Buying a vacuum cleaner today is a lot like buying a car. With all the different brands, styles and options, it’s hard to know what to choose. Will it be an up­right or canister, bagless or bagged? Do you want a lightweight or heavyweight? And what brand?

You could just pick up whatever is on sale, but you really should do some research, says Amy Drost, owner of Merry Maids cleaning service in St. Joseph.

“Out of all the things you do in your home, having a good vacuum makes the biggest difference,” she says.

A good vacuum will reduce the time you spend cleaning everything else. And if you have allergies, she says, it can make a dif­ference on your quality of life.

You might think buying a vacuum with the biggest motor would be the best, but that’s not the case, says Scott Eisenberg, manager of Eisenberg Sew and Vac in St. Joseph.

“In today’s market, the biggest motor you can buy is 12 amps. But all 12 amp mo­tors don’t pick up the same.”

They also need good airflow and suction to clean through to the bottom layers of a carpet. Unfortunately, that’s not a number you can look for on the box. Low price is not a good criteria, either. Although a low price vacuum may cost less initially, it will cost you more in the end, Mr. Eisenberg says. He says vacuums that pick up well and last long are usually in the $300 range. Buy one under $100, and you’ll generally find inferior quality plastic with motors and brush rollers that are mostly all plastic.

“With cheaper machines, if you get by your one or two year warranty, you’ve done a pretty good job,” Mr. Eisenberg says. “You’re getting more of a throw away item.”

When it comes to brands, Hoover is the name most people think of because they’ve been around the longest. But new brands, such as Dyson, are getting lots of attention, Einsenberg says. The Dyson’s unique bagless system has a lifetime HEPA washable filter and a five year war­ranty. However, the price tag of $400 to $600 is still too expensive for many people, Eisenberg says.

Orek is the brand Merry Maids use, Ms. Drost says. She also uses one at her home. She likes them because of their light weight (8 pounds). Joyce Ozenberger, owner of Sparkle Brite Cleaning Service, likes the Bissel bagless vacuum cleaners. The bagless trade-off, however, is that the filter must be kept clean. Her husband blows them out with an air compressor every week and they change them fre­quently. If you don’t keep the filter clean, you will run into the same prob­lems as with a dirty bag, Mr. Einsenberg says.

The most popular vacuum he sells is the Riccar brand because of it’s durability. Their latest version, called the Riccar Radiance has two motors, giving it more power and suction. In addition, they are one of the few vacuum cleaners assembled in the United States (St. James, Mo.) so there is no prob­lem when it comes getting service and parts—anoth­er very important con­sideration when buying a vacuum.

Ultimately, the best way to tell what vacuum is for you is the same as with a car: take a test drive. Some dealers, such as Einsen­berg Sew and Vac, you can try the vacuums out on different styles of carpet they have on hand.

Lifestyle reporter Sylvia Anderson may reached at sylviaanderson@npgco.com.