We tuck the fringes on our carpets under the carpet. The different models of Roomba have different levels of difficulty with fringes, so we prefer to not tempt the vacuum. Thus far, just tucking the fringe under periodically seems to do the trick.
So what part of housekeeping isn’t hard and tedious?
@VeryHappy I like the way you think!
There are very, very few upsides to being allergic to everything… but not cleaning is one of them! I’m very allergic to dust, grass, and other common things- like break out into hives and having asthmatic attacks allergic. It’s a royal PITA most of the time but it got me out of cleaning (most things- I’ll do the kitchen without a problem), mowing the grass, gardening, etc ever since a young age.
To be clear, even if I wasn’t allergic I still probably would make spouse do it. Now I just have a convenient excuse (and a partner who is a great househusband!)
My housekeeper swears by the Shark. Since she cleans houses full-time, it gets used all the time, much more than standard household use. They replaced hers when she had a problem with it, no questions asked. She says it works just as well or better than Dyson at a lower cost. No first hand experience using it myself but my floors are clean. 
Probably more than you want to spend but central vacs are great. Probably a little over 1000 bucks. Will last forever. Stronger healthier and quieter.
Maybe we have the wrong central vac but my housekeeper hates it and doesn’t use it. My husband does (he covers vacuuming in our distribution of household tasks) and it is fairly loud because of the wooshing of air near the plugs not being used. Definitely strong, though. The hose is a little cumbersome.
$1000+ is way, WAY outside of the price range. In the last month I’ve had a wedding and bought a house. Currently, fancy pasta is kinda outside of my price range 
I love the central vac we just put in our new home because it’s really strong and the outlets are well placed. But the best feature by far is the Hide a Hose where 40 ft of hose pulls out of the wall and then retracts when I’m done. It almost makes me want to vacuum 
Another suggestion outside your price range, but wanted to promote the Miele for its longevity. My first Miele is almost 17 years old. The local shop offered repair estimates of $300+ on what was then a 10+ year old machine, so I decided to buy a new one. My in-laws were able to have it repaired for $30 so I now leave the old one in the basement and use the new one on the upper floors. The newer model is significantly lighter, but they both still work perfectly. Unfortunately, the machine costs $800.
Vacuum is very simple to use, with the only change of attachment needed for the basement wall-to-wall carpeting. Electric rotating carpet attachment seems too strong for Persian rugs, so I just use the regular hardwood floor attachment for those rugs. There are a few small on-board attachments for upholstery & drapes, but they just pop on and off. Supposed to excellent for allergies but we don’t have allergies, so can’t comment.
I cannot believe no one mentioned Shark -pro.(other than # 23). I have heard that the Shark pro’s are great.
I have a Dyson, but am thinking of replacing it with a Shark. Cheaper and just as good or better, from what I read. But my Dyson has been great.
Miss our central vac here. So nice to not lug a heavy vac around and great suction. Got a Dyson- love just emptying the container instead of changing bags- that always emitted dust for me when I had that type of vac. Like the cyclonic action. Had heard about too powerful suction and problems- none with our carpet. Many vacs, including the Dysons, are very heavy- around 16 pounds. Cordless- not sure they have the power and take time to recharge- what if you’re in the middle??? Hoover has been top rated in recent times. The Dyson ball is too big to get under beds for me. The cheap lightwieght vacs can be useless- such as the Shark a relative has that I tried to use in her house (she bought it for the weight but also dislikes it).
I thoroughly researched vacs 3 years ago when we moved. Like how much dust/dirt the Dyson removed from the carpet- have to push a button to switch off the rotating bar for noncarpet unlike some. I have no trouble with our good Indian rug - I just avoid the fringe.
My D has had both a Shark and a Dyson. She bought the Shark super cheap at a Ross. She used it for 4 yrsn various small apartments with a dog. She was very happy. She decided to give it away when she moved to Ca. She bought an inexpensive bag less Hoover from Bed Bath and Beyond. It was a bust. I see lots of the same vacuum when I visit the thrift store.
