What Vacuum Cleaner Do You Use In Your House?
Posted by n4hcallme@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 105 comments
Hey all, I’m looking to replace my current vacuum and wanted to hear what people actually use day-to-day.
I live in a small apartment with mostly hardwood floors and a couple of low-pile rugs. I’ve tried a few options already:
- Cheap corded upright (Beko) – plenty of power, but heavy and awkward on hard floors
- Cordless stick vacuum (older Dyson V7) – convenient, but the battery life is poor now and suction isn’t great
- Handheld + broom combo – fine for quick cleans, but not really effective for pet hair or dust overall
I’m not looking for anything fancy, just something reliable that actually picks up dust and pet hair efficiently. Corded or cordless is fine. Budget is ideally under £500.
What vacuum do you use at home and what do you like or dislike about it?
PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit
A Shark something or other.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Shark seems to be the most common answer so far, funny how split opinions are on them
StuffMcGuffer@reddit
I had a shark cordless that just failed. What did you end up buying and how has it worked out? The comments say Henry.
akarxqueen@reddit
I was recently shopping for one and wanted a shark but they have very bad reviews on the battery so I opted for Dyson V10. I also had a handheld shark that was quite pricy and it was really bad, no suction and extremely poor battery. The Dyson is working miracles so far
PolarLocalCallingSvc@reddit
This was one of the very few purchases we've made over the past few years where we consulted Which? magazine.
It is by far the best we've ever had.
Far-Inevitable-9610@reddit
Hi what vaccum cleaner did you buy and how is it?
SecureRich1212@reddit
Miele c3 is probably the best overall imo, but you wouldn't go wrong with a Sebo either
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Ok_Log_8088@reddit
Dyson V10, battery last 3 times as long as the V6 and anti tangle brush actually works great
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
That’s good to hear — battery life was my biggest issue with the V7. Sounds like the newer Dysons fixed at least some of that
Ok_Log_8088@reddit
The V10 is years ahead of the V6, on mid power setting can do half an hour and considerably better suction than the V6.
Joel1778899@reddit
I’ve got a Kirby legend for my home! Very reliable and bullet proof.
Future-Pomelo4222@reddit
Shark hoover corded for pets, works great and has a light so you can see the bits on hardwood floor. Also picks up my long hair from carpet and rugs.
Physical-Fly6697@reddit
Miele C3. It’s amazing.
No fancy features like the Dyson and yes we have to get it out of its closet and plug it in etc. But it hoovers like a fucking champion.
CatastropheFlavoured@reddit
I don't have one yet, but Miele!
lhaveredditalready@reddit
Shark lift away! The best hoover I’ve ever had. You can also use it as a handheld hoover which makes it much easier to hoover the stairs ☺️.
It has lights on so it’s easy to see any dust, it also has a hard floor & carpet setting X
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
The lift-away + handheld combo is really tempting, especially for stairs.
lhaveredditalready@reddit
I honestly love it! 😌xx
This_Suit8791@reddit
Corded shark, couldn’t tell you the model but it detaches a number of ways and it’s great and never had an issue with it.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
That’s kind of what I keep hearing about corded Sharks, not flashy, but they just work. The detachable design sounds handy too
This_Suit8791@reddit
Yeah it is very handy. You can detach it down to the main body (the place with the motor and where the dirt goes) and a tube if you want. Everything just clips and slides together it’s so easy to do.
LordSexyAsshole@reddit
A 1997 ? Dyson DC03.
Everything I own is 1997 apart from the hob which packed up and got replaced.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Hard to argue with something that’s still running after nearly 30 years
LordSexyAsshole@reddit
It puts stripes in the carpet and as far as I can see there are plenty of spare parts like motors. I’ll repair it myself if it ever breaks.
Prestigious-Speed-29@reddit
I was shopping for the full suite of appliances recently, and went with a Miele CX1 for vacuuming purposes. There's an upgraded version, too, but I don't know what the difference is.
Works a treat. It's only noisy on its most powerful setting. The extendable pole bit works as you'd want it to, easy to empty/clean, there's a little slot where the floor-bit can latch onto the main body (very neat), and it's way cheaper than anything cordless. It also looks pretty cool, as vacuums go.
If it was stolen, I'd buy another immediately.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
That’s a great write-up, thanks. Being able to say I’d buy it again immediately is probably the best recommendation there is.
