If you have a carpeted area that needs regular cleaning thanks to a high degree of commercial traffic, a residential vacuum cleaner won’t do the job.
For this reason, if you need a consistent level of cleaning for a place that’ll see more than 10 hours of vacuuming a week, a commercial vacuum is necessary.
In this guide, we’re going to show you the best commercial vacuum cleaners for any tough job.
Table of Contents
Quick and Easy Comparison Table for Commercial Vacuum
# | Image | Product Name | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
5 |  | Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS | Weight: 8.2 pounds | |
4 |  | Hoover CH30000 PortaPower | Weight: 8.3 pounds | |
3 |  | Oreck Commercial U2000RB1 | Weight: 8.0 pounds | |
2 |  | Sanitaire Tradition SC886F | Weight: 20 pounds | |
1 |  | Hoover Commercial C2401 | Weight: 9.2 pounds |
In-depth Review of Top 5 Best Commercial Vacuum
5. Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS Commercial Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Our first product, which is manufactured by Oreck, is a commercial vacuum cleaner that’s designed with adjustability in mind.
This is due to an automatic floor adjustment feature that will recognize changes in floor type so that you can optimize your cleaning performance.
Oreck also designed this with ergonomics in mind; the handgrip is made to be comfortable for people with arthritis, and the button is ergonomically placed.
The cleaning path on this Oreck cleaner is 12-inches in width, which means that you’ll have to make fewer passes when vacuuming larger rooms.
The brushes, which have a double-helix design, are made to run at high speeds so that dust and debris are lifted and propelled into the bag.
This machine is also designed to be folded almost entirely flat, so getting it under things like couches is easy.
Lifting it is also a cinch because this cleaner only weighs about 8.2 pounds. You should also have no problem with range; it comes with a 35-foot power cord.
4. Hoover CH30000 PortaPower Lightweight Commercial Canister Vacuum
This product is perfect for commercial-style applications because it’s so portable.
To use it, you simply have to sling the adjustable shoulder strap across your body, and it can be carried very far.
While it only does have a 33-foot power cable, you can extend the reach of the host relatively far because it stretches.
Additionally, carrying it around is easy, thanks to the fact that it only weighs 8.3 pounds in total.
When it comes to performance, this is a product that also stands out. Not only does it have a reasonably comprehensive head that is wide enough to collect most debris, but it also comes with extra head attachments that you can use when needed.
Do you see a lot of dust on your hardwood floors? This product also has a blower function that will allow you to get rid of this unattractive layer with ease.
Also, its small form factor makes it a good go-to product for anyone that needs to clean in tight spaces. For objects like drapes and other hard-to-reach items, the stretchable hose makes cleaning a cinch.
3. Oreck Commercial U2000RB1, Professional Upright Vacuum Cleaner
This product, as you may notice, bears a slight resemblance to our first commercial vac model; it has the same ergonomic, arthritis-friendly handle design, and the product will also fold down relatively flat.
It also has a 12-inch cleaning path that will suck up most major debris.
In addition to all of this, it also has the self-adjustment feature that allows the vacuum to easily change the height so that various surfaces can be cleaned with a high degree of accuracy.
Despite this, the cleaner also stands out for a few reasons as well.
One of the first notable differences is the bag size; this Oreck U2000RB-1 has a reasonably massive bag capacity that is perfect for larger homes and offices.
In total, the bag is 630 cubic inches and fills from the top of the machine.
This is also a commercial product that is designed to be repaired easily; the cord is attached via a cord clamp that makes it easy to replace the cable should damage occur.
In addition to these features, the U2000RB-1 also has a 40-foot cord, so you’ll get good range during your cleaning jobs.
2. Sanitaire Tradition Upright Bagged Commercial Vacuum SC886F
The Sanitaire Tradition, at 20 pounds, is the largest commercial vacuum cleaner in our guide.
Despite this bulkiness, it’s also a vacuum product that has a lot of power and a respectable capacity for dust and debris.
The bag has an 18-quart capacity that will only fill up when you’re on the tougher jobs.
This is also a machine that comes with a guarantee of long life; its motor is designed to last for more than 2,000 hours of use.
This vacuum also stands out thanks to its larger cord; in total, this cleaner has a 50-foot cord that should give you enough leeway to clean even the harder to reach spaces.
This cord is also fully detachable, so you can buy one with even more range.
As you’ll notice, this is something of a no-nonsense product; it doesn’t have a lot of aesthetic design concessions, which means that it is definitely designed for commercial jobs.
1. Hoover Commercial Lightweight Backpack Vacuum C2401
One of the best features of this product is how portable it is; you simply put it on your back like a backpack and proceed to vacuum the commercial area.
