An upright vacuum cleaner comprising a telescopic suction wand fluidly connected to a separating apparatus on the cleaner via a hose and which is used, as required, to clean above the level of the floor. The wand comprises a lower wand section, an upper wand section telescopically mounted to the lower wand section and a moveable locking member which, when the wand is released for use, is biased towards a locking position for locking out the wand sections in telescopic extension. The locking member is releasable from this locking position via a reaction member provided on the cleaner, against which reaction member a user may readily force the biased locking member out of the locking position using the locked-out wand.