Sorry- as dull as it sounds, we do really need to talk filters. In many ways they are just as important as suction, and it just isn't spoken about (or indeed really understood by many people- we asked an AI to help edit this blog, and it inserted a bunch of things that weren't really true!).
Suction is King, Filtration is President.
How much suction a vacuum has, depends on its filtration AS WELL as its motor power. It is a big differentiator between the brands and the options. There are two reasons why its SO important:
1) How many filters, and how well they filter, will drastically affect how much of the electrical power of the vacuum is used up in over-coming the resistance of these filters, and therefore what is left for picking up dust from the floor.
2) How quickly these filters get blocked with dust, will affect how long it takes for the out-of-the-box suction to decrease with use.
(To save boring those who aren't interested in the detail, we'll give you the upshot of what to do as a customer first, and then the explanation of what's going on after.)
We urge every customer to look for how frequently filters need washing on the vacuum model they are considering. Both what the manufacturer says, and also if any customer reviews mention problems.
Very few vacuum cleaner reviews by journalists or influencers will discuss this issue. This is because they rarely use one model for long enough to find out. But if you are to live with a model then you'll find out pretty quick if you made the wrong choice as there can be drastic differences. The difference can be as much as between:
- every couple times you use the machine, and;
- several months!
(It's also true that the filters of a well known brand are very difficult to wash properly.)
So please, whether you purchase a Lupe or another brand, please check for this so there are no nasty surprises.
Now the technical bit (you don't have to read this!)
Why does filtration design affect suction?
Almost all bagless vacuums will have filters to wash periodically. (As a side note the couple of models that don't, were the models that Lupe's founders worked on in a previous company).
How frequently you have to wash them depends on how well they filter, how big they are, and crucially, how well the cyclonic/bagless separator works. On the cheaper products you will have wash more frequently as they have more basic cyclonic separators- maybe every couple weeks or 1 month. Lupe and Dyson both have multiple stages of cyclonic separation which mean the wash period is much longer at 3-6 months (depending on how heavy a user you are.).
Why do different manufacturers use different types of cyclonic/bagless separator? Cost is one reason, but the other is that a separator that separates more dust, leaves the vacuum with less airflow and suction (as the separator is more resistant to airflow).
So its pretty easy for a brand to get good suction figures if they don't care about filter wash periods (and remember, lots of reviewers don't talk about that). Its much more difficult (and expensive for the brand) to get good suction, AND long wash periods.
In forums we do see people tarnishing all bagless with the same brush in this respect- which is easy to do, but is simply not true- NOT ALL BAGLESS SYSTEMS ARE EQUAL.
Obviously we wouldn't be bringing this up if Lupe didn't do well on this issue. In fact we sometimes get customers who have a machine that is years old who reach out because their Lupe doesn't have as much suction as it used to. When we ask when they last washed their filters, there is a confused silence! It's easily done, but the point is, frequent filter washing is not an issue with the Pure Cordless like it can be with other models.