In total, the product weighs less than 10 pounds, which makes it an excellent option for anyone that needs portability; this weight, when supported by your trunk, won’t be noticeable.
Chiropractors also designed the harness, and there’s even a strap that goes across the chest for a better level of support.
When it comes to everyday use, this vacuum is designed to work on a variety of surfaces including ones you’d find in a car or even hard-to-clean food preparation spills.
To clean your carpet, you’ll just need to strap the device on and utilize the wand to go over the area.
The wand is designed to be ergonomic, so adding a little extra elbow grease will be easy.
It even employs a HEPA filter to ensure that the air doesn’t become proliferated with extra dust and debris.
Features to Look for in a Commercial Vacuum
- Easy Reparability: When you’re working with a commercial product, you’ll be using it more often than a standard vacuum cleaner. Consider this: when you have a standard machine, you can be expected to vacuum perhaps a single hour a week, whereas, with a commercial device, you’ll be cleaning a much larger area for more than 15 hours a week. As a result, the components on a commercial product will break down and need repair more often. Fortunately, commercial products are designed to be easily repaired so that you can get back to work efficiently.
- Longer Cord Lengths: If you own a residential vacuum cleaner, most likely, you’ll only need a few feet of cord slack to cover the majority of the spaces you’ll want to vacuum. This can be very inconvenient with a commercial vacuum cleaner, especially if you are trying to clean your carpet and you have a larger area to cover. For this reason, industrial machines typically have a longer cord length so that you can include a broader swath of space without the need to plug in the machine at various points along the way.
- Lightweight Design: With a commercial vacuum, you may want a lightweight design so that you can carry your lightweight vacuum from place to place with relative ease. This isn’t something that should be to the detriment of the product’s performance; in fact, a lightweight machine will make it easier to clean stair landings and other hard to reach places. Some devices can even be worn as a backpack so that you can have a more portable experience.
- Filtration: In modern vacuums, even those of the commercial variety, there are new filtration systems that utilize HEPA technology to not only reduce the dust particles in the carpet but in the air as well. Effectively, these HEPA filters capture any excess dust that is picked up, and rather than putting these dust particles back into the air; they will end up in the canister.
- Various Attachments: As a general rule, a commercial product won’t have quite as many attachments as you might find on a residential unit. This is because domestic products need to be a bit more all-encompassing to meet the needs of the house. Commercial products, on the other hand, are usually more specialized, but you will be able to find attachments for sale after the purchase, and there are some machines on the market that will provide a reasonably varied experience when it comes to accessories. Some of the attachments you might find on the aftermarket are:
- Tile floor attachments
- Attachments that will allow you to vacuum your car
- Pet hair attachments
- A Comprehensive Warranty: Since these tend to experience a bit more wear and tear than a standard residential product, a commercial vacuum cleaner will usually have a shorter warranty period. Remember, even though these are designed to be easily repaired, they are going to fail eventually, so try to get as comprehensive a warranty as possible. This will protect your investment should it break down.
What are the Advantages/Benefits of This Type of Product?
- A More Industrial Design: One thing you’ll notice about a commercial product is that the manufacturer will seldom add a lot of design bells and whistles, and this can be an advantage. Instead, industrial units will typically have designs that are made to fit into more narrow areas, have a more pronounced dedication to ergonomics, and work on a wider variety of surface types.
- A More Spacious Bag: When you’re cleaning, since you’ll have a larger space to work with, you don’t want to have to continually replace or empty the bag. For those models with a bag system, you’ll find a larger capacity bag to be particularly advantageous.
- Floor Type Adjustment: This is useful when you have to go over various types of flooring. Keep in mind the fact that shag carpet needs a different style of vacuuming than a carpet with a shorter knap, so you want a commercial product that can differentiate. This will raise or lower the brushes to accommodate even tile or hardwood floors. Some products even do this automatically.
- A Wider Hose: With a broader hose, you’ll be able to more easily pick up more substantial amounts of dust and debris. Commercial vacuums tend to have tubes that measure in at anywhere between 1½ inches to two inches in diameter. When making a purchase, err on closer to two inches so that you can get more material up into the vacuum without having to go over the surface multiple times.
Final Thoughts
Whether you need a lightweight vacuum for hardwood floors, carpet, area rugs, or just to vacuum your car, each of these products will do a fantastic job.
If we were to pick a clear winner, the product that stands out the most as a great commercial vacuum is our last – the Hoover Commercial Lightweight Backpack Vacuum.
This product allows for the greatest level of portability, which is very useful for industrial applications. In addition to this, it also has a very long power cable, which also extends its range.
Finally, the inclusion of several great attachments just edges out the competition.
