She’s a Los Angeles-based tech, travel and lifestyle writer covering a wide range of topics, from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She’s an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives. The Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off Vacuum screeched and screamed, and it underperformed in most of our cleaning tests. Longevity aside, in 2020, Miele scaled back its warranty to three years for its Complete series and one year for its Classic series. Miele maintains that they have not made any changes to its C3 line other than having updated its turbo brush head and available colors.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus Vacuum comes with specialized pet tools, such as the Motorized Pet Tool and Crevice Tool, for targeted and efficient pet hair removal from furniture, stairs, and hard-to-reach corners. Brushless motors generally have a longer runtime, more suction power, and better efficiency. It has a simple on/off button and a button to release the dust bin (remove the mesh filter and then empty it). You can wash the filter with water and let it air dry before reinserting.
It doesn’t come with a miniature turbo brush, but it does have an upholstery tool, crevice tool, and soft-bristle brush for cleaning delicate surfaces. Unfortunately, this vacuum is somewhat bulky for a stick model, and you might find it a little tricky to clean tight recesses. While it’s on the heavy side for a stick vacuum, it’s still pretty lightweight compared to most conventional canister and upright vacuums. Since it’s cordless, you won’t have to worry about tripping over a power cord while climbing and descending staircases.
A manual boost function bolsters its performance when faced with especially high carpet or big pieces of debris. Overall, it’s a bit of a bust on extremely hairy floors (hair tends to collect and wrap in the brush roll), but for households without pets its a solid pick. The whole point of a handheld vacuum is that it’s compact and easy to use and store. Sure, Shark’s run time could be longer and its dust cup could be a bit bigger, but handheld vacuums are most often used for quick pickups, and we think the Shark’s lightweight and slim design give it the edge here. Plus, it’s less than half the price of the Dyson, and if you already own a stick vac, you can convert that to a handheld for jobs that need longer run times or more power.
They are designed to allow clean air to pass through the motor without impeding suction or clogging. Instead of collecting in a bag, the debris collects in a reusable dustbin that can be easily emptied after each use. When cleaning your whole house, you want a machine that is light enough to carry from room to room and up and down stairs, about 10 to 15 pounds. For smaller jobs, you want a handheld vacuum that isn’t a strain to hold for several minutes, under 5 pounds.
The head comes apart into two, one side holding a small water tank which you can fill in the sink. The benefit of this is that the water element is all self-contained – no water enters the vacuum. Instead it is distributed across the soft roller as you pull the trigger, hoovering and mopping as you go with dirty water then distributed into a separate chamber.
Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction has a universal floorhead, which features rubberized wheels and bristles that you can extend or retract, so it’s excellent on bare floors and solid on flat-weave or low-pile rugs, too. It’s convenient, comfortable (under the right circumstances), and easy to maintain. While we prefer controls on the handle of a vacuum (like on all SEBO machines), Miele’s foot-control pedals are the next best thing. Located on top of the canister, its pedals control suction power, turn the machine on and off, and rewind the cord. Miele’s auto-rewind function is smoother than that of the SEBO Airbelt K3 and particularly convenient when compared with the manual cord hooks of most upright models.
When you’re considering a vacuum for your home, Micetich suggests thinking about the areas where you plan to use the machine. If you have carpeted stairs, it’s worth considering if you’d benefit from a stair tool. And, if you shark stick vacuum plan to use your vacuum on your couch and curtains, an upholstery tool is likely a good option. “From there, you’ll have a good idea of which attachments and accessories you’ll want to come with your vacuum,” she says.
Our top recommendation is the Shark NV356E S2 Navigator Lift-Away Professional Upright for its large dust cup, special Pet Power tool and versatility in cleaning several areas of your home. However, there are various Shark vacuums we endorse that are also successful at removing traces of pet dander around the house. A major drawback with cordless vacuums is they have a limited runtime, so might not quite stretch to a full house clean before they need charging. This smart white stick vacuum neatly solves the problem by arriving with two batteries.