As humans, we’ve certainly put together our fair share of inventions and innovations. Many different inventions have made our lives significantly easier, and far more productive. Many of the greatest inventions, if not all of them, are tools that serve as a means of taking one important task and making it a much easier and less time-consuming process.
In recent years, inventions such as the smartphone and the personal computer have done just that. Using those two inventions, we have been able to completely redefine the way that we engage with the world, with our friends and family, and with the way that we do business and conduct transactions, among many others.
However, there is one invention that is often overlooked, and yet, it is by far one of the most powerful and influential inventions to have come out of the early 20th century – 1901, to be specific. That invention is, as you may have guessed, the vacuum cleaner.
Vacuum cleaners are incredible devices that have completely redefined the way that we think about how we clean our homes, and how we engage with the overall process of cleaning, in and of itself.
Today, we’re going to be looking at a unique type of vacuum. We’re going to be looking at backpack vacuums. Now, backpack vacuums are very different from other types of vacuums, such as upright vacuums and canister vacuums, so the ten vacuums we’re going to be listing may sound a bit strange, in comparison to those other vacuum types. Because of this, we’re going to first define what a vacuum cleaner is, and then what a backpack vacuum cleaner is.
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What, Exactly, Is A Vacuum Cleaner?
Invented in 1901, by Hubert Cecil Booth and David T. Kenney, a vacuum cleaner is a device that generates a vacuum – which is defined as a “space void of matter” – using an air pump.
Now, the vacuum that is generated is a type of space that makes it very easy for the device to suck up all kinds of different things.
– Dirt
– Dust
– Various types of debris
And on and on, it goes.
Newer vacuums, such as those of the wet-dry variety, can even suck up large quantities of water, and other wet material.
Through the use of a nozzle, this vacuum is directed, and the person using the vacuum can simply point/push the nozzle at the surface/on the surface that needs to be cleaned, and the vacuum that is being created by the air pump serves as the mechanism that enables whatever is on that surface to be sucked into the vacuum.
Many vacuums also use something known as a “brush roll”, which serves as a tool that makes it easier to vacuum up certain types of debris, such as dust and pet hair, because the brush roll can gather up those items more easily than just a standard nozzle.
Whenever something is vacuumed up, it then goes through a filtration process of some sort. Most vacuum cleaners have very simple filtration processes that consist of a very basic filter that sorts out the bigger particles and debris, from the smaller particles. This works well enough, and you’ll see it in most upright and canister vacuums.
Finally, after the filtration process, everything flows into a container. In recent years, this container is usually a dirt canister or dustbin. However, in the past, it was usually a bag that had to be emptied, and then replaced after a specific number of uses. While bagged systems were more popular in the past, you can still find them, to this day, and they are still quite popular.
What Other Types Of Vacuum Cleaners Are There?
Many years have passed since the first vacuum cleaner was invented, and since then, we’ve managed to develop a variety of different vacuum cleaners that serve their specific purposes.
Right now, the most popular vacuum cleaner is an Upright Vacuum. These are big and bulky vacuums that stand tall and upright. They are known for their affordability, as well as their power. You can clean just about anything with them, but they’re not very flexible, and it’s hard to clean smaller spaces with them.
Canister vacuums are vacuums in the shape of a canister. They tend to be similar to when it comes to sheer power, upright vacuums. Many people are choosing canister vacuums over upright vacuums, because they are far more versatile and maneuverable, due to their small size and unimposing design. But, the technology is still relatively young, so they are a bit expensive.
Robot vacuums are the newest vacuum cleaners around. These are very small vacuums that rely on modern technologies – such as laser sensors, smartphones, and Wi-Fi – to automate the entire process of vacuuming. They are very popular, but still young, and they aren’t as efficient or as powerful as the other vacuums on this list.
What Is A Backpack Vacuum?
Backpack vacuums are nowhere near as popular as the previous three vacuums. The reason for this is mostly because they aren’t designed for the average person. That isn’t to say the average person can’t use or afford one, because they definitely can, and they may find it to be a very useful device. But, backpack vacuums are advertised to businesses who need a powerful and reliable vacuum for cleaning a large space, such as an office building.
As the title suggests, a backpack vacuum is a vacuum that is stored in a kind of backpack. Usually, the vacuum cleaner itself is a Canister Vacuum, repurposed to fit within the backpack. Attached to the backpack, there are various nozzles and hoses, a long power cord that can extend for at least forty feet, as well as various extensions that are designed to make cleaning a more efficient and flexible experience.
With a backpack vacuum, you wear the actual vacuum on your back, and you can hold the hose and move it around in whatever direction you want since you have the mobility to do so. Due to the sheer effortlessness of it all, it saves a lot of time, and that is the biggest reason why so many businesses use backpack vacuums to clean their headquarters.
What Are The 10 Best Backpack Vacuums For Hardwood Floors, Carpeting, And Pet Hair?
The Top 4 Best Backpack Vacuums For Hardwood Floors
Makita XCV05Z Review
Unlike most backpack vacuums, the Makita XCV05Z relies on batteries, rather than a power cord. On the highest setting, the XCV05Z will last for one hour, on the lowest setting, it will last for 90 minutes.
Weighing only 9.4 pounds, this is a lightweight and easy-to-use backpack vacuum. When you combine the lightweight nature of this backpack vacuum, with the lack of a power cord, as well as with the thirty-nine-inch flexible suction hose, you get a simple and efficient backpack vacuum.
The motor generates 53 CFM – Cubic Feet Per Minute – of suction power at all times, making it easy to vacuum up just about anything. Then, everything you vacuum goes through a two-stage HEPA-Filter, and into a half-gallon filter dust bag, that is easy to empty, and cheap to replace.
Sanitaire EUKSC535 Review
The Sanitaire EUKSC535 is a heavier backpack vacuum that provides greater suction power, but a bit less convenience, since it relies on a power cord, and is rather heavy.
Weighing 25 pounds, wearing the Sanitaire EUKSC535 for a long period may strain your back a little bit. It can hold 2.5 gallons of dirt, dust, and debris at any one time, and emptying it is a very simple process. Just press a button, and that’s that.
Using this backpack vacuum, you have a hose that is thirty-two inches long. Cleaning ceilings and smaller/narrow spaces are easy.
GV 10 Quart Commercial Backpack Vacuum Review
Coming directly from GV, the GV 10 Quart Commercial Backpack Vacuum is one of the finest backpack vacuum on the market today, and it works wonders on any hardwood floor, as well as just about any other floor type.
Using this backpack vacuum, you can store up to ten quarts of dirt, dust, and debris, in a HEPA bag. The vacuum comes with six of these bags.
In terms of sheer power, this backpack vacuum gives you 110 CFM of power, which is exceptional. Most backpack vacuums don’t even come close. No matter what is on your hardwood floor, you’ll be able to vacuum it up, without any problems.
While vacuuming, everything flows into a three-stage filtration process, ensuring that everything is organized and where it needs to be, after it has been vacuumed up. This makes disposing of everything very easy.
ProTeam Backpack Vacuum Review
Last on the list for the best backpack vacuums for hardwood floors is the ProTeam Backpack Vacuum. This is a very powerful backpack vacuum that comes with some very nice features.
One of these features is the fifty-foot power cord, which makes cleaning large, open spaces an easy task. Then, there is the motor and the tools that come with it, making it easy to clean hardwood floors, as well as carpeting and many other floor types. After that, there is the ten-quart filter, which is very useful for storing and filtering all that you are vacuuming up.
Top 3 Best Backpack Vacuums For Carpeting
Milwaukee 3-In-1 Review
For carpeting, the Milwaukee 3-In-1 is a great choice. It isn’t the most powerful or efficient backpack vacuum, but it works very well.
One of the excellent features it offers is the fact that it relies on batteries, rather than a power cord. In terms of mobility, this is fantastic and makes vacuuming a much easier and more streamlined process.
It also possesses a great deal of suction power, which makes it easy to clean carpets and vacuum up materials such as dust, and even wood shavings, as well as metal ones.
ProTeam PROVAC 6 Review
ProTeam has developed a flexible backpack vacuum. Using this backpack vacuum, you can clean just about any surface – especially carpeting – and it’s very easy to adjust the harness that you are wearing, to make using the vacuum more comfortable.
The harness that is used is known as “FlexFit” and it has been designed with versatility and flexibility in mind. This is a great aid to your overall comfort, and performance while cleaning.
Using the power nozzle and the filtration system, you won’t have any problems sucking up and removing dirt, dust, and debris from your carpeting. This is a flexible, easy-to-use, and efficient backpack vacuum.
Powr-Flite BP6S Review
With a capacity of 6 quarts and a very well-designed power hose, the Powr-Flite BP6S is great for vacuuming up the dirt, dust, and debris that finds itself on your carpeting.
The suction power is 120 CFM, which is exceptional, and there is a four-stage HEPA filtration system that can dispose of whatever it is that you vacuum up quickly. Along with that, the shoulder harness has been designed with comfort and ease of use in mind, and as such, it’s very easy to use and is very comfortable to wear.
Top 3 Best Backpack Vacuums For Pet Hair:
The Atrix VACBP1 Review
If you want to vacuum up pet hair, the Atrix VACBP1 is an excellent choice. This is a backpack vacuum that weighs 10.3 pounds and can hold a total of eight quarts of dirt, dust, and debris, such as pet hair.
Now, this is a powerful backpack vacuum, in itself, but one of the main reasons why it is such a great choice, if you want to clean pet hair, is the fact that it comes with many different extensions and attachments, that give the vacuum much more versatility.
For example, there are floor brushes and round brushes, as well as tools for cleaning crevices and furniture nozzles, among many others. These particular tools can be used on pet hair, as well, to great effect.
Shop-Vac 2860010 Review
Shop-Vac is a very reputable vacuum manufacturer that is known for high-quality vacuums, of many sorts. The Shop-Vac 2860010 is certainly a continuation of that particular trend, and this is a very efficient and very powerful backpack vacuum.
With 6.5 HP – Horsepower – and a weight of only eight pounds, this is both a powerful backpack vacuum and an easy-to-use one, making it easy to vacuum up all of the pet hair in your home. The harness is also quite well-designed, so you can adjust it to make the experience as easy and as comfortable for you as you need.
Hoover C2401 Review
Weighing just under ten pounds, and with a simple and clear-cut design that is also ergonomic and practical, the Hoover C2401 is an exceptionally useful backpack vacuum that gives you the mobility and versatility you need. This is aided by the power cord, which is 48 feet long.
For pet hair, there is a floor tool and an upholstery tool, which are great for cleaning the pet hair off of your flooring, as well as off of things like your couch and your armchair.
Without emptying the dust container, you can hold up to 6.4 quarts of pet hair, dirt, dust, and other types of debris.
What Do I Need To Look For, Exactly, In A Good Backpack Vacuum?
Each one of the backpack vacuums that we’ve looked at contains several very distinct features and attributes that make the overall experience much easier and much more efficient. In this quick buying guide, we’re going to be looking at what those specific features and attributes are, and how, exactly, they contribute to the overall quality of the backpack vacuum itself.
One of the things to remember is that these are all equally important, in the grand scheme of things, but some of these features and attributes may be a bit less relevant to you, depending on the type of backpack vacuum you need. Remember to keep that in mind, and remember to keep in mind your own needs, when it comes to what you will be using this backpack vacuum for.
How Much The Backpack Vacuum Weighs
In terms of weight, backpack vacuums tend to vary. You’ll find some backpack vacuums weigh only eight or ten pounds, and others weigh nearly 30 pounds. There are many different backpack vacuums to choose from, and many of these backpack vacuums have very different weights.
One of the things you need to consider is how much weight you are comfortable carrying. For some people, the maximum weight they want to/can carry is around 15 pounds. So, when searching for a good backpack vacuum, keep that in mind, because purchasing a backpack vacuum that weighs more than that will only make the experience very unpleasant for you.
The Ergonomic Design Of The Backpack Vacuum
Every backpack vacuum does this one a little differently. Some backpack vacuums are designed to be very comfortable and very easy to wear, use, and adjust so that the overall experience is as easy and as pleasant as it can be. Other backpack vacuums are designed with significantly less focus on the ergonomics of the backpack vacuum, which can lead to a more unpleasant or uncomfortable experience.
When looking at the different ergonomic designs that these backpack vacuums present, make sure to consider whether or not you have any issues with your shoulders, your back, or your arms. Along with that, make sure to consider how comfortable you are with wearing a backpack vacuum that is a bit cumbersome. If you’re going to be using it a lot, spend the extra money and get something that has been designed with a bit more care, and that comes with the option to adjust and alter the straps and the harness.
The Kinds Of Surfaces You Will Be Cleaning With Your New Backpack Vacuum
In the list above, we talked about backpack vacuums that are especially useful for cleaning things like hardwood floors, carpeting, and pet hair. This same logic applies when you buy any backpack vacuum. Some backpack vacuums are really good for one type of surface, and some are good for another type of surface or type of debris.
When you are searching for a good backpack vacuum, make sure to consider the types of surfaces that are in your home/the place you will be cleaning. Are they hardwood floors? Carpeting? Both? Make sure you are familiar with the different surface types in your home, and then, familiarize yourself with the types of debris you will be cleaning, primarily. Whether you’re going to be cleaning pet hair, dust, or the kinds of debris you’d find on a construction site, just take the time to know what you’re going to be cleaning.
When you do this, it doesn’t matter what the specific power measurements are, because those aren’t always the most indicative when it comes to how well a specific backpack vacuum cleans a specific type of surface or a specific type of debris. But, they can be useful if you are looking for a more “general-purpose” backpack vacuum.
If that’s the case, and you want a backpack vacuum for general-purpose cleaning, you can’t go wrong with an HP – Horsepower – of at least 6.5, ideally 8 or 9, if not more, and a CFM of at least 70.
How Much Dirt, Dust, And Debris They Can Store At Any One Time
In the list above, you saw a variety of different backpack vacuums, each of which can store a different amount of dirt, dust, and debris, using the filter bags/dirt canister. Some backpack vacuums give you the ability to store quite a bit of material, and others don’t.
Here’s the thing, the more dirt, dust, and debris the backpack vacuum can store, the heavier the backpack vacuum will be. Along with that, though, having the ability to store more means that you won’t have to empty the bag/canister as much, and if you are using a bagged system, you won’t need to replace the bag as often, since many backpack vacuums rely on special bags that can, in some cases, cost quite a bit to replace.
Having a backpack vacuum that can store a lot of material is a really good advantage when it comes to overall convenience, but it does make the vacuum a bit heavier. If you own a backpack vacuum that can’t store much dirt, dust, and debris, then the vacuum will be lighter, but it won’t be as convenient, and it might cost you a bit more, too, if you are using a bagged system.
If The Filter System Uses A Canister/Container, Or Bags
These days, a canister/container is a much better choice, since it’s a lot cheaper and a lot easier, for the most part. You don’t have to constantly replace canisters or containers, although you may need to clean them out every so often.
Unfortunately, these kinds of filter systems are a bit more expensive than most other backpack vacuums, since many backpack vacuums still rely on bagged systems. However, while the initial cost is a bit more expensive, if you look at the long-term costs, there is a good chance you’ll be spending a lot of money buying new filter bags to replace the old ones. Whereas with a canister/container, you don’t need to replace those, so you’ll save money down the road, if you spend the extra money upfront.
However, bagged filter systems are still reliable, and many backpack vacuums make great use of them, and that offer replacement filter bags that are cheap, affordable, and well-made. You’re just going to have to do your research when it comes to this aspect.
The Cost
Finally, it all comes down to cost. Some backpack vacuums are very cheap, but most of them are going to be at least $100, usually a bit more. This is due to the technology, and just how powerful it is.
Some backpack vacuums are in the $400 and $500 range, and these backpack vacuums offer a litany of other features and attributes that are designed to make vacuuming an even easier and more convenient process, while also focusing a lot more on giving you the ability to clean many other types of surfaces and many other types of debris, as well.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, backpack vacuums are exceptionally useful devices/tools, and they make life a lot easier. If you need a good backpack vacuum that will give you the ability to clean efficiently and easily, without sacrificing power or performance, then the backpack vacuums we’ve shared with you will do the trick!
Using our buying guide, as well, will enable you to find the right backpack vacuum for you and your vacuuming needs!
| Best of the Best! | Commercial Option | Budget Pick |
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| Hoover C2401 | ProTeam 107109 | Atrix VACBP1 |
| • 9.2 lbs • 48 ft Power Cord • HEPA Filter • 66 Decibel • 13.2 x 13.2 x 30 in | • 11 lbs • 50 ft Power Cord • HEPA Filter • 66 Decibel(dBA) • 33 x 14 x 14 in | • 12 lbs • 2 ft Power Cord • HEPA Filter • 72 Decibel • 19.5 x 12.5 x 10 in |
 |  | |
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