Consumer Reports

CR’s take: Kirby vacuums are sold only by independent Kirby distributors via in-home demonstrations. The Kirby Avalir 2 is one of the most expensive uprights that CR tests. But you do get impressive carpet cleaning capabilities; this model earns an Excellent rating in that test. It also aces our bare-floor and pet-hair cleaning tests, and does it all without spewing debris back into the air. But it has two shortcomings: It weighs a hefty 23 pounds, contributing to its Fair rating for handling (the lowest of all the uprights), and it's one of the noisiest uprights we've tested. Kirby uprights earn a Good rating for predicted reliability and a Poor rating for owner satisfaction in our survey.

CR’s take: Kirby vacuums are sold only by independent Kirby distributors via in-home demonstrations. The Kirby Avalir 2 is one of the most expensive uprights in CR’s ratings. But you do get impressive carpet cleaning capabilities; this model earns an Excellent rating in that test. It also aces our bare-floor and pet-hair cleaning tests, and does it all without spewing debris back into the air. But it has two shortcomings: It weighs a hefty 23 pounds, contributing to its Fair rating for handling, and it’s one of the noisiest uprights we’ve tested. Based on our survey data, Kirby uprights earn a Very Good rating for predicted reliability and a Fair rating for owner satisfaction.

CR’s take: The Kirby Avalir 2 is one of the most expensive uprights in CR’s ratings. But you do get impressive carpet cleaning capabilities; this model earns an Excellent rating in that test. It also aces our bare-floor and pet-hair cleaning tests, and does it all without spewing debris back into the air. But it has two shortcomings: It weighs a hefty 23 pounds, contributing to its Fair rating for handling, and it’s one of the noisiest uprights we’ve tested. Based on our survey data, Kirby uprights earned a Very Good rating for predicted reliability and a Fair rating for owner satisfaction. Note that Kirby vacuums are sold only by independent Kirby distributors via in-home demonstrations.

Small Vacuum Comparison