By Mike Szostech Last updated

Somewhere in-between the best cordless vacuum and the best upright vacuum, comes the all-purpose medium duty best canister vacuum Canada. These canister vacuums come in all sorts of price ranges with different features and attachments, some are bagless and some have bags.

Since 2021, our top recommendation was the Bissell Hard Floor Expert. It’s still our top choice for houses with hard floor surfaces, but the Miele C3 is now the top choice overall for the best canister vacuum Canada. After scouring hundreds of canister vacuum reviews and recommendations, the Miele C3 family consistently came up at the top. The company is well known for quality construction and these canister vacuums just last forever!

Now in 2023, with inflation on the top of many minds, we’ve added some great budget canister vacuums that are around the $100 price for those on a tight budget.

For those of us with hard floors and some area rugs, canister vacuums are the ticket. They’re lighter than upright vacuums – or at least they feel like it because the bulk of the weight gets pulled around behind you. Our cordless Dyson stick vacuum works well for small cleaning jobs, but just doesn’t have the suction or battery life needed for a whole house cleaning.

Most canister vacuums usually don’t have powered heads, so if you have a full wall-to-wall carpet house, we’d recommend an upright vacuum, or one of the high-end upgrade canister picks that does have a powered head.

Plus, a flexible hose with multiple attachments works so much better for whole house deep cleans including furniture, stairs, curtains etc.

With that in mind, here’s our round-up of the best canister vacuum Canada in 2023!

Review Contents:

Beware of vacuum marketing trickery

As with every industry, a vacuum company needs to keep making money. That leads them to modify their vacuums and add new features and offer new models.

That doesn’t mean, however, that an old model is specifically bad, or outdated. We did find some websites, though, that listed an older model as their top choice, when it was actually more expensive to purchase than the newer, updated version (likely because it was discontinued and hard to find).

In other cases, we even came across specific canister vacuums that were sold exclusively at one store (we’re talking about you, Canadian Tire) for more than the comparable model at other online retailers. There were slight differences, and they came with a different cleaning head, but the motor was actually less powerful – resulting in weaker suction power.

We’re planning on offering a complete comparison chart of all the best canister vacuums in Canada in the near future. If that’s something you’re interested in, let us know!

Best Canister Vacuum Canada Comparisons:

Hey Canada! This section helps you compare the features of these products to help you choose the best option for you! Click on the product name to jump down to that specific review.

Cord Length

While not a serious consideration for many, cord length might be important to you if you have limited access to plugs in your house. If you really don't like getting interrupted to have to move the cord to a closer outlet, get a canister vacuum with a long power cord.

Weight

The weight of a canister vacuum cleaner isn't as important as the weight of an upright vacuum cleaner because most of the weight is in the canister on the ground that gets pulled around behind you. However, if you have a multi-level house to clean, you'll have to carry the canister up and down the steps. Not too surprising, the budget vacuum cleaners weigh less and the long-lasting reliable canister vacuums weigh more.

Warranty

A longer warranty helps protect your canister vacuum purchase for longer.

HEPA Filter

A HEPA filter helps keep small particles from re-circulating into your household air after the vacuum sucks them up. We used to think that high-quality filtration was only important to people with allergies, but we have come to understand that no one wants to recirculate dirt and dust throughout their house as they vacuum. On a bagless canister vacuum, a HEPA fitler would be more important as that's the only real defense between dust getting back out of your vacuum.

While the Miele C3 doesn't always come with a HEPA filter (some models do), the whole vacuum's canister is a totally sealed system with a dust bag and air filter combination that filters out particles up to 0.1 micron in size!

Dyson's Cinetic technology has micro-vibrating tips that keep dust from getting stuck to them like other bagless vacuum cleaners have to deal with. The longevity of these is relatively untested, but new out of the box it seems to function as intended.

