Gransnet forums

House and home

Vacuum cleaner recommendations - urgent 😄

(94 Posts)
Grammaretto Tue 02-Jun-26 11:29:06

Dear helpful grans, my not very trusty Dyson stick cleaner has broken. It's quite old now and I think the cost of repair would not be worth it.

I no longer have a second back up and need another urgently as my house is on the market and I have 3 viewings this week.

I've been trawling online but everything good quality seems very expensive. One Miele is over £600!

I live on 3 floors so would prefer not too heavy which probably rules out a Henry .

I see it's possible to buy reconditioned VCs. Has anyone tried these?

If I move to a bungalow I guess a heavier model would be fine
It's such a pest happening today!

Basgetti Tue 02-Jun-26 11:32:46

We have a Shark robot vacuum. It’s very good, saves me a lot of time.

Daisy25 Tue 02-Jun-26 11:43:40

Definitely look at Shark....I love mine and so easy to use. There is a new design out since I bought mine. So have a look.

M0nica Tue 02-Jun-26 11:50:13

I m just about to buy my second old fashioned vacuum cleaner with a long tube and a brush. This will go upstairs,

I have twice bought stick battery charged cleaners for the upstairs but I find the heavy motor and battery at the top of the stick unbalancing and I cannot get the brush right under some furniture because the head of the machine stops me being able to get the angle of the brush and stem flat enough to go underneath. I also find them flimsy and prone to break easily.

Grammaretto Tue 02-Jun-26 11:51:54

Thanks. There are so many models to choose from! Where to start.🫨
I am veering towards Shark as DD swears by hers.

MissAdventure Tue 02-Jun-26 11:53:21

I don't know if you use Amazon, but they sell "open box" items, often at almost half price, and guaranteed to be as good as new.

Whatever you decide on, it may be worth seeing if you can get it for a bargain price.

Tizliz Tue 02-Jun-26 11:54:29

Ask Nicola, her husband bought 5 so I am sure she could spare one 🤣

Tizliz Tue 02-Jun-26 11:56:05

Grammaretto

Thanks. There are so many models to choose from! Where to start.🫨
I am veering towards Shark as DD swears by hers.

My shark is parked in a corner as it is too heavy for my weak wrists. I use a Henry which I can just pull along.

blue14 Tue 02-Jun-26 11:57:42

Look at Sebo.
They are upright vacuum cleaners.
John Lewis stock them.
They have excellent reviews and the one I have is about 12 years old and still going strong and cleaning well with no issues
A bonus is that they have all the additional tools stored on them.
The only downside is that it is rather heavy.

karmalady Tue 02-Jun-26 12:06:55

Dyson stick downstairs, miele upstairs, henry behind the sofa for cold ashes and sebo in the garage

Sebo is definitely most powerful, I was reluctant to let it go when I moved, far too heavy for the house. I did stock up with bags and filters, in case I cannot buy them in future

As you are moving, get something easy to use and lightweight, which does not take up much room, also cheaper than Dyson. I second Shark, I gave mine to my DD and she is delighted with it

I do use all my vac cleaners as appropriate

butterandjam Tue 02-Jun-26 12:13:14

blue14

Look at Sebo.
They are upright vacuum cleaners.
John Lewis stock them.
They have excellent reviews and the one I have is about 12 years old and still going strong and cleaning well with no issues
A bonus is that they have all the additional tools stored on them.
The only downside is that it is rather heavy.

My Sebo upright is 24 yrs old and still perfect function on smooth floors or carpet, can't recommend it highly enough. I think I've replaced the filter and brushes once, spares easily available.

jusnoneed Tue 02-Jun-26 13:06:39

I recently replaced my old Hetty (pink version of Henry) when it gave up the ghost with a Shark Lift Away upright. You can take it apart to do the stairs. Hetty was getting rather heavy to carry up and down the stairs and not picking up as well as it had.
My son has a Shark stick vac and is very happy with that, small and light. When I was looking he said buy a corded not rechargeable.

NotSpaghetti Tue 02-Jun-26 13:29:07

I love my Henry but not for stairs.

NotSpaghetti Tue 02-Jun-26 13:31:03

My daughter had a cordless shark.
She says it's too heavy.

They will inevitably be heavier if you are lugging a battery about...

Grammaretto Tue 02-Jun-26 13:46:26

Thank again everyone.
I have borrowed a Henry. It is heavy but at least it won't need recharging after 20mins.
My DS recommends their sebo which I see gets a lot of your votes

They've had it many years and you can get reconditioned ones. I'll look into it. not literally

Tortoiselover Tue 02-Jun-26 13:46:55

We bought a reconditioned dyson stick vacuum cleaner, very happy with it, it's like new. We do have a Roomba robot cleaner as well which is great.

NotAGran55 Tue 02-Jun-26 13:50:36

My SEBO upright is absolutely brilliant, still going strong 20 + years.
It is heavy though, and I wouldn’t hesitate in buying a stick SEBO as a lighter option.

Grammaretto Tue 02-Jun-26 13:50:37

Tizliz I was thinking of asking Nicola if I can have a coffee machine (£9k spent)
I hadn't thought of a vacuum cleaner....

LadyGracie Tue 02-Jun-26 13:52:24

I have a Shark but preferred my Dyson which I had for years it picked up more and was a lot lighter.

I use my Miele cylinder more, it’s efficient and I can just pull it around.

Grammaretto Tue 02-Jun-26 13:53:41

Those of you who own several VCs. Where do you keep them?
The Dyson stick has its own charging station so neatly lives against a wall but the Henry is big and round.

Tizliz Tue 02-Jun-26 14:24:32

Grammaretto

Tizliz I was thinking of asking Nicola if I can have a coffee machine (£9k spent)
I hadn't thought of a vacuum cleaner....

Coffee machine was her luxury item for Desert Island Discs, but she said in her interview that she rarely went in the kitchen so she probably couldn't use it.

Tizliz Tue 02-Jun-26 14:27:36

Grammaretto

Those of you who own several VCs. Where do you keep them?
The Dyson stick has its own charging station so neatly lives against a wall but the Henry is big and round.

If I didn't have such a stock of loo paper both Shark and Henry fit in my hall cupboard. So Shark lurks in the spare bedroom - for all the visitors who say "we will help" (got a lot of dust on it!)

MaizieD Tue 02-Jun-26 14:37:14

Does it have to be a stick vacuum?

Mt cordless GTech upright is light and efficient, but doesn't do stairs.

I have a corded Shark upright which my DD gave me as it was surplus to her requirements when she moved in with her partner. I find it very heavy. It has a hose which can be used for stairs but it is a bit rigid and doesn't extend very well.

dalrymple23 Tue 02-Jun-26 15:17:48

When I lived in a three storey Victorian house, I had a vacuum cleaner on each floor.. I still have them but am only on two floors!

The Sebo upright is absolutely fantastic. I also have a |Miele cylinder. Both bagged. Since the EU directive of limiting the KW power of vacuums, bagged machines are infinitely more able to pick up everything. I found the bagless numbers useless. If you have dogs, as I do, you might as well stick with a dustpan and brush or a Ewbank!!!

My cleaners and the builders both use bagged Henrys. There is no denying that all these machines are heavy. I read that there is a new bagged Henry stick vacuum but no little about it. Maybe worth investigating.

Good luc with your search - life was so much easier when all you could get was a Hoover, with a cloth bag and a light on he front!

Grammaretto Tue 02-Jun-26 15:49:01

I only threw out my hoover junior recently. It no longer worked but it was attractive IMO and I hoped someone would restore it one day.