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One thing that many new business owners do not take into account is the amount of time that will need to be spent keeping their premises clean and tidy. The larger the space, the more time will need to be spent keeping it sanitary.
The best way to ensure that this job is done correctly and in the least amount of time possible is by buying a good, heavy-duty commercial vacuum cleaner that can tackle all the surfaces, crevices, and crannies that will be found in most commercial buildings.
There are several aspects to take into consideration when choosing the perfect vacuum cleaner for your business premises, and only you will know which of these will be most important for your unique situation.
In this buyers’ guide, we have pulled together all the most important points to bear in mind while shopping for your new vacuum cleaner and gathered what we consider to be the top commercial vacuum cleaners on the market today.
Our Top Picks
Here are our suggestions for the top commercial vacuum cleaners for your business premises.
1. Bissell Commercial Canister Vacuum
Model: BGC3000 | Vacuum type: Canister | Power: 1080 W | Weight: 10.6 lbs. | Warranty: 2 years
The Bissell Commercial Canister Vacuum is a lightweight and portable machine, known for its efficient energy usage, producing 30% more power from 20% less energy. It also has excellent suction, creating 110 inches of water lift, which is more suction than any other commercial vacuum in its size class. This is made possible by the Ametek Advantek powered motor and E-Z push-in/pull-out commercial-grade hose.
Included in the box is an all-encompassing 8-piece tool set, which contains a combination rug and floor tool with a swivel neck and rear wheels, an upholstery tool with a slide-on brush, a round brush, a floor tool, a crevice tool, and a metal telescopic wand. Also included is a pack of large capacity micro paper bags, and you could choose the optional reusable SMS filtration cloth bag, so you have less refuse after each clean.
A 30-foot 17/2 commercial power cord ensures that you can clean a large area before having to switch outlets, and non-marking, rubber-coated rear wheels with a reinforced metal axle prevent you from leaving any unwanted marks in your wake. Lastly, to ensure that you are not disrupting the world around you with the noise of an inferior machine, this vacuum cleaner has ultra-quiet, low-noise technology that will surprise you on your first use.
2. Hoover Commercial Lightweight Backpack Vacuum Cleaner
Model: C2401 | Vacuum type: Backpack | Power: 1000 W | Weight: 9.2 lbs. | Warranty: 2 years
Hoover is quite possibly the best-known brand of vacuum cleaners in the world, and with good reason. No matter the class of vacuum cleaner you are looking for, Hoover will have something to suit you. In the case of the Hoover Commercial Lightweight Backpack Vacuum Cleaner, the advantages are endless, and the applications are vast.
Because this heavy-duty but lightweight vacuum cleaner can be carried comfortably on your back with its chiropractor-designed harness and is built to clean just about any surface, it is the ideal option for large buildings with lots of stairways, narrow passages, or tight spaces. The 1½-inch model backpack and 12-inch vacuum allow you to easily clean vast areas with excellent maneuverability and efficiency, and minimal fatigue.
The quiet operation at just 80 decibels, along with the high-quality, Hypercone™, HEPA media filter, allows you to clean your space even during work hours, without disturbing your clients, customers, or staff with loud noise or clouds of dust.
The extra-long, 48-foot power cord, combined with the large capacity, 6.4-quart canister, allows you to clean large areas before needing to change outlets or empty the canister. The accessory pack, including a crevice tool, turbo floor tool, dusting brush, and upholstery tool, ensures that you can clean almost your entire premises with just this one machine.
3. Oreck XL Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Model: XL2100RHS | Vacuum type: Upright | Power: N/A | Weight: 9 lbs. | Warranty: 1 year
Oreck is another well-known name in the vacuum cleaner game, and the Oreck XL Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner is true to their power and performance standards. For an upright vacuum cleaner, this machine is very lightweight at just 9 lbs. This makes maneuverability far easier than it is with most upright vacuums.
This is a versatile vacuum cleaner, built to clean any floor type, including carpet, wood, laminate, and tile with no manual height adjustment, due to the exclusive Microsweep feature. Its unique shape also means that it can get up close to baseboards and fit under most types of furniture. It covers a wide, 12-inch area, making cleaning quick and easy. The high-speed roller brush spins at 5,000 to 6,500 RPM, ensuring a deep and thorough clean.
The 630 cubic inch “top fill” bag, outfitted with a Saniseal® auto-closing inner filter bag, can carry a significant amount of dirt and debris, meaning that you can clean to your heart’s content without having to empty the bag every few minutes. The 35-foot power cord allows you to clean large areas between outlet swaps.
4. ProTeam Super CoachVac 10-QT Backpack Commercial Vacuum
Model: SCVH | Vacuum type: Backpack | Power: 1188 W | Weight: 11 lbs. | Warranty: 3 years + Limited lifetime warranty on body parts
This heavy-duty vacuum cleaner is not recommended for high-pile carpets or delicate wooden floors – its Xover floor tool is best used on carpeting and hard surfaces. Ideal for classrooms and campuses, the ProTeam Super CoachVac Backpack Vacuum is one of the quietest in its class at only 66 decibels, and because of its professional-level filtration system with 4 levels of HEPA media filtration, it ensures superior air quality and is certified Gold by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI).
The large capacity, 10-quart canister provides plenty of space for dirt and dust and holds 3 times more than the average upright vacuum cleaner. The comfortable, articulating harness has adjustable shoulder straps, an integrated tool belt, and a cord hook, meaning that you can clean large areas without strain. The super-long, 50-foot power cord ensures that you can do so without having to unplug regularly.
