Commercial vacuum cleaners sit in a class by themselves. They have to run longer both in terms of time and distance, and they tend to face more use and abuse than residential vacuum cleaners. What should I look for in a commercial vacuum cleaner? Let’s look at your general options.
| Vacuum Model | Vacuum Type | Weight | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Upright / Bagged | 8.2 lbs | 12-inch-wide cleaning path. Received Ease-of-Use Commendation from Arthritis Foundation. Automatic floor adjustment. Balanced brush roll with double helix brushes. Multi Floor Cleaning. 35 feet long wire cord. |
 | Upright / Bagged | 9.1 lbs | Quiet Vacuum with 70 dBA. LEED Compliant. 40 feet long quick change wire cord. Disposable Top-Fill Inner Bag. Side Edge Brushes. |
 | Upright / Bagged | 20 lbs | 15" wide cleaning path. 4 position manual height adjustment. Seal of Approval from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). 40 feet long quick change wire cord. JAM SENSOR shuts down motor to clear vacuum cleaner of blockages. Bag Check Indicator. |
 | Upright / Bagged | 11.6 lbs | 13.5" wide Cleaning path. Quiet cleaning at 69 dBA. Auto seal HEPA bag . IntelliBelt Technology - Prevents belt damage with belt-jam sensor. |
 | Upright / Bagged | 15 lbs | Clean-Drop bags - one touch releases the full bag directly into the trash. Manual 5-position height adjustment. Fingertip on/off switch. 35 feet long wire cord. Bag check indicator. |
 | Backpack / Bagged | 11 lbs | 66 dba. 50 foot power cord. Four Level Advanced Filtration with HEPA media filter. Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) Approved and Certified Gold. |
 | Backpack / Bagged | 21 lbs | 63 dba. LEED compliant backpack. 14" wide cleaning path. Carpet and Rug Institute gold certified. Corded. |
 | Backpack / Bagged | 8.75 lbs | 62 dba. 4-stage HEPA filtration. 50 foot cord. Gold Certification from the Carpet and Rug Institute. |
 | Portable Canister/Bagged | 8.3 lbs | Built in blower. Includes a reusable commercial cloth bag with paper bag option. 33 feet long wire cord. Above Floor Cleaning. Cleaning Accessory Pack. |
 | Canister / Bagged | 10.75 lbs | Filter made with HEPA Media. Quiet Performance at 62dB (Hush Mode), 67 dB (Normal). 40 feet long quick change wire cord. Cleaning Accessory Pack. 9 L Large capacity bag. |
Canister or Upright Vacuum?
Canister vacuums for commercial use may look like the standard push around vacuum, follow around the user as a canister tube on wheels or get carried on someone’s back, but no matter the form it takes, it needs to be able to clean every part of the room in short order. Canister vacuums have long had the benefit of having more tools than most upright vacuum cleaners. They are also quieter, on average, than upright vacuum cleaners, a definite plus when you’re in an office or hotel. Canister vacuum cleaners do a better job on hard surfaces than most upright vacuums and are less prone to dirt scattering.
Upright vacuums tend to be cheaper than canister vacuum cleaners, a trend seen in vacuums for home or commercial use. Upright vacuum cleaners usually store more compactly. Upright vacuum cleaners as a class do a better job on carpet than commercial canister vacuums.
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Should I Get a Bagged or Bagless Commercial Vacuum Cleaner?
Bagless vacuum cleaners avoid the hassle of emptying bags as well as the cost. They maintain their suction far longer as the dirt cup is filled. Bagged vacuums tend to minimize the asthma and allergy sufferer’s risk of an attack as you empty the dust cup, because many bags can seal in what you just tried to remove from the carpets. This becomes a true problem when you’re working in a commercial operation, since you’ll need to empty the unit more often. And bagged vacuums won’t accidentally spill everything you’ve just sucked up unless you rip the bag.
Now that you have an overview of the pros and cons of different types of commercial vacuum cleaners, let’s look at the pros and cons of specific commercial vacuum cleaner models.
This commercial vacuum cleaner by Oreck is LEED compliant, a necessity in businesses seeking to prove their green credentials. It has two speeds so it only ups the power when you need it to do so.
At eight pounds, it is lightweight and low effort to use. It does the best job on edge cleaning of any upright commercial vacuum cleaner on this list. It performs well on flat surfaces and does a decent job on low carpets.
The only weaknesses of this unit are that it doesn’t have sufficient suction for very thick carpets or pick up the biggest debris like pieces of food.
This is the best commercial vacuum cleaner for low or no carpet environments with dust, light dander and little else to be picked up off the floor.