Best Bagless Canister Vacuum - Dyson Cinetic Big Ball AnimalNo filters because of CINETIC technology

Bagged or Bagless

Without a doubt, bagless vacuums are cheaper to operate. There's no vacuum bags to purchase. And if you want the quick convenience of emptying the dustbin each time, the best bagless canister vacuum is for you. However, there still are filters on bagless vacuums that need to get cleaned or replaced periodically, and in our experience even the vacuum cyclone tips can get caked with fine particles that affect the vacuum's performance over time.

The best bagged canister vacuums cost more to operate because there is the cost of vacuum bags. However, the slight increase in cost might be worth the trade-off in time saved cleaning filters and dust tips.

In our house we have children helping with the vacuuming chores, and our cordless stick vacuum gets plugged up often enough if its become a hassle that makes us wish it had a vacuum bag in it!

Things to consider in a canister vacuum

What does it take to be the best canister vacuum in Canada? It needs to have all the basic feature, and more features is better.

Things like an extendable wand, with metal ranking higher because it is more durable and will last longer. And attachments – at least a dusting brush and a crevice tool, but more accessories is better too, as long as there’s an easy way to store them and access them (like the Miele Canister Vacuum that houses all the attachments inside it’s turtle-like shell).

A consideration that is often overlooked is how securely the extendable handle will attach to the canister vacuum’s hose. Many of the entry-level budget canister vacuums are a press fit – this can be problematic if you don’t shove it on hard enough – if the vacuum head catches on the leg of furniture as you pull the vacuum head towards you, the handle can yank off the hose and crash onto your foot or floor.

Some nice to have features on the best canister vacuums are things like auto-retracting power cords, lights on the power head, and multiple speeds or suction settings.

Best Canister Vacuum in Canada - Miele C3 Complete

Image of Best Canister Vacuum Canada Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum

No matter which model of the C3 canister vacuum you choose, rest assured it's a top rated vacuum! Models come with different tools and attachments and vary in price from around $499 to $1099 at time of publication.

Made in Germany, and built to last, Miele tests their vacuums to withstand 20 years of use - and they back it up with a 5 year warranty.

Although most models of the C3 don't have a HEPA filter (some of the top line models do), Miele is still the best canister vacuum for people with allergies. Miele has gone to great lengths to seal the dust chamber, and with the dust bag and 2 after-bag filters, 99.97% of dust up to 0.1 microns in size is captured.

Miele does all of this suction power and filtering while still maintaining a quieter-than-average vacuum cleaner. Sounds top out around 72 bDA on a hard surface without the use of an electro powered head.

Get the best price Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum in Canada from:

Best Canister Vacuum in Canada - Miele C3 Complete review details:

Cord Length24 feet

Weight19.5

Warranty5 years

HEPA FilterOn some models

Bagged or BaglessBagged

Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum Reviews

Popular Mechanics ranked it as the #1 on their list claiming it was the 'Best Overall' in their product review. [November 2022]
The Miele Classic C1 was their top rated vacuum, with the full-size C3 rated as #3 because of their 1200watt motor, 6 suction settings, reliability and long warranty.

Reviewed ranked it as the #2 on their list [October 2022]
It's expensive, but after extensive testing, we think it's worth checking out. Every Miele canister vacuum we've tested feels well designed and sturdily built.

Good Housekeeping ranked it as the #1 on their list claiming it was the 'Best Overall Canister Vacuum' in their product review. [January 2023]
Miele’s vacuums continually win us over in our cleaning tests for their outstanding performance and innovative design features.

Rtings - Best Canister Vacuum Cleaner [January 2023]
The Miele Complete C3 is the best canister vacuum we've tested. If you have plush carpet you may want to spring for a pricier C3 model with the motorized brushroll.

Wirecutter - Upgrade Pick [January 2023]
Praised by nearly everyone as excellent, this nimble canister vacuum works on any kind of flooring, runs quiet, and should last for decades. This model is great for those with asthma and allergies, but it requires bags.

Consumer Reports - Our top Canister Vacuum [November 2022]
Earns impressive marks in almost every test we threw its way. One of our top canister vacuums for several years running.

Best Canister Vacuum for Hard Floors - Bissell Hard Floor Expert

Image of Best Canister Vacuum Canada Bissell Hard Floor Expert

Specifically designed with the right attachments and features, this is the best canister vacuum Canada for people with lots of hard floors in their house. It does ok with carpet too.

