Simplicity Vacuums

Simplicity is Riccar's sibling under Tacony Corporation, and the two share a dealer network, but Simplicity is the plainer and cheaper of the pair. Its current range is small: two bagged uprights, two canisters and a few sticks and handhelds. Both machines here are bagged and use HEPA media, and both carry a 1-year warranty that Simplicity says covers non-wearable parts, with filters, belts and brush strips excluded.

The S26 Allergy Upright Premium ($400) is the better of Simplicity's two uprights. Simplicity rates its HEPA media at 99.97 percent at 0.3 microns, and it has a selector that turns the brushroll off for bare floors, a self-adjusting nozzle, a lifetime belt with a jam sensor, and a wand and stretch hose that reach up to 11 feet. There are no headlights. The Jill ($180) is a 9-pound suction-only canister with no powered head, an 18.5-foot cord, a metal wand giving about 10 feet of reach, a suction-control lever on the handle and a full-bag indicator.

Owners of the Jill bought it for the weight, several of them after age or joint trouble made a heavier machine hard to use, and say its suction is strong for its size. They also say it suits bare floors, rugs and stairs rather than wall-to-wall carpet. S26 owners rate its carpet cleaning, filtration and maneuverability well but call it heavy on stairs and the warranty short for the price. If the home is mostly carpet, the Jill is the wrong machine. If it has a lot of stairs, lift an S26 at a dealer before buying.