Swing H1 Tactical Universal Upright Vacuum

Cordless stick vacuums are all more or less disposable, even the expensive ones. The designs are updated frequently and are not made to be repaired, even if you’re able to find parts. I have a Makita cordless which should last a while for quick jobs, but it’s not very powerful. My home vacuum is a 15 year old Miele Swing H1 stick vacuum. It’s corded, but light and powerful, and the bags make everything so much cleaner and more convenient. Personally, I find the cord less annoying than charging. My parents’ heavily used Sebo Airbelt D1 canister vacuum is around 20 years old. Both work perfectly. If I were in the market for a new vacuum, I would buy a Sebo as they are super durable, easily repaired, and very well designed. If I were on a budget, I’d purchase a used Miele. If you want something older, vintage Electrolux vacuums are great once the inevitable deferred maintenance is taken care of. We have a canister vacuum from the seventies at one house and an upright from the nineties at another, both of which are going strong, and both of which have bags and many spare parts readily available.

I have allergies to my pets, allergies to dust mites, and my dog also have allergies to dustmites so I feel your pain. My primary vacuum is an old upright Miele with a HEPA filter. It is a beast on wall to wall carpet. No complaints, I just don't use it as much because it's big and most of my floors now aren't carpeted. My secondary vacuum is a Miele c1 pure suction, which I use for hardwoods and area rugs. My C1 pure suction does *not* have a HEPA filter, just the standard Miele filter bags and airclean filter. I do run air purifiers which are rated for larger spaces though, so any fine particles in the air would be caught by them fairly quickly. In general I say for ideal, always go HEPA. But in practice, for me, this has been fine. The Miele hepa filter replacements are like $50 a pop and I'm happy not to have that expense. The C1 pure suction also does not have power available to the brush head, so you would not be able to fit in a powered brush head later if you decide you want one. If you decide to go with Miele, look at a comparison chart across models to make sure you have the features you want. I haven't found any need for a spinny brush head for hardwoods and small area rugs but you might for getting stuff out of the floor cracks. I haven't tried sebo so I can't compare, but I hear very good things about them. Other things that help in huge ways, imo helping more than the vacuum helps: - HEPA air purifiers rated for 3x your actual space so air is turned over more times per hour - replace area rugs with washable rugs and wash them every couple of weeks. - wash your bedding weekly. Wash and/or dry hot. Dry heat kills dust mites. - when dusting, use a damp cloth rather than a dry duster, so the dust doesn't puff up in the air - dust encasements around box spring, mattress, pillows, and pet beds. Get nice encasements and put them underneath your regular sheets and all, and you won't even notice they are there. - keep humidity down. Under 50% max. I run a dehumidifier in my most damp space and keep an externally venting exhaust fan on when cooking or showering so most of the steam goes outside. Dust mites thrive when humidity is up. - keep the pet clean, in whatever way they tolerate. For example I wipe down my dog's face and paws with a damp washcloth sometimes to remove pollen and dust and whatnot. When I remember to do that regularly he reacts less.

Accept that the battery will need to be replaced every couple of years if you get anything cordless. My Dyson cordless stick vac is about 7 years old and runs fine. Used about once a week for stairs and small areas. It gets emptied every run, filters replaced once a year. It has gotten two new batteries. The first was under warranty, and the second was a knockoff from Amazon. I understand old Dysons are more reliable than new Dysons so ymmv. My corded mieles (one canister and one upright) are about 12 and 8 years and neither has required any maintenance other than replacing bags when they are full a couple times a year and replacing filters once a year. Zero issues. Less hassle, less mess, less smell, the only downsides are they have cords and they are not as small. If I only had one vac it would be a small corded bagged canister.

I have an old Miele bagged upright and still going strong after 15+years. Love it so much! Strongly advocate for the Miele, and *maybe* a stick upright for quick mess cleanup.

I'm running into this with my Miele upright vacuum because they decided to stop making uprights. It's impossible to find parts.

Miele is the only way. Upright NOT canister. To me using a canister vacuum is like lugging a toddler around while trying to vacuum. Owned a cleaning business over 30+ years, have bought numerous brands but Miele work the best and last forever.

Miele is the only way. 30+ years in the business, have bought numerous brands & styles including backpack vacs, shop vacs… Miele is the best by far.

I got a riccar 30d after having had a Miele upright for many years. Every time I use it I wish I had the old one back. Haven’t had prolux before so I guess maybe this isn’t helpful but next time I’ll be looking at Sebo. Unless Miele gets back into uprights.

Miele upright. Have it 12+ years. Only repair was cracked hose