Asthma And Allergy Certified Vacuums

Best Budget: Hoover Uh71250 Windtunnel 2 Whole House Rewind Upright Vacuum

• On the heavier side

This bagless model from Hoover proves that you can clear your home of allergens at any price point. It deftly sucks up dust, pollen, and pet dander thanks to its HEPA filter, and its suction system is specifically designed to dredge up and remove dirt, even if its embedded deep into carpet fibers. The WindTunnel 2 adjusts to accommodate and clean different floor surfaces, with a brush roll that can be raised while cleaning hardwood floors to prevent debris from scattering.

The accompanying tools and attachments make sure your whole house gets the same thorough cleaning as your floors: The Hoovers crevice tool tackles corners and nooks while its Pet Turbo Tool applies additional suction to extract tangled pet hair from carpets and upholstery. And the 16-foot hose reaches inaccessible dust hotspots, like the tops of cabinets, doorways, and shelves.

Weight: 16.1 pounds | Bin Volume: 43.9 ounces | Cord Length: 25 feet | Included Accessories: Pet tool, dusting tool, telescoping wand, crevice tool

Why And How We Certify Vacuum Cleaners A Q& a

There is ever-increasing awareness of the chemicals we come into contact with every day, particularly if you or a member of your family has asthma or allergies. We created the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program to help you improve your indoor environment by identifying products and services that can help to reduce allergens and create a healthier home environment.

But what is it that makes some bedding better for the indoor environment than others, and where do we draw the line to decide to certify a vacuum cleaner as asthma & allergy friendly®? We hope that the questions below will clarify this. Let us know if you have more questions!

Best Vacuums For Allergy Sufferers

Top picks from Kenmore and Miele that ace CR’s emissions tests

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A good vacuum can be a game-changer for anyone who suffers from seasonal allergies. But if your vacuum spews more dust and debris than it picks up, you could be doing yourself more harm than good.

Thats one reason Consumer Reports measures emissions when we test vacuum cleaners. The best vacuums keep dirt well-contained and the air clear. If youre especially sensitive to dust and allergens, buying a vacuum with a HEPA filter is a good starting point.

Belowin alphabetical order, not in order of CR rankare the bagged upright and canister vacuums from our tests with the lowest emissions. For more choices, see our full vacuum ratings and recommendations.

CR’s take: Strong airflow for tools and superb pet-hair pickup are top attractions of the bagged Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly 31150. Though you can get a fine performer for less, its price includes helpful features, such as a brush on/off switch, which safeguards a bare floor’s finish and prevents scattering of debris suction control, which protects drapes and manual carpet pile-height adjustment. It earns an Excellent rating for clean emissions.

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Best For Pet Allergies: Bissell 22889 Iconpet Cordless Stick Vacuum

• Comes with a wall mount

• Vacuum doesnt stand upright

Pet dander is a culprit for triggering allergic reactions, and this vacuum from Bissell has powerful suction and a Smart Seal Allergen System to trap and remove pet hair and dander, dirt, and debris. A tangle-free brush is built into the vacuum, so you dont have to remove hair from the brush post-cleanup, and the vacuum comes with a lighted crevice tool to clean hard-to-reach areas.

It doesnt stand up on its own, says our tester. Regardless, you can lean it against a wall when youre moving furniture around. Hang it on the wall mount when youre done cleaning.

Charge Type: Cordless | Capacity: 400 milliliters | Additional Cleaning Tools: Lighted crevice tool, turbo brush | Extra Features: Wall mount and charging station

Verywell Health / Phoebe Cheong

Reasons Why You Should Consider This:

• Powerful motor and good agitation will deep clean your carpet
• A fully sealed bagged system keeps allergens at bay .
• Aside from floor cleaning this machine comes with a wand and attachments that allow it to clean upholstery and other hard to reach areas
• Long 5 year warranty on the whole vacuum plus a lifetime warranty on the belt
• Long 40 foot power cord gives you great reach without the need to unplug

If you look at the history of vacuum cleaners, one of the first ones every made used water filtration. But for some strange reason manufacturers have moved away from this sort of filtration.

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Asp 03 Vacuum Cleaner Certification Standard

Vacuum Cleaners that are certified asthma & allergy friendly®are tested to the ASP 03-01/105 Vacuum Cleaner Certification Standard.

The Certification Standard utilizes an algorithm of proprietary and recognized scientific techniques to assess Vacuum Cleaners for their ability to reduce allergenic and irritant materials, both when new and after extended use. Submitted Vacuum Cleaner models that pass certification testing are granted a certificate stating that the particular Vacuum Cleaner meets the requirements for the asthma & allergy friendly®ASP 03-01/105 Certification Standard.

Allergy Standards Ltd subjects the Vacuum Cleaner to allergen and particle count-based performance testing to ensure that the Vacuum Cleaner reduces total allergen burden, while minimising any increase in airborne allergen levels.

