If you're looking for an upright, bagless vacuum for less than $140, check out the Hoover Elite Rewind U5507900. It has many of the features touted by models more than four times its price and it can pull its own weight when it comes to the average household cleaning routine.

Although it's certainly not perfect (we'll point out a few flaws in a moment), the Hoover Elite Rewind Bagless Upright has good suction -- enough suction, in fact, to pull up dust, kid-rendered debris, the occasional grain of sand and most strands of pet hair. Plus, with seven height adjustments, it can accommodate various carpet heights and pile types. While we initially wondered if the "retractable cord" benefit was a marketing gimmick, we were pleasantly surprised to discover that this feature really works. Not only that, but it actually makes using and storing the vacuum more convenient. No more precious minutes spent winding, winding, winding a power cord. We do, however, wish the cord placement wasn't so low; it can get in the way while vacuuming.

The Hoover Elite Rewind uses a view-through canister to collect everything it pulls from carpets, and it comes with a HEPA filter. The canister is easy to empty and doesn't make a mess, but the HEPA filter does become clogged more often than we'd like. When this filter becomes clogged, the vacuum loses some of its suction, so we found it necessary to remove and wash the HEPA filter frequently, which is definitely a downside. The good news is that the filter is reusable, so we don't have to plan to spend additional money on replacement filters. Before we give the Hoover Elite Rewind a gold medal, let's see how it scored on the details: It has an adequate 9-foot hose, and a powered hand tool. Not good enough to earn our highest marks. Perhaps more importantly, the vacuum's main bristles can't be turned off when using the attachment, which increases the risk these bristles will cause friction damage to carpets while the attachment is in use. Overall, the Hoover Elite Rewind Bagless Upright is a good performer at a reasonable price -- especially in the pricey bagless category. However, because it falls short when it comes to attachments and other details, it only garners an average score.


Pros: Reasonable price, retractable cord, bagless
Cons: Limited accessories, filters easily clog

Warranty
1 year