Vacuums: cleaning vs. allergy claims.(vacuum cleaners)(Product/service evaluation)

Vacuum marketers are pushing allergen relief along with the usual cleaning as claims move beyond carpets and floors. But our tests show that those promises mean less than they suggest.

Some uprights, including the Bissell Healthy Home, the Dirt Devil Ultra Vision Turbo, the Electrolux Intensity, the Oreck XL21-700, and all Dyson uprights, claim to filter allergens. Dyson also touts an Asthma Friendly seal from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America certifying that its uprights are "proven more suitable for people with asthma and related allergic sensitivities." In addition, many of its vacuums carry a Seal of Approval from the British Allergy Foundation for products that "restrict or remove allergens from the environment of allergy sufferers."

But practically any vacuum should be able to handle pollen, mold spores, and other typical allergens. At roughly 100 times larger than the smallest specs we measure, allergen particles are large enough to fall to the floor, where they're easy to capture. We expanded our emissions tests to include allergen-sized particles for some vacs that make those claims. Those we tested whisked them away, but so should others. Our topscoring Kenmore upright captured them with its standard HEPA bag and even a generic paper version. And any vacuum judged at least very good for emissions will nab the tiny stuff.

Months of testing over dust-laden carpets and bare floors also revealed that some newer brands don't improve performance. Some stylish vacuums also proved to be subpar performers. The details:

Two models that quit. Electrolux suggests using its Twin Clean canister's "powerful brushroll" for deep-cleaning, which this model did well in our carpet tests. But our tough pet-hair test stopped it cold.We judged an earlier Eureka Optima upright Not Recommended because it spewed visible dust. The latest Optima was better at capturing larger particles, but it scored a poor in our emissions tests. Our two Optima samples temporarily shut down after those tests triggered their thermal-overload switches.

Two dubious designs. Electrolux's Intensity folds into the most compact upright we've tested. But pushing and pulling it while vacuuming wasn't easy. Hoover's Constellation S3345 canister floats on a cushion of air. While relatively easy to handle, it lacks a motorized brush and was subpar on carpets and pet hair.

Some unimpressive newcomers. Koblenz markets its $440 U-610-ZN upright for commercial use. Yet it delivered less-than-stellar cleaning, won't accept tools, and was noisy enough to require hearing protection. It also has a plastic fan despite the "all-metal construction" claim on its box, along with a sleeve on its bag that was difficult to attach without ripping. Metropolitan's ADM4PNHSF canister, $600, was fine on carpets and floors, but only fair in our hose-airflow tests.