Hoover Wind Tunnel Self-Propelled Vacuum vs. the Boss Smartvac by Eureka

Ask anyone with pets and they'll tell you: when you're doing daily battle with dog or cat hair, the last thing you want to be without is a great vacuum cleaner that gets the job done quickly and effectively. There's nothing more embarrassing than offering your house guest a seat only to have them stand up and reveal a backside completely covered with a thick coat of Fido or Fifi's fur.

There are literally so many vacuums on the market that it can be a daunting task to find the right vacuum for your needs without breaking the budget. I've heard all the rave reviews about the Dyson's the Kirby's and the Rainbows, but since there's no way I'd even think about dropping $500 to$1000 on a vacuum cleaner, my comments are geared towards to two products I have personal experience with whose price tags fall within the mid-tier pricing range of $150 to $300.

The Self-Propelled Hoover Wind Tunnel with Allery Filtration System

OK, so I'll admit it. Spending my hard-earned cash on something like a vacuum isn't a big turn on to me. In the past my purchases have leaned towards the cheap side of the vacuuming scale. But after replacing about 3 of those cheapy cleaners I began to think my purchasing strategies could use an upgrade, so I decided to spend a little more this time around and hope for better results. That's when I bit the bullet and bought the Hoover Wind tunnel Self-propelled vacuum with Allergy Filtration System. The Price? $279.99. The Wind tunnel has on board tools which work quite well on hardwood floors as well as carpets. There's an extension wand and you have the option of turning the beater bar function off so you can clean your non-carpeted floors

without worrying about scratching them. It came with all of your standard on-board attachments like a soft brush, a crevice tool and the flat tool that goes on the hose for cleaning stairs. All in all, I was quite pleased with my purchase... for the first eight months. That's when the self-propelled feature abruptly quit working, which, upon doing a little research I found, was an all too common problem with this machine. So basically, I spent $279.99 for a vacuum that's now relegated to a dark corner of my garage and is used only for vacuuming my cars. (Well, at least the on-board attachments still work!)

Eureka The Boss SmartVac

Needless to say, I was more than a little irked that after my last purchase of the most expensive vacuum I'd ever owned, I found myself in the market for a vacuum again so quickly. This time I did a little more homework and based on the reviews I read, decided on The Boss Smart Vac by Eureka. And boy am I glad I did! This vacuum has been great! It also comes with all of your standard on-board tools, but in addition has an awesome additional tool called the Power Paw. It's a tool that fits on your hose, has it's own tiny beater bar and works great for picking up pet hair on furniture upholstery, stairs and even clothing! That alone was worth the price of admission. But wait- that's not all! It also has a wonderful feature in the form of a gold dial that allows you to divert the suction from the cleaner to the hose in a quick flip of the wrist. The suction of this machine is unrivaled in my book. I use it for hardwood floors and carpet alike. I'm beginning to think this may be 'the one' and I'm hoping it'll be the last vacuum I buy for a very long time. The price? $179.99! Which just goes to show that more expensive is not always better. So the next time you find yourself in the market for a vacuum, consider the Smart Vac by Eureka. You won't be sorry that you did!