5.0 out of 5 stars Efficient and Versatile Vacuum Cleaner for Easy Cleaning

K. · June 19, 2025

(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } I'm new to writing reviews, but I couldn't resist sharing my thoughts on this amazing vacuum cleaner. It's truly the best one I've ever had! I adore the way I can effortlessly pull it by the hose, even though I know it's not recommended. The design feels so sturdy that it seems like it was made for pulling in that manner. Not to mention, it does an exceptional job on all surfaces - from bare floors to wood floors and carpets. What I love the most is how simple it is to switch between the different attachments, making my cleaning routine from kitchen to living room a breeze. Say goodbye to the hassle of carrying separate attachments for different areas! I highly recommend this vacuum cleaner for anyone looking for a fast and efficient cleaning solution.

5.0 out of 5 stars Many hard-to-find features!

M.S. · November 30, 2023

I own the same model of this vacuum from 25 years ago. I loved that vacuum more than I can say. Tried to get it repaired, but they no longer sell the parts, which is unfortunate. The newer one, though, has all the features I loved plus one that I really need, but didn't know I needed. I also own a Miele canister vacuum so I'll share some notable differences.PROS1. This vacuum has a light (and it the light is operational even when you disconnect the powered floor nozzle and use only the part made for hardwood floors). Mieles with similar price points do not have any light, and the light is really useful for illuminating where the dirt is under couches and under furniture, esp if you have pet hair.2. The suction is incredibly strong and adjustable. Could probably suck up a small cat from about 30 feet away. j/k but it's intense. Miele's has great suction too.3. The on/off switch is located on the handle, so you don't have to bend down. Miele has the power switch on the canister itself. Ostensibly you can use your foot to turn the switch on/off on the Miele, but I've had to bend down often to get it to turn on, and often the canister is far away, so if you want to turn the suction up or down or turn off the machine momentarily, say to pick something up, the location of the switch makes a big difference.4. The floor cleaning nozzle is two-in-one (one powered for carpets and one unpowered made for hardwood that just glides effortlessly and picks up everything on the first try). When I have used the (un)powered Miele floor brush attachment, it often makes smaller bits (like cat litter) shoot all over the place. Miele has a similar tool, but you have to bend down to change the nozzle head and it still doesn't pick up small bits on hardwood as well. With the Kenmore, you just use your foot to pull out the floor brush from the motorized nozzle. Easy and quick and no fussing with finding a different attachment and bending down to affix it.5. All of the attachments (including the powered pet mate attachment) are stored inside the canister with a lid. Miele's storage is flimsy and not contained, so I found that the attachments would routinely fell off their caddy.6. Power cord is retractable (same as Miele, but the button on the Kenmore is larger and easier to use).7. Both the suction tube connecting the floor wand to the canister AND the power cord are significantly longer than the Miele's. I have a very small apartment, and this still annoyed me. If you want to be able to clean without having to plug and unplug the vacuum regularly, the extra length is lovely.8. The floor nozzle on the Kenmore can almost go flush with the ground and the attachment still stays level so it can vacuum under furniture effectively even if it's quite a distance back. The Miele's floor attachment pops up (becomes unlevel with the floor) when you try to make the handle level with the floor. I do have to say, my 25 yo Kenmore could go completely flush with the ground, perhaps even lower and still remain level. So I'm bummed that the new one can't go completely flush, but it's still able to vacuum more flush than the Miele.9. Kenmore is cheaper than most Mieles.Having enjoyed most of the above features on my 25 year old Kenmore, I was disappointed by the Miele.CONS1. The canister and wand on the Kenmore are heavier than the Miele. The weight of the canister is annoying if you need to carry it up and down stairs. And although I don't have any stairs, I imagine the Miele would be easier for stairs.2. The wheels don't work perfectly on the Kenmore (they were fabulous on my older model). So while canister vacuums are always a little clumsy, I find maneuvering with the Miele easier.That's about it. I like having both vacuums, but if I had to choose one, it would no contest: I would go with the Kenmore. If money weren't an object, perhaps the top-of-the-line Mieles would match the features on this Kenmore, but for twice the price or more.

