What to look for in a vacuum cleaner for allergies

By frequently vacuuming your home, you reduce the chance of an allergic reaction. At least, if you bought a good vacuum cleaner for allergies. But, what makes a vacuum cleaner suitable for allergies? Is only the filter under the hood important or do other factors also play an important role? In this article I list everything you should look for in a vacuum cleaner for allergies.

1. Check what kind of filters the vacuum cleaner has

If there is one thing that is important in my vacuum cleaner reviews, it is the filter of a vacuum cleaner. More and more often a vacuum cleaner is equipped with a HEPA filter. A HEPA filter filters dust particles, pollen and allergens from the air. For example, if we look at a HEPA 13 filter (the minimum level I would recommend for a vacuum cleaner), it filters 99.95% of the dust particles from the extracted air.

2. Check whether the suction brushes are suitable for removing allergens from rugs and carpets

Almost every vacuum cleaner comes with extra suction brushes. These brushes ensure that you can use a vacuum cleaner in many ways: not every home has only one type of floor. For example, there may be wooden floors, carpets or tile floors. With a vacuum cleaner for allergies, it is especially important to pay attention to suction brushes that are suitable for soft floor types.

Carpets (high-pile and low-pile) often contain many allergens. Think of dust mites, pollen, pet hair and animal dander. It is a requirement to have a suction brush that is suitable for soft floor types. Such a brush is also called a carpet brush. A motorized brush can also be very interesting: for example, animal hairs can be easily removed from fabric furniture or carpets. This is an important part of my research on the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair.

3. Look into the dust emission of the vacuum cleaner

When you vacuum, the sucked up air eventually ends up in the room. We naturally want the air that leaves the vacuum cleaner to contain as few dust particles as possible. The dust emission, also called the dust emission, is an important point to look at in a vacuum cleaner for allergies. Often the type of filter tells you how the dust emission of a vacuum cleaner is.

4. See how easy and hygienic it is to empty the vacuum cleaner

You will have to empty a vacuum cleaner every now and then. Whether you have a vacuum cleaner with or without a bag. In general, a bagged vacuum cleaner is more hygienic to empty than a bagless vacuum cleaner. It’s easier to throw away a full dust bag than emptying a dust container above the trash can.

However, I do see interesting developments in the field of hygiene in bagless vacuum cleaners. I advise you to check carefully how easy and hygienic it is to empty a vacuum cleaner.

5. Where possible, go for a vacuum cleaner that is allergy-friendly certified

Did you know that there are also certificates for allergy-friendly vacuum cleaners? A very good example is the certificate of ‘Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America' (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL). The so-called ‘Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program‘ tests and certifies products and services to guarantee air quality in homes. When a vacuum cleaner has this certificate, you know one thing for sure: this vacuum cleaner is a very good choice for allergies.

Robbert Tigchelaar

Robbert Tigchelaar has made testing vacuum cleaners his life's work. He has dedicated himself to conducting fully independent and valuable tests of vacuum cleaners to provide consumers with honest advice. His expertise in vacuum cleaners has been highlighted in The Washington Post and the Daily Express.