Top 10 Best Cylinder Vacuum Cleaners Comparison

More compact, lightweight and wider radius than other types of hoovers.

Top 10 Best Cylinder Vacuum Cleaners

A cylinder vac, also known as the canister vac, has good suction power and does a great job at hoovering almost anything with their compact bodies and long stretch hoses.

There are a wide range of models available on the market, with bagless types now being by far the most popular option due to their advanced filtration technology and the added ease of not having to purchase separate bags. Here are 10 of the best cylinder vacuum cleaners. You can also read our reviews of these vacs here.

Looking for a powerful vacuum that’s better for your back? Then take a look at our best upright vacuums instead.

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Miele
C2 Cat & Dog

Miele
C2 Powerline

Numatic Henry
HVR200-12

Miele
C3 Cat & Dog

Bosch
BGL3ALLGB

Numatic Henry
NRV200C2

Miele
C3 Powerline

Miele
C1 Powerline

Hoover
SE71WR01

Zanussi
Compact Power
 










Our Rating
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Our Rating
CarpetsCarpets
Hard FloorsHard Floors
Pet HairPet Hair
Power1200 watts1200 watts620 watts1200 watts800 watts580 watts1600 watts1400 watts700 watts1400 wattsPower
Capacity4.5 litres4.5 litres9 litres4.5 litres4 litres9 litres4.5 litres4.5 litres1.5 litres1 litreCapacity
BaglessBagless
FilterAirCleanAirCleanHEPAAirCleanHygieneHEPAAirCleanAirCleanWashableWashableFilter
HoseN/AN/A2.4mN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A1.5mN/AHose
Power Cord6.5m10m10m7.5m7m12.5m11m5.5m5m5mPower Cord
EnergyClassDGADCCGFAFEnergyClass
Tools Included• Hose
• Floor Head
• Pet Turbo Brush
• Stainless Steel Telescopic Tube
• Crevice Tool
• Dusting Brush
• Upholstery Tool
• HyClean FJM Dustbag
• Crevice Tool
• Dusting Brush
• Upholstery Tool
• Telescopic Tube
• Hose
• Floor Head
• GN Dustbag
• 2.4m Threaded Hose
• Stainless Steel Tube Bend with Volume Control
• Steel Extension Tube
• Double Taper Adaptor
• 240mm Crevice Tool
• 65mm Dusting Brush
• 150mm Upholstery Tool
• 150mm Slide on Brush
• 2.9cm Combi Floor Tool
• Dustbag
• Hose
• Floor Head
• Pet Turbo Brush
• Stainless Steel Telescopic Tube
• Crevice Tool
• Dusting Brush
• Upholstery Tool
• HyClean GN Dustbag
• Hose
• Telescopic Tube
• Crevice Tool
• Upholstery Tool
• Floor Head
• 1.9m Nuflex Threaded Hose
• Double Taper Hose / Tool Adaptor
• 32mm Aluminium Extension Tube
• 32mm O/D Aluminium Tube Bend with Volume Control
• Crevice & Dusting Brush
• Hose
• Stainless Steel Telescopic Tube
• Crevice Tool
• Dusting Brush
• Upholstery Tool
• Floor Head
• HyClean 3D Efficiency GN Dustbag
• Hose
• Floor Head
• 2-Piece Tube
• Crevice Tool
• Dusting Brush
• Upholstery Tool
• HyClean GN Dustbag
• Hose
• Carpet & Hard Floor Nozzle
• Telescopic Extension Tube
• 2-in-1 Crevice Tool & Dusting Brush
• Hose
• Telescopic Tube
• Combination Crevice Tool & Dusting Brush
• Upholstery Tool
• Floor Head
• 2 x Dustbags
Tools Included
Dimensions32 x 59 x 37 cm38 x 59 x 27.5 cm34 x 37 x 36 cm32 x 59 x 38 cm28.7 x 40 x 26 cm38 x 55.3 x 39.1 cm38 x 59 x 32 cm24 x 57.6 x 38.7 cm26 x 26 x 38 cm22 x 33 x 28 cmDimensions
Weight6 kg6 kg8 kg5.4 kg4.3 kg4.6 kg5.4 kg4.3 kg3.8 kg4.4 kgWeight
Warranty2 years2 years2 years2 years1 year1 year2 years2 years1 year1 yearWarranty
Price**CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE****CHECK PRICE**Price

