Vacuum Cleaners – A Guide to Buying the Right Dust Bags

Not all vacuum cleaner dust bags are the same. With a wide range of brands and specifications on the market, this article explains how to choose the best replacement dust bag for your vacuum cleaner and why it is so important. 

Identify the make and model of your vacuum cleaner 

To make sure that you buy the right dust bags, it is important that you know the make and model of the vacuum cleaner. 

This information can usually be found on a label on the product. It will also be referenced in the product’s instruction manual. 

As an example, this information for a Vacmaster Captura Vacuum Cleaner would be: 

Make/Brand: Vacmaster 

Model: Captura 

Model Number: UB0212EUK 

Visit the manufacturer’s website to understand the options 

Start by visiting the manufacturer’s website and search for the vacuum cleaner.  

This will allow you to see the detailed specification for the dust bags you need to buy, along with the full range of product variants available. 

For example, for the Vacmaster Multi 20 you can purchase both standard and fine filtration dust bags to suit your intended use.  

Standard filtration dust bags are ideal for everyday general cleaning tasks. Whereas fine filtration bags have multiple layers to trap finer dust particles for those messier jobs. 

The only way you can guarantee that you’re buying the right dust bags is to buy directly from the manufacturer. 

Pro Tip: Some manufacturer’s offer larger pack sizes with a cheaper cost per unit for buying in bulk.  

Choose where to buy the replacement bags from 

Whilst many stores stock replacement bags, the widest choice can usually be found online. 

Once you know exactly what you need, you can conduct a broader search to choose where you want to buy the replacement bags from. 

There are many suppliers of vacuum cleaner bags on the market, with each offering slightly different specifications, pricing and levels of service. 

Always make sure that you’re buying the correct bags for your vacuum cleaner and use a trustworthy source.  

Remember that you may need to return them if you buy the wrong bag by mistake. 

Check the fit when installing the replacement bags 

When your new vacuum cleaner bags arrive, it is important to have a look at them as soon as you can.  

Visually check for any damage to the packaging and make sure that the specification of the bags is as expected in terms of material, size and fixing - comparing it to any current bags you have. 

Try installing one of the replacement bags following the manufacturer’s guidelines.  

It is important that the dust bag fits correctly, forming a tight seal around the inlet stub of the vacuum cleaner. This helps to keep the dust inside the dust bag. This is especially important when collecting potentially hazardous dusts using L Class & M Class Dust Extractors. 

Poorly fitting vacuum cleaner bags can reduce performance and may lead to damage in other parts of the vacuum like the filters. Potentially even invalidating any product guarantee. 

Try using the vacuum with the bag in place. Listen for any strange noises which may suggest an issue with the bag. And after vacuuming, recheck that the bag is still in place and that dirt is entering the bag as it should.      

Pro Tip: We recommend re-ordering bags when you’re down to your last 1 or 2. That way, you will have an unused bag to compare against when the replacement bags arrive. 

At Vacmaster we have a UK-based customer care team who are happy to help with any questions you may have about our vacuum bags. View our full range here.