Kenmore Intuition Bagged Upright Vacuum with Hair Eliminator Brushroll (BU4050)
Reader ratings
A budget bagged upright with a HEPA exhaust filter and a sealed air path, on Consumer Reports’ list of lowest-emission bagged uprights. The sealed and 99.97% claims are the maker’s, its HEPA filter is washable and the warranty is one year.
Best for A home that wants a light, inexpensive bagged upright for carpet and hard floors with a HEPA exhaust filter, and can live with a one-year warranty.
- Our rating
- Good (3.7 of 5)
- Price range
- Budget
- Size
- Bagged upright, under 15 lb; 30 ft cord; wand reaches 7 ft; 11 in. cleaning width; six HEPA bags in the box per the maker’s description (its spec list says four)
- Made in
- Kenmore-brand vacuum made and sold by Cleva North America (Greenville, South Carolina) under license; country of manufacture not stated
approx. $220 at the maker ($180 at Amazon)
See it on Kenmore’s site → (opens in a new tab)We are not affiliated with Kenmore. This link goes to the maker’s own page, with no tracking code. How we're funded.
Also sold at Amazon ($180) .
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Your review
Reviews are personal experiences, not research, and they never change our quality ratings. Every review is read by our team before it appears.
How we evaluated it
How it scores Our rating, metric by metric
- Sealed filtration 35% of the rating 4 of 5
A bagged machine whose maker calls the air path completely sealed with a HEPA media exhaust filter, and Consumer Reports lists it among the lowest-emission bagged uprights; the 99.97% figure is the maker’s and no allergy certifier lists it.
- Independent testing 20% of the rating 3 of 5
Consumer Reports, an independent nonprofit, lab-tested it and lists it among its lowest-emission bagged uprights, but its free article gives no numbers and no allergy certificate exists.
- Durability 20% of the rating 3 of 5
Bags, filters, hose and tools are sold at stated prices and the maker runs a support line, but the warranty is one year and excludes filters.
- Trust 10% of the rating 3 of 5
No recall or Prop 65 notice found and the maker names itself; points off for sealed and 99.97% claims with no report behind them and a licensed brand name between you and the maker.
- Value 15% of the rating 5 of 5
About $310 to $350 over five years with bags and filters ($180 to $220 to buy, then a $24.99 pack of six bags a year and a $9.99 exhaust filter now and then), against $600 to $950 to buy the other vacuums here.
The rating, 3.7 of 5, is the weighted average of these scores. See how we rank vacuums and our standard.
Where to buy Stores and the prices we saw
- Amazon (opens in a new tab) approx. $180. New unit shipped and sold by Amazon.com, $40 below the maker’s price. A separate used-condition offer from Amazon Resale also appears on the page. Walmart offers only an open-box BU4050 ($173, third-party seller, new one out of stock), Home Depot’s search for the model leads to a different Kenmore (BU4017), and Kohl’s and Lowe’s do not list the machine, so we left them out.
Prices as we saw them on November 3, 2026. They change often. These links carry no tracking code and earn us nothing.
What it’s made of What touches your food, water, skin or air
- Self-sealing HEPA dust bag (Kenmore IB600; the bag material is not stated)
- HEPA media exhaust filter (part 561055118) and a foam filter (what the filter media are made of is not stated)
- Plastic body, hose, wand and tools (resin types not stated); no scent cartridge or odor-neutralizing feature
Who tested it What each test found, and who paid for it
- Independent Consumer Reports (independent nonprofit member organization; earns affiliate fees from some links) May 19, 2026
Lists the Kenmore Intuition BU4050 among its “Bagged Upright Vacuums With the Lowest Emissions”, and says it excels in pet hair tests and has a HEPA filtration system. The method fills each vacuum with wood flour and measures what comes out with a laser spectrometer. The free article gives no numbers for this model. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Maker’s own test Kenmore Floor Care (Cleva North America; the maker)
Says its “AllergenSeal” system keeps a “completely sealed air path” and traps 99.97% of dust and particles down to 0.3 microns. It cites no test report or method, and AllergenSeal is the maker’s own name for the feature, not a certificate. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Who paid, and why it matters
- Independent The tester took no money from the maker for it: a consumer group, a journalist, a university or a regulator.
- Paid certification An outside lab or certifier tested or listed it, and the maker paid for that.
- Maker’s own test A lab report or certificate of analysis the maker commissioned and published.
A certification is a floor, not a verdict: it checks what its program checks and nothing else. We weigh tests by someone with no stake in the result most.
What people ask Worries raised online and elsewhere, and what we found
- Is it really sealed, and is the 99.97% claim backed?
