How We Compare Vacuum Cleaners

Where the specifications come from

Every product on Vacuum Compare US is entered from the manufacturer's specification sheet and from retailer listings in the United States, then checked for consistency against both sources before it is published. We do not run lab tests or long-term reviews: specifications are catalog values, not our own measurements. When a source lists a value ambiguously, or two sources disagree, we would rather show nothing than a guessed number.

What the bands mean

When a filter groups products into a range, such as weight or price, the band is only a grouping of the underlying value, not a performance rating. The exact figure is always shown on the product page, in the specification table next to every other recorded field for that model.

How the rankings are calculated

Product pages show a "How it ranks" block. It places each model among the other models in our catalog of the same type and power source, so a cordless stick vacuum is only ever compared with other cordless stick vacuums, for runtime, charge time, weight, noise level, suction power, battery capacity and price, plus price per minute of runtime and price per watt of suction. A model ranks first when its value is the best in that group: higher is better for runtime, battery capacity and suction, and lower is better for charge time, weight, noise and price. Models with the same value share the same rank.

A measure appears only when the group holds at least ten models with that value and at least half of the group has one. A model with no recorded value for a measure is not ranked on it, and we do not estimate one. The figures are the catalog values described above, not our own measurements, and the price used is the lowest current price among the retailers we track, so price-based rankings move when prices do. Each block states how many models it was compared with and the date the figures were last computed.

Price history

Each product page shows the cheapest and the highest current price among the retailers we track. From the day we start recording a model's prices, we also keep each change, and once there are a few weeks of changes the page shows a chart of the lowest daily price with the typical price marked. The chart covers the retailers currently listing the model and only the period we have recorded, so it is not a lowest-ever price, and some retailers may be left out of it.

How comparisons and similar products work

Comparison pages and the similar-product suggestions on product pages use the same catalog fields as the listings, such as product type and use-case tags, not a separate hand-picked list. A comparison therefore never shows a value that is missing from the product pages of both models.

Currency and pricing

All prices on the site are shown in US dollars (USD). Prices come from the retailer we link to and can change; always check the current price on the retailer's site.

How often we update

The catalog is refreshed when prices, availability, or specifications change. Products that can no longer be bought are removed from the site rather than left listed as current.

Funding and independence

Vacuum Compare US may earn a commission on purchases made through links to online retailers; see About. That arrangement does not change how a product is described, whether it is included, or where it appears in a comparison. The same catalog fields and comparison logic apply no matter which retailer sells the product.