Nette

I've had allergies all of my life and I am aware (and have tried most) of the various treatments available. I already do quite a bit for allergies in regard to indoor air quality: e.g. HEPA room air purifiers throughout the house and on the HVAC system, carpet and upholstery treatments, etc. These are quite helpful. (I have also purchased products recommended by Allergy Buyers Club with mixed results.) Unfortunately, the Sebo Felix does not seem to work as well at filtration as other vacuums I've had and the difference is very noticeable in regard to my allergy symptoms when I use the vacuum.

The Sebo works great in every way except in one key area: air filtration. Given the allergic reaction (nose, throat, eyes) I have within a couple of minutes of turning it on, it seems as if there is next to no air filtration despite its claims otherwise. I wasn't able to tell this in the store because I tried the vacuum for less than thirty seconds at a time (I tried it several times) as it's such a small shop and it was hard to avoid the other customers coming and going. Maybe this particular vacuum is just not working well but all of the filtration components seem to be installed correctly and in good shape. I had an old Nilfisk until a few years ago and its filtration was much better. I also have less of an allergic reaction using the little Mighty Mite with the HEPA filter (although in every other way the Mighty Mite is obviously not nearly as good a vacuum).

I can return the vacuum but the store charges a twenty percent restocking fee. I can probably exchange it for an Oreck and not be charged a restocking fee (the store doesn't carry Mieles).

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time and trouble to provide me with all the info. I looked into Orecks, the Miele 7280 and the Sebo Felix with the fold over seal cap vacuum bags. I found a very nice vacuum/appliance fix-it shop that sells Sebos. I bought a store demo model of the latest Felix "Premium" for $400 (it sells on Amazon for $559) and I will be trying it out over the next few days.

Thank you Carmine and Venson for all the helpful info. It is tempting to go with a Miele just because I have to put on a dust mask and gloves and use antihistamine eyedrops whenever I change a regular vacuum cleaner bag. But it's something I've been doing for years so I can keep doing it if another vacuum is substantially better in regard to other factors: suction (picking up the pet hair) and filtration or is equivalent to Miele in regard to these factors but less expensive.

I am wondering about the lower-end upright Miele S7280s: Jazz, Salsa and Calypso. I understand the only difference between these vacuums is the color. I saw a couple of complaints about them on Amazon though: the complaints were about the machine not being as well built (pieces breaking off and funny noises) as other Mieles. They are about $150-$200 less than the Tango/Boleros. Are the Tangos/Boleros better built than the S7280s?

I did briefly try an Oreck at the vacuum store and it was definitely lighter to move than other vacuums. I will look into these vacuums some more.

CarmineD wrote:
Hi Carmine,

I'm more used to using a canister type but now I just want the best vacuum--canister or upright--for the job. I would use the MIghty Mite for attachment cleaning if an upright-only vacuum would be the best one for the job.