- Kenmore calls the air path “completely sealed” and says its AllergenSeal system traps 99.97% of dust and particles down to 0.3 microns, with no test report. Consumer Reports’ emissions test (opens in a new tab) measures what leaves the whole machine, and lists the BU4050 among its lowest-emission bagged uprights. The Asthma & Allergy Friendly certified list has no Kenmore vacuum (checked 2026-11-03).
- Who makes a Kenmore vacuum now?
- Cleva North America of Greenville, South Carolina, under a license for the Kenmore name; the maker’s Our Story page (opens in a new tab) says the marks are registered to KCD IP and Transform SR Brands and used under license by Cleva. The manual (opens in a new tab) says Kenmore is used under license and to send warranty claims to Cleva’s help line. We did not find where the machine is assembled.
- Can the HEPA exhaust filter be washed?
- The manual says to rinse the HEPA media exhaust filter with cold water, no soap, once a year and let it dry for 24 hours, and to replace it when it is worn; a new one is $9.99 from the maker. Kenmore’s manual for its BU1018 upright says that model’s HEPA filter cannot be washed because it would lose its dust-trapping ability. We found no test of a rinsed BU4050 filter, so replace it if suction does not recover.
- Will it last?
- The warranty is one year from the date of sale: a defective machine is replaced free with proof of sale, and filters and belts are excluded. Bags (about $4 each in a pack of six) and the exhaust filter are sold with part numbers. We found no independent reliability data for this model; the maker’s own site shows 4.7 of 5 from 2,264 ratings and Amazon 4.2 of 5 from 4,284, neither independent.
- Does it add a scent to your air?
- No. Its page lists no odor-neutralizing cartridge or fragrance feature, which some other brands add to their vacuums.
- Do the bags or filters contain PFAS?
- Kenmore does not say what its bags or filter media are made of, and we found no published PFAS test of vacuum bags or filters from any maker. We could not confirm either way.
- Any recalls, Prop 65 notices or lawsuits?
- None found. CPSC’s recall list has two 1987 notices for Sears Kenmore vacuums (a canister recall and a repair program) and nothing since; its other Kenmore recalls are for ovens, ranges, dehumidifiers and similar, and it has nothing under Cleva’s name. California’s Prop 65 notice list (opens in a new tab) held no notice naming Kenmore or Cleva, searched 2026-11-03. We could not search court dockets.
Why we chose it What put it on our list
- Consumer Reports lab-tested the BU4050 and lists it among the lowest-emission bagged uprights, saying it excels in pet hair tests and has a HEPA filtration system.
- The maker describes a completely sealed air path, a HEPA media exhaust filter and a self-sealing bag that you release with one button, so you do not tip out a dust bin.
- The maker says six HEPA bags come in the box, “up to one year” of supply, though its spec list and FAQ say four. More are $24.99 for six, and the exhaust filter is $9.99.
- It weighs under 15 lb, has a 30 ft cord and a Lift-Up pod for stairs, and costs about $180 to $220, the cheapest vacuum we list.
Trade-offs What to weigh before you buy
- The sealed air path and the 99.97% figure are the maker’s claims. No report and no allergy certificate back them; Consumer Reports’ free article gives no emissions numbers.
- The warranty is one year and excludes filters. The Kenmore name is licensed, and Cleva makes and services the machine.
- The manual tells you to rinse the HEPA exhaust filter yearly, which is not usual for HEPA media. Replacing it is cheap, at $9.99.
- Bags are a running cost, about $25 a year at the maker’s pace, and the cleaning path is a narrow 11 inches.
- We found only one store selling this exact model new besides the maker.
What to know Details worth knowing first
The BU4050 is a conventional bagged upright with the two things our checklist looks for: a bag, so you do not tip a bin of fine dust, and a HEPA exhaust filter, where the air leaves the machine. Kenmore says the air path is completely sealed and that the system traps 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns. It gives no report for that, and the name AllergenSeal is its own.
What it has beyond the maker’s word is a lab result from an independent nonprofit: Consumer Reports fills each vacuum with wood flour and measures what comes out, and lists the BU4050 among its lowest-emission bagged uprights. The article gives no numbers. At about $180 to $220 it is the cheapest sealed, bagged vacuum we list, and six bags come in the box. The trade is a one-year warranty, a licensed name and a manual that says to rinse a HEPA filter, so we would replace that filter if suction does not recover.
Our house dust guide explains why dust that a vacuum blows back out matters. In the one trial where home cleaning cut toddlers’ blood lead, a high-efficiency vacuum (opens in a new tab) was used together with wet mopping and damp sponging, so pair any vacuum with damp cleaning.