One of the newest models in the Bissell canister vacuum, this Hard Floor Expert really does shine on solid surfaces. There are several different models available, with slightly different attachments, and some with a 7.3 amp and others with a 9.3 amp motor which provides more suction power.

The only thing we'd like to see is the edge sweeper that the Bissell SmartClean canister vacuum has.

Get the best price Bissell Hard Floor Expert in Canada from:

Best Canister Vacuum for Hard Floors - Bissell Hard Floor Expert review details:

Cord Length18 feet

Weight12 pounds

Warranty2 year

HEPA FilterNo

Bagged or BaglessBagless

Bissell Hard Floor Expert Reviews

TheSpruce ranked it as the #1 on their list claiming it was the 'Best Overall' in their product review. [September 2022]
Extremely quiet and lightweight, but the dust bin is quite small.

Popular Mechanics ranked it as the #10 on their list claiming it was the 'Best for hard floors' in their product review. [November 2022]
This canister vacuum uses an air-powered rotating brush designed to extract dirt and grime from grout lines and cracks in laminate and wood floors

Best Bagless Canister Vacuum - Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal

Image of Best Canister Vacuum Canada Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Canister Vacuum

If you have pets, the Dyson animal canister vacuum has the suction to lift up pet hair and dander.

And, if you have young children who help you vacuum, or if you have a particular pet peeve about having the vacuum tip as you pull it around, you'll be happy to know this canister vacuum will self right itself!

The Cinetic is a step-up from the original Big Ball canister vacuum - the Cinetic is the only vacuum with no filters to wash or bags to replace, which means there's no loss of suction as the dust bin fills up.

It has a simple one-click eject to hygienically empty dirt, and it still has the self-righting feature everyone will love.

Get the best price Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Canister Vacuum in Canada from:

Best Bagless Canister Vacuum - Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal review details:

Weight17.1 pounds

Cord Length22 feet

HEPA FilterNo filters because of CINETIC technology

Bagged or BaglessBagless

Warranty5 years

Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal Canister Vacuum Reviews

Popular Mechanics ranked it as the #2 on their list claiming it was the 'Best for Carpets' in their product review. [November 2022]
Self-righting design and bagless make this a versatile canister vacuum.

Reviewed ranked it as the #1 on their list claiming it was the 'Best Canister Vacuum Overall' in their product review. [October 2022]
Doesn’t have great suction for its price but it's feature packed with a self-righting design and longest reach. It can seamlessly transition from cleaning medium pile carpet to tile with self-adjusting head.

Rtings - Best Bagless Canister Vacuum [October 2022]
Struggles with bulky debris and material embedded deep in carpet fibers, but has no recurring costs from filters and bags.

Consumer Reports - Best Bagless Canister Vacuum [September 2022]
If you have uncarpeted floors, this canister vacuum is worth a look because it earns an excellent rating on hard surfaces. It’s fairly quiet, and earns middle scores for predicted reliability.

Budget Option - Bissell Zing Bagged Canister Vacuum

Image of Best Canister Vacuum Canada Bissell Zing Bagged Canister Vacuum

Decent suction and a dust-bag at a reasonable price helped this make it onto our list of the best canister vacuums in Canada.

It's only about $100 - and it's the #1 best seller in Canister Vacuums on Amazon Canada.

This is a great price entry-level canister vacuum with an easy-to-remove dust bag. Limited on features, it only has a single speed, but with the air-bypass switch on the handle, you can limit suction for vacuuming on doormats and other suck-upable items.

It comes with all the basics - a multi-floor tool, a crevice tool, and a dusting brush. It also has a handy cord-retraction feature, and pre- and post-motor filters that are washable and reusable.

