Which is the Best Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner in 2023? Reviews of the Top UK Cleaners

The top cylinder vacuums are powerful and great for cleaning everywhere in the home. But with hundreds on the market, it can be difficult to know which cylinder to buy.  In this article, we review our picks for the best cylinder vacuum cleaners in the UK.

When it comes to cleaning stairs and other awkward locations, the cylinder vacuum is king. These unassuming vacuums have a large cleaning radius and strong suction power – and are often available for an excellent price.

But which are the best cylinder vacuums on the market right now? And how do you know which is the right one for your home? Let’s find out.

Our Selection Process

As with any large appliance, it’s vital to read cylinder vacuum reviews before you buy. There are some excellent models out there from brands such as Dyson, Miele, Vax and Numatic (of Henry fame). On the other hand, there are also poor-quality models with low suction power and unreliable motors which should be avoided.

That’s why we’ve listed the best cylinder vacuum cleaners in the UK (in our opinion), before providing a comprehensive buyer’s guide. So if you’re thinking of buying one, make sure you read and bookmark this page for future reference.

When choosing our list of the best cylinder vacuums, we’ve taken into account factors such as price, suction power, tools and dust capacity. You should also consider the cable length/cleaning radius, filtration system and whether the vacuum can match your requirements (such as pet hair).

Which Are Our Top Cylinder Vacuums?

Best Cylinder Vacuum (Our #1 Pick)

Our top pick for a cylinder vacuum cleaner is the Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog PowerLine. During our research, we found that it provides excellent all-round cleaning performance. The addition of a turbo brush also means it’s great for pet hair, which is something that many cylinder vacuums struggle with.

As the name suggests, this is a close relative of the C3 Comfort (another of our top cylinder vacuums) but is designed with pet owners in mind. It has a 4.5 litre dust capacity, which is around the average for bagged cylinder vacuums we’ve reviewed. The C3 Cat & Dog also has a relatively long 8.5-metre power cord, giving it a decent cleaning radius.

The C3 Cat & Dog comes with Miele’s TurboTeq floorhead with a rotating brush roll. This tool is one of the main advantages of buying the Cat & Dog instead of the basic C3 Complete, as we found it’s much more effective at removing hair and fluff from carpets.

It also has an Active AirClean filter which includes a charcoal layer. This removes dog and cat smells from the room while keeping the air clean.

Other features include an easy-to-empty bagged design, foot switches for changing the power level, a cable rewind button and on-board storage for tools. We also like that the C3 Cat & Dog comes with a combination floorhead for hard floors.

In summary, the Miele C3 Cat and Dog is an excellent cylinder vacuum for pet hair and all-round cleaning. It comes with a range of useful features, such as the turbo tool and wide cleaning radius, and the filter system is great if your house smells of pets after vacuuming. The only downside is that it doesn’t include a HEPA filter, although if you’re willing to pay more you can get this and the turbo tool on the C3 Total Solution Allergy.

Best Budget Cylinder Vacuum

If you like the C3 series but want a cheaper alternative, the Miele Classic C1 Junior is an excellent option. It’s great on both hard floors and carpets, while the standard floorhead does a surprisingly good job on pet hair.

At its core, the Classic C1 Junior is a bagged vacuum cleaner with a similar design to the C3 series – albeit with fewer features. It’s lighter than the C3, but doesn’t come with the EcoTeQ or TurboTeQ floor heads. It includes power controls, clip-on tools and an 800W motor though.

One of the best features of the Classic C1 Junior is its highly effective filtration system. The combination of bagged design and AirClean filter make it an excellent choice for people with allergies.

We also think it’s brilliant at cleaning hard floors and carpets compared to other models in this price range. The strong suction also removes plenty of pet hair – although the lack of a turbo tool means it’s less effective than the C3 Cat & Dog in this regard.

There aren’t many drawbacks to this model – especially considering the relatively low price tag. It’s not great at sucking up larger debris, such as cereal or cat litter, so you may need several passes to get it all.  This is a common issue with cylinder vacs though. It also has a relatively short 5.5 metre cable, which we found to be a bit annoying in larger rooms.

In summary, the Classic C1 Junior is a bargain cylinder vacuum that provides similar performance to many more expensive vacs. It’s not the largest or most powerful on the market, but it provides brilliant performance for the price.

Tip: Miele also produces a Miele C1 Compact version, which has a smaller size. 

Best Bagless Cylinder Vacuum

The Miele Blizzard CX1 PowerLine series is the company’s first entry into the bagless market – and what a way to make an impact. It’s a powerful bagless cylinder vacuum with an ergonomic design, durable construction, and powerful suction, making it an easy pick for our list of the best cylinders.

