R65

But the Riccar r65 has variable suction

Riccar R65 with the pet & upholstery tool. It's much less expensive than the Dyson and does a better job imo. It's HEPA filtered. It comes with a charging stand which is really nice. It's just an all around great vacuum.

The miele / Riccar stick vacs are definitely a step up but still not what i’d consider BIFL. Just the nature of taking batteries kind of limits their lifespan. You can get replacements, but they cost money and aren’t covered under warranty after a period (which is when they die, lol)

Stick vacs are generally garbage but I would argue the Miele Triflex or the Riccar R65 are better than any stick vac that Dyson has ever produced. My source is that it’s my job to repair vacuums.

I would recommend the R65 Riccar cordless stick vacuum. It allows you to change the suction speed. I believe they are priced around $300 and can get parts for them easily if you ever need them. I will say they aren't meant to be a whole house vacuum with pets, but will do great on area rugs and stairs with pet hair.

I bought a riccar r65 6 weeks ago and I’m constantly getting blockage notifications, within 2 minutes of using it, the pet hair is clogged where the stick meets the canister. It was working great and suddenly it’s completely useless to me! Any tips? The place I purchased it from is not responding to my customer support requests. It was a $500 vacuum here in Canada and I’m so upset!!

Another poster in another thread told me to check the top filter, I had only been cleaning out the metal filter. Any way sure enough I cleaned that out and the vacuum is working perfectly again! Phew!!