I hate bagless. I will never have one again.

Even though dumping our Dyson's bin into a trash bag doesn't produce the clouds of dust people apparently envision, I wouldn't have a bagless if I lived in an apartment and couldn't go outside to empty it.

I have both a miele and a dyson. I would NEVER buy a bagless again. The dust and mess makes me crazy each time I empty the canister. Additionally, I had new carpet put in the upstairs and the warrenty is void if you use a dyson because the beater bar doesn't adjust.

I have two miele HEPA filter canister vacuums and think they work very well. I also have a electrolux "stick" vacuum which is bagless. While I love it for quick, between real vacuuming cleanups in the kitchen (two labs and two kids) it is a mess to empty the HEPA filter into the garbage and in large part defeats the purpose. (of course you can simply vacuum it out with a real vacuume, which is why it is rated excellent for allery sufferers, but if you're getting out the real vacuum why use the stick, right?)

I've never used a Dynson, which some people apparently really love.

I personally recommend a good quality HEPA vacuume WITH bags. I like taking that bag full of yuk right out of my house and into the trash bin.

Having a vacuum cleaner that uses disposable bags is not a bad thing. They were created by Air-Way to save the woman of the house time and the mess associated with emptying the bag. A disposable bag is very convenient, because you can vacuum, then put the vacuum cleaner away until next time. You do not have to spend the time emptying the container. When the bag needs changing, just remove and throw away.

Bags have also improved over the years. They filter much better and are stronger.

There should be no need to worry about finding bags for your vacuum cleaner, if you shop wisely. You do not want to purchase a vacuum cleaner that is not popular. If you purchase a name that has been around for years, you will most likely have a better chance of finding bags. Panasonic vacuum cleaners have been around for decades. They have used the same style upright bags all that time. These bags are easy to find almost anywhere. You could say the same thing for some other companies like Tristar and Filter Queen. These companies have not changed their bag style. Now, there is an example of a brand that you would need to be concerned about. That brand is Halo. It is a somewhat new company, that has a vacuum cleaner that is not doing so well. You will most likely have a problem finding bags for this brand.

After a brand and model have been out for a while, there are generic supplies that show up for the particular vacuum. These are usually around long after the brand name have gone out of business.

Don't expect a vacuum cleaner to last a lifetime anymore. Those days are gone. There are some brands that will last 15-20yrs., but do not expect today's Hoover, Eureka or Kenmore to last that long.

People could save themselves time and hassle by purchasing bags, belts and filters ahead of time. They should have a year or two supply of bags put away, along with extra belts and an extra filter. This way, they do not have to be stuck without any of these. When they are down to their last one, purchase another bundle of bags or filter and belts.

You do not want to purchase a bagless vacuum cleaner if you have allergies to what you are picking up. Eventhough the vacuum may hold the dirt in while vacuuming, there is going to be flying dust when you empty the container.

That being said, if you have alot of animal hair to vacuum up, a bagless may be better suited for you. Some bags can be expensive if the bag must be changed every couple of weeks. How often do you change you bag now? On What vacuum cleaner brand and model? I would think that you are not changing the bag often with only two cats. Are you using a canister or an upright presently?

I much prefer a bag. IMO, contact lenses and emptying dust receptacles do not mix well.

We bought and used a bagless for the first time, and we HATE IT!!! We bought it since we had a hard time finding a bag type now that most of the manufacturers jumped on the bagless bandwagon. But I'd take a bag type over a bagless any day, and my spouse couldn't/wouldn't wait to find a bag type. It doesn't work any better than the bag type we had. But the worst thing is that the dust just flies everywhere whenever you empty it; inside the house, and especially outdoors...don't even think about it when it's windy! Then the vacuum stops working if you don't keep up with cleaning AND WASHING the 2 post motor filters (foam and pleated-paper). And this is after only couple of weeks of use; we vacuum every other day. And after washing the filters, you will need to wait at least 12 hours for it to air dry. I'd tried drying them with a hair dryer, but they remain damp and non-functional. We buy vacuums to keep our house clean and free from dust, as well as for the convenient factor. A bagless vacuum is definitely neither! Bring back the bags!

I have both a miele and a dyson and I would never buy a dyson or a bagless again. It is a mess to empty - dust everywhere. In addition, when buying new carpeting a few months ago I was told that use of a dyson would void the warranty on the carpet because the beater bar is not adjustable. I like my miele canister.

I have a Dyson and a self-propelled Hoover that was 1/3 the price (Costco). The Hoover, it has a bag, is a much better vacuum.

Bag, please!

I like the bag, too. Cough cough sneeze sneeze!

I think my bagless Hoover has much better cleaning power than any vacuum I've ever owned. If that opinion doesn't already show I'm an outlier, let me add that I like being able to dump the canister straight on my compost pile, without worrying about all the noncompostable stuff of which bags are made.

I have hardwood floors downstairs, mostly carpet upstairs. I love my Dyson -- would never want any other type of vacuum. I really like the bagless feature and don't understand what the big deal with emptying the canister is. If my trash can is over halfway full, I empty it gently into the bottom of an empty trash bag, then tie it off and stash it under my sink, then switch it out the next time I take out the trash.