There are several CX1 models, but we think the Cat and Dog version is the most versatile. This model includes Miele’s universal floorhead, but also comes with the company’s turbo brush with rotating brush roll. This tool is great if your dog or cat moults a lot, as the brush bar helps to pull hairs from the carpet. It also includes Miele’s Comfort cable rewind and has a stylish red design.

Unlike most other Miele cylinder vacuums (aside from the Boost series), the Blizzard doesn’t use bags. Instead, it’s powered by a single “Vortex” cyclone which we found provides strong suction power. This suction, combined with the turbo tool or universal floorhead, provides excellent cleaning performance on almost any type of floor.

Aside from its great cleaning performance, the CX1 Cat and Dog also has effective dust retention due to the lifetime HEPA AirClean filter. Other features include integrated accessories, an 11-metre operating radius, and quick emptying system.

There are a few drawbacks to the CX1 Cat and Dog though. It doesn’t include Miele’s Comfort handle controls, for example, which are found on the CX1 Comfort. It also isn’t the best vacuum for cleaning laminate, although it still does a decent job.

The biggest issue is the price, as it’s an expensive cylinder vacuum cleaner. The basic Blizzard CX1 is a cheaper option, but doesn’t have a pet tool and uses the EcoTeq Plus floorhead (with no rotating brush bar.) For these reasons, we think the CX1 Cat and Dog provides value for money for pet owners who want a powerful model for cleaning everywhere in their home.

Overall, the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat and Dog PowerLine is one of the best cylinder vacuums on the market. It’s powerful, stylish and easy to manoeuvre around the home. If you’re looking for a bagless cylinder and can afford it, the CX1 is a great choice.

Other Recommended Cylinder Vacuums

The Miele Complete C3 Comfort Powerline is a bagged cylinder vacuum cleaner that’s the model down from the C3 Cat & Dog. It lacks some of the Cat and Dog’s features and tools, but is available for a cheaper price, making it a great choice if you don’t have pets.

While it doesn’t have Miele’s Turbo Tool for pet hair, we still think it provides excellent suction power and cleaning performance. It performs well on both carpets and hardwood floors, and does a decent job of removing pet hair despite the lack of a rotating brush.

The C3 series has been around for a while, so Miele has perfected the design and features. For example, the C3 Comfort has a 12-metre cleaning radius, an adjustable power setting, and three integrated accessories.

Aside from its excellent performance on almost any surface, the C3 is easy to use around the home. It’s manoeuvrable and has a large cleaning radius, so we found that you don’t need to keep changing plug socket. The dustbags hold more dirt than previous models and have a self-closing system, so it’s simple to dispose of them without spraying dust everywhere.

Other features include a universal floor head, easy storage for the accessories and a bag that removes more fine dust than regular bags. In addition, the C3 comes with an AirClean filter for efficient everyday filtration. While it doesn’t include a HEPA filter, this system removes most of the dust and allergens before it is released back into the air.

If you’re looking for a high-quality, powerful cylinder vacuum cleaner and your budget can stretch to the C3 Comfort, it’s a model we highly recommend. The strong suction power, in particular, makes it a choice to consider.

Tip: The C3 Comfort is very similar to Miele’s previous black C3 and Pure Red models. Click here for our full review of the older model.

The “Henry” vacuum cleaner is probably the most recognisable in the UK – but it’s not just a pretty face. We think Henry’s cleaning performance is more than a match for most cylinder vacuums, plus it provides great value for money and a highly durable design.

With a large 9 litre capacity and excellent suction, the Henry HVR200 is a great option for simple, powerful cleaning. Like the Miele C3 series, it’s a bagged vacuum which some people don’t find as convenient as bagless alternatives – although this allows for a larger capacity and better allergen retention when emptying.

Features of the Henry HVR200 include increased suction compared to previous models, 10 metre cable for more convenient cleaning, an easy folding handle, and an upholstery brush. We also like the self-sealing bags which make Henry easy to empty without spilling dust.

Aside from its excellent suction power, the Henry can seemingly vacuum anything without getting blocked. If you need a no-nonsense vacuum cleaner that’s simple to use and able to withstand almost any dry household task, then we think it’s one of the best choices.

There are a few downsides though. It’s a relatively basic vacuum that doesn’t come with a powered brush bar tool (such as the C3 Cat & Dog’s turbo tool). This makes it less effective at cleaning stubborn pet hair, although it still does a surprisingly good job. The floor tool also doesn’t always glide easily over carpet.

Even so, the Numatic HVR200 Henry cylinder vacuum is an excellent model that provides good value for money. And, if you get sick of the constantly happy Henry, you can even unclip his face! Click here to read our full review.

Note: Numatic also produces a smaller version of the Henry called the Henry Compact. The six litre capacity is still large, but it’s not quite as bulky as the full model. We’ve also written in-depth comparison between Henry and Dyson if you want to know more about the differences.

