Our large house is too big for us to maintain alone so we have help cleaning. We offered our lady an old fashioned Sears canister. It was too large for her young, robust, supple frame, and too heavy for her to cart up and down our 4 floors. (She doesn’t clean the stables). So we bought a stick wand rechargeable and she was happy with it for a couple of months. Then she wasn’t. It sucked, but not enough. Thick Oriental rugs remained gritty and sandy. SO I did some research and landed on what I perceived to be the best vacuum cleaner for our needs. A Miele. It’s quieter and lighter than the Sears canister, and far more powerful than the rechargeable. The only thing I can imagine that my ladies might want next is a Rumba that climbs stairs, does ceiling cobwebs, and is a comfy ride-upon.