Shitsinhandandclaps@reddit
Some shark thing. Works well. Fuck Dyson. I’d rather stomp on a rusty nail than buy a Dyson.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Noted. I’m definitely seeing a lot of love for Shark and a lot of… not love for Dyson
Fearless-Werewolf759@reddit
Sebo
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Sebo seems to have a cult following for a reason. Everyone who owns one talks about it like it’s indestructible.
MountainMuffin1980@reddit
We have a cordless Dyson we got cbeal in Costco. I'm sure there are better brand but it's useful, and small and has decent tools. We also have a Shark robot vacuum (also cheap from Costco) and I love him.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Costco finds always seem to punch above their price. A robot vacuum for maintenance + a cordless for quick cleans sounds like a solid combo honestly
pantyperverted@reddit
We have a upright shark. Wish we had just bought a Henry. Having listened to several cleaners, they all said same thing, Henry is the king of hoovers.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Yeah, it’s funny how often cleaners all independently arrive at the same conclusion to “just buy a Henry.” Starting to feel like the obvious choice
Magnolia9009@reddit
The cheapest Miele cylinder, brilliant vacuum I'm a professional cleaner and I swear by it.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
That’s a strong endorsement, especially coming from a professional cleaner. Miele keeps popping up whenever reliability comes up, so that’s reassuring.
dlarge6510@reddit
Numatic George.
Hate the mess of bagless so went for a George over a Henry to also replace the kitchen mop as George is wet and dry.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
George replacing both the vacuum and the mop is interesting. Is it annoying to switch between wet/dry or pretty straightforward?
dlarge6510@reddit
It's not much of a faff but if you wash the floors regularly you'll probably want a dedicated machine.
I needed to save space and wanted to have something adaptive for hoovering, washing the hard floors, washing carpets and dry and wet in the car. George can do it all.
The only annoying thing is he is a tad heavy and moving him up and down the stairs is not something for anyone unable to lift stuff.
The only annoying thing about switching to wet is being in a hard water area the spray nozzle gets clogged so I have to unblock it every time.
The great thing about ANY numatic machine is how compatible the attachments are, an ancient Henry or other model can use the brand new attachments and bags. Plus Numatic sell spares, including replacement switches etc.
I serviced an old Henry Hound, needed new internal contacts. Got a kit off Amazon, simple to install just a few screws.
Neither_March4000@reddit
If you're mainly hard floors get a robo vacuum (mine was less than £200). I have one for the kitchen/utility which gets put on every day because...crumbs. I use it in the carpeted bedrooms as well , because it can get under beds. Then an upright corded Dyson for the larger carpeted areas which has got to be close to 15 years old .
nathderbyshire@reddit
Robot vaccum and a Vax upright. I can go ages without having to vacuum or mop but it'll depend on how dirty your floors are. Mine is just pet hair and food bits
CrowsEatCheese@reddit
Henry. The green one for pets.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
The pet Henry seems to have a cult following. Does the turbo head actually help with hair on rugs?
CrowsEatCheese@reddit
Yes, it's great on rugs, sofas, and the stairs. We just lost a dog who was a shedder, but we still have 4 cats, and it really deals with the fur. Had our Henry 10 years with no problems. Before that, we had a hoover and a Dyson, and both only lasted a year each.
anonymouse39993@reddit
Dyson v15 submarine
It’s great as also mops the floor
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Vacuum + mop in one is tempting for hard floors. Do you actually use the mop feature often or just occasionally?
anonymouse39993@reddit
All the time yeah and it does a good job I don’t mop normally anymore and only use this
decentlyfair@reddit
We have had three Sharks, first one top of the range and was brilliant but it died after a few years, the next we bought a slightly cheaper version and although it was good it didn’t really live up to its predecessor. We only replaced it recently as we have moved and needed something smaller so we got a cordless shark and I bloody love it.
Prof_Hentai@reddit
Dyson V15 for running around and a Sebo X7 for deep cleans.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Nice combo, what would you recommend if I had to pick one?
Prof_Hentai@reddit
If I had a big house with loads of carpet and not much clutter, the X7 and it’s not even close. It’s quite cumbersome, the auto-adjusting brush is a bit slow on big surface changes, and the tools are a bit of a faff. It’s also pretty heavy.
