Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
My parents have been using Dyson machines for 20 years so I don’t even remember them with bags… LOL. They just bought their first cordless V8, although the previous one still works. That’s three Dysons in 20 years then. Expensive, but no bags and works like a charm. Although emptying the bin is best done outside, that’s true (not sure for newest V15).

Our Dyson is 15 years old and still runs like a champ.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rhett7660 and dgrey
We have one with a bag. Not a major inconvenience at all.

I have both - but am starting to feel that a "Hepa Bag" is the best way to catch dust mites, allergens and other microbes - if you you replace it often?

I have a handheld / bagless and feel like it should be cleaned immeadeatly after use to prevent whatever stuff that was sucked up from escaping and just spreading to new places?
 
I have both - but am starting to feel that a "Hepa Bag" is the best way to catch dust mites, allergens and other microbes - if you you replace it often?

I have a handheld / bagless and feel like it should be cleaned immeadeatly after use to prevent whatever stuff that was sucked up from escaping and just spreading to new places?

I've never heard of a HEPA bag. I could envision a bag vaccum with a HEPA filter though.
 
I think I have had just about every type of vacuum cleaner over the years. The worst was the ProLux, looked great but the idiot that designed it never used it. I now have a Shark bagless and it is the best vacuum I have ever had. Pull the tank off, hold over the trash and open the bottom flap, easy. I wash the tank out and wash the filters once in awhile, thats all. I think the Dysons are probably good but highly over priced.
 
As I recall the bag reduced the suction as it fills up. At least that’s how Dyson marketed its cyclone technology. Not had a bagged vacuum in decades. Just empty it into the wheelie bin. Of course we have no pets or even carpets these days so our cleaning isn’t as full on as some people’s. We also never wear outside shoes in the house.

This. You could not pay me to go back to a vacuum with a bag. The Dyson works better and isn't adding bags to a landfill.
 
  • Like
Reactions: millerj123
I've never heard of a HEPA bag. I could envision a bag vaccum with a HEPA filter though.

FWIW - the bags I have are 3 micron

HEPA-3micron.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: icanhazmac
As I recall the bag reduced the suction as it fills up.

Not really, at least with relatively modern ones. If the suction is reduced, it's time to replace the bag!

I do agree it's convenient to not have to buy bags, but overall I prefer the bag design. The bags keep the dust inside the bag, avoiding mess and dust going back into the air when you empty them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: smirking
As I recall the bag reduced the suction as it fills up. At least that’s how Dyson marketed its cyclone technology. Not had a bagged vacuum in decades. Just empty it into the wheelie bin.

A friend who used to own a vacuum store shop told me never to buy a bagless vacuum and he brought out a particle counter to show me why. The bag's like a face mask. It catches additional particles that would otherwise leak through the seals or the outer air filter (that's probably not being changed often enough).

His advice was to always buy a bagged vaccuum and keep it maintained unless you want to be breathing in nasty crap in your carpet that you've aerosolized.

Miele vacuum cleaners have both (a bag and a HEPA filter). If you're worried about dust and allergens, they're about as good as you can get IMO.

Same friend would also demo how tight the HEPA filters on the Miele vacuums were. He'd toss powder down and vacuum it up with a Miele and show the particle counter giving off zeros. He'd then do the same with a lesser vacuum and show the particle counter going crazy.
 
A friend who used to own a vacuum store shop told me never to buy a bagless vacuum and he brought out a particle counter to show me why. The bag's like a face mask. It catches additional particles that would otherwise leak through the seals or the outer air filter (that's probably not being changed often enough).

His advice was to always buy a bagged vaccuum and keep it maintained unless you want to be breathing in nasty crap in your carpet that you've aerosolized.



Same friend would also demo how tight the HEPA filters on the Miele vacuums were. He'd toss powder down and vacuum it up with a Miele and show the particle counter giving off zeros. He'd then do the same with a lesser vacuum and show the particle counter going crazy.
Can’t help thinking the guy in the store that sells bags, might have a vested interest in telling you that!
Personally I’ll never buy a bagged vacuum again. Lower carbon footprint for one.
 
I've never heard of a HEPA bag. I could envision a bag vaccum with a HEPA filter though.
Early in the pandemic when N95's were hard to come by, some people were improvising their own N95's using high quality vacuum bags because they have similar filtration qualities.
 
Can’t help thinking the guy in the store that sells bags, might have a vested interest in telling you that!
Personally I’ll never buy a bagged vacuum again. Lower carbon footprint for one.

Nah, the guy's solid. I'm not entirely convinced that it matters as much as he felt it did, but the particle counter doesn't lie. Stuff was coming out of the vacuum.

His concern was ejecting bacteria, mold, and viruses into the air. As we're all wiser from this pandemic (haha), we know that you're not going to get sick from a few random isolated viruses or other nasties, but as someone with allergies, keeping ordinary dust out of the air is enough reason for me.
 
Not really, at least with relatively modern ones. If the suction is reduced, it's time to replace the bag!

