We believe it is time to ask ourselves: What defines a good household vacuum cleaner that balances great performance with ease of use as well as a limited environmental impact.
We explore the world of consumer electronics with a simple yet powerful goal: to balance people, planet, and profit. Unfortunately, today’s industry mostly emphasizes profit and selling more. Products are pushed to market not because they’re better, but just because they’re newer or have smart technologies and AI embedded. That all sounds great, but do we really need that? At the same time household vacuum cleaners are creating a significant stream of e-waste that is challenging to really recycle.
“At FairVacuum, we have spent hundreds of hours dissecting and repairing vacuums ourselves, and diving deep into online expert content. This has made us come to some conclusions…”
We believe our world has come to a point where it is clear what a good household vacuum cleaner is from a user perspective and which models will last longer. Spoiler Alert: FairVacuum believes it is a corded vacuum with a bag. Many good brands and models exist that you can choose from, just make sure you select popular and established brands that offer filter replacements and other spare parts. Additionally we feel it is time to make vacuums truly modular and even longer-lasting.
Marketing slogans are blinding consumers
Like many other consumer products, vacuum cleaners are drowning in marketing hype. Flashy ads and influencer endorsements often mask the truth about what works and what lasts. Finding genuine, independent reviews is hard. Many YouTubers are influenced by affiliate deals or sponsorships. Traditional vacuum experts and shops have all but vanished in Europe, replaced by electronics chains or online megastores.
However in the US some independent vacuum shops still offer honest advice and excellent, experience-based reviews. Some have very good and honest YouTube channels that we have learned a lot from. While the vacuum cleaner market in the US is different from the EU, there are plenty similarities to learn from.
We learned a ton from the YouTube channel @PerformanceReviews is run by Alex, an independent vacuum cleaner expert and repair technician based in the United States. While he is focusing on the US market, there is a lot of value to be found in his movies for the EU market. Checkout this review to get some great insights. Spoiler: Alex loves Miele, Henry and Sebo. Avoids Dyson. Confirms bagged is the best. All for good reasons. The top3 brands he proposes are all EU based brands!
Alex is known for his in-depth, no-nonsense reviews, teardown videos, and repair tutorials purely focused on vacuum cleaners. He often evaluates products not just for performance but for build quality, repairability, design, and long-term usability—qualities that many mainstream reviewers overlook.
His perspective is shaped by 20+ years of hands-on experience in the vacuum repair industry, and he is one of the few reviewers who actively promotes sustainable choices, such as modular, corded, and bagged vacuums over more disposable or battery-heavy options. If you’re looking for detailed and practical advice from someone who actually opens and fixes machines, not just tests them briefly, his channel is a trustworthy and rare resource in the field.
Why a CORDED vacuum WITH BAG is our favorite for both people & planet?
After extensive testing and research, we, but also other experts, believe that the corded canister vacuum with a bag consistently wins across the board for cleaning effectiveness, longevity, and sustainability. Today a corded vacuum with a bag outperforms battery powered, bagless cyclones and robot vacuum cleaners on several elements.
The design of a corded canister vacuum has been optimized for decades what makes it an unbeatable choice. Here is why:
- Superior dust pickup: These vacuums contain the most powerful motors certainly when compared to battery operated vacuums that are easily 2-4 times weaker. Manufacturers have optimized their bagged vacuums to work excellent on motors rating between 600-900 Watts of AC power. This was also driven by Europe legislation that forced manufacturers to limit of motor wattages down to maximum 900W from 2017 onwards to optimize energy usage. Because you really don’t need more suction.
- Superior dust containment: There is no discussion anymore that the modern dust bags made from microfilter sheet-material is unbeatable at containing dust while cleaning and disposing. Unlike the bagless cyclone bins where filters can easily get dirty and where emptying the bin creates dust clouds. Because all the air will pass through the motor the bags maximally protect the motor from getting dirt inside and failing too soon. That is also why paper bags should NEVER be used anymore as they don’t offer all there protections.
- Requires minimal maintenance: It is known & researched that vacuum cleaner are thrown away because people fail to maintain them properly. Vacuums are thrown away not because there broken, but because they are dirty. A bagged vacuum requires the least effort. Filters don’t need to be cleaned or replaced often because the microfiltered bag does most of the work. There are no batteries that will degrade and need to be replaced.
