Some upright vacuum cleaners have great features, others have great suction, and some are built to last. Sanitaire vacuum cleaners have all three of these; qualities few other brands can match.
Why they are so highly regarded probably owes something to their origins as appliances made for commercial applications.
Sanitaire heavy-duty vacuum cleaners were first made in the 1950s. They were made not for the domestic market but for commercial businesses. Machines used by professional cleaning services work hard for a living, usually 8-9 hours a day, seven days a week.
The machines also need to be durable, and when they need repair, they must be easily serviced on-site so that downtime is minimized and the company doesn’t lose money.
Sanitaire appreciates the requirements of its commercial customers and, as a result, designs and makes some of the best upright vacuum cleaners money can buy.
Few other manufacturers make comparable machines – Simplicity, Hoover, and Riccar vacuum cleaners are some that can and do rival Sanitaire machines.
So, what makes Sanitaire uprights so good? Firstly, they’re made from materials that will stand the test of time. If you ever get a chance to see a Sanitaire DuraLux upright, you’ll notice that the hose is not made from plastic.
Still, from the reinforced stretch, the cleaning head is made from metal and plastic composite that will take most knocks; the filter is extremely easy to swap in and out when it needs to be cleaned – and yes, it’s a washable HEPA filter. Even the power cord can easily be changed without sending it to a repair shop.
The DuraLux also comes with some great features. There’s a disposable 4-quart dust bag, a disposable HEPA filter that lasts about one year and is easily replaceable, a headlamp, and a 13″ cleaning path.
The upright can also collapse to 6″ so you can reach under beds and other furniture items without any difficulty.
But it’s the performance most folks are looking for when purchasing the best upright vacuum cleaner. The Sanitaire DuraLux won’t disappoint thanks to the powerful, quiet, 11.5amp motor.
Only some premium manufacturers like Hoover and Riccar offer powerful dual-motor versions of upright vacuum cleaners. To complete the package, the DuraLux comes with four manual height settings that will cope with all surface types.
Sanitaire uprights are among the best; however, some omissions from the specification list would make them almost perfect. Perhaps the main concern is that they are heavy, weighing 20 lbs upwards.
This is further compounded because they aren’t self-propelled; other brands, such as the Hoover Wind Tunnel, are.
Apart from the fact that they aren’t self-propelled, it’s very hard to find fault with Sanitaire’s uprights. If you’re looking for the best upright vacuum cleaner, you should seriously consider what Sanitaire offers.