Which Bagged Vacuum Company Do You Think Has The Biggest R&D Budget

[vacuumwars]

I have recently seem there is a lot to like with bagged vacuums. But one of the things I have seen in my limited experience, is that many companies that produce bagged vacuums are still kind of stuck in the past, in the sense that they are (generally speaking) based on designs that were made for carpets primarily, with hard floors being an afterthought.

Its not just the hard floor issue, it just seems like there isnt the same kind of revision and development with bagged vacuums, and the selection is not as diverse.

It seems like Miele is doing okay, but I am more concerned with uprights, and I wanst all that impressed with the super bulky, nominally powerful Miele Dynamic U1.

With Shark and Dyson in an arms race, and being the two top revenue companies they are spending a lot on research and development and shelling out a lot of innovative stuff on a regular basis.

Anyway, since I dont know as much about bagged vacuums I was hoping for some advice on companies to watch.

 

[broomvac]

Globally, probably Miele, Sebo, or Electrolux. Tacony would probably contend, too, at least in the U.S.

 

[captainslow]

There is a region skew I guess since you are in the US, where vacuums are predominantly uprights. Unlike in my country where the market for uprights would practically be <5%. So the bagged cleaners you'll see are mostly tailored for carpets, where else the bagged cleaners I see here are mostly tailored for hard floors.

Kirby is probably stagnant. Sebo didn't do much with their new X7 and is probably not that invested for consumer models. Numatic is big on the enterprise side as well. Miele I hope they're designing a new upright in the making because their S7/U1 is way too bulky and clunky imo. Electrolux (here at least) make plastivacs to mid price *meh* vacuums, and share the S-Bag system with Philips.

So given my limited knowledge, I'd say Sebo/Numatic on the commercial front, Miele on the consumer side.

 

[dysonman1]

Miele hasn't given us any NEW uprights in a decade. Tacony has some great machines now (the S and R "30" series) and their engineering department is actively testing new prototype designs that are really awesome. It would be hard to believe that Kirby engineers worked for 4 years only to change the Avalir's color - but that's all they did. So I guess, for me, the answer is Tacony.

 

[blackheart]

Prototypes?

Tom, I'm sure you probably can't tell us too much, but since tacony has quite a few brands are these prototypes for their Simplicity and Riccar lines?

 

[vacuumdevil]

That's a really loaded question.
I would say Miele probably has the best R & D Department .
A close second would be TTI/Hoover/Oreck.
I would also say SEBO has recently put a bit of money updating their line for the European motor switch.
Definitely keep in mind that upright vacuums or less about technology and more about pleasing consumers.

I would argue that Tacony doesn't have much of R & D Department due to the amount of revisions after they release a product that come out some of their products have over 40 different revisions on there uprights.

I think you'll find more technological advances in canister vacuums as outside the US they are more popular.