One of the pros of this commercial vacuum cleaner is its weight. It weighs only eight pounds. You appreciate that fact when you have to push it across the long halls. And it takes little effort to push it.
Fresh scent tabs are available from the manufacturer to improve the air, and the vacuum does a good job of filtering the air as it works. Oreck offers replacement bags, belts and other consumables at an affordable price. A plus in favor of this particular model is that it comes with a spare belt. The process of replacing the belt is not a point in its favor.
This commercial is well built and very reliable. It does require a screw driver to assemble but comes with good instructions on how to do this. It does not come with a hose, so you can’t use this vacuum to clean drapes or furniture.
It is easy to turn on and simple to use. For some, the fact that you can’t change the vacuum head height from a level to suit the floor covering is a minus.
The Oreck Model XL2100RHS vacuum is thus an ideal choice for someone who needs to clean a lot of open floor space while leaving the furniture and corners to a handheld vacuum.
Like the other Hoover vacuums, it is easy to find replacement bags and belts at a good price. It doesn’t come with HEPA bags by default – those you must buy separately. If you do use them, you get high quality air filtration in relative silence for a commercial vacuum cleaner.
At eleven pounds, it is relatively lightweight for an upright vacuum cleaner. It has a fifteen inch head so it can cover a lot of ground quickly.
One of the perks of this vacuum cleaner is its relative silence despite powerful suction. The vacuum does a great job on carpets. The downside is that it doesn’t do a decent job on hard floors and gets louder on hard floors, too.
If you need something to relatively quietly clean carpeted floors, this is a good choice for you.
This commercial vacuum cleaner uses bags. One of the points in favor of Hoover is the HEPA bags and micro-filtration bags the manufacturer offers, none of which will generate a cloud of dust as you remove it and dispose of it.
This commercial vacuum weighs around eighteen pounds, but it is easy to push. The vacuum allows you to choose between five different head heights.
This is the best commercial upright vacuum cleaner for those who need to adjust the vacuum to an ever changing array of flooring surfaces.
This Executive series vacuum cleaner by Rubbermaid is an upright vacuum cleaner. It has a wide 15 inch vacuum head. You can manually adjust the suction head height via a dial to suit whatever you are cleaning.
The downsides of this unit are the 26 pound weight and lack of propulsion. If you can’t use a vacuum that is a workout to use, this vacuum isn’t right for you. Conversely, it has the suction to handle the thick shag carpets most vacuums on this list can’t clean. If you can handle the model, it is a great piece for the price.
The Pro Team Commercial Backpack vacuum is designed for comfort, performance and is one of the quietest commercial vacuum cleaners on the market.
Weighing only 11 LBS with a well padded, adjustable back pack design, the Pro Team can be used for hours without the operator experiencing fatigue or discomfort. A 50 FT power cord also allows you to cover a large area with ease. Being one of the quietest commercial vacuum cleaners available (only 66dBA) means that it won’t disturb anyone working in close proximity to the machine nor will it bother the operator.
Cleaning power is exceptional thanks to a powerful 9.9A (1188 Watt) motor and all the tools required for cleaning every type of surface. This gives you 150 CFM suction, able remove large debris and deeply ingrained dirt. An HEPA, four-level filtration system removes 99.97% of all particles and allergens from the air down to 0.3 microns. A 10-quart filter gives it the capacity to clean large areas with less time wasted on emptying and cleaning out the machine.
Dubbed the Super Coach, the Pro Team commercial vacuum cleaner is a big favorite for colleges and schools but is a reliable machine for all hard working conditions. The extendable wand makes it excellent for cleaning both very high and low areas. It also comes with a full range of accessories which include the professional flexible hose, crevice cleaning tool, an upholstery tool, Xover multi surface tool and the telescopic wand. This means that the ProTeam commercial vacuum will make easy work of hardwood floors, tiles, and carpets whilst cleaning furniture and difficult items like air vents with absolute ease.
ProTeam is an established name in the cleaning industry, with over 25-years of experience. This means that you can rely on excellent after sales service, spare parts, and accessories. A three-year warranty and lifetime warranty on molded parts shows the company’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
Coming in at about the same price as the Sanitaire, the Powr-Flite Comfort Pro is also an excellent commercial backpack-style vacuum that offers you a lot of value for your money.
While the Powr-Flite has a slightly lower bag capacity than the other two (6-quarts), it has quite a few redeeming features that many will prefer. It’s designed for ultimate user comfort, probably the best in its class. The Deuter backpack harness is designed for maximum airflow through the fabric, drastically reducing perspiration and discomfort. The harness also has seven adjustment points for a perfect fit. Weighing only 8.7 LBS, it’s the lightest of the three.