The Vacuum Cleaner Certification Standard includes:

• Evaluation of capability to remove allergen-containing test dust from floor coverings
• Evaluation of airborne allergen levels during vacuuming
• Evaluation of the integrity of the air filtration system
• Assessment of the performance of the Vacuum Cleaner immediately prior to activation of bag replacement / receptacle emptying signal and filter change signal
• Assessment of exposure to allergens during bag change or receptacle emptying
• Evaluation of capability to remove allergen-containing test dust from crevices
• Measurement of relative humidity of the air and water content of the carpet

Features That Make This A Great Choice:

• Fully sealed system with airclean system filters out 99.9% of allergy inducing particles
• A specially designed filter with active charcoal that absorbs odor
• Has six speed settings to give you just the right suction for the surface you are cleaning
• The bags have a 1.19 gallon dirt capacity these bags have a spring loaded system that automatically seals itself when you remove the bag
• 36 foot cleaning radius

It may not look the part the Sebo X5 has some features that make it a high tech vacuum.

First it has an electronically controlled height adjustment feature that detects the floor type and automatically adjusts the height for you.

This is a big advantage the Sebo X5 has over the Miele Complete C3. The latter requires you to push a lever to adjust the height.

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Task : Clean Up The Cleaning Products

Cleaning Products, Dr. Anna ODonovan, Allergy Standards

Under Sophies sink, there must be 15 bottles of cleaning products and every single one smells spring-clean delicious of pine or lemon or some other synthetic fragrance to make her home smell clean. But its not clean she is smelling at all -its chemicals. Clean doesnt smell. These chemicals are volatile organic compounds and can cause asthma and allergies. They have also been implicated in fertility problems and cancers. It is good practice to use only the product thats as strong as you need it to be, ditch the super strength products and use only those that clearly list their ingredients. If fragrances arent clearly labeled, assume they are not what you would want in your home or your lungs.

Also on the checklist is to move paints, fuels and solvents to an outside storage area the shed is ideal rather than the garage which is connected to the house and doesnt have good ventilation.

How To Buy A Vacuum For Allergies And Asthma

While most people can clean using just any vacuum, allergy sufferers risk developing complications if they use the wrong cleaning device. Allergens are everywhere, from floors, carpets, upholstery, to ceilings. A vacuum picks these particles as you use it. If the exhaust filter is too porous, the allergens pass through and re-enter the air, ending up in your lungs.

To prevent air contamination by vacuums, manufacturers use high-efficiency filters. These are capable of removing the tiniest of particles from the exhaust air. Using high-efficiency filters isnt the only way to keep allergens inside a vacuum. Its body also needs to have all openings sealed.

Filtration is a crucial factor when looking for a vacuum that offers safe cleaning. But you also want a device that matches your cleaning needs. That means you will be looking for features that suit specific requirements alongside filtration, which brings us to the next section, which deals with all essential things to look for in vacuum for allergies.

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How To Shop For The Best Hepa Vacuums

To find the best HEPA vacuum cleaners for people with allergies, heres exactly what you should look for in your model of choice:

Make sure its certified. Look for vacuums with the official seal or approval from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America . The program puts its applicants through rigorous testing to ensure that each product limits your exposure to allergens and offending particles.

Keep convenience in mind. Choose vacuums with brushes and portable canisters that can pick up dirt in hard-to-reach places and suction pet hair and dander, leaving your space cleaner. According to Dr. Parikh, you should look for an option that is easy to use and convenient and able to clean hard to reach places as well as large surface areas.

Aim for versatility. Its most efficient to go with a HEPA vacuum that can capture dirt and allergens on a variety of surfaces, whether its hardwood floors, carpets, or plush rugs.

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Best Lightweight: Shark Navigator Lift

At only 12.5 pounds, this HEPA vacuum has a small but mighty motor for sucking up dust and allergens. Its brush roll feature smoothly transitions from hardwood floors to carpets, making cleaning your entire home a breeze. And it also has a lift-away press feature that makes it simple to clean hard-to-reach areas of your home . With a push of a button, you can detach the canister and transform it into a handheld device to clean stairs, rugs, sofas, and curtains.

This Shark is a very powerful, compact, and maneuverable vacuum! one Amazon customer writes. It pulls more crud out of my carpets than any other vacuum Ive ever used. The rotating beater bar pulls the unit through even very plush carpets with ease.

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Allervac H13 High Filtration Anti

The new AllerVac H13 is a lighter weight option of the AllerVac Microfilter vacuum cleaner, It is a HEPA vacuum cleaner designed and built to an exceptional standard, ensuring power, performance and economy where H13 Class filtration is required.

Doctors, dentists and veterinary surgeries, hospitals and care homes, clinics and nurseries, where a 99.995% standard of filtration at a 0.3 micron particle size is required will also achieve this with the AllerVac H13.

This hospital grade cleaning is ideal for homes where there is COPD and other respiratory conditions, dust and pet allergies, asthma and eczema.