The latest Dyson to enter our list of the best cylinder vacuums is the Big Ball Animal 2. It’s a powerful vacuum that’s great on both carpets and hard floors, while the tangle-free turbine tool is brilliant for removing pet hair.

Let’s start with the basics though. This model is built with Dyson’s full-size “Big Ball” design which makes it more mobile than the average cylinder. It’s also self-righting, so when knocked over it picks itself back up, and has a new hygienic bin emptying system.

One of the advantages of the Big Ball Animal 2 over previous Dyson cylinders is the “Pneumatic” cleaner head. This provides excellent performance due to the self-adjusting design, which ensures you get a seal on hard floors while still being able to push it on carpets.

The new floor head, combined with the powerful suction, means the Big Ball Animal 2 is great on carpets, laminate, floorboards and almost any other surface. It can also suck up larger debris, such as cereal, which many vacuums struggle with.

A bonus is that it’s quieter than previous Dyson vacuums. It’s still not the quietest on the market, but isn’t deafening like previous models!

There are some downsides though. It’s one of the heavier cylinders on this list, with a weight of 7.5kg, so it may be difficult for some people to carry up and down stairs. The bagless design also means it holds less dust and dirt than bagged cylinders.

Despite these drawbacks, the Dyson Big Ball Animal 2 is an excellent vacuum cleaner. It provides brilliant all-round cleaning performance and is great for pet owners.

If you’re looking for a bagged cylinder that can handle pet hair, we think the Numatic Henry Pet (replacing the Numatic Harry) is an excellent choice. It’s similar in most respects to the regular Henry, but includes a turbo tool (Hairobrush) for pet hair and micro fresh filter. It’s also relatively quiet, with a noise output of just 72dB (click here for a list of our top quiet vacuums).

One of our biggest complaints about the standard Henry is that it doesn’t include a pet hair tool. This isn’t an issue if you don’t have a dog, cat, or other shedding pet, as the Henry has ample suction for most tasks. But for people who need to clean large amounts of pet hair, the Henry isn’t the most effective option.

For this reason, Numatic has designed the Henry Pet to appeal to pet owners. it comes with a turbo floor tool that we found is great for cleaning hair on carpets, while providing the huge capacity and long cable we associate with a “Henry” vacuum. It also has an activated charcoal filter to remove pet odours.

While the turbo tool is designed for pet hair, it improves the all-round carpet pickup, so the Henry Pet is even better at cleaning than the standard Henry. Like all modern Numatic vacuums, it’s also energy efficient with a 620W motor.

The biggest downside is that the Hairobrush for pet hair isn’t as wide as the regular floorhead. It’s not tiny, but the smaller size means it’s more useful for spot cleaning rather than tackling an entire room. It’s also a bulky vacuum and less mobile than models from Miele and other brands – plus it can be somewhat awkward to store unless you have a big cupboard.

Even so, if you want a Henry cylinder vacuum that’s great for cleaning pet hair, this is the one to get.

We’re big fans of the Miele Blizzard series, as it provides strong cleaning performance with a bagless cylinder design. However, it’s also an expensive vacuum cleaner. The good news is that Miele realised that there was a demand for a cheaper option and released the Miele Boost CX1.

Let’s start with the positive things about Boost CX1. We found that it’s great for cleaning both carpets and hard floors, while also being able to tackle larger debris. This is something that we’ve found many Miele vacuums struggle with, so it’s a big plus point for the Boost CX1.

Another plus point is the compact design, which makes the Boost CX1 easier to store than some of the other cylinder vacuums on this list. We also like that it comes with Miele’s Hygiene AirClean filter which provides efficient filtration.

There are things we don’t like so much about this vacuum cleaner though. We don’t think it’s the easiest to steer around the home, which can make it frustrating to use in tighter rooms. It’s also a relatively heavy cylinder vacuum cleaner, despite the compact size.

Overall, the Miele CX1 Boost is definitely an option to consider if you’re looking for a cheaper bagless alternative to the Blizzard series. We think it’s a solid vacuum cleaner, even if it has some noticeable flaws.

Why Buy a Cylinder Vac?

There are a number of important differences between cylinder vacuums and upright models.

Most importantly, the dust canister or bag is separated from the head via a long hose. This provides more versatility when cleaning difficult-to-reach areas, because you don’t need to move the entire unit. It also makes cylinder models useful for cleaning stairs and underneath tables.

Cylinders often rely on strong suction power instead of features such as motorised brushes, so an efficient motor is important. Most also include accessories and tools to attach via the hose, turning your vacuum into an all-around cleaning machine instead of just a dust-buster.

But does that mean a cylinder is the best option for everyone? Unfortunately not. Cylinders are best suited to smaller flats and houses, as they are less efficient for cleaning large areas of carpet. Even so, they can handle any type of flooring and accessories can make them a more versatile option than uprights.