This comfortable lightweight design has not compromised the power of the Powr-Flite. It has a 1100W motor that provides 130 CFM suction power. In addition to this, it has a noise level of only 62dBA – narrowly beating the other two. Even more impressive is the 5-stage HEPA filtration system and easy-cleaning shake out bag.
The Powr-Flite Comfort Pro comes with every tool imaginable including wide cleaning heads for both hard floors and carpet. All the usual cleaning tools are included, like a crevice tool, as well as upholstery and dusting tools. It has a fantastic wand, extending from 32″ to 50″ and a stretch hose (2 FT – 6 FT).
If you take into account the comfort, low weight, and noise levels and look at the price of the Powr-Flite Comfort Pro, it must be the best value for money commercial vacuum you’ll find anywhere. This would be my personal pick of the lot in this review of commercial backpack vacuum cleaners. It really is a magnificent machine at a very reasonable price.
Perhaps not as impressive as the ProTeam, the Sanitaire Backpack Vacuum is still a great contender. Coming in a bit cheaper than the ProTeam makes the Sanitaire well worth the money that you’ll be spending.
A capacity of 2.5-gallons (10-quarts) gives you quite a bit of cleaning in between emptying the machine and it also has 50 FT cord for a long working range. The Sanitaire commercial vacuum is not quite as light as its more expensive rival – weighing in at 21 LBS. It does have a comfortable and well-padded backpack straps to make it as easy as possible to move about with the vacuum.
Power is exceptional and is supplied by 11.5A motor, most users have commented on the great suction power of this commercial vacuum. Despite being a powerful beast, the Sanitaire is even quieter than the ProTeam – only 63dBA. With this added power comes a wide 14″ cleaning path, making it exceptionally quick at cleaning large areas. No specs are given for its filtration ability, which leaves me to believe that they’re probably not as impressive as the Pro team. This is an observation and not a fact, I would think that if it had really great filters the manufacturers would probably want to brag about this.
The Sanitaire Backpack Vacuum comes with the full range of accessories and is gold certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute. At a very reasonable price, this is a great commercial vacuum.
This commercial canister vacuum cleaner has a whopping nine liter capacity. It you need to clean up a lot of debris such as spilled snack crackers and tracked in mud clumps, this vacuum is one of the best choices available.
The bagged vacuum offers HEPA filtration. Replacement bags are two to three dollars apiece, which is cheap for HEPA vacuum bags. Its wide sixteen inch head literally covers more ground so you can make quick work of large spread out messes while the fifty foot cord means you can use the same vacuum without stopping to clean the entire room.
This is one of the most affordable commercial vacuum cleaners on the list and on the market. A carrying bag for it is an extra twenty dollars or so but not necessary. You can find reusable cloth bags in place of the disposable vacuum bags for around ten dollars.
You get a lightweight portable vacuum cleaner with a full suite of tools for a decent price. It has to be carried because it doesn’t have any wheels on the unit. If you lack the strength to push a vacuum, this may be a plus, but if you lack the dexterity to put it on, it becomes a negative.
This vacuum doesn’t handle pet hair well. The vacuum tends to clog on pet hair, and the bag isn’t easy to clean. Its best performance is on short carpets and occasional upholstery spot cleaning. Its capacity makes it a great choice for small offices and apartment cleaning as long as you aren’t dealing with pet fur.
The Powr-Flite Backpack has really caught my attention. I’m looking for a new unit with more portability than the canister and had my eye on a Proteam but this one might work just as well.
Do you know how much cleaning can be done with just a “2 quart” bag? The frequent changing is my only concern.
I own alot of these commercial vacuums. Proteam backpack has some major suction going on with it. I also own the both the Power Flite battery backpack 6qt and the corded 6qt. Backpack Pwr Flite . I’ve been a cleaner for 28 years now cleaning schools. Currently cleaning 50,000 sq ft of my area nightly. I would say the 6 qt. Would be close to 5 Qt. Bag nightly emptied. Entrance mats are better cleaned with a beater bar like an upright vacuum cleans better. If you want to do some major speed cleaning the battery backpack pwr flite is the way to go but expensive at $1000 plus additional batteries are like $450 a peice for 55 minutes run time to 2 1/2 hours charge time. Corded vacuums diffenitly have more power then battery vacuums. Alot of custodians I’ve worked with over the years dont like strapping backpacks onto there backs and prefer uprights. If you want the best detailing tool for a backpack vacuum is the straight wand sidewinder over the S wand. I hope that helps you out.