My favorite, by far, is Shark. I have a Shark Lift-Away, but after buying my first Shark I will probably never own another type and I have run the gamut through the years. I bought it two years ago, it has not lost suction, it is as good as it was the first day I used it. NEVER a problem. It has two easy settings for carpet or bare floor. I also have hardwood and carpet and I have an Aussie that sheds like crazy. There IS a Hepa filter as well, so it is good for your allergies. It is a 'closed' system.

I don't know what newer Sharks are available, but I would not hesitate to suggest you shop for one! My sister and I even bought my 80 year old Mom one, replacing a much heavier canister she had for years. She loves it!

I included the link to Shark so you can compare, but I think WalMart will probably carry the majority of them and you can compare prices online as well. I bought mine directly from Shark and was very happy with the price and the customer service.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shark's official site

This post was edited by grandmamaloy on Thu, Jul 10, 14 at 11:52

I too have a Shark and am very happy with it. Bought mine at SAMs it also came with a Shark steam cleaner that works really good on my tile

I never even heard of Shark! I've had Kenmore and Hoover - was thinking about a Riccar -- I'll check out the Shark -- how heavy/loud are they?

You might want to look at a Miele. I have had many vacuums over the years and none came close to the quality, design, features and cleaning of this one. And the length of the warranty speaks volumes!

I had a whole house vacuum retrofitted into the walls of my 1950s house. The expense is worth it. I have arthritis so it was difficult handling the vacuum - now I just need to handle a hose. The motor and collection bag are in my garage which minimizes the noise and dust.

You don't mention whether or not budget is a serioius concern.
It is with me, in anything I purchase.

I agree with the other Shark users here.
I bought a Shark Rotator Lift Away a little over a year ago.
Ordered it directly from the Shark website.
It came with a free Shark steam cleaner.
Also ordered the 'extra' attachments,
And love all of them! !

My bedroooms are carpet,
Rest of the house is ceramic tile and Satillo tile.
The Shark is great both as an upright on the carpet,
And as a canister on the tile.
It is much lighter than my old Hoover Wind Tunnel upright was.
And while it's not REAL quiet,
I think it is quieter than the aforementioned Hoover.

What really REALLY impressed me was, when I got it,
Trying to justify its purchase to myself,
I vacummed a secton of the bedroom carpet with the Hoover.
Then, immediately went over the same space with the Shark.
The amount of dirt the Shark pulled out of that
Supposedly clean space was absolutely amazing!
(And disgusting.)
To think I've been thinking all these years that I had clean carpets!

I know nothing about the Miele, except it is a lot more expensive.
Nor have I ever used a 'whole house' system.
And I do have severe Osteo Arthritis,
especially in my shoulders,
Which makes handling lots of things very difficult for me.
But I can handle the Shark quite well.

Rusty

I love to see everyone's comments about the Shark here. I've been considering a new vacuum myself and expected to see everyone talking about Dyson's .. I've not had one, but have always assumed their sales was all about the name brand, and they are so dang expensive.

I've been looking at the Shark Navigator w/steamer combo that Sam's has right now. I had the Shark vacuum and mop all in one but it recently died. Wish they still made one in a combo unit, but I think the vacuum is better in the SAMs package than my previous one.

One thing about the shark is that it is a disposable vacuum... It isn't repairable. Even replacing a cord is difficult. Parts aren't available and vac shops won't touch them.

Don't be amazed by the the amount of dirt sucked up by any bagless vacuum. It's rather like a milkshake, you start with a little milk and then you froth it up. If you took a full canister from a bagless and poured it back on the floor and vacuumed with a bagged canister the bag with be virtually flat.

I'm also suspect that a bagless vacuum even with a hepa would be good for people with allergies. I don't think you could seal all the parts well enough.

Hmmmm..... I was hoping to get a great answer as I have the same question. My floors are all Saltillo except for two and they are also tile. Saltillo is uneven and the grout lines are below surface. For the past few years, I've had upright vacuums, all with hepa filters and bags. The Kirby would suck the paint off a wall, but it is **hea-vy** and not easily gotten into tight spaces. I also have a Sanitaire - which is often the choice of commercial janitorial services. It is not terribly heavy; it's easier to navigate than the Kirby, but has a bad habit of jumping the belt off. Both are pretty noisy.

I've considered a Shark and a Dyson. Opposite ends of the $$$$ spectrum, but not sold on either. I used to use canister vacs and I'm back to that now. Is anyone using a canister they'd write home about? I want ease of use, minimum noise (for a vacuum), convertible tools, etc.. Most of all, I'd like one that I can reach under tables, chairs, etc. with and vacuum the walls in the next two minutes. Testimonials?