Canister vacuum cleaners are portable and very easy to use. They are well suited for people who clean a variety of surfaces but are most popular for those who have little carpeting and like to vacuum their hard surfaced floors. Like most other vacuums, canisters include attachments that help when cleaning all other surfaces.

Canisters use a revolving brush system or brush agitator.  The revolving brush dislodges dirt particles from the carpet so they can be picked up easily. This feature is especially useful for picking up things like pet hair from your carpet. Without a built in revolving brush, canister vacuums use straight suction to clean. The revolving brush is optional on some models.

Most canister vacuum cleaners have a bag where the dust and dirt is stored. This bag is generally made of thick paper or synthetic material and must be changed periodically when it becomes full. There are bagless models with dust and dirt storage compartments that must be periodically dumped out. Bagless models eliminate the additional cost of buying dust bags.