Buyer’s Guides, Tips & More

An upright keeps the cleaning head and main body together. A canister separates the body from the wand and floorhead with a hose. That simple difference changes how you turn, reach, carry and store the vacuum—but it does not make either format automatically better at cleaning.

Start with your floor plan and the tasks that frustrate you most. Then compare the actual floorhead, tools and controls on the models you are considering. Bagged versus bagless is a separate decision: both upright and canister designs can use bags.

Choosing a SEBO upright is easier when you start with the cleaning experience you want. Do you prefer a vacuum that adjusts its brush height automatically? Do you want swivel steering and a separate hard-floor head? Or do you value...