Vacuum cleaner recommendations please

I've just bought this. Apart from squashing my finger when opening it yesterday, it is great. So light to carry around and really gets the carpets clean. We have hairy golden retrievers.
I also have a cylinder Dyson but the shark is far better. I wish I had bought one sooner.

Wouldn't be without my old faithful Nikfisk. Had it for over forty (yes!) years now and still working beautifully.

PS I mean when opening the wand stick and clicking it together, not when opening the box!

If you are fit and have strong muscles, you simply can’t do better than a Miele.

They literally last a lifetime. I’ve had one for ever and it is still as good as when I bought it.

Sadly it now only comes out very occasionally for the ground floor as it is heavy and I’m getting older so I have now got a couple of cordless lightweight. A Dyson, which I think is overpriced and mediocre and a G Tec which is the better of the two.

An iRobot is my choice and does a great job, then I use a handheld rechargeable Dyson on the stairs. Actually I bought a second iRobot on Gumtree so one is upstairs doing the bedrooms, the other one is doing the living areas, while I do the stairs then have a coffee while the robots are finishing their floors. Perfect if you have a bad back...or even if you don't!

The iRobots are not the expensive, programmed models, just the basic 530 so I have to press the 'start' button...not difficult at all, I would never go back to vacuuming the old way, there are better uses of your time. LOL

I love my Miele for downstairs but the bags are very expensive nowadays. Upstairs I have an upright Shark and also a small bagless runaround as well as a robot. The problem with the robot is it needs help to get off a rug to a laminate floor. I do not have carpets anywhere.
You need something which is bagless and for the stairs, something handheld but I also would not choose Dyson- they are overpriced.

I have just converted to Shark but the head was getting tangled with dog hair which it is not supposed to. So they sent me a new motor! Sent that back and then they say it is policy to replace the whole machine, so instead of getting a new head with no interruptions to my cleaning I have been without a cleaner for a fortnight. Had to return the old machine and courier has lost it. Had to convince Shark that I am genuine and a new one ships today. CS is slow and they like sending emails - had to make a special folder for them.

But I do miss it, luckily I still have my old Dyson and yes it is lighter but cannot cope with all the dog hair my 3 big dogs shed. So looking forward to having my shark back though I am worried that the problems I was having are design faults and will still be there.

I have a shark pet XL which is a bit heavy but the suction is amazing, too amazing that if it is on too high it is difficult to move

I got rid of my dyson animal and smaller stick dyson, they did my head in, the forever get blocked or upset about things and I do not have enough hours in the day to be dealing with their melodramatics

Definitely Shark Pet. An absolutely amazing machine.

Shark. I have a GTech for upstairs which came with a handheld.

GTech for me.

Dyson Stick.... cordless of course with attachments...... I have no pet hair to contend with so ideal and great for stairs as a hand held

I have a Shark and it's great, I vacuum the house and car far more regularly now I'm cordless. I recently vacuumed up a foreign body that got stuck in the roller, was very easy to dismantle and remove.

I’m pleased this thread has been started - I’m always looking for better alternatives. .
Have had various models of Dyson over the years - but not worth the high price (IMO).
Currently have a Vax blade for downstairs and a GTech for upstairs. They do the job, but nothing special. There’s a big Vax in a cupboard doing nothing and DH used the very complex Kirby in the garage and cars.
I’m the same with mops for my hard floors - maybe it’s ‘workman not the tools!’

I am about to dump my cordless Dyson on FB for spares as I am fed up with having to strip it down every blinking time I use it! It doesn't like long hair, or dog fur. I have heard excellent reports of the Shark, it even gets sewing threads out of carpets.

My Shark, not cordless, is fantastic but it is heavy.
I am fortunate enough to have a GD who does it for me.
I have a handheld gtech for stairs and upholstery although the Shark does lift off.
The suction of a non cordless is far superior to even the best of the others.

mumofmadboys at least you have had a reasonable selection here and most of us veer towards the same. Whatever you decide, go for bagless or you may need in time, a second mortgage and if you own a Miele as long as I have had mine, they are also difficult to buy even online.

Sebo for downstairs and cordless Shark upstairs

mumofmadboys you have a large house so maybe a cordless would not be for you.

I have more than one vacuum cleaner so that my cleaner is not heaving it up and downstairs.

We use a Sebo for general cleaning and an AEG cordless for the stairs, bathroom and kitchen. If you’ve got a large carpeted house the cordless stick cleaners just won’t cut it, I don’t think.

I got Miele cat and dog vacuum downstairs and a shark for upstairs love them both

Thanks all for all your recommendations. Really useful. I'll let you know what we get. Thanks so much for taking the time

We have a Dyson cordless, which is ideal for stairs.