Get the best price Bissell Zing Bagged Canister Vacuum in Canada from:

Budget Option - Bissell Zing Bagged Canister Vacuum review details:

Cord Length17 feet

Weight9.4 pounds

Warranty1 year

Bagged or BaglessBagged

HEPA FilterNo

Bissell Zing Bagged Canister Vacuum Reviews

TheSpruce - Best Budget [November 2022]
Not ideal for carpets, but it has great suction and an automatic cord rewind

RTings - Notable Mention [January 2023]
Basic, friendly budget canister vacuum that’s very easy to use and amazingly easy to maintain.

Not Recommended - Kenmore Elite 81714 Pet Friendly

Image of Best Canister Vacuum Canada Kenmore Elite 81714 Pet Friendly Canister Vacuum

Cheaper than the Dyson and the Miele C3, the Kenmore Elite is another good choice for the best canister vacuum for pet hair, except...

Looking for a hepa filter canister vacuum from a reliable brand that ranks high on everyone's list for vacuum performance? The Kenmore Elite canister vacuum checks all the boxes, and if it was still widely available in Canada it would be one of our top picks for the Best Canister Vacuum Canada.

Keep in mind, however, with the closing of Sears Canada, service and future maintenance is likely to be difficult. Because of this, we don't recommend a Kenmore canister vacuum.

Get the best price Kenmore Elite 81714 Pet Friendly Canister Vacuum in Canada from:

Not Recommended - Kenmore Elite 81714 Pet Friendly review details:

Weight22 pounds

Cord Length26 feet

HEPA FilterYes

Bagged or BaglessBagged

Warranty1 year

Kenmore Elite 81714 Pet Friendly Canister Vacuum Reviews

Consumer Reports - Best Bagged Canister Vacuum [September 2022]
Not the quietest canister vacuum, but earns an excellent rating for removing pet hair and a very good rating for predicted reliability.

Popular Mechanics ranked it as the #5 on their list claiming it was the 'Best for Pet Owners' in their product review. [November 2022]
With a motorized head and a motorized pet attachment, this canister vacuum cleans up pet hair!

Reviewed - One of the best floor cleaners [October 2022]
This is the best canister vacuum at cleaning up, but it's heavy, the hose is stiff, and the unit kept tipping over during the test.

Last Year's Upgrade Pick - Miele Compact C2 Electro+

Image of Best Canister Vacuum Canada Miele Compact C2 Electro+

The Miele C2 has been replaced by the C3, but the C2 is still available and it's cheaper than the C3.

The Miele Compact C2 has a 6 speed electric motor that can be selected based on the type of flooring you are vacuuming. It's quiet compared to the other cheaper canister vacuums listed, and can be even quieter on one of the lower suction speeds.

The Miele canister vacuum comes with a HEPA clean air filter, and a dustbag that work together to filter out over 99.99% of dust, dirt, and allergens.

It comes with 2 floorheads - a powered, motor-driven floorhead to tackle any kind of carpet, and a  'pure suction' floorhead for solid surfaces.

Get the best price Miele Compact C2 Electro+ in Canada from:

Miele Compact C2 Electro+ Reviews

TheSpruce ranked it as the #2 on their list claiming it was the 'Best Splurge' in their product review. [January 2021]
It's quieter than most, and has an electrobrush attachment that adjusts to 5 different carpet heights.

GoodHousekeeping ranked it as the #1 on their list claiming it was the 'Best Overall Canister Vacuum' in their product review. [August 2020]
Replacement bags are pricey, but it has powerful suction and does great on plush carpet and smooth flooring. It is allery friendly with HEPA filters.

Consumer Reports ranked it as the #4 on their list claiming it was the 'Excellent rating' in their product review. [January 2021]
Earned excellent rating on both bare floor and pet hair tests. The only downside is the airflow isn't as strong as some other canister.

Wirecutter ranked it as the #3 on their list claiming it was the 'Upgrade Pick' in their product review. [October 2020]
A nimble canister that nearly everyone loves, and should last for decades

Bag or No-Bag? That is the question!

Bagged or bagless? What makes the best canister vacuum Canada? Bagless vacuums are all the rage right now, and there’s good reason for it. It’s pretty much mess free, and emptying a full dustbin doesn’t cost a thing.

On the other hand, a canister vacuum with a filter bag in it costs you money every time it fills up when you need to put a new dust bag in it.

