If you're in the market for a new vacuum cleaner, you're likely wondering whether to get an upright/ stick or a canister model. If you're leaning towards upright, that's totally understandable: upright models are generally sleeker, they stand up on their own without much effort, and you don't have to worry about maneuvering two pieces of equipment around the room or up the stairs. Many models even offer cordless technology nowadays, which makes the task even simpler to that extent. If you suffer from back issues, you'll likely prefer the upright model as it doesn't require you to bed over at all.
However, it should be mentioned that upright vacuums have some disadvantages too; they tend to be heavier (15lb on average, compared to about 12lb for canister models) and offer less storage flexibility. At an average height of 40" tall, an upright vacuum might be difficult to fit into a front hall closet.
Unlike canister vacuums, upright models do indeed come in a wide variety of prices and styles. You can find significant differences in features and weight between the different models.
Buzzrake analyzed opinions from all over the web about user experience with vacuums. User opinions show that when it comes to comparing canister and upright vacuums - as far as user experience goes - there isn't much difference. No one type is quieter, does a better job, is faster or generally better. There are winners and losers in both types.
According to users, some of the brands to keep an eye out for are Miele, Electrolux and Hoover, all of which have very high-scoring upright models.
The Top 5 models below were rated based on user opinions. Buzzrake calculated a cumulative score for each model based on user feedback about their subjective qualities, such as reliability, product quality, performance and ease of use, to name a few.