Originally all vacuum cleaners were bagless. All vacuums simply used a cloth bag to contain the dust and dirt. They leaked dust and odors, but they were much better than having nothing at all. Then paper bags were introduced to dramatically cut down on the dust. The paper bags were a big improvement because they cut down on the odors stored in the cloth outer bag, and the filth and dirt could be thrown away without a dust cloud forming above the vacuum cleaner.
About 1985 the bagless vacuum became popular. Originally, bagless vacuums had a distinct advantage over bagged vacuum cleaners. The HEPA filter that all bagless vacuums have stops almost all the dust and odors from leaking out the vacuum exhaust. The good news was that the HEPA filters stopped dust from spewing out. The bad news is that the clogged up rapidly. They clogged faster if the air had high humidity or if you were picking up pet hair. The pet dander sticks to the filter and restricts air flow. The slowing air flow is also what cooled the motor. The motors in bagless vacuums tend not to last as long as bagged vacuums because of this restricted airflow to the motor in bagless vacuums.
We have a retail store selling vacuums and filters in Wooster Ohio. The two main reasons people ask us about bagless vacuum cleaners is: 1) They want to save money on bags, or 2) They want less dust. Bagless vacuums need a HEPA filter to stop the dirt. These filters are very effective. They also need to be changed at least once a year (more often if you have small children or pets) and, they aren't cheap, $29 - $59 each. It is impossible to spend as much for paper bags. High filtration paper bags may cost you a dollar or two each. You will spend less money on the bags than for the bagless filters, even if you change the bags frequently.
Less dust? Do you have trash cans at home? Do you use trash can liners? Why? Because it's far more sanitary when you throw out the liner instead of dumping the can with all the dust being thrown into the air. Most high end vacuums now use micron filtration bags along with a HEPA filter at the exhaust of the vacuum cleaner. The micron filtration bags offer excellent filtration, and they don't clog up and restrict airflow like the HEPA filters in bagless vacuums. The HEPA filter at the exhaust takes much longer to get dirty because the dirt is trapped in the high filtration paper liner.
Less expensive vacuum cleaners are almost all bagless. The profit is in the filters, not the disposable vacuums. The higher end vacuums almost all use high filtration inner bags.
If you have pets, the pet dander is what sticks to the bagless HEPA filters. We also recommend to pet owners that they use a vacuum cleaner with a charcoal filter to trap and neutralize the pet odors. Also, natural fiber brushes on your vacuum cleaner's roller brush will not trap the pet hair in the roller.
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