As per title, I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts. For example ...
What are the best type in terms of flexibility and ease of use? For myself, I've tended to favour uprights. They're easier to 'park' while you move the plug from one point to the other, while the dog-on-a-lead type are probably more reliable, because there's less to go wrong, but they always seem to be the wrong side of a chair leg or half-open door, and you always seem to be stooping to pick up the business end. Either type suffer from the difficulty that you're always having to change the tool as you move around the room, but at least the uprights can carry theirs around with them.
What are the NOISIEST ones to avoid - I returned a new Vax to Tesco's today on the grounds that I would have needed ear-defenders to have continued using it. It had an ear-piercing whistle redolent of a jet engine, and, after using it for half-an-hour or so, I felt as deafened as I ever did in any rock concert.
What are the HEAVIEST ones to avoid? Lugging a heavy vac up and down stairs, and holding it on them to clean them, are becoming tiresome to my aging frame.
Other factors are that I don't have pets, and am mildly allergic to dust-mites.
I've found these so far, but am open to other opinions: Panasonic MC-UG302WP47 Upright, £79.50