- Simple technology: In the fancy designed plastic body you will find a standardized AC vacuum motor controlled by a simple on/off switch many times in combination with a simple electric power regulator. This technology is highly standardized, extremely simple, available and repairable. Less (technology) is more (lifespan).
Many excellent brands already offer high-performing corded vacuums with bags. Unfortunately they all make proprietary mounts for their hoses, motors and cable winders limiting repair and reuse of components across brands. FairVacuum wants to push toward more repairability and modularity, so these devices can last 10, 15, or even 20 years with care and by supporting repair.
Why you should AVOID BAGLESS vacuum cleaners
Bagless vacuums, whether upright, canister, cordless, or robotic, have become popular, largely thanks to marketing. But that popularity doesn’t reflect performance and certainly not longevity.
Yes, they remove the need to buy bags. But they introduce mess, maintenance, and dust exposure. They’re also harder to clean, and their filters need to be cleaned regularly as they absorb a lot of dust. As a result they are thrown away quicker than bagged vacuums.
We have gathered some of the best informational movies that we believe tell the real story behind the pro’s and con’s of bag VS bagless vacuums.
Why you should REFUSE ROBOT vacuum cleaners
We have written an entire article about why you should never by a robot vacuum. Read all about it here.
In our eyes the robot vacuum is a gadget, and a symbol of overconsumption. We’ve been conditioned to believe that every minor inconvenience demands a high-tech solution, but in reality, simplicity often serves us better. The essence of why we believe it is unneeded and has a high environmental impact.
- Limited cleaner power due to small motors, and compared to corded vacuums.
- Complex technology limits its lifespan
- Batteries have a relevant CO2 footprint and need replacements every 2-3 years
Why you should AVOID BATTERY POWERED vacuums whenever possible.
Battery-powered stick vacuums have exploded in popularity over the last decade. They’re lightweight, cordless, and undeniably convenient. But convenience often comes at a cost, and in this case, the cost is high for yourwallet, the planet, long-term product durability.
At FairVacuum, we’ve looked closely at battery-powered models. The truth is simple: for most households, they are unnecessary, environmentally harmful, and ultimately less effective than their corded counterparts.
- In most homes battery powered stick vacuums cannot replace a proper corded vacuum: because they simply don’t offer the same level of deep cleaning, suction power, and run-time. While stick vacuums are convenient for quick touch-ups or light debris, they struggle with larger messes, thick carpets, and whole-house cleaning, especially in families with pets, kids, or high foot traffic. Their limited battery life, smaller dust capacity, and frequent need for maintenance make them a supplemental tool at best, not a full replacement for a high-performing, long-lasting corded model.
- Batteries are not eco-friendly and expensive: The heart of any cordless vacuum is its battery, and most use lithium-ion cells. These are resource-intensive to produce, difficult to recycle, and have a limited lifespan—often just 2 to 4 years. Once the battery goes, replacing it (if that’s even possible) can be expensive or simply unsupported.
- Batteries requires complex electronics to manage charging, discharging, and safety. This includes components like battery management systems (BMS), sensors, and control circuits that prevent overheating, overcharging, and short circuits. These added electronics increase the product’s complexity, cost, and likelihood of failure—making repairs harder and reducing long-term reliability.
- Cordless vacuums are not needed in homes: Yes, cordless vacuums are easier to carry and don’t require plugging and unplugging. But let’s be honest: how hard is it really to use a corded vacuum in a modern home with outlets in every room? From an eco-design standpoint, using batteries where we don’t need them, like in homes with easy access to power outlets, simply doesn’t make sense. Every extra battery adds to electronic waste, toxic mining impacts, and carbon emissions during manufacturing.
Our conclusion: Choose a CORDED vacuum with BAG
Whenever possible, opt for a high-quality corded vacuum with a bag. It’s better for the environment, better for your wallet in the long run, and far more likely to last a decade or more. Sustainability isn’t just about what we buy, but about how long it lasts, and how little harm it causes along the way.
Corded vacuums often outperform cordless models in suction, filtration, runtime, and lifespan. And since they don’t rely on batteries, they’re not part of the growing global problem of e-waste and battery disposal.
Let’s stop choosing convenience at the planet’s expense.
