New types of vacuum cleaners gain ground.(Product Updates)(Buyers Guide)(Industry Overview)

If you can believe a recent poll by Yankelovich Partners, many Americans find a spotless house more satisfying than sex. That seems pretty far-fetched, but there's no doubt we're willing to spend big to banish dust balls from our homes: Vacuum cleaner sales are at record levels, up about 12 percent last year over a banner year in 1999.

One reason is that more consumers are buying a new vacuum even though they already have a working one. In fact, 60 percent of all U.S. households now own two or more full-sized models. Some of these users may want a vacuum on each level of the house so they don't have to lug one up and down the stairs. Others may have discovered what our tests prove: It's virtually impossible to find one vacuum that does everything well.

At the same time, manufacturers are advertising heavily to convince buyers it's time for a new machine. They're focusing largely on models that work without dust-collection bags or drive belts, as well as lightweights with only half the heft of more traditional vacuums.

For this Update, we tested four new vacuums illustrating some of these trends. Three are uprights, which far outsell canisters. Our Ratings compare the four new vacs with 37 models tested for our last full report in May 2000. (Some of those vacuums have been discontinued since then, but we list similar models that have enough in common that they should offer comparable performance, although features may vary.) Here's a look at some of the current trends and new models:

* Bagless vacuums. There's plenty of interest in bagless vacuums, a growing category. Market leader Hoover's first entry in this niche, the Bagless U5280-900, $180, joins a handful of other models already on the market. Until now, the bagless vacuums we've tested haven't performed as well as those with bags, but the technology seems to be improving. The U5280-900 upright is the best bagless model we have tested so far, just a step behind the top units with bags. With replacement bags often going for $2 to $3 each, a bagless vac could save you about $10 a year if you change bags four times. It also eliminates the need to scour the stores for the right bags, or to remember where you stashed them when it's time for a change. One caveat: Emptying the dust bin can be messy if you're not careful, and handling it may expose you to dust and other allergens.

* Beltless drives. Replacing a broken belt is a common vacuum repair, so there's an obvious advantage to direct-drive models that have no belts. A new upright, the Panasonic Beltless Drive MCV7400D, $400, was one of the best models we tested, as was a previously tested beltless vac, the Kenmore Progressive with Direct Drive 39912 (now discontinued, replaced by the 30912, $400).

* Lightweight vacs. Most vacuums weigh around 20 pounds, and some are heavier. But there are lighter alternatives for those who don't want a workout when they clean up. The Bissell ProLite 3560-3 upright, $280,weighs in at only 9 pounds, roughly the same as the Oreck XL Xtended Life XL2600HH, $380. The Bissell was one of the better performers in our tests, outdoing the Oreck at cleaning carpets. Neither is designed for use with tools, but each comes with a separate compact canister vac that has attachments.