Vacuums: we found CR Best Buys for as little as $170.(LAB TESTS)(vacuum cleaners)(Product/service evaluation)

SOME OF THE BEST VACUUMS cost the least, based on our tests of almost 60 models. But you'll still see a plethora of pricey vacs as big brands scrape for profits.

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Superb carpet cleaning--our toughest test--helped make a new $230 Hoover WindTunnel Anniversary Edition the champ among uprights. Another Anniversary Edition did almost as well for even less. The line is the first manufactured by Hoover's new owner, TTI Floor Care, which makes Dirt Devil. Hoover has been among the more repair-prone upright brands. Dirt Devil has been more reliable; time will tell whether Hoover improves in our surveys.

As for canisters, three CR Best Buys cost $300 or less, roughly half the average price for models we tested. Another top pick, the Hoover Duros, sells for just $170.

Some of those same brands are also fielding new gimmicks and lofty names that deliver less than their prices suggest. Here's how to sidestep the hype:

Think twice about hybrids. Hoover's Convertible upright, $250, lets you use a bag for "optimal cleaning of fine dirt or dust" or go bagless. Performance was only so-so on bare floors and pet hair in either mode. A finicky bag mount also let test sand and talc sneak past the bag and foul the filter. Panasonic's MC-UG787 has a vented bag mount that boosts airflow. But your $550 buys mediocre carpet cleaning.

Put performance before pizzazz. A contoured bottom lets Dyson's DC23 Stowaway Motorhead canister rest securely on stairs--a convenience we'd like to see on other canister vacuums. Paying a premium over the older, essentially similar DC21 also buys more tools and better pet-hair pickup. But that new Dyson still scored only average on carpets, just like the old one, despite its $750 price.