Kenmore Progressive Canister Vacuum with Variable Power, Orange —
Now I know why my mother would NEVER use any other vacuum than a Kenmore canister! I was the very UN-proud owner of a Dyson which I bought because I have 4 dogs...all big shedders. I was never pleased with the performance of the Dyson and don't let their hype fool you!
This Progressive canister sucks up every bit of hair that's on my carpet and does it in one pass. Another plus is that it is self-propelled so it's very easy on your back. It's lightweight without being "cheesy" so vacuuming is a breeze. I also like the feature that tells you when the carpet is clean (the clean indicator). With the power brush's low profile, I am able to clean under furniture without moving it (a downside of any upright), and I like the mini power brush for my carpeted stairs.
One other great feature is that the power brush is very easy to clean and belts are easy to install...not so with Dyson as the brush is not easy to clean and one false move and the belt slips--this means a trip to the shop since you cannot replace the belts yourself.
The only real downside I see, where I rated 4-stars was "features" since the genuine HEPA bags are expensive and the way I must vacuum, they are way too pricey but I discovered you can use 50558 bags making that more economical.
The review asks if you would recommend this to a friend..well, I already have!!! I might add that I work dog rescue along with 2 other women and those are the ones I emailed and told to throw away their Dyson's and buy this!
Mom was right...Kenmore is the best vac in the universe.