For everything else, the Dyson. In my opinion, the upside outweigh the downsides considerable. Although they still have a way to go, they are by far the best in the cordless+bagless market. They are light, powerful (enough), and manageable. It’s worth the lessened reliability (that said, mine had never skipped a beat) and performance over a corded+bagged machine. Especially if you have a particularly cluttered or awkward home.
If I absolutely had to drop to one, I would go for a good cordless Dyson or more likely a good corded/bagged canister machine such as a Sebo Airbelt D4 or Miele L1.
AroundRainbowSpace@reddit
I have almost the same set up/floor types as you and I’d really recommend a Shark cordless. I had a similar Dyson for years and it was fine, needed a bit of TLC sometimes. When it gave up I replaced it with the Shark, I thought it seemed about the same in terms of quality but not as costly. I’m really happy with it, just works and works and not had any problems. I got one with a sort of animal hair feature as I have long hair that moults everywhere 😂 Think I paid around £300. It’s still going strong 2+ years later.
Billy_Rizzle@reddit
I have an older V7, and I put a V8 battery by mistake. Outcome: bigger battery but is a bit tight getting in the charging dock. Cost like £30. Really easy to change.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
That’s actually a great tip. Didn’t know the V8 battery swap was that easy (or that cheap).
Mysterious-Sock39@reddit
Shark Stratos XL 2.6 Litre Corded Upright Vacuum Cleaner with Anti Hair Wrap Plus & Anti Odour- had a Henry before which was great suction but this picks up all our jack Russell hair
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Does it feel bulky to move around or pretty manageable?
LeviDaBadAsz@reddit
I bought a refurbished Dyson Ball light, brilliant, easy to move and not too heavy. I have three cats and while it’s not perfect, using in combination with a lint roller is great!
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Three cats is a solid stress test.
Sounds like it does most of the work and the lint roller finishes the job.
BoiledEggOnToast@reddit
Bought a refurbished Dyson v10 from their eBay store. Have had to replace a few parts that I broke over the years, battery is still fine too. I also have a plug in vax for the longer deeper vacuum jobs!
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Refurb Dyson seems like a smart middle ground so it’s nice that parts are easy to replace instead of binning the whole thing
Khat_Force_1@reddit
I have two, one is a cordless Shark hair thingy hoover and a Titan work hoover. The Shark hoover is merely for aesthetics as it always requires some kind of attention before using it and the Titan is the goto one to use because it's always ready to be used and I don't have to worry about the battery running out.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
That’s exactly my fear with cordless, always some issue when you just want to clean.
GrowbagUK@reddit
There can only be one.....Henry.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
At this point Henry feels like the default answer, hard to argue with something that just works
Anguskerfluffle@reddit
why not replace the battery in the dyson?
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
I thought about it, but even with a new battery the V7 suction just feels a bit weak now. Feels like throwing money at something that’s already dated.
quite_acceptable_man@reddit
There are some good youtube videos on how to strip it down and clean all the cyclone bits out. It's pretty easy to do, and doesn't require any specialist tools, they're mostly clipped together.
You may just find a new battery and some new filters will have it working like new.
I've done the same with a V6 I was given. The owner was going to take it to the tip. I found a youtube video, and it's been working like new for the last 6 months or so.
Anguskerfluffle@reddit
a change of filters might help too?
dartiss@reddit
I did this a number of times. First time the battery failed just outside of warranty and Dyson were more than happy to replace it. After that I bought compatible third party batteries from Amazon, all of which had a greater capacity than the standard one - they all worked great.
Eventually, not even the battery could save it and I recently replaced it with a newer model Dyson. I use the refurbished options on their site which saves a ton, and don't go with the recent model, but one of a few generations back.
No-Reason-8205@reddit
Miele cylinder vacuum. About £250 and is the best I’ve ever used. Great on hard floors and carpet. Easy to move, has a long cord so you don’t have to keep moving the plug. All the tools are stored inside it. It’s very easy to change the bag and they last a long time.
My dad has a Dyson and it’s better than that.
NuisancePenguin44@reddit
Don't get a Henry, they're the most annoying, cumbersome vacuums especially if you only have a small space. If you have hard floors I'd suggest a cordless Shark stick vacuum. I love mine, it does a really good job and you can just whiz through it. You can buy a spare battery if you're worried about it running out.
Princes_Slayer@reddit
We have a shark pet hair type. It gets blocked frequently though it’s easy enough to take practically the whole thing apart to find the blockage.