The operation cost of this machine is 77% less per annum than a standard, upright vacuum cleaner, so it provides a great return on your investment. It also allows you to more than double your hourly productivity in comparison to upright cleaners. Tools included are the crevice tool, the telescoping wand, the soft dusting brush, and the upholstery tool.
5. Sanitaire TRADITION™ Upright Bagged Commercial Vacuum Cleaner
Model: SC886G | Vacuum type: Upright | Power: 840 W | Weight: 15.8 lbs. | Warranty: 2 years
The Sanitaire TRADITION™ Upright Bagged Commercial Vacuum Cleaner has been designed with durability in mind and has a chrome hood for extra durability. A 2000-hour motor lasts 5 times longer than that of a household vacuum cleaner and saves you significantly on the cost of ownership.
The shake-out bag holds up to 18 quarts of dirt, making this the largest capacity vacuum cleaner on this list, yet it is also very quiet at just 79 decibels. The chrome brush roll has replaceable bristle strips, making maintenance cheap and easy, along with the Quick Kleen™ fan chamber that allows for easy diagnosis and solving of clogs.
A looped handle ensures higher comfort levels and maneuverability on the new model, and the detachable 50-foot, quick change, pigtail power cord adds to this convenience. The bag release system has a metal clip for durability and strength, along with ease of use.
What to Know Before Buying a Commercial Vacuum Cleaner
When buying something you don’t know much about, it is easy to overlook important aspects that could affect your productivity or comfort. So, before you go out and start shopping around for a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner for your business, there are a few things you should bear in mind.
What is a Commercial Vacuum Cleaner?
This may seem obvious, but there are a few things about commercial-grade vacuum cleaners that are quite different from what you may have used in your home. Firstly, they are built to withstand quite a bit more abuse than home vacuums, being used every day for years on end, and they are also designed to be able to filter more waste without overheating or burning out. They are often made to handle a variety of surface types, as well as more types of messes, such as spills, rather than just dust and dirt.
Most heavy-duty vacuum cleaners come with a selection of attachments and will sport a commercial-grade hose and a long, strong power cord that is up to the necessary safety standards for business use.
All these elements, along with their higher productivity levels, are what make it worthwhile to rather buy a commercial vacuum cleaner for your business than a regular one intended for home use.
What are the Different Types of Commercial Vacuum Cleaners?
There are several different types of commercial vacuum cleaners available, denoted by their variety of shapes, forms, and sizes. Choosing one that will best suit your business space may be challenging but read through the following common types of vacuums to find out which one might be best suited to you.
- Canister – The canister vacuum is the smallest capacity vacuum cleaner. It is often found in a backpack or hand-held format and is very lightweight and maneuverable. Buildings with lots of stairways or tight spaces will benefit most from this type of vacuum cleaner, and due to their quiet operation, they are great for busy spaces where people are working.
- Backpack – These vacuum cleaners are strapped to the user’s back for easy mobility. They are of a smaller capacity, though larger than a handheld option, and are often in the canister format. As with the handheld canister option, this vacuum cleaner is great for businesses with lots of tight spaces, but also for larger areas due to the slightly higher capacity.
- Upright – Upright vacuum cleaners have the largest capacity and are usually the heaviest and least maneuverable options. They are simple to use and extremely durable, and excellent for large, open spaces.
Within these common types of vacuum cleaners, there are a few other important aspects that should affect your decision:
Wet and Dry – If you are operating a business that deals with liquids a lot of the time, getting a wet and dry vacuum cleaner is a must. These cleaners can suck up the usual dirt and dust, but also any liquid spills that might occur, without any necessary change in tools. This is a great choice for restaurants and hotels, as well as numerous other applications.
HEPA Filtration – Any business that needs to maintain a higher level of cleanliness for the health of its clients, such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, or other health practices, would benefit from a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filtration. These filters trap 99.97% of dirt, dust, and pollens down to 0.3 microns, ensuring that the space is free of all allergens.
Bagged or Bagless – Each of these styles has its own pros and cons, and each model will have its own functionality that benefits more from one or the other.
- Bagged: On the positive side, removing a bag from a vacuum cleaner means there is less chance of dust being released into the air, and there is less maintenance required. On the downside, bags need to be replaced, costing money, and adding to landfill, and if you run out of bags, your vacuum cleaner will be useless until you replace them.
- Bagless: You will not need to spend money on bags all the time, and you won’t be adding disposable bags to the landfill sites, but you will have to purchase filters and remember to clean or replace them on schedule. Also remember that without a bag, there is a high chance that you will release dust into the air when emptying your vacuum cleaner.
Capacity – This is the amount of dust and debris the vacuum cleaner can hold before it needs to be emptied or the bag replaced. If your business premises are large, the higher capacity you can get, the better. The largest capacity vacuum cleaners are usually uprights.
Attachments – There are a few standard attachments that most vacuum cleaners will come with, but before you buy, make sure that the attachments you get will service all your needs. Remember that it is not only the floors that will need to be cleaned – there are windowsills, moldings, shelves, and many other surfaces that would be cleaned far faster with the right tools.
Power Cord – The length of the power cord is an essential consideration, especially in older commercial spaces where electrical outlets may be few and far between. Before buying a commercial vacuum cleaner for your space, have a look at the layout of your electrical outlets, and be sure to choose a machine with a power cord that is long enough to service all the space in between.
Warranty – Despite the long lifespan these vacuum cleaners are designed for, there is always the chance that something could go wrong. As with any expensive device, it is best to choose one with a good warranty for your peace of mind.