We've had both the Hoover self-propelled and the Dyson bagless. (We bought the Dyson when the Hoover finally died.) I liked the self-propelled Hoover for ease of cleaning, but the Dyson seems to pick up a lot better. We have a very busy (trafficy) household, and I'm amazed at the amount of stuff the Dyson picks up every time I use it, which is several times a week. I lower it and empty it into a bag-lined trash can in the garage. No problem with flying dust at all.

i just cannot believe what i'm reading. we have been an oreck family for two generations (oreck is anew orleans company), but bought a dyson at walmart right after katrina because we had received a walmart gift card from the red cross. anyway, wow, do we looove our dyson! we dump the filter into a tall kitchen receptacle, and we don't find dust a major concern. and it has been a saving grace vacuuming our new photon rug from design within reach, whcih sheds like crazy (i hope it will ease off with use--it's like we're living among a house of persian cats--the furballs are everywhere). can you imagine the number of miele bags we would have gone through by now?? btw, i have a miele too, which we received as a bonus on a large miele purchase...and, no kidding, i don't think it's so wonderful as people say. we excitedly tried it out ONCE to vacuum my girls' bedroom suite, and the filter indicator is already showing 1/4 blockage.

robert812: are you talking about a dyson? we've only cleaned the round filter sponge once, and that was only because i thought i had to, not because i needed to. perhaps you're talking about a different brand or model, because we have no pleated filter on ours...

we have very, very little dust--nothing flies around and we do it right in our kitchen. erikanh: thank you, that is precisely how we empty ours, as well. it's really about technique, isn't it? ;)

yet another post script: i still love oreck. it's powerful and light. but there's something i remember about my mother's growing up, and that is how uprights with bags smell in a confined space, which was a little broom closet. my dyson does not smell up our utility closet, which is nice. but one minus about th dyson is that it's very heavy!

Love my Dyson! I will be honest that when I empty it, I do so in the garage, but that is just convenient...I haven't noticed dust cloud when emptying. I think it does a fabulous job of picking of pet air (we have the Dyson Animal, and a shedding German Shepherd) and am so glad we purchased this appliance!

I have used several bagless and hated them all. Until we used a borrowed Dyson. We now own 3 including the small one for the car. VERY easy to empty with no flying dust and no filters to clean. Just pull the trigger and dump. Put the canister back on the machine for next time.

i have a bagless canister Kenmore. I never have an issue with dust flying everywhere - i do think the trick is to empty it into a new garbage bag - I can see how if I tried to empty it into a half full garbage bag there might be an issue.

One other down side is i do find this vacuum to be significantly heavier than my mother's kenmore canister with a bag. This may not be an issue if you store the vacuum where it is easily accessible - but if you have to haul it up and down stairs a lot a lighter bag vacumm might be better.

The best vacuum I have every used was bag less. The water in Rainbow vacs will catch everything. My family has been using them since the 1960's and swears by them. It is the only vacuum that catches enough cat hair and dander that people that are allergic often do not know there is a cat in the house until they see it.

What good is a bag if performance is sub par?

One use of a Dyson and you will be SHOCKED at what it picks up. My old Orreck could not compare. With pets it seems like a no-brainer if you want your new vacuum to deliver.

My recommendation is not to be pennywise/pound foolish and go for the new smaller Dyson apartment-sized models.

We have had a Kenmore Progressive for about 5-6 yrs. It has no belt and I use the cloth bags. We have 3 dogs, two that shed quite a bit. Thought it finally died yesterday, but I just didn't have the bag compartment closed all the way, I didn't have any suction. In the few minutes that I thought I'd have to replace it...I went through the several options mentioned here and I have to say that I would have replaced it with the same one. The cloth bag is the best...keeps everything contained, no dust escapes into the bag compartment at all. And it's great with the dog hair!

I prefer bagless, because they have better performance. Bags seem to rapidly become clogged and performance wanes.

The dust issue upon emptying reminds of the commercial for the double-sided frying pans. "It's impossible to flip an egg without breaking it" and they just jam the yolk with the spatula. If you can transfer a cup of flour from one container to another without a dust cloud you can do this. I can just imagine someone trying empty the container and making a huge dust cloud and saying its impossible. If you can do it outside, all the better.

Posted by petersen (My Page) on Wed, Mar 11, 09 at 9:02
What good is a bag if performance is sub par?
One use of a Dyson and you will be SHOCKED at what it picks up. My old Orreck could not compare. With pets it seems like a no-brainer if you want your new vacuum to deliver.

My recommendation is not to be pennywise/pound foolish and go for the new smaller Dyson apartment-sized models.

Not sure if you realize the Dyson fluffs up the debris, similar to how a Milk Shake froths. A full dust bin in a Dyson would be very little in a bagged vacuum. It may seem like your vacuums picks up a lot more than usual but it's illusionary.

lucky51, I don't care if the dyson turns the dust into whipped cream. I've had sticks, bags, sharks, hoovers, and the aforementioned Orreck. Nothing has gotten my floors and dark rugs as clean as the dyson. Period.

I agree with petersen. I've had just about every brand of vacuum cleaner known to man over the years. My Dyson cleans my floors, rugs and carpets far better than any of them. There's nothing "illusionary" about the fact that the Dyson's suction is powerful and stays powerful.

I've had several vacuums over the years. I hate bagless EXCEPT for Rainbow. Yes, it's a pain to get out and maintain but there's no other clean like it. They are way over priced though. Get on rebuilt/reconditioned from a reputable shop online.

it is not an illusion that the Dyson picks up more than others
I can vacuum with our Hoover (upright with a bag) and then go over the same rug with the Dyson and am always amazed at what the Hoover left behind.
the Dyson is quick and painless to empty.