Top Features | Best Cylinder Vacuum Cleaners

  • Our Rating – This is based on our own research in product testing and user feedback. Clicking on each product takes you to retailer’s product page where you can read reviews on the cylinder vacuum you’re interested in.
  • Best Value / Top Rated – Products that we consider to excel in a certain area such as value for money, reputation or technology have been given one of our aforementioned labels of recognition.
  • Carpets – Is it suitable for cleaning carpets?
  • Hard Floors – Is it suitable for cleaning hard floors?
  • Pet Hair – Is it effective at cleaning pet hair? Certain upright vacuum cleaners either have a specialised brush roll or/and includes tools to help remove pet hair.
  • Air Watts – This directly relates to the suction power of the handheld vacuum. The higher the amount of air watts, the more suction power it has.
  • Capacity – How many litres of waste can the vacuum’s dustbin or dustbag hold before you have to empty it?
  • Bagless – Does it require a dustbag to store waste?
  • Energy Class – All new vacuum cleaners since September 2014 are required to display an energy label for the purpose of allowing the buyer to assess the potential costs of energy consumption and its efficiency. Among other information displayed on this label are the noise levels, pick-up performance and filtration.
  • Filter – What type of filter does the vacuum have? Certain models have a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arrestance) filter which is designed to trap tiny particles that trigger allergy and asthma symptoms.
  • Price – If you want to know the price of any of the models, just click on the Buy Now button or Check Price and you’ll be redirected to the product page. The reason we don’t put prices is because they constantly change and there are so many sellers offering different prices.

Looking for a powerful vacuum that’s better for your back? Then take a look at our best upright vacuums instead.

Numatic Henry Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner
The ‘Henry’ cylinder vacuum cleaner is Numatic’s world most famous model. There’s also a female version named ‘Hetty’.

How to Buy the Best Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

Cylinder vacuum cleaners tend not to be as popular here in the UK (uprights are usually the norm in the UK, with those on the continent preferring cylinders), but don’t let that put you off. They’re typically smaller than upright vacuum cleaners; they have an almost horizontal dust compartment and are dragged along the floor behind you as you clean.

A cylinder vacuum cleaner may well be the best option to suit your requirements, perhaps because of their compact size in comparison to their bulky upright counterparts.

This article aims to equip you with the knowledge needed to select the best cylinder vacuum cleaner for your needs. When reading different cylinder vacuum cleaner reviews, there are a number of factors and features that must be considered when buying a product that will best meet your needs.

It’s worth noting that some features can only be added at the expense of others, for example, if you’ve chosen to buy a cylinder vacuum cleaner because they’re lightweight, you can’t expect to buy one with a massive dustbin because it is this feature which can significantly increase the weight.

Similarly, you needn’t assume that in order to get dog hair off the carpet you need to buy an upright model – just make sure to check cylinder vacuum cleaner reviews from real users to make sure that the model you’re interested in is effective at picking up pet fur.

You may have to make compromises – for example, a noisier model in exchange for a more powerful suction rate so make your choice wisely.

Things to Consider

Cost

Cost can be the most important factor if you’re on a budget. Bagless cylinder vacuum cleaners tend to be lower than their upright counterparts, and can be picked up for under £100, although a cheaper model may not be as effective or last as long (you can expect one to last between 7 and 10 years) as one that is around the £200 mark.

Flooring

When looking at cylinder vacuum cleaner reviews, look to see which type of flooring it has been engineered to perform best on – if your floors are predominantly wooden, look for a machine that is designed for them.

Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner Radius
Cylinder vacuum cleaners typically have a wider radius of cleaning than other hoovers.

Weight & Reach

One of the main reasons consumers pick cylinder vacuum cleaners over upright ones is that they tend to be lighter and easier to move around. If this factor is instrumental in your purchasing decision, make sure to compare the weight – they range from between 4.3kg and 8kg.

If you have large rooms, you will need to take the reach of the cylinder into consideration – you don’t want to have to keep unplugging your cylinder and plugging it in elsewhere. The average reach of a bagless cylinder vacuum cleaner is 10.1 metres, but it is definitely advised that you check the reach before making a purchase.

Individual requirements

Cylinder vacuum cleaners are especially suited to people living in small houses or flats since they are very manoeuvrable and can easily fit behind cabinets and under furniture. They are compact and can be easily stowed away in a cupboard. You may also want to consider one if you need to vacuum tricky places such as stairs or the interior of your car on a regular basis.

Capacity

This is really just a personal preference – how much time do you want to spend emptying the dust out of your vacuum cleaner? In general, the capacity of bagless cylinder vacuum cleaners ranges from 1-4 litres.

If you have a large house or don’t want to empty the dust out very often, you might prefer to select a vacuum cleaner with a large dust capacity, however, this would mean you would need to purchase a larger machine, which would be heavier, less easy to manoeuvre and bulkier (thus making it more difficult to store).