I do agree it's convenient to not have to buy bags, but overall I prefer the bag design. The bags keep the dust inside the bag, avoiding mess and dust going back into the air when you empty them.

The bag Eureka that we have has the bag going all around the intake motor vents so the dust in the bag is spread out around the bag. Sometimes we use the bag vacuum to clean out the bagless vacuums. Just letting everything drop out doesn't get everything. The bag vacuum is handy for cleaning the filters too. Normally we wash the filters but they take a day to dry and we don't have use during that time. So cleaning with the bag vacuum is for those time when we are vacuuming the whole house (takes about a week to do).
 
Totally agree. Having no bag is not an improvement it’s just cutting the cost of making them. It’s only benefit is for the manufacturer.

It’s a benefit for the environment. Instead of a disposable bag, you have a reusable container.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ucfgrad93
It’s a benefit for the environment. Instead of a disposable bag, you have a reusable container.

I had a VAX from 1987 and it came with a reusable bag or you could buy disposable bags. I don't know if there are vacuums that have this option these days.
 
Nah, the guy's solid. I'm not entirely convinced that it matters as much as he felt it did, but the particle counter doesn't lie. Stuff was coming out of the vacuum.

His concern was ejecting bacteria, mold, and viruses into the air. As we're all wiser from this pandemic (haha), we know that you're not going to get sick from a few random isolated viruses or other nasties, but as someone with allergies, keeping ordinary dust out of the air is enough reason for me.
I've got a pretty robust immune system. Plus we have a carpet less house these days so our vacuum has an easy time of it compared to some.
 
I bought a Dyson when they first appeared maybe 30 years ago. I thought the cyclone technology and bagless was a great idea. The design was really something different and very special just to look at.
My love for the Dyson died very quickly.
Maybe they've changed but the plastic and the movement produced an enormous amount of static meaning having it see through just meant looking at dust. It was really difficult to clean because of the static.
But worst of all was the noise. At least 85db and it was impossible to do anything else in the house when it was working. Then as others have said, getting a face full of dust when you empty it isn't pleasant.
Then it died at about the two year mark. I had it repaired and sold it at a huge discount.
Bought a Miele- 52db which means the Dyson was aboout 6x noisier. Little shutter over the dust bag you close before you take it out to keep the dust in.
Still in use today. A bit scratched and I've bought a couple of replacement tools but works absolutely perfectly.
 
But worst of all was the noise. At least 85db and it was impossible to do anything else in the house when it was working. Then as others have said, getting a face full of dust when you empty it isn't pleasant.

Newer Dyson models have gotten much quieter. But yes, the Miele ones have always been quiet!
 
Miele is what we use in the Shop. Brilliant vacuum cleaner, much better than the Bissell we had in service at the house. That thing was so loud that I wore hearing protection while using it, I could hear it from anywhere in the house or even in the driveway.

Don't miss the bags, just one less thing to think about. I do replace the filters on the Miele but I get quite a lot of use out of them before they need replaced, the bags were a frequent swap in our shop, what with all the wood and dust particle buildup on the floors. HEPA filter on the Miele is superb as @smirking pointed out.
 
I have a Miele vacuum I purchased a couple years ago with a bag. It’s the canister style which I find to work a lot better with the hardwood floors throughout my home.

Miele tends to be expensive but they have a good warranty and seem hold up very well. My parent have a beach house in RI with a Miele vacuum that’s probably 15-20 years old and has had no issues. Nothing seems to last close 15-20 years down there because the salty, humid air.

Growing up, my parents house had central vac, which seems to have fallen out of favor these days. It is nice being able to empty the dirt and dust and dog hair in the basement. It also has a function where you open a vent in the baseboard in the mudroom so you can just sweep dirt in without having to pull out the entirely vacuum. I think that’s generally why central vac fell out of favor, carrying around a giant hose and all the attachments really isn’t that much more convenient, if at all.

Miele dishwashers on the other hand I can’t speak as fondly about. We renovated our kitchen a couple years ago and it’s been nothing but problems. We don’t work it hard, we always rinse our dishes thoroughly before putting them in the dishwasher, in fact we often hand wash our dishes entirely. It’s been nothing but problems despite being an awfully expensive dishwasher.
 
Last edited:
Because bags are a PITA: one more thing to have to buy and are harder to tell when they're full. Should be common sense to empty the canister outside due to dirt particles, and you don't need to get your hands dirty to empty it (just press the cannister bottom release switch and let the debris fall into a trash bag). Only time you'd need gloves to keep your hands clean is when doing a thorough cleaning of the cannister and filters (not needed every time you empty the cannister).
 
  • Like
Reactions: MisterSavage
I much prefer bagless. With previous vacuums I've had there was never a way to tell when a bag was full other than the vacuum just didn't seem to work as well. No sensor or anything. My current Shark I can just look at and see how full it is. And I don't have to worry about having bags on hand or running out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MisterSavage
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.