Are Extra Vacuum Features Worth The Cost?

I'm choosing between an upright and backpack vacuums. How important is the beater bar?

For short-pile commercial carpeting, the beater bar is non-essential and, in some cases, does more harm than good. It can mat the carpet pile and kick up dirt and dust into the air. Standard commercial backpacks are suction only, which means they capture dirt and dust with the least amount of contact, preserving the life of carpeting and the cleanliness of the environment.
— Rich Steinberg, Vice President of Sales, ProTeam, Boise, Idaho


It depends on the carpet; I personally don't like beater bars however I am OK with air driven and electric brushes. Whether they are needed or not often depends on the pile of the carpet. Spending the additional funds to put an electric brush on a canister or backpack vacuum that is cleaning low pile commercial carpet generally isn't worth the investment especially when you can get a CRI approved machine with a straight suction tool.
— Gareth Mason, President, NaceCare Solutions, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada


A beater bar is good for plush, more loose type of carpeting. For commercial carpet, however, a backpack works well because the pile on the carpet is very low and tight.
— John McDonnell, Marketing Manager - Commercial and Dealer Division, Hoover, Glenwillow, Ohio


The beater bar is most important when it comes to cleaning standard residential carpeting. Backpack vacuums don’t have a beater bar. Some uprights have a beater bar and it helps engage the dirt to move and makes it easier to suck it up. But a beater bar is not necessary with the low rising carpeting typical of an office setting.
— Dalvin Green, Product Manager - Commercial Brands, Electrolux Home Care Products North America, Charlotte, N.C.

Why would I need a dual-motor in my vacuum? Is it worth the investment?

Often dual-motor machines are more durable, as long as the handle weight is OK. A dual-motor unit will generally clean better and often last longer with a lower overall operational cost.
— Gareth Mason, President, NaceCare Solutions, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Not necessarily. Performance and features are sometimes the same in single-motor units with many fewer parts to fail. With an upright, a stop-brush feature is very important.
— John McDonnell, Marketing Manager - Commercial and Dealer Division, Hoover, Glenwillow, Ohio


Dual-motor vacuums usually have more suction power and are ideal for both carpeted and hard surfaces because users can turn off the brushroll when cleaning hard floors. With dual-motor vacuums, the second motor runs the brushroll while the other handles the suction. Dual-motor vacuums are usually heavier and cost more, so that could be a disadvantage.

 A single-motor vacuum costs less and is most useful for carpet but not as ideal for hard wood flooring. Determining whether to purchase a single or dual-motor vacuum really comes down to the price point and if the investment will be profitable for one’s cleaning business.  If your cleaning staff mainly handles carpeted office buildings, you likely only need a single motor system.
— Dalvin Green, Product Manager - Commercial Brands, Electrolux Home Care Products North America, Charlotte, N.C.