Accessories

Cylinder vacuum cleaners often come with a crevice tool to allow access to hard to reach places such as between sofa cushions and in tight crevices, such as between kitchen appliances. There are also cylinders available with tools for cleaning upholstery and curtains, as well as dusting brushes.

Power/wattage

Contrary to popular belief, wattage does not have too much impact on the suction power of a vacuum cleaner, so it’s unwise to make the assumption that a higher wattage ensures a more effective product.

In fact, there is a combination of various factors which all contribute to the effectiveness of the cleaner.

Some of these factors are:

  1. The design of both the motor and the cylinder
  2. The shape of the vacuum head
  3. How well the vacuum is maintained, for example, whether or not the dust container is regularly emptied and how often the filters are cleaned

Instead of gauging performance by the wattage, look instead at other methods of performance measurement, such as suction meters and independent cylinder vacuum cleaner reviews.

Since an EU ruling that no vacuum cleaner can have an input power level above 1600w and annual energy consumption of less than 62kWH (kilowatt-hour), to ensure that all vacuum cleaners are as energy efficient as possible.

Noise levels

The volume of a vacuum cleaner will be of more importance to some than others. If you live in a terrace or vacuum at unsociable hours, it might be something worth taking into consideration.

In general, cylinder vacuum cleaners are quieter than uprights, but that doesn’t automatically mean they’re all quiet – they vary a lot from model to model. Some vacuum cleaners are almost 90 decibels (which is only a little quieter than a hand drill), whilst others are almost silent – around 65 decibels.

Filters

If you, or anyone in your household, suffer from asthma and/or allergies, it will be beneficial for you to check the filters of the cylinder vacuum cleaners available. The filtration determines how many dust particles will be released into the air from the vacuum exhaust.

HEPA or S-class filters are considered to be the most effective at trapping even the smallest allergy-causing particles. Other options are Stage filters or charcoal filters (effective at combating pet odour). Consider a lifetime filter if you don’t want to spend much time on the upkeep of your cylinder vacuum cleaner (HEPA lifetime filters are also an option).

Here is a video of the iconic Numatic Henry cylinder vac in action.

What are the benefits of using a cylinder vacuum cleaner?

  • They tend to take up less space than an upright and can be safely stored away on a cupboard shelf. Even the awkward pipes can be detached and laid next the body. A cord rewind feature is also standard on most models, so any wires are safely hidden away.
  • Lightweight models are available, making them ideal for older people or for anyone that needs to transport them for example if you wanted to clean the interior of your car. This is also a benefit for people with multi-level houses, as it’s easier and safer to carry them up and downstairs.
  • The long hose enables them to reach tighter spaces than uprights, and they are generally more easily manoeuvrable. Areas such as stairs can be difficult to access with an upright vacuum cleaner, since the accessories hose that comes attached typically doesn’t stretch far enough, meaning that you have to tackle the stairs from both the top and the bottom. This could prove dangerous, as a heavy upright could fall on someone and injure them. It also means the task can be completed more quickly.
  • Cylinder vacuum cleaners tend to be lower in price than uprights.
  • The revolving head of upright vacuum cleaners is not particularly efficient at cleaning wooden floors, so if a large proportion of your floor is wooden, you would be better off getting a cylinder. The best cylinder vacuum cleaners are suitable for use on a wide range of surfaces: carpet, hardwood floors, laminate flooring and rugs, as well as upholstery. They are particularly useful if you have various flooring types in one room.
  • They have a longer reach and wide cleaning radius because the suction head is separate from the body of the machine. This can make vacuuming quicker.
  • They can be much quieter than uprights, important if you tend to do your cleaning early in the morning or late at night.
  • You can operate and retract the cords on them without having to bend down – this combined with their low weight makes them ideal for people with back or knee problems. If you do suffer from such issues, it’s also worth noting that whilst you push an upright vacuum cleaner, you pull a cylinder.

The most effective way to decide which is the best cylinder vacuum cleaner for you is to compare various models using the criteria outlined above and compare the product specifications with user reviews. Rank the criteria so that you know what you definitely require and what cannot be compromised on and what you’re willing to overlook.

Miele Powerline Best Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner
The Miele Powerline is one of the best cylinder vacuums, renowned for its powerful suction power and energy efficiency.

Do you have pets?

Dog and cat hair can be difficult to remove with a regular cylinder vacuum cleaner since they typically don’t use the motorised brush bars that uprights use. However, some cylinder vacuum cleaners have been specifically designed to pick up pet hair and are very efficient at it – the best way to find out which are the most efficient is by reading our cylinder vacuum cleaner reviews.

It is also worth considering getting a charcoal filter for your cylinder vacuum cleaner if you have pets because they are very effective at eliminating animal odour.

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