Henry is our trusted bugger that we constantly resort to
DaughterOfATiredMech@reddit
I’ve got the same dyson, Honestly it’s my go to. My husband bought a corded one from Argos after the dyson, it worked for a bit but didn’t out live my Dyson.
I’m considering upgrading it, I’ve had it 4/5 years and it’s never failed me (I did replace the battery).
My mum has the newest one and I must admit, it’s not as seamless as mines, looks harder to empty (I’ve not done it myself) but works great otherwise.
ItsDominare@reddit
I've got hard floors as well and have had a little Bosch canister vac for many years that works great and has never given me any issues whatsoever.
I would never buy anything from Dyson, that guy is a complete fuckstick.
farmerjimbob67@reddit
I have the Dyson hand held, the battery capacity drove me nuts. So I bought the 18v battery adapter, so now I use my Makita battery and can easily do the whole flat.
Rough-Chemist-4743@reddit
Sebo. Absolute beast.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Sebo keeps getting mentioned in serious vacuum threads. Probably overkill for a small flat, but tempting.
Rough-Chemist-4743@reddit
We’ve had Dyson before and the newer ones were cheap plastics. Sebo are brilliantly made. Only downside is ours is heavy for going up and down stairs - no good for elderly.
sunheadeddeity@reddit
Henry! Brilliant piece of kit.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Hard to ignore when so many people say the same thing
sunheadeddeity@reddit
Should have said - we have a very sheddy Shiba x husky and it's great for fur.
AsymmetricNinja08@reddit
Yup. Henry & it supports a British institution.
Tactical-Chunderer@reddit
We have a Titan 16L from Screwfix. It was £50 and it will lift and move rugs.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
£50 and lifting rugs is kind of insane. Probably loud and basic, but that power is hard to argue with.
Winter_Engine2973@reddit
Vactechpro v15 from Amazon, replaced an old Dyson with a failing battery.
It's cheap but build quality is quite good, picks up well, battery life is ok, very easy to clean Inc the filter and housing, comes with plenty of tools and spares.
Nothing I really don't like about it, the only negative is it isn't so easy to get under the sofa, that's all I can think of....
The Dyson has lasted for many years but I wouldn't pay the premium brand prices again.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Cheap but solid and easy to clean actually sounds ideal, sofa reach aside
Spiritual_Weather656@reddit
Shark handheld (I don't know the name) it's pretty newish 2020+ model and has the anti hair wrap thing.
It's fine. Obviously as a handheld the battery and suction is not as good as it could be on a much more expensive Dyson model. But I find it decently acceptable for the upstairs, if run on full power it can run out in 15 minutes though.
I would recommend a cord vacuum if you want to do a whole house or large flat. But I do like my sharks, and I think Henry Hoover's are still a solid shout.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
That matches what I’ve heard about Sharks, decent performance but battery drains fast on max.
Anti hair wrap does sound tempting though
Spiritual_Weather656@reddit
It's annoying for me. In the floor part I have to cut it with scissors and manually remove it, and inside the vacuum I have to pull it out with my hand. Gross. But I'm not entirely sure what happens to hair without it? Does it cause problems beyond this? Clogs? I don't know.
Ralphisinthehouse@reddit
Shark cordless. I don't think I would buy another. It can overheat and stop and has had one replacement motor under guarantee.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Overheating would drive me nuts. Good to know it’s strong when it works, but reliability matters more to me at this point.
Zealousideal_Fold_60@reddit
Henry.. they just don’t break, no features, very simple, just work though.. and cleaners like them too
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
How is it on hardwood and rugs in an apartment setting?
Successful-Event9317@reddit
I let her in Monday mornings.
n4hcallme@reddit (OP)
Probably the strongest suction of all :D
WhiteDiamondK@reddit
Shark stick vacuum.
Replaced my old Dyson and is immeasurably better.
Amanensia@reddit
I do prefer the Shark we have now to the Dyson we had previously, but I wish it wasn’t quite so plasticky. It doesn’t scream premium build quality.
This_Suit8791@reddit
Does it matter what it looks like? I have a shark and it works great which is all I care about.
Amanensia@reddit
Not if it lasts. We’ll see.
Victorius_Meldrus@reddit
Corded, bagged cylinder Miele. Wouldn't touch anything else.
lil-smartie@reddit
Roomba combo
lawrekat63@reddit
Shark. Corded stick. Best hoover I have owned
GeggingIn@reddit
Hetty and cordless Henry.
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