Environmental Vacuum Cleaners Under $500.
Vacuum cleaners are not for most people an environmental consideration; however an ineffectual vacuum is a serious environmental concern.
An ineffectual vacuum that cleans poorly leaves both surface and embedded debris ( in carpets ) that must be vacuumed again, using more electricity.
This alone at one time would have been insignificant, but during the 1990s vacuum manufacturers started the " amp wars ", in which they started to produce motors that use the most possible electricity and advertise to the consumer that it would give extra cleaning power. In reality, the number of amps has little to nothing to do with the cleaning ability or power of a vacuum cleaner as there are many low amp machines that clean far better than 12 amp machines ( the legal power limit ). Also vacuum cleaners tend not to be readily serviced, leading to a shorter lifespan and more landfill waste. Therefore, when purchasing a vacuum ensure there is an extensive service network and that the machine is fully repairable.
Uprights;
While Oreck is widely known for having a substantial service network ( important to maintain a vacuum ), they also have designed vacuums around the premise of efficiency; by advertising full sized power in a half-weight package, Oreck engineers must take a small motor ( 3.5-4 amps ) and make it function as effectively as many larger less efficient machines. In doing so, they reduced the complexity of the airway to the bag ( decreasing the small motors strain and raising air flow ), increased the speed of the brushroll to 5600 RPM and sold the unit as a commercial and later also a residential appliance ( ensuring better durability ). The XL Classic has been in constant production for decades and is still available in a practically unchanged form in its commercial and pricier headlight trims. Getting a Gold rating from the Carpet and Rug Institute, the recommendation of Reviews.com and getting high cleaning scores from many other reviewers ( including consumers ), it is a safe choice.
Kirby has existed for over 80 years, yet is not widely known outside of mouth; the reason for this is because it is not sold in stores, Kirby sells their expensive combination vaccum/hard- floor and carpet scrubber/inflator/ leaf blower ( selling for over $1000 ) through means of door to door salespeople. This seemingly antiquated means of sale and lack of advertising may sound like the best way to bankrupt, but in reality Kirby is a competitive company in the luxury vacuum market, getting top ratings from every major vacuum reviewer while getting top reliability rankings. Kirby's are not vacuums for those looking for convenience; the design was first debuted in the 1930s and the most recent iteration is based on a design from the early 1990s. To use tools, you take the front of the cleaning head off and twist the hose on, and other multi-step processes to transform the cleaning system are equal in complexity; it should also be noted the all metal design weights over 20 lbs. Despite this, the long lasting nature, the high level of cleaning performance and ease of repair mean even if to afford it you must buy refurbished, it may be worthwhile.
Canisters;
The Numatic Henry is another little known vacuum in the US, but is a top seller in the U.K where Numatic is headquartered. Numatic first started selling the red smiling janitorial vacuum in the 1970s which has since been named Henry. Henry is now accompanied by many other variants; the budget James, the pet based Harry, the Hetty ( a pink Henry ), the wet/dry Charles, and the extraction combination George. While the whole Numatic line is recommendable, the Henry is largely considered the best combination of convenience, cleaning performance and value. While the Harry model and other Numatics that have greater filtration tend to perform worse on carpets, the standard filtration is sufficient for most people. The Numatic Henry performes very well in the standardized EU performance test, Which?, Expert Reviews and Trusted Reviews.
The Miele Complete is the most consistently rated Miele vacuum that has been continuously recommended by consumers and professional reviewers; though more expensive than the Henry, they provide more features while retaining durability. The Complete has several different motors, one very efficient but another relatively average; your can check the wattage and cleaning effectiveness ( tested by the EU ) on the British Miele website.