Yet in our tests of full-size upright and canister vacs, we found that some of the new features add more to price than to utility. In general, they performed less well in our tests than models with bags. Over the years, the two full-size vacuum types have mutated to resemble each other. Most uprights come with a hose and various tool attachments like traditional canister vacs, and the canisters we tested had a power head similar to that of an upright. Resemblances notwithstanding, uprights are generally cheaper than canisters, are easier to store and are less cumbersome.
Uprights usually perform better than canisters on carpet.
Many in our tests also did a very good job on bare floors. A canister vac is the ticket if you have mainly hardwood, tile or other bare floors. But if you often vacuum carpeted stairs or reach for a floor brush, a canister may be easier and more effective. It provides poor clearance under furniture, though. Most of the 10 canister vacs we tested excelled at cleaning bare floors, but the two top-rated models also did a very good job on carpets.