Last year as a gift I bought her a mid sized Dyson from Costco when it was on a coupon book sale. I was surprised at how cheap it felt when we assembled it. But once together that vacuum can pick up dirt and dog hair. The downside was that unless she vacuumed week ely even in a studio she had to empty the canister to complete the job. She now is living in a larger house with both carpet and wood. She finds the canister fills up quickly. She does have a dog who brings in dirt and sheds a small amount.
If you belong to Costco they usually have something on sale. Our Costco has both Shark and Dyson products. Plus a good return policy.
Vacuum are one of those annoying purchases. You needs and they cost a lot of money but you don’t get much enjoyment out of the purchase.
I had a Dyson, which didn’t last all that long and repairing it would have been very expensive–I won’t buy another one. Last weekend, i bought a Shark Rotator, where the motor lifts off to convert the upright vacuum into a canister. It has a button to turn off the beater bar when on bare floors and the amount of suction can be adjusted. It got a LOT of dirt the one time I’ve used it–the max suction is very strong. We also have a roomba, which is great, but I still need a regular vacuum.
I bought one of the first Dyson’s. We were in the middle of a massive construction project and it was a life saver. I even doubled down and bought a second one for our cabin. They were fine for a while. I found them very heavy and difficult to maneuver. Couldn’t get under furniture with the normal head. the flexible extension hoses never every loosened. Whenever I tried to actually extend the hose the vacuum would attempt to snap back into position. It wound up falling over or I had to support it with my thigh so that I could actually use the little fur remover attachment. Both units had problems with longer fibers or long pet hair getting caught in the beater brush. It’s a PITA to clean since you had to disengage the belt from one side ignored to cut out the hairs. Additionally, both units had parts that broke - this was especially inexplicable in the case of the cabin unit which got used maybe 30 times a year.
When D moved off campus and into an apartment we got her Sharp Navigator Professional I think I paid $120. It is a fantastic unit. She and her roomie had rabbits and a dog. This thing had no problem removing the hair and fur. It is light weight. She raved about it so much that I got a Shark Navigator Lift away for the house. It’s not quite as good at the pet hair removal but the removable canister is great. You can just pop it off and hand carry the canister which makes stairs and curtains a breeze to vacuum.
Like dentistry.
Well, shopping for a vacuum certainly isn’t much fun, but a good vacuum can make a difference.
I do not have any experience with Dyson, but have been happy with the Miele canister (with filtration system)we got around 15 years ago.I noticed an immediate improvement in air quality once I started using it on hardwood, low pile, curtains, and furniture. (That was when I figured out that I had not been chronically ill so much as allergic.)Before then, I had been using Kenmore uprights that did not seem to last very long.
This was years ago, though, and newer models might run differently so I would check online reviews. But, I imagine the Miele filtration system on the newer models is still robust and good for an allergy sufferer.
The Miele is a bit pricey and uses bags that are purchased separately but lasts a long time. I do not know how a sale price would compare to a sale price on a comparable Dyson. I would also get a feel for different models whatever brand you go for. My biggest complaint about the Miele is that it might not be the best fit for a tall person and might not be as comfortable to use. (Your husband is tall, right?)
Here’s another vote for the Shark Navigator Pro. A number of years ago DS talked me into buying a Dyson, and I was never thrilled with it. It just didn’t do a very good job with cat hair on the carpet. When DS moved into his own apartment I gave the Dyson to him, and after a ton of research bought the Shark. I love it
Thanks again, all. I will definitely keep this thread in mind if I take back my Dyson. I will be getting it on Tuesday (supposedly) and will give an update.
Re: the ball- I don’t have a raised bed (our bed frame got damaged while moving and I never bothered to replace it) and our couches and other furniture that is low to the ground wouldn’t let any vacuum under. Always need an attachment.
I have had my Dyson for a number of years. It’s a big one, and I use the wand that pulls out of the hose, fitted with a brush, to vacuum my hardwood floors. I love it, but we have had it in for cleaning and repairs at a local vacuum shop twice - it wasn’t that much money to do it, but the repair guy said it will need to be replaced next time. My SIL recently replaced her Dyson with a Shark and loves it.
In the under $250 price range, Shark brand is definitely the best. Read reviews on amazon to choose the model