10 Best Backpack Vacuums

10 Best Backpack Vacuums

Considerations When Choosing the Best Backpack Vacuum

Everyone has seen the commercials where they show dust and creepy bugs magnified x1000. Makes me want to get a flamethrower, or an industrial team to come in and sanitize my home within an inch of its life. But the thought of dragging out the vacuum is a deterrance, so that gross debris keeps on collecting.

There are industrial teams everywhere that vacuum every day, and they have the advantage of wearing backpack vacuums to do the job. A backpack vacuum for home use may seem unnecessary – they must be too expensive, right? Not so, compared to the nicer solid upright and canister vacuums.

Four Reasons Why You Should Consider A Backpack Vacuum

1. It’s Healthier For Your Body

According to Ohio State University’s Department of Surgery-Orthopedics, the physical structure of a backpack vacuum is healthier than an upright in several ways. Using an upright vacuum causes the user to move in a way that’s abnormal to the body. Bending and pushing causes stress to the body. A canister vac makes you bend down and twist even more.

A vacuum that’s attached to your back has its weight distributed throughout your torso and hips, so the movements you make are more natural. This puts less stress on your back and lessens repetitive use injury. And the less pain you experience, the longer you’ll be able to vacuum.

2. Backpack Vacs Are More Efficient Than Uprights

These vacuums are widely used by janitors and maintenance workers because they get the job done. They are more efficient because they generally have better suction which is the most important part of a vacuum. The faster the dirt is removed, the quicker you’re done. And actually backpack vacs can get the job done at least twice as fast as an upright.

3. They Tend To Be Sturdier Than Most Uprights

Because they are used by industrial cleaning people constantly, they need to be well-constructed, dependable and last as long as possible. If you translate that to your home usage, your backpack vacuum would last much longer than most uprights.

4. Better Footprint

An upright vacuum takes up about three square feet on the floor. Having this big of a space in front of you makes for less maneuvering space. A vacuum on your back leaves the path ahead completely clear so you can see in front of you and see where and what the vacuum is sucking.

You can see why using a backpack vacuum would make more sense in the long run than using an upright vacuum, and even moreso, the canister version. When you’re ready to look for a backpack vac, there are multiple features to take into consideration.

Look for these Features in an Backpack Vacuum

Well-Built - Durability

Since you want to spend as little money as possible on this important machine, you want a vacuum that works well. It needs to be dependable and last a long time, so it should be well-constructed and have few known mechanical and use issues. And it needs to have a well-designed motor to suck dirt in those evasive crevices.

The Fit of The Harness

It’s very important that the vacuum backpack have a harness that fits properly so the vacuum’s weight is distributed evenly across your torso and so that the hips share the weight load. So you want to be sure to find a machine that has a harness with flexibility of adjustment and fit. The belt of the harness should be snug but not tight, whereas the shoulder straps should be a little looser for easier upper torso movement.

The Weight of the Vacuum - portability 

If a backpack vacuum is too heavy, it doesn’t matter how well the harness fits. It will simply be too difficult to use. Backpack vacs that can be used in the household tend to weigh between 8 and 23 pounds, whereas lightweight backpack vacuum are in a much lower range. The amount of dirt that accumulates in the canister should also be taken into account.

Good HEPA Filtration

A large part of the reason you vacuum is to remove as much dust and dirt as possible so it won’t be floating in the air. So many people have allergies and breathing issues so it’s important for a vacuum to have a filtration system that removes the troubling materials from the air for easier and healthier breathing.

Strong Suction

The CFM, or air flow power, is a method used to designate the suction capability of a vacuum. According to the Home Floor Experts, the stronger the suction, the more dirt and debris is removed. Industrial vacs in general tend to have stronger suction but that’s not always the case, so be sure to look at the rating.

The Cost of the Vacuum

When searching for a household item that I want to buy, I usually rotate around between the features I’m looking for while at the same time keeping the price in mind. If the vacuum has some good features about it but it costs over $400, I’ll want to keep looking until I find a compromise with the right combination.

Other Important Considerations

You’ll want to look at the size of the canister to be sure you’ll be able to maneuver properly with it. You have to be conscious of the area added width with the backpack on, so you don’t run into, knock over or break anything.

Attachments and a long cord are important for getting the job done. Many of these vacuums’ harnesses have loops on the belt so you’ll have them at your fingertips and won’t have to stop and look for them. And how many times have you misplaced an attachment, or find the wrong ones for vacuum you’re using? This way the attachments stay together and won’t get lost.

If you have little ones in your house or just generally like things quiet, be sure to look at the decibel rating of the vacuum. Since these vacs are used in hotels and other quieter but high foot traffic areas, most of these vacuums make less noise than household vacuums. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) requires that a backpack vacuum cannot exceed a decibel rating higher than 70.

The ability to use a vacuum as both a dry and wet vac is a good plus for those bigger spills and leaks, and several of these vacs have this capability. Another useful but optional feature is being able to convert to a blower and use it as a floor tool if necessary. That way you can use it as an outdoor backpack vacuum to blow the leaves into piles. 

Sometimes the type of carpet being cleaned is also an important factor. For low pile carpets, it doesnt matter much but for shag or high pile ones it effects performance and should be kept in mind. Also having good crevice tools with the system is a big time saver.