What Makes This A Great Option For Allergy Sufferers

• Weighs only 8 pounds the lightest in this group
• Fully sealed system that captures microscopic dust up to 0.3 microns
• Backed up by a 7 year warranty
• Fold flat feature and the streamlined design allows it to go under furniture like beds or sofas
• Long 30 foot power cord
• Excellent agitation brush spins at 7,000 rpm

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Best Investment: Complete C3 Marin Powerline

Hear us out: Reviewers say this powerful vacuum is perfect for deep cleaning everything from carpets to parquet floors. It readily transitions between surfaces, decreasing or increasing HEPA-powered suctioning where necessary. The C3 also has a surprisingly quiet motor, so you dont have to shout to carry a conversation with someone else in the room. Bonus: The versatile floor brush can get low under large couches, around chair legs, and between tight furniture spaces. It aint cheap, but thats the pointthis vacuum is worth the investment.

After using so many cheapand not-so-cheapvacuum cleaners that would break or become less effective after only a couple of years, we finally decided to buy something to last, writes one Amazon customer. And are we ever glad we did! The difference is amazing. Quiet, powerful, adjustable, great filtration … it has everything.

Exploring Hepa Vacuum Filters

High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance or HEPA vacuum filters work by forcing air through specially designed and constructed media that is tightly woven and arranged to capture and retain 99.97% of particles like dust, pollen, and pet dander down to 0.3 microns. To put it in perspective, 0.3 microns is almost 300 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

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Best Handheld: Bissell Cleanview Deluxe Corded Handheld Vacuum

Courtesy of Amazon

• Extremely effective at removing pet hair

• Not as portable as cordless alternatives

Many of the best vacuums for allergies are quite expensive, but you can pick up a lot of the offending allergens with a product like the Bissell Cleanview Deluxe Corded Handheld Vacuum. This handheld model is compact and light, but it still does a great job of capturing tiny particles thanks to its HEPA filter.

This small vacuum has an 18-foot power cord, and it comes with a wide-mouth tool, crevice tool, hose, and hose adapter. Its multi-level filtration system reduces household allergens, and its small size makes it ideal for quick clean-ups and minor spills, plus it makes cleaning upholstery, stairs, and other hard-to-reach areas a breeze.

Weight: 4.65 pounds | Bin Volume: 67.63 ounces | Cord Length: 18 feet | Included Accessories: Wide mouth tool, flexible hose, crevice tool

Why Trust Verywell Health

Receiving her masters degree in public health in 2020, Kayla Hui is a seasoned public health practitioner and health journalist. She has interviewed dozens of experts, reviewed numerous research studies, and tested a plethora of products to deliver well-researched product reviews and roundups. Her goal is to help readers make more informed decisions about their health and well-being.

Additional reporting to this story by Steven Rowe and Danielle Zoellner

As an experienced health writer, Steven Rowe knows how to truly evaluate a project and tell the difference between marketing claims and real facts so that you can find the best products that work and make your day better. He has experience covering health tech and researching the best treatment options and resources available for the people who need them.

As a seasoned health writer, Danielle Zoellner knows the importance of finding just the right product to fit your medical needs. Throughout her career, Danielle has interviewed a variety of experts in the medical and health fields while reviewing dozens of products. Her experience and knowledge in the field work together to help readers like you find the best products for your daily life.

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Why Do We Certify Vacuum Cleaners

Our goal in the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program is to create a healthier indoor environment for you and your family, as well as to reduce allergens in the home. So we look at all elements of the indoor air environment.

Allergen can accumulate on flooring, both on carpet and on hard flooring. And this can be kicked up into the air when people walk on the flooring. So a vacuum cleaner that can be demonstrated to remove allergen from flooring can be a useful addition to a plan to control triggers in the indoor environment.

In addition, because vacuuming causes room disturbance and agitates any dust and other particles in the floor, there is the risk that vacuuming increases the allergen levels in the air, particularly if the seals in the vacuum cleaner are weak or there is poor filtration in the machine.

We test all of these factors for our certification.

Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program

Many products promise to help control allergens. But some products make false or exaggerated claims. This makes it hard for consumers to know the best products to buy.

AAFA joined with Allergy Standards Limited to create the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program. This program helps patients to understand product claims and make informed purchases. We test household products against strict standards. If products pass our tests, they earn the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Mark. When you see this Mark, you know the product is proven to be better suited for those with asthma and allergies.

Look for this Mark!

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Certified Vacuum Cleaners For Allergies

Vacuum cleaner producers often appeal to 3rd party organisms for certifying their products. One such initiative is the Asthma & Allergy friendly Certification Program. As you can imagine, these services are paid by the manufacturers. This should raise distortion/misrepresentation issues, but I believe the 3rd party services maintain an undeniable quality standard. Excluding the financial part, if the products pass the tests, they get a badge that certifies their compliance with the organizations standards, such as the one from the left image.

Why Bags Are Best

The SEBO filter bag system not only enhances filtration, but it also allowsyou to hygienically dispose of collected debris.

Dust becomes airborne very easily and will almost certainlycontain hazardous material such as dust mite faeces, mould spores and pollen. With aSEBO sealable high filtration bag, dust is safely retained within the filter bag andcan cleanly and easily be disposed of in the bin, inside or outside. The filter bag housing of a SEBOremains free of dust and does not require cleaning.

For allergy sufferers the SEBO filter bag protects you from the riskof re-exposure to dust and allergens.

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