There’s no difference between bagged or bagless vacuum cleaners in terms of cleaning power. But bagless cleaners remove the cost and hassle of having to buy bags, which is a major bonus. And whilst it used to be the case that bagged vacuum cleaners were a more hygienic and allergy-friendly way to clean on account of securely holding the dirt, that’s no longer the case. 1. Karcher MV4: £140, John LewisThis efficient multi-purpose machine makes light work of everything from rubble to sawdust to sludge and spills, making it ideal for cleaning up wet or dry mess in your home, garage, car – or wherever you need it, really. A four-hour charge will offer up to 40 minutes of powerful cleaning with this cordless machine. It picks up everything including dog hair, compressing it into bales that can be easily removed, and it does not discharge noticeably between uses. You can even connect it to your computer to check its condition. 3. Vax Air Cordless: £195, John Lewis

This upright cordless model is particularly lightweight and manoeuvrable and is brilliant at picking up dust, dirt and pet hair from all surfaces, whether carpet, floorboards or laminate. It’s awesome at getting into corners and close up to the walls too. 4. Dyson Cinetic Big Ball: £500, John Lewis First they got rid of the bag. And now they’ve got rid of the filters to wash and replace. This is not the only advantage of Dyson’s new model, the first upright vacuum we have tested that never seems to lose suction or clog. It is powerful and durable, and if you buy one now, you will get £75 worth of genuinely useful extra tools for free. 5. Swan SC4010N/MO: £37, John Lewis Great for cleaning the likes of stairs, car and fireplace, this lightweight and compact hand-held vacuum cleaner will get into the tightest and most awkward of corners and its suction is incredibly powerful. It’s got a five-metre cord and comes with a more useful selection of brushes and tools than your average machine.

6. Bosch Athlet: £249, John Lewis Bosch is one of the few brands that makes both bagged and bagless models of vacuum cleaner and both varieties tend to be impressive on a variety of floor surfaces. This one is an upright cleaner that is so lightweight that most people could carry it upstairs with one hand. Don’t expect that “just vacced” look, but it picks everything up and is good at getting under furniture. 7. Miele Scout RX1: £600, John Lewis This is Miele’s first robotic model and given their reputation in the world of vacuum cleaners, we had high expectations, which it lived up to. The smart navigation system, including digital camera, means it was impossible to fault – except, that is, for the price tag. 8. Hotpoint SL D07 BEB UK: £95, amazon This has a good energy rating, great manoeuvrability and decent dust retention. We also like the remote control power control located at the top of the vacuum handle so you can select the power you need without having to bend down.

A good budget option. 9. Zanussi Ergo Easy All Floors: £100, amazon Lightweight but powerful, this bagless cylinder vacuum cleaner comes with an anti-allergen HEPA filtration system, two-litre capacity dustbin and a 1500-watt motor to deliver impressive cleaning results. philips handheld vacuum cleaner fc6140With the long power cable, this is good for big spaces.bissell vacuum cleaner 6585 10. Vax Air Revolve: £260, John Lewismilagrow redhawk robotic vacuum cleaner Brand new for this year, this machine has a multi-orientation cylinder that revolves around you to clean in one continuous motion in any direction, making manoeuvrability really simple, rolling and flipping as you go.

It’s great on stairs and has excellent pick-up, even for stubborn pet hair. It’s easy to carry around and to store. 11. Vax Energise Vibe: £45, John Lewis We wouldn’t recommend this if you have lots of carpet, where it only does an average job, but it’s good on traditional floorboards and laminate flooring. It’s got excellent allergen retention and is very energy efficient, as well as lightweight. It’s nice and affordable and comes with a variety of useful tools including a crevice tool and upholstery tool. 12. Dyson DC54: £460, John Lewis This Dyson never loses suction and it also retains tiny particles as small as pet allergens and dust mite faeces, making this a particularly good option for allergy sufferers. It also uses patented Cinetic cyclone technology, which means there’s no filter maintenance, so nothing to replace or wash. It’s easy to manoeuvre and get into the smallest of spaces. Verdict: The all-new Dyson Cinetic Big Ball is expensive, but well worth the money, thanks to its outstanding cleaning ability on a range of surfaces, as well as its reliability and lack of filters to replace.