Some experts say that a bagless vacuum will lose suction over the course of 6-months to a year because of the fine dust particles that build up on the suction heads. If a vacuum cleaner has a dust bag, every time you replace the dust bag it’s like starting with the suction of a brand new vacuum again.

Dyson is often at the forefront of vacuum technology, and this is a problem that they’ve come up with a solution for. In fact, the Dyson Big Ball Cinetic above is a vacuum that utilizes their ‘Cinetic’ science. With super high frequency vibrations (5000Hz to be exact), the dust tips inside Dyson’s Cinetic vacuums oscillate so quickly that tiny particles can’t clog them.

 

If you don’t opt for the Cinetic technology and you don’t want to opt for one of the bagged options in our ‘Best Canister Vacuum Canada’ list, just be aware that a time will come when the suction power is reduced and you’ll need to do some dirty work to clean things up again.

How did we choose the best canister vacuum Canada?

We started by analyzing many of the popular product review website, like Wirecutter, GoodHousekeeping, and Consumer Reports. Then we compiled their recommendations for the best canister vacuums, and checked to see if they were available in Canada. If they were, we added them to our list of vacuums to research and review. After taking into account the current prices of the different canister vacuums, we read reviews and compared specifications, and came up with this list.

What is the best canister vacuum cleaner on the market right now?

If cost is no object, look for a Miele. They have the best suction, and incredible ratings for owner satisfaction. But they only have an average rating for reliability, with a higher-than average cost. Miele vacuums are consistently ranked as the best canister vacuums when not looking for a budget choice.

What is the best vacuum to buy in Canada?

Depending on the type of flooring you need to vacuum, and what style of vacuum you want, you may want to check out our write-ups on the Best Canister Vacuum Canada and the Best Cordless Vacuums in Canada.

Are canister vacuums better than upright vacuums?

Canister vacuums can come with higher powered motors that create more suction, because weight is less of a concern than with an upright vacuum. That’s because you drag the heavy part around behind you on wheels, rather than moving the whole vacuum around with each stroke.
Choosing the best canister vacuum Canada
Because of this, canister vacuums of comparable price can often provide more suction. However, many canister vacuums don’t have powered roller heads – and if you have lots of carpet, you’ll want to make sure your canister vacuum has a powered head, or opt for the likely-cheaper upright vacuum.

Is an expensive vacuum going to be the best canister vacuum choice?

Generally speaking, a more expensive canister vacuum will have greater suction power and more features. However, that isn’t always the case. Some vacuums have brand power that can cause them to cost more than a comparable model from a different brand. That’s why a comparison of the best canister vacuums in Canada is so important!

Is Miele or Dyson better?

Miele tends to specialize in corded vacuums, while Dyson aims to convenience with light, portable, and easy to clean vacuums. Dyson recently announced that it is no longer developing new canister vacuums and will be focusing on cordless vacuums, which it has a market lead position on.

Miele makes their vacuums in Germany, and they’re backed by a generous 5 year warranty. Miele canister vacuum reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with most reviews and round-ups choosing a Miele for their top spot.

Dyson has a comparable 5 year warranty, and their bagless canister vacuums are made in multiple locations including Malaysia and Singapore. Dyson was voted Canada’s most trusted vacuum brand in 2021. While they don’t have the proven longevity of the Miele brand, there are millions of happy customers around the world.

Any expensive canister vacuum will last longer than a budget option, and if you view your vacuum cleaner as an investment in your house and health, spending more now will pay off in the long run.

2 thoughts on “Best Canister Vacuum Canada”

  1. Dyson vacuums while technological wonders are almost impossible to clean properly and a single nugget of dry dog food can clog the main cyclonic port (or whatever it’s called)making it necessary to do a teardown in the middle of cleaning. To be a great Canadian vacuum I believe a machine should be able to effortlessly ingest an entire maple leaf and a bottle cap. Dyson can do neither. Mine is being replaced.

    1. Thanks for the honest feedback. Can you tell us what model of Dyson you had? And what are you replacing it with?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *