Although vacuum filters are available in many different shapes, materials and sizes, three of the most common types of filters are bags, primary and final filters.

Types of Vacuum Cleaners and Their Filtration Systems

Bagged Units

The first vacuum cleaner filters were bags. They were a first step toward stopping and collecting dust before it could enter the vacuum cleaner's motor housing and escape back into the air. Bag filtration efficiency has continued to improve over the years, but airflow and suction will always suffer as the bag begins to fill with dirt and dust. The less air space in the bag, the less suction your vacuum will have.

The first bagless vacuum cleaner was introduced in the mid-1990s after industry research showed that consumers considered the task of buying replacement bags to be a difficult one. According to a recent study, a range of factors led to consumers' frustration - from not being able to find bags for older model vacuum cleaners to running out of bags when it was time to clean. (Source: 1999 focus group conducted by Industrial Research Center on behalf of W. L. Gore & Associates)

Bagged units may also contain final filters. These are placed where the air exits the motor, to capture dust particles and allergens that escape through the bag.

Bagless Units

Most newer designs of vacuum cleaners are bagless. According to the Fourth Annual Housewares Census conducted by HOMEWORLD BUSINESS®, consumers reported a purchase preference for bagless vacuum cleaner models, up from 37 percent in 1999 to 62 percent in 2001. Bagless units feature pleated filters made of various materials. Over the years, these filters have evolved from paper media (similar to paper bags) through synthetic non-woven and microfiberglass, to today's CleanStream™ filter media. CleanStream™ media, with its easy to clean surface filtration, blocks particles at the surface while allowing maximum airflow to pass through.

One More Stage - The Final Filter

Depending on the vacuum's design - be it bag or bagless - there may be one last filter in a series of filtration stages. The better your primary filter, the less you need a technically advanced final filter to capture dust and allergens. So, on units with bags or traditional filter material, it is becoming more common to see pleated HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters at the motor's exhaust. Some technologically advanced units feature CleanStream filters at the final stage to trap any dust or dirt that may have passed through these previous stages.

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