1.0 out of 5 stars Less capable than much older mid-range models

A.M. · June 4, 2025

There are so many disappointing design choices in this model, that I was already gearing up to write a negative review.Then it died. Total cumulative usage time was less than one hour. The friendly customer support rep agreed that the PowerMate head I'd received was defective. There don't have any stock on hand. And, if they had, it would take 10-15 business days to receive it. The rep suggested that my best course of action would be to return it to Bolo.I chose the Kenmore Elite 21814 Pet Friendly CrossOver to replace our 24 year-old Sears-Kenmore Progressive 20612 canister vacuum, which had served us well until a few weeks ago.Pros:* The new model is a little quieter.* The suction control actually changes the speed of the motor.* The customer support representative was friendly and honest about my options.Cons:* The canister is a little wider and taller, so it takes more space in the closet.* The lump on the bottom to hold the canister on the stairs is a workaround for the fact that the canister isn't well balanced. I used to just set the old canister on its tail a step or two below the one I was cleaning. It had rails to ensure that didn't block the exhaust vent or pinch the power cord. The new one seems prone to toppling in that orientation.* The hose comes straight up out of the canister, which puts more strain on the hose, effectively makes the cannister even taller, doesn't swivel nearly as well (resulting in more frequent widing of the less-flexible hose). Our old model had a 360-degree swivel connection with an angle that made it much easer to tow the canister along and made better use of the length of the hose.* The handle assembly is bulkier, which doesn't matter (much) when using the wand, but it limits manueverability when using attachments.* The attachments snap into the handle assembly instead of a friction fit over the nozzle beyond the assembly. So you can't mount them in arbitrary orientations. You also can't easily use the nozzle to clean the lint and pet fur stucks to the bristles of the attachments before putting them away. And it's not compatible with the older attachments.* The dusting attachment is smaller and has stiffer, more abbrasive bristles than the old ones.* There is no longer a simple floor attachment. The "crossover" gimmick is the floor brush that fits into the PowerMate head. That brush is bulker. In the short time I was able to use the vacuum, I found places I normally use a floor brush, but the new one won't fit. And it feels like it might be a bit rougher on the floor surface as well.* There is no longer a simple fabric brush. I guess you're expected to always use the Pet PowerMate. The Pet PowerMate, in conjunction with the bulkier handle assembly, won't reach into sections between cusions as deeply or easily as the simple fabric brush would. I almost never used the old PowerMate Jr. (which was a bit larger and a lot heavier than the Pet PowerMate) because it wasn't any better than a simple fabric brush. Heck, I even used the fabric brush for carpeted stairs.* The fan blade duster is probably fine, but I don't think it's useful enough to justify the space it takes up in the attachments compartment.* The crevice tool is substantially shorter, so there are places it cannot reach as effectively. And instead of residing in the attachment compartment, it clips onto the already-too-cumbersome handle assembly. And good luck putting it back there without checking the illustration in the users manual the first several times.* I'm not a fan of the swivel mechanism where the wand attaches to the combo floor brush and the PowerMate head. The worst problem is that it severely restricts how far down you can bring the wand (as does the handle). The old model allowed lowering the wand until it was all-but-parallel with the floor, allowing you extended reach under beds, sofas, dressers, etc.* The swivel mechanism makes it hard to vacuum in straight lines when you want to.* The pile height adjustment pedal took a lot of force, and it often wouldn't advance the mechanism quite enough for it to snap into the next level.* The little rollers on the back don't seem as effective as the corner-mounted wheels on the old PowerMate heads.* On forward strokes, the PowerMate head is very hard to push, as if the front of the head wants to nosedive into the carpet. On the back strokes, it's much easier to pull but it doesn't pick up well. This was especially true on area rugs, even with the suction at the lowest level and the pile height adjustment set to high.* Comparing the underside of the new and old PowerMate heads, there's no obvious difference between the edge-cleaning abilities. In practice, however, the edge cleaning with the new model seems ineffective within 1/2 to 3/4" of the baseboard.* The dirt sensor seems to have some lag. When vacuuming up crumbs or sand, you can here ticking noises as the bits hit the sides of the metal tube. But that feedback is almost entirely out of sync with the dirt sensor light. After going over sections of carpet several times from multiple angles, the dirt sensor will often indicate each time you change directions (e.g., push-to-pull). Either it was wrong, or the vacuum didn't do a good job on the first six-to-eight passes.Neutrals:* The telescoping wand is fine, but the old wands were the right height for me. I suppose if you were taller or shorter, you might appreciate the flexibility.* Putting a light on the wand makes some sense, because you can, in theory, use it with attachments other than the PowerMate head. But it's not great angle for seeing what's ahead of the attachment. And should I have to use "carpet mode"?* The prefilters are identical to the 25-year-old ones, so they are readily available and inexpensive. The exhaust filters are larger.

