Sebo K1 Komfort

I got fed up of having to constantly lift a heavy upright vacuum up and down stairs as well as cleaning hard floors using a broom. I needed a vacuum that was going to be lightweight, had different tools for cleaning and I was totally confused about what vacuum cleaner to go with. We had had a Dyson DC04 for many years but plastic bits on it kept breaking and it was a brush control version where the belt broke and repairing it was costly as it was outwith its short, initial guarantee. We had paid a lot for the Dyson when it first came out and bought it brand new - I thought it was brilliant but I wasn't happy about it being bagless especially with pets and general cleaning needs.

A friend recommended to try Miele, Bosch or SEBO. I had heard of the first two brands but not the third brand and found out that SEBO are a commercial company who supply vacuums to the trade rather than Miele or Bosch. Intrigued, I did a search and found John Lewis to be the store of choice for SEBO vacuums and I liked the fact that I could test run the current vacuums on display including Miele and Bosch.

For me the SEBO K1 just fits the bill perfectly. There were three models on display, a base red K1, my model - the K1 Komfort in light blue and a white "Premium" model that came with an electric head. I didn't like the "Premium" at all, but I was very impressed with the Miele until it came to taking the floor head off and imagining what it would be like to clean with just the handle, hose and tubes. Oh what a weight!

The K1 Komfort has a really light height adjustable 2 piece tube, much more comfortable to use and lift for cleaning needs. The suction is also super quiet, strong and easy to adjust and I liked that I didn't breathe in the motor air when it came to changing the suction setting.

At home, the K1 is just a brilliant micro-sized vacuum to have around. It is very well made, infact feels much more substantial to both Miele and Bosch - and the costs of ownership are far cheaper than Miele too. This is based on a yearly box of 4 dust bags that Miele sell compared to SEBO's 7 