How to Choose a Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

Cylinder vacuum cleaners vary in size, weight, features and suction power – so it’s important to think carefully about what’s important to you before you buy. Here’s an overview of the main factors to consider.

Are You Sure You Want A Cylinder?

This is the first question you should ask: are you certain a cylinder is the best match for your requirements – or would you be better served by an upright or cordless model?

As we mentioned earlier, cylinders tend to have a compact design and are easier to use in tricky-to-reach areas. This is because you don’t have to lift the entire vacuum to clean furniture or stairs.

On the other hand, upright vacuum cleaners are better for cleaning large areas of carpet. They can also generate more suction, as the air and dirt don’t need to travel along the hose. Dirt is also loosened by motorised brushes in the head when using an upright vacuum, which is not the case with many cylinder vacuums (unless they include a turbo tool).

The type of flooring in your home also makes a difference. Both cylinders and uprights can clean any floor, but most cylinders tend to be more effective when used on hard flooring as they have strong suction but no motorised brush. There are, however, some models that come with a “turbo roller” attachment for carpets.

So, as a general rule, for small homes with stairs or lots of difficult-to-reach places, cylinders can be an excellent option. For cleaning large carpets, an upright may be more convenient.

Bagged or Bagless?

This is one of the biggest decisions when choosing a vacuum cleaner, as, unlike cordless vacuums, many of the top models are bagged. There’s nothing wrong with a bagged vacuum, as long as you factor in the additional cost of buying replacement bags – and don’t mind the sometimes process of replacing them.

There are also bagless cylinder vacuum cleaner models available. These have the convenience of not using bags, but tend to be more expensive and messier to empty. To learn more, take a look at our guide to the advantages of a bagless vacuum.

On the other hand, bagged vacuums often use self-sealing bags. These prevent dust from escaping when emptying, which can be helpful for dust allergy sufferers. Bagged vacuums are also typically cheaper upfront.

Filtration System

One of the most important features of any vacuum is its filtration system. The filter stops dust particles, which have been sucked into the vacuum, being released into the air. While anyone can benefit from a more effective filter, it is most important for people with a dust allergy or asthma.

Many cheaper cylinder vacuum cleaners come with a standard filter. These usually have multiple stages to filter allergens and dust more effectively, but are not suitable for allergy sufferers. HEPA filters are considered the “gold standard” by most people, as they are the most effective at filtering out small dust particles, but are usually only found on more expensive models (click here for our list of the best HEPA vacuums).

Tip: In a bagged vacuum, the bag itself is often an effective filtration system.

Cleaning Radius

Cleaning radius is often overlooked when buying a cylinder vacuum cleaner, but can make the difference between a convenient vacuum and one that’s a struggle to use.

As a general rule, a wider cleaning radius means you won’t need to change plug sockets so frequently. This is more important for larger homes or if you want to clean multiple rooms at the same time.

Suction Power

Cylinder cleaners have a motor that powers a fan. This fan then generates suction through the hose. Cylinder vacuums rely on their suction power (unlike uprights which also have motorised brushes for removing dirt), so it’s important to choose a model that can generate large amounts of suction.

You should not rely on wattage to judge a vacuum cleaner’s suction power. The true suction depends on many factors, including whether the vacuum is properly sealed, has efficient airflow, and the filter isn’t clogged.

Weight

One of the great things about cylinder vacuums is the ability to clean tricky regions of your home. However, if the vacuum is heavy or unwieldy, this extra convenience is lost. Make sure you know exactly how much the vacuum weighs before you buy. Most are in the 5-8kg range, although there are exceptions.

Other Considerations

• Energy Efficiency. All vacuum cleaners in the EU need to have a power of less than 900W, but many use considerably less power. This is good for both the environment and your electricity bills!
• Bag cost. We mentioned this before, but it’s vital to know how much bags cost before you buy. While bagged cylinder vacuum cleaners are often cheaper upfront, expensive bags can quickly make them the pricier option in the long run if you’re not careful.
• Warranty. A longer or more comprehensive warranty is an indicator that a manufacturer has trust in their product. If possible, look for warranties that include both parts and labour.
• Tools and Accessories. Extra tools like a crevice tool, dusting brush, and upholstery nozzle make a vacuum more versatile. You should also consider whether the vacuum has built-in tool storage.

Conclusion

Cylinder vacuums might not be as fashionable as uprights in the UK, but it’s a mistake to overlook this category – especially if you have a small home or mainly need a vacuum for hard floors. While they don’t have the convenience of cordless vacuums, they provide more flexibility than regular mains-powered uprights and often have strong suction power.

Our top recommended model is the Miele C3 Cat and Dog Powerline. It has strong suction power, a turbo tool for pet hair, and provides excellent all-round cleaning performance.

All Our Cylinder Vacuum Reviews

Page Update History