4 best cylinder vacuums, tried and tested by an expert

There are lots of nifty things I liked about this Hoover during testing. First up, it’s relatively easy to store as, it’s fairly compact. Despite only having two attachments, it comes with two different hoses, so it can cover a wide cleaning zone – up to 12m.

Using the hose and pole attachments, I could reach the top of my dusty curtain rail without having to stand on a chair, and I could even reach some of the stairs without moving from the bottom step. Emptying the Hoover was a breeze, and the HEPA filter is washable, which is great for those with allergies. I also liked that I could push a button, and the cord would wind itself back into the vacuum.

This cylinder vacuum has been designed with two things in mind: big houses and homes with pets. There’s a large 2.5l bin, and the 5m flex means you can get across most rooms without having to switch between plug sockets. With the pole attachment in place, the atlas2 has an 8m radius cleaning zone, which is pretty impressive.

Meanwhile, the ‘pet turbo tool’ scoops up pet hair and spins it into the vacuum’s bin. It’s far from perfect - it’s quite a small tool, so it takes a while to cover a whole sofa, and the tool tends to tangle with long hair. However, it’s effective at removing pet hair.

I also liked the three-in-one tool, which does crevices (it worked wonders on a crumb-covered car interior), upholstery and has a brush for dusting skirting boards and so on. It’s also pretty lightweight, making it easier to lug up and down stairs.

The CX1 is more compact than most Miele vacuums, and it looks more modern than Miele’s usual aesthetic, too. As well as the crevice, dusting and upholstery nozzles, it comes with a floorhead that enables you to flick between thin- and thick-pile carpets. There is also the ‘turbobrush’, which is ideal for thinner carpets and hardwood floors.

When testing this model on a medium-pile carpet, it was able to suck up plenty of grit and hair. With the telescopic pole, I had no problem reaching picture rails and the top of curtain rails.

Unusually for Miele, this is a bagless vacuum. I found emptying the bin simple – lift, open the hatch, and your dirt falls out into the bin. There is also a HEPA filter, meaning this vacuum is blasting out clean air behind it, which is good news for allergy sufferers.

However, like most Miele vacuums, this is fairly heavy. It’s also expensive - it costs nearly six times as much as my budget buy. The 1l bin is fine, but you’ll find that it fills up pretty quickly.

Henry vacuums are hard to ignore when you’re buying a vacuum – those famous eyes follow you around the shop. I tested the classic Henry home model, but there are other iterations available too – you can also buy a Hetty and Harry vacuums, with the latter specialised for pet hair removal.

This vacuum comes with plenty of attachments. I enjoyed using the dusting attachment, which is ideal for fiddly areas such as fireplaces and around cornicing. I also liked the mess-free emptying system – the bags seal to avoid any dust or allergens from floating around. While you will have to remember to stock up on bags, the bin has a huge capacity, so you won’t have to worry about emptying it every five minutes.

However, this Henry vacuum is the heaviest I tested, weighing in at almost 9kg. I found this less than ideal when lugging him up and down the stairs – or, indeed, when vacuuming the stairs. It’s also cumbersome to store compared with some other vacuums in this round-up.