What we checked Each claim, and how sure we are of it
| What we checked | What we found |
|---|---|
| A sealed system Maker’s claim | The maker’s page: “completely sealed air path”; AllergenSeal system. No test report or certificate; Consumer Reports’ emissions test, which measures what leaves the whole machine, lists the BU4050 among its lowest-emission bagged uprights. |
| HEPA where it counts Maker’s claim | HEPA media exhaust filter (part 561055118) plus a foam filter; the maker says 99.97% down to 0.3 microns. No test report. The manual says to rinse the exhaust filter yearly. |
| Mess-free emptying Maker’s claim | Bagged: “No Touch” bag technology releases a self-sealing bag with one button. The maker says six HEPA bags come in the box (its spec list says four). Consumer Reports says emptying a bagless vacuum can create a dust cloud, so a bagged one may suit allergies better. |
| Parts you can buy Maker’s claim | Maker’s store: bags $24.99 for six (IB600), HEPA media exhaust filter $9.99 (561055118), tools and hose by part number. One-year warranty that excludes filters. Prices seen 2026-11-03. |
| Independent emissions test Verified | Consumer Reports’ lab lists the BU4050 among the lowest-emission bagged uprights (May 2026 article). The free page gives no numbers for it. |
| Recalls and Prop 65 notices Verified | None found in CPSC’s recall list (two 1987 notices for Sears Kenmore vacuums only) or California’s Prop 65 notice list for Kenmore or Cleva, searched 2026-11-03. Court dockets were not searched. |
What the labels mean
- Verified We opened an independent record that confirms it: a certifier’s listing, a regulator’s list or a lab report. It is linked under Sources.
- Maker’s claim The maker says so on its own page or label. We read it but found no independent record.
- Not verified We looked and could not confirm it, or the maker does not say. Treat it as unknown.
Sources Where our facts come from
- Kenmore Floor Care: Intuition Bagged Upright BU4050 product page. Maker’s page. Price, features, filtration claims, specifications and ratings as seen on 2026-11-03. Replacement bags and the exhaust filter were priced from the same store’s search. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Kenmore BU4050 use and care guide (PDF). Maker’s page. One-year limited warranty; filters and belts excluded; Kenmore brand used under license, claims to Cleva North America; parts list; rinse the HEPA media exhaust filter yearly. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Amazon listing for the Kenmore Intuition BU4050. Independent source. $179.99 on 2026-11-03, shipper and seller Amazon.com; 4.2 of 5 from 4,284 ratings. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Consumer Reports: best vacuums of 2026 for allergy sufferers. Test report. Updated 2026-05-19. Lists the Kenmore Intuition BU4050 under bagged uprights with the lowest emissions and explains the wood flour and laser spectrometer test. CR is a nonprofit that earns affiliate fees from some links. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Asthma & Allergy Friendly certified vacuum cleaners. Certifier or regulator listing. Its certified vacuum list held products from LG, eufy and Rainbow and none from Kenmore when we checked on 2026-11-03 (the site’s product list loads by script; we read it through its public data feed). Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- California Attorney General: Prop 65 60-day notice search for “Kenmore”. Certifier or regulator listing. No notice names the brand; a search for “Cleva” also found none. Searched 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- CPSC recall list search for “Kenmore”. Certifier or regulator listing. 18 recalls under the Kenmore name, mostly ovens, ranges and dehumidifiers. The only vacuum cleaner notices are from 1987: a canister vacuum recall by Sears and a repair program with Whirlpool. A search for “Cleva” returned nothing. Searched 2026-11-03. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Kenmore Floor Care: Our Story. Maker’s page. Footer: Kenmore marks are registered to KCD IP and Transform SR Brands and used under license by Cleva North America. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Walmart listing for an open-box Kenmore BU4050 (seller Skybest Appliance Center). Independent source. Open Box $173.00 from a third-party seller on 2026-11-03; the New option showed out of stock. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
- Rhoads et al., 1999, Pediatrics: The effect of dust lead control on blood lead in toddlers, a randomized trial. Independent source. 113 children; cleaning by wet mopping, damp sponging and a high-efficiency vacuum, with maternal education, cut blood lead 17%. We read the abstract only. Open ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Alternatives Other options to compare
- Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly Bagged Upright (BU1018) Same maker with an inducer motor and a HEPA filter you replace, not wash. Consumer Reports gave this model a top-notch clean-emissions rating. About $370, heavier at 20 lb.
- Miele Guard L1 Allergy About $749, bagged, with a HEPA exhaust filter and a three-year warranty; Consumer Reports rates the Guard L1 excellent for filtration, without naming the version.