Kenmore Elite 31150 Pet Friendly Bagged Upright Beltless Vacuum w/Pet Handi-Mate, Triple HEPA, 3D Inducer Motor, Telescoping Wand, 5-Position Height Adjustment, 3 Cleaning Tools

Would recommend to pet owners
Is it heavy? Yes. Is it loud? Also yes. But does it have the suction power and accessories to help you manage the only downside to your furry friend? YES. Every lightweight/quiet vacuum I’ve ever owned failed in that department, and therefore, at its job IMO.The pet handi-mate is AMAZING. I’ve never had one, but now would never go without – so much easier for throughly cleaning cushioned furniture and such. Only criticism would maybe be how easy it is for the brush to stop rolling from flexible cushions being sucked in a bit; as well as the suction power through it sometimes leaving things to be desired.Only con: hose does not stretch easily. I’ll believe that it CAN stretch as far as advertised, but not easily and not without tipping the vacuum over. The hose with the main extender can comfortably/easily reach about 6-7’, after that you might want to anchor the vacuum somehow or just move it closer.

Stiff hose, bad attachment design, but still a good vacuum
After about two months of residential use, I feel like I know enough about it to provide a summary:Cons:- The brush attachment is too small.- You have to take the whole electrical cord (plug) off to get at the hose – there are plenty of times when you need to just vacuum up a spill or a little dirt here and there and just need the hose real quick. Having to take the cord off to get at the hose, and then re-wrap the cord is too much trouble.- Plastic, plastic, plastic. The body, the attachments, everything is made out of plastic that in a lot of places feels cheap. The silver body just feels like it’s going to crack or break at any moment. The notches on the hose attachment/extension are clearly going to wear out and fail.- The hose attachment: Speaking of those notches, that’s a really poor design. I could tell right out of the box when I first assembled it, that that’s a weak point. It doesn’t stay in firmly, and already, after just a couple of months of use, when the hose is rotated or twisted (and when you do *not* twist the hose when you’re vacuuming in corners, doing upholstery, stairs, etc.?), it just pops right out.- The pet hair attachment: It’s just too touchy – you have to be really careful that it doesn’t get bogged down when the carpet is more than really low-cut pile, and hold the attachment up so it doesn’t make too much contact with the carpet. It works, and I use it on my carpeted stairs, it’s just touchy. I disassemble and clean this part after every use, because it does get covered in pet hair, which will slow it down.- Yes, the hose is short, and that causes problems. But because it’s extends like an accordion, the real problem is just that it’s too stiff. If the hose extended easier, not only would the length increase, but you’d be able to feel the tension when it got towards its limit, and stop pulling – as it is now, there is *always* tension, the hose doesn’t extend, and the vacuum gets pulled, sometimes toppling over, occasionally whacking you as it falls.Pros:- Again, the pet attachment is adequate- I know some people will say it’s heavy, but it’s lighter than my last vacuum, which was a pretty comparable upright in terms of design and features. So for me, it’s actually relatively “lightweight”- The headlights can actually be useful, particularly in places that are a little dim- The dirt sensor light is useful and seems to work, although it might lag a little- The height adjuster is good and makes a difference (I *never* used that feature on my last vacuum because it didn’t seem like it mattered)- Suction. I mean, that’s what a vacuum is for, right? This thing does a pretty good job sucking up dirt from bare floors, which for me is great. I used to use the hose attachment on my bare floors, which is hard on your back and takes a lot longer, but this Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly 31150 does such a good job on bare floors that I can use the main vacuum itself, saving me money and pain. With the hose attachment I can get all the dirt and hair in corners and everywhere else, and while I have to adjust the height from room to room on carpets because of the different types of pile, once you figure out which height works best, it really does a good job getting things clean.The bottom line is that because of the suction, the adequacy of the pet attachment, and the other features, this is a good vacuum – definitely better than my last one, and I’d recommend it. I wish they’d fix some of the design issues with respect to the hose and plastic though.

Still great after two years
Came back to write a very positive review after two years of using this vacuum regularly. You never see long term reviews! But after doing much research, we bought the elite vacuum two years ago, and I’m happy to say we have not had any problems, and it still has strong suction. I love this vacuum. We live in a small home if that is something that will affect your buying decision. Additionally, we have a dog and cat – still nothing negative to report!

Not good for hardwood floors, hose is awkward
I’ve had this for a couple of years and I just ordered a more lightweight vacuum. I have mostly hardwood floors and I don’t recommend this. It works great on carpet but the base is too bud and inflexible. It doesn’t get under things well. Using the hose and attachments is such a pain. The hose is too short so you can’t just pull it out to suck up something, you have to drag this big heavy vacuum as close as possible or get the extensor out which just isn’t convenient. It’s very clunky and awkward and heavy so it doesn’t make the process of vacuuming much fun. I find myself putting off vacuuming because of it. If I had more carpet I might like this better, but I have found that the hardwood floor setting doesn’t work that well. I end up using the carpet setting on hard floors and that blows stuff around but at least it is sucking things up. I ordered a lighter weight more nimble vacuum for people who want to do everything g on the fly. This vacuum is cumbersome and clunky and just not a super great experience.