Corded Upright vacuum cleaners are the original and cordless stick vacuum cleaners are the modern newcomer. Both essentially do the same thing which is to clean your home. But, there are clear differences between them on how they handle and operate; in this article we break down these differences to help you make an informed decision about which is best for you.
What is an upright vacuum cleaner?
All our Hoover uprights are corded and are bagless with a large capacity bin. They are powerful and will run indefinitely from a power outlet. Uprights have a plethora of attachments to help with upholstery or cleaning your car, making them fantastic all-rounders.
Depending on the model, an upright can have additional features such as a sensor to detect the floor type and automatically adjust the power & brush bar speed to suit the floor, in the case of our H-Upright 500 Sensor Plus model. Our H-Upright 500 model also features a stretch hose which extends its reach further than just the floor head, this gives uprights up to 15m reach from the power outlet to hose end, with cleaning tools attached.
On the inside, an upright is powered by a modern and efficient motor, which generates suction to pull in and trap the dirt, dust and hair. Our Hoover uprights use a H13 HEPA filter to help keep allergens in and release cleaner air back into the room as you clean.
What is a cordless vacuum cleaner?
Cordless stick vacuums have a sleek, lightweight design, making them easy to carry around and to reach every corner. A stick vacuum can convert instantly from cleaning floors to become a handheld vacuum, ideal for cleaning surfaces around your home or inside your car. Furthermore, a Hoover cordless stick vacuum comes with an array of attachments including brush heads, crevice tools and motorised pet hair brush (select models).
Cordless vacuums have a Lithium-ion battery powering the motor for up to 40 minutes. You can choose the power setting to suit your needs: just bear in mind that using a more powerful suction setting means the battery will run out a lot faster. Look out for models which come with two battery packs included for the ultimate convenience, such as the H-FREE 500 Pets Twin Battery.
Should I choose an upright or a cordless vacuum cleaner?
To help you choose the best one for you, it's important to look at their differences and applications in greater detail:
Power
Perhaps one of the features which most people are interested in - the suction power. Uprights and corded vacuums in general get their power directly from the outlet into a motor which enables them to run indefinitely. This means that an upright won't suddenly stop mid clean.
Cordless vacuum cleaners such as H-FREE 500 are capable of comparable suction power to an upright, with the use of turbo mode, but it does come at the expense of battery life which will drain quickly in this mode.
As a direct comparison, if you find yourself cleaning little and often for a few minutes, then a cordless is a fine choice but if your cleaning sessions tend to be longer, doing the whole house or spending over 30 minutes or even an hour then an upright has a clear advantage here.
Weight
Cordless vacuum cleaners are designed to be as light as possible, with a smaller bin and motor. However, that gap is closing thanks to the introduction of the new Upright 300. Our lightest cordless vacuum cleaner is the H-FREE 500 weighing just 2.2kg whereas the Upright 300, the lightest, steerable upright Hoover vacuum ever* is 4.94kg.
If having a lightweight vacuum cleaner is a top priority then a cordless vacuum cleaner is the best option out of the both. However, a point should be made that despite being heavier our uprights are very agile and nimble in their own right especially the Upright 300 which is our most steerable upright ever with 80° steering angle allowing the swivelling floor nozzle to glide around your home and furniture with ease.
Capacity
In terms of dust capacity, Hoover upright vacuums have larger dust bins than the cordless stick variants. Our uprights have 1.5L of space in their dust and dirt bins compared to 0.45-0.7L for cordless. Simply put, uprights can clean for longer before they need to be emptied. The reduced capacity in the cordless is to help make it as light and agile as possible and the bin itself is very easy to empty, so despite being smaller the cordless is still very convenient as an overall package.
Both cordless and uprights are bagless.
Reach
Cordless vacuum cleaners can go anywhere, as they are not tethered to a power outlet and can then be converted to a handheld if needed to reach above floor areas or the inside of the car. Uprights are limited in range but they still have impressive reach thanks to a long power cord and an extending hose. The maximum range of our uprights is 15m which is more than enough for even large open plan rooms or to take outside to clean the car.
Versatile cleaning
Upright vacuum cleaners and stick vacuums can both tackle carpets, hard floors, stairs, above floor and car interiors. However, uprights can do it all with the floor head and the long hose whereas cordless vacuums can turn into handheld mode. The deciding factor on which might be best for you comes down to your preference.
Technology
All our uprights use multi-cyclonic technology to separate the dirt to make it easy to empty. Within our Cordless sticks we offer cyclonic separation on the H-FREE 300 and H-FREE 500.
Storage
Cordless vacuums are lighter and smaller in size and are easier to store away than upright vacuums. The H-FREE 500 is particularly compact and has a storage mode which makes it just 69cm tall and small enough to fit in a cupboard. Or if you prefer, our stick vacuums can all be wall mounted, ready to grab and go. If space is a premium in your home then a stick vacuum is the way to go.
Final Comments
Which one of our vacuum cleaners is the best for you is down to personal choice on how you want to use it, how light you need it to be, how long do you need to clean for, the storage space you have available and of course how it looks. We cater for many different needs and preferences at Hoover and this can be seen in our wide range of vacuum cleaners.
*Upright 300 combining a net weight of 4.94 Kg excluding tools and power cord, with an 80 degrees floor head swivel range.