Works great, good suction, easy to assemble

K.R. · August 7, 2024

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A classic that kicks ass

C.G. · August 31, 2021

For years I owned various Dirt Devil and Shark vacuums. I had uprights and bagless models. But I started noticing that they were all failing after just a few years, which I really disliked because fixing them was very expensive or impossible (not to mention annoying).The other thing I didn’t like with the bagless models was the POOF! of grossness that flew into my face and the air when I emptied the containers into the garbage. I did some research and found out that some allergists actually recommend against bagless vacuums because of this very reason. No surprise there.I started searching online for bag vacuums and could hardly find any. The one I did find that was well-rated was this Kenmore. I remembered that my aunt has owned nearly the same model for 20+ years and loves it, so I decided to give it a shot even though I dislike canister vacuums. What I found particularly appealing was that the bags themselves provide HEPA filtration!Here’s where things get disturbing: We had just vacuumed carpets in the house with our aging Shark vacuum a couple days before receiving the Kenmore. We decided to try the Kenmore anyway and were horrified by how much it picked up. It quickly became evident that our Shark vacuum had only been skimming the surface of our carpets. I’m not a germaphobe but I was seriously grossed out by how much filth we had been living in. No wonder we were having low-level sinus problems!We vacuumed a couple more times that week and ended up needing to order replacement bags right away because the included bag was already full in days.Having a canister is a little annoying, but who cares if it’s actually vacuuming properly? The one thing I regret with this purchase, though, is not having gone with the longer hose. Having an extra foot or two would be really nice for maneuverability. Once the hose gets old, I’ll definitely choose a longer one when we replace it.As for the sturdiness and overall quality of the vacuum, wow. This thing is built to last. The hose is THICK. I haven’t seen such a high-quality hose since the 90s. I didn’t even think they existed anymore. And the head is just a beast, but in a good way. It’s made with metal to easily survive all the hits you’ll give it over the years. Yes, this makes the whole system a bit heavier, but the lighter vacuums fail so often. I’m tired of handing over money every few years and adding to landfills.Long story short, this vacuum is worth its weight in gold and I wound definitely recommend it to anyone with pets (we have two cats) and/or chronic sinus issues. Going back to old-fashioned bags is the best thing we ever did, and you can’t beat Kenmore quality.

Fantastique!

O. · August 16, 2022

J'ai beaucoup hesite avant d'acheter cette balayeuse a cause du prix. Mais je ne regrette pas du tout mon achat au contraire! Cette balayeuse a une suction extraordinaire. Elle me fait beaucoup penser a l'electrolux de ma mere, avec les meme accessoires et certains autres en mieux, comme la brosse pour le ventillateur. L'attachement pour les poils d'animaux a sauve la couverture sur laquelle mon chat aime dormir et qui etait pleine de poils. Le pouvoir d'aspiration de cet attachement est vraiment intense. Jadore l'option de pouvoir passer du tapis au plancher simplement en poussant une pedale avec le pied. Et il se remet facilement dans le moteur pour tapis. En fait, tous les accessoires, rallonges, etc, sont faciles a ajouter et a enlever pour avoir la configuration que vous desirez selon l'endroit que vous balayez. Le morceau en long pour les coins difficiles est accroche sur le manche et apres l'avoir enleve pour l'utiliser, j'ai du faire quelques exercices mentaux pour finalement comprendre qu'on le reattache en le tournant sur le cote. Je ne suis pas la plus forte des personnes, j'ai 60 ans. Il y a des moments ou j'ai du prendre une pause, les bras en l'air pour le ventilateur ou pour lutter contre la suction du petit moteur pour tapis et poils d'animaux. Ce n'est pas le plus leger des aspirateurs. Tous les accessoires sont dans le couvercle, mais en meme temps j'adore avoir tout a portee de la main. Il suit facilement, comme tous les aspirateurs traineaux, vous devez surveiller qu'il n'accroche rien sur son passage. Le couvercle ou l'on range les accessoires me semble fragile, je me promet de le manipuler gentiment, mais c'est la seule piece qui me fait peur. Le fil est facile a faire enrouler dans l'appareil grace a un bouton sur le dessus. L'aspirateur se range facilement, vous pouvez inserer le tuyau sur un bouton integre a votre aspirateur, il y a des explications plus claires sur le pamphlet ou regardez la video :). En gros, je suis tres impressionnee par cet aspirateur. J'espere qu'il me durera longtemps. Bemol, les sacs sont chers mais il me semble que vous pouvez au moins faire un mois avec chacun si vous en faites un usage normal. Il faut aussi changer le filtre HEPA de temps en temps. Je suis allergique a la poussiere et j'ai vraiment senti une difference dans l'air. Pour ce que ca vaut sur ce commentaire a la compagnie, la livraison avec Bolo c'est passee sans incident et a temps. Preparez vous a monter une grosse boite si vous ete seul(e) et pas jeune jeune lol... En resume, si vous n'etes pas une personne tres frele, je recommende absolument cet aspirateur, il est fantastique!

Good vacuum

D. · June 24, 2025

Always liked the kenmore canister vacuum. Last one lasted 15 yrs. Hoping this one lasts that long too.the only thing I do not like is the hard floor attachment. Just seems to small and awkward.

Does a great job, very heavy.

C.L. · June 16, 2025

Lots of suction, does a great job, however it is quite heavy!