the market for a new vacuum. But which makes and models are the best?
Consumer Reports, which tests close to 100 vacuums per year, has a good idea of how well vacuums hold up.
"We surveyed nearly 120,000 of our readers who had bought a vacuum in the past five years to see how many had been repaired," said Consumer Reports' Bob Markovich.
Although Hoovers do well in cleaning tests, based on the repair survey Consumer Reports is no longer recommending Hoover uprights.
"Our survey shows that among upright vacuums, there are many more reliable brands than Hoover," Markovich said.
One of those is Kenmore. Consumer Reports named the $400 Kenmore Intuition a best buy. It does a very good job of cleaning.
If you prefer a canister, Consumer Reports' vacuum reliability survey found Electrolux has been the least reliable brand. One in six needed repairs.
But Consumer Reports says Hoover canisters aren't a bad way to go.
"Only Rainbow and Dyson have been more reliable than Hoover among canisters," Markovich said. "And they're more expensive and don't always perform as well."
Consumer Reports recommends the Hoover Platinum bagless canister. At $460, it's a best buy.
And with both the recommended vacuums there's good news for pet owners. The Hoover Platinum bagless canister and the Kenmore Intuition aced Consumer Reports' new tough pet hair tests.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen
