Sanitaire Vacuums

Sanitaire has made commercial vacuums since 1972, the kind found in hotel corridors, schools and offices. Electrolux owned the brand until August 2018, when Bissell bought it to build up its commercial business. Sanitaire still markets itself to cleaning crews in education, hospitality, healthcare and retail, but plenty of homeowners buy these machines for the same reason: they are built to run every day.

The models listed here cover the main commercial formats rather than one ladder. The Professional upright ($160) is the light-duty model, with onboard tools and a disposable bag. The Tradition SC886G ($280) is the heavy-duty one, with a 2,000-hour-rated motor, an 18-quart shake-out bag, a chrome hood and no hose at all. The EON QuietClean ($464) is the upright with sealed HEPA filtration for schools and patient areas. The EXTEND ($148) is a small bagged canister with a full tool kit, and the TRANSPORT ($839) is a cordless backpack that runs on two swappable batteries.

Owners of the two most-discussed models agree on durability. Professional owners describe units still running after 20 years and handed down through families, and say it pulls embedded grit from carpet that pricier consumer uprights leave behind. Tradition owners say its shake-out bag keeps suction steady as it fills, and like how easily the cord and parts can be serviced. The criticism is specific. The Professional has no way to stop the brushroll, so it scatters debris on hard floors, and both machines are loud. Some long-time commercial users of the brand also say brush rollers and blower fans have worn out faster since the Bissell sale.

For home use, the floor type decides it. The Tradition and Professional are carpet machines, and only the EON and TRANSPORT have sealed HEPA filtration, which matters in a home with allergies. Sanitaire sells through its own site and through dealers, whose service locator is the route for repairs.