Upright. I hate canister vacs, but that may be due to my childhood experience of dragging my parents' canister vac around only to have to reattach the duct taped portion about 20 times each use. Any wonder I hate to vaccum?

My mother also had an old baby blue canister vacuum when I was a kid. Come to think of it I think she STILL HAS IT. We have an upright with one of those HEPA filter thingys which is a must due to our dogs.

Upright. I have a Hoover Fusion and so far, it is the best I have had.

I am a vacuuming junkie. Only use an upright. Must have HEPA filter and won't use bagless as the emit dust. With dog and allergies I vacuum twice a week.
Did you know Sears will come down on price on vacuums if you ask them? It worked.

Dyson.

It's all I'll ever have, now that I've crossed over. Dayum that thing can suck.

What is this VACUUM of which you speak?

OK, I appear to be in the minority here, but I bought a cannister last year, & I love it. It's easy to use the attachments to reach the cobwebs on the ceiling, & it does a great job with hardwood floors & the rugs. I also don't have a hard time pulling it around. Also, my daughter loves to put her stuffed animals on the cannister part while I roll it around so they can have rides. Not that she gets many opportunities to do that, because as I look around the living room with her fussy baby brother in the background I see many, many dust bunnies in the corners.

It kind of depends on what you've got to vacuum. If you've got to vacuum under things a lot then a canister is the way to you. But me? I did purchase a Dyson a few months ago and I love it. I had to get a bagless because I'd be using one bag a week which is WAY too expensive. I don't mind that there's a little dust when I empty the canister either. I just go outside to our garbage can and empty it out there.

Oreck. Got one as a wedding present and have never looked back.

I have a central vac system (the joys of building a new house). But - if I were on the market for a different vac I would go directly to the Oreck store and talk sweetly to the nice salesperson until they allowed me to adopt one. (and all the goodies you get with it). I know several people with them and they are superior to even the hallowed dyson.

I've got something of a problem -- I've had 14 vacuum cleaners in my life, and still own four. My time-tested conclusions: 1. Upright, NOT bagless. 2. As lightweight as you can afford. Get an Oreck if you can. 3. Change the bag frequently.

If you're interested, my current coterie is: an Oreck XL w/HEPA bags, an Oreck hand vac, a Black & Decker rechargeable wall vac for the kitchen, and my latest addition, a Roomba. (Jury's still out on that last one).

I have an Oreck that I love that is going on 12 years old now and still works like new, but we really have little in the way of carpeting. If we had lots of wall-to-wall, I would be thinking... Roomba!

neither...Roomba!

Come on, you know you really want your own robot!

Upright for the wall-to-wall carpet on the 2nd floor. Canister for the wood floors and area rugs on the first floor (and to be dragged to basement to do the carpeting down there once a quarter or so). I have them--I never said I use them much.

Upright, with great attachments!

upright...NOT bagless

I agree with Shotgun, but it certainly seems like we are outnumbered!

Oh easy! Upright. by Dyson! I have become a vaccuum snob! I went to Sears to buy a new vaccuum cleaner a few years ago and I laughed outloud, literally, at my astonishment of a $400 vc. when I saw this ridiculous $400 vaccuum cleaner, I asked her "WHAT could I possibly need with a $400 vaccuum cleaner?"... wrong question! I was sold in 10 minutes. Love it love it love it. easiest and best one I have ever owned! I reccommend it highly! And it has well paid for itself by now too. (although that reminds me, I do need to rinse that filter!) I bet the "ball" is pretty cool too.

Upright. Period. (I was given an Oreck when I went to college some 20+++++almost 30 years ago and I still have it and it still works great!) But I did flirt with a Dyson awhile back and he made me buy him. Dang that thing is unbelievable! I have to be careful around the rugs tho!!

Upright. I do the bagless because the dust doesn't get to us that much (which is probably why I rarely clean - building up those old dust bunny immunities!)...I have a cheapie cheapie one - my housekeeper just rolled her eyes at me when she saw my machine. "THAT'S not a vacuum!" she said. She now brings her own.

Upright.
The canister vacuum of my childhood was so frustrating, I dragged that thing around behind me ..the canister bouncing off the furniture.
Nice distress technique...

i stand corrected - vacuum. not vaccuum! duh. and Oreck's are good too. that's cuz they are made in N'Awlinz! ; )

canister baby!!!

I have a Dyson that I A-D-O-R-E. Seriously, I would divorce my husband and marry my vacuum if they would just legalize vacuum marriage in California.

Well....I have this ongoing love/hate relationship w/my vacuums. Currently I am using 2. An upright for the rugs and the one carpeted room we have....and a ShopVac for the rest of the house. YES! I did say a ShopVac. That baby picks up absolutely everything. Somedays it is just too dang much work to bend down and pick up that penney! Not to mention all the dog hair.

I would love to ditch both of them and just settle on one that does it all. I would prefer one w/a bag. Any suggestions?

Spring for the Dyson. I LOVE mine. Don't know how I lived before I had it.

I got the purple Animal. It come with extra stuff.

In response to Tanya's post just above me, re: ShopVac picking up pennies.

A Dyson will suck up a penny and any other loose change.

Ella...I'm just writing to ask if u could float me a small loan perhaps? I checked out the Dysons and the animal one is my dream come true. But....YIKES!!!....I need to take out a small loan or wait until income tax refund gets here.

Thanks for the info!