
SEBO
AIRBELT E3 Premium
Ultra-durable, 10-year warranty, but expensive with short cord.

Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.
If you want to swap batteries, go with the Numatic Quick. The batteries themselves last an hour so you may only need one. We charge ours like every 6 weeks.
I'm in Canada, have a dog that sheds and a wife that uses the Quick for far too much and it has done a good job. The Pods last longer than you'd think, every single one is packed full. We have one battery and it's tough to say how long it lasts because the vacuum runs in short bursts but it gets charged probably every 6-8 weeks.
I use my Quick for mostly small, hard floor cleanups. It's does a good job and the minimal carpet I do have isn't a problem, though it's not my primary. The pod is nice, it makes emptying clean because I'm not digging through the chamber. The battery lasts an hour so we charge it every 6 weeks or so.
If it helps at all they are only manufacturing more and a new dedicated factory is being built to handle the demand. I understand the reticence though. I do know with the pods they capture more dirt so that's less going back into the air + when you empty, the dirt is in the pod so it stays contained.
+1 for Henry quick
Easy to clean and cheap, see if you can get a Henry Quick. Henry is a very old and well trusted vacuum cleaning brand in the UK used in commercial environments and at home. They’re cheap and reliable, they’re known for these big tubs on wheels that have a HEPPA filter bag that collects the dust and you replace, no filters or anything, and they’ve just released a new stick vacuum called Henry Quick, which again has a small bag that’s the filter too, so no filter washing and loss of suction. You can most likely get one shipped from the UK, and I imagine the bags can be found on Amazon anyways.
Henry quick. Should go below £150 around Black Friday. Had mine a year or so. Love it. Charges quickly and picks up my dogs fur fine. Battery lasts for ages. I like the little pods as well, easy to empty and keeps the pet smell contained.
As long as the carpets you get are low pile: Miele, Sebo or Henry are great options. Which model depends on where in Europe you are. these 3 brands are corded and bagged. Which is the gold standard for vacuums cordless/bagless (Henry Quick) is good to keep around for quick daily kid messes, but a good corded/bagged vacuum is essential for weekly deep cleans.
IMO get a Felix for weekly deep cleans (yes it’s a bulky upright but it cleans very well) AND get a Henry Quick for quick daily messes. In the UK both are relatively inexpensive compared to the rest of the world. And a 2-vacuum setup is the way to go anyways.
> I’ve been burned before by convenient gadgets You hit the nail on the head here - more often than not, when the main selling point is “convenience” you sacrifice a lot elsewhere. If you absolutely must have a cordless vac, I’d get a Henry Quick for quick daily messes. I’d also look at a Henry 160 for weekly deep cleans. It’s going to filter a lot better than the shop vac you’ve been using. (Assuming you have hard floors) if you have carpet check out a Sebo k3 or e3.
For all hard floors and hair, you want a vacuum without a brushroll. Check out the Miele C1 pure suction, Sebo K2 kombi or Henry 160. And if you find it’s not working well on your carpet/rug you can always add the turbo head.
> I’ve been burned before by convenient gadgets You hit the nail on the head here - more often than not, when the main selling point is “convenience” you sacrifice a lot elsewhere. If you absolutely must have a cordless vac, I’d get a Henry Quick for quick daily messes. I’d also look at a Henry 160 for weekly deep cleans. It’s going to filter a lot better than the shop vac you’ve been using. (Assuming you have hard floors) if you have carpet check out a Sebo k3 or e3.

SEBO
AIRBELT E3 Premium
Ultra-durable, 10-year warranty, but expensive with short cord.

Numatic International
Henry Canister Series
Budget king, super durable, but heavy and poor on carpets.

SEBO
AIRBELT D4 Premium
Durable, powerful, long cord, but heavy and pricey.

SEBO
FELIX Premium
Durable, powerful, good for allergies, but heavy with awkward attachments.

Miele
Classic C1 Cat & Dog PowerLine
Durable, powerful, quiet, but very expensive, short cord.

Ranked #1
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium

Ranked #1
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium

Ranked #1
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium

Ranked #1
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium

Ranked #1
Numatic International - Henry Canister Series

Ranked #1
Dyson - V15 Detect Series