How We Research
Every guide on SplendidSofa starts with one question: will this product work for the person who is shopping for it? For our canister vacuum guides, that means the floors you clean, the stairs you climb and how much you want to carry.
Here is how we answer it.
1. We start with your floors
Bare hardwood, wall-to-wall carpet and a flight of stairs each call for a different setup. A model that glides over hard floors may need a powered head to clean carpet.
We check the head type, the cord and hose reach and the weight the maker lists. When your floors limit the choice, we say what to look for.
2. We compare specs and features
We look at suction control, the floor head or powerhead, bagged or bagless design, filter type, cord length, hose reach, weight and which tools and bags come in the box.
Miele, Kenmore, Eureka and Bissell describe their vacuums in their own words, so we name the brand for every claim. We also note the warranty terms the maker lists.
3. We look at buyer feedback
We read through what buyers report after using a vacuum. We look for patterns, like bags that don't fit, cords that tangle, heads that snag on rugs, loud motors and hoses that crack.
One angry review doesn't sink a product. A pattern does.
4. We score each product
Our score weighs specs, features and buyer feedback against what you're shopping for. A product that's great for one reader may score lower in a guide written for another.
Scores spread out on purpose. A 10 is rare.
5. We keep pages up to date
Products change, and some disappear from stores. Some models also have renewed twins with the same name, so we check each model name and we only link new units.
Bags and parts differ between near-twin models, so we check the model number. We skip unknown brands with no track record and any vacuum with a known recall.
When we update a guide, the "Updated on" date at the top changes with it.
What our picks are not
Our picks are research, not lab tests. We don't claim to have used every vacuum we cover.
We make no promises about allergy relief, dust capture or how long a vacuum will last. We list weight and reach as plain facts, and we label maker claims as the maker's claims.