Should You Get a Bagged or Bagless Vacuum Cleaner? Pros and Cons.

You might think that you can head to the market or home appliances shop to buy a vacuum cleaner because you feel you know what you want. But you will be surprised when you are confronted with different choices, starting from whether to buy a bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner. While both types are similar in that they suck dirt from your floors, their major difference is in the method of disposal when it has accumulated dirt to capacity. And though this might seem like a simple difference, it is actually the foundation of what serves as the pros and cons of both types of the appliance.

Before we proceed to help you decide whether to purchase a bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner, let us look at the two types.

A bagged vacuum cleaner comes with a bag that has to be replaced when full while the bagless vacuum cleaner comes with a dirt cup or chamber that can be emptied when full. Just before you feel like this information is enough to help you make a choice between a bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner, stay with us as we discuss the pros and cons of each type of vacuum cleaner.

Pros of a Bagged Vacuum Cleaner

Low-Maintenance

The bags can hold up to about 2 pounds of dirt, so you will not need to change the bags or dispose of the dirt as often as you would the dirt cup of the bagless vacuum cleaner. Also, the filters are built directly into the bag, so you don’t need to clean the filters. Plus, you will know when to replace the filter. 

Hygienic

Bagged vacuum cleaners are known to be less messy than their bagless counterparts. This is because in the first place, you will not need to replace the bag often; they are made to carry a lot before replacement is required. But also, the bags are built to securely and properly contain dirt, so you will not risk dirt spilling out when vacuuming or removing the bag to replace. 

Great Choice for Allergy Sufferers 

Considering that dirt (dust and allergens) are less likely to spill out while vacuuming or disposing of the bag, it is a safer option for allergy sufferers. 

Pros of Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

Cheaper

The bagless vacuum cleaner is cheaper because once you have invested in buying your vacuum cleaner, you don’t have to spend more money on the vacuum cleaner again. The dirt chamber can last through the lifetime of the machine, unlike the bagged vacuum cleaner that you have to keep buying a bag for.

Eco-Friendly

The bagless vacuum cleaner is more environmentally friendly because it has reusable filters and not unrecyclable bags that have to be trashed. 

Easier to Empty

The dirt chambers on bagless vacuum cleaners are generally made transparent/see-through to not only see the debris as it is being sucked into the machine but also to know when it is time to empty the chamber. Also, considering the vacuum cleaner loses efficiency as it becomes fuller, it is easy to get past this by emptying the chamber as often as possible. But with the bagged device, you might not want to replace the bag until it’s full to capacity. 

Cons of Bagged Vacuum Cleaner

Expensive

It is not so much that the machine itself is more expensive than its bagless counterpart, it is more the extra cost incurred even after getting the machine. You have to keep buying bags for the lifetime of the vacuum cleaner. Plus, it is an extra hassle because you can only use the bag of that specific model as the bags vary from model to model.

Reduced Performance as Bag Fills

The fuller the bag, the less effective your vacuum cleaner becomes. So, the issue is that you might not want to pull out your bag too early and waste money getting a new one when there is still space to accommodate more dirt. But on the other hand, that would mean putting up with the decreased performance of your device. The risk of guessing wrongly can be a lot of work. Fortunately, newer models come with an indicator light to indicate when the bag is full.

Environmentally Unfriendly

The bags are made of certain materials that may not be recyclable. And since you will be using a lot of bags for your appliance, that will be more bags in the landfill, polluting the environment.

Cons of Bagless Vacuum Cleaner

Time Consuming

A bagless vacuum cleaner requires cleaning and drying as you will have to dispose of the debris in the dirt chamber and make sure the chamber is completely clean before replacing it. Unlike the bagged option where you simply remove a bag, trash the bag and put in a new one.

Unhygienic

Bagless vacuum cleaners are messier to deal with as you will have to deal with the residue from disposing of the dirt from the dirt chamber. 

Allergic Reactions

The consequence of dealing with the dust residue is that allergens can get back into the atmosphere and trigger a reaction if you are allergic. To conclude, we hope you can now make an informed decision on whether to go for a bagged or a bagless vacuum cleaner. Check out our online store for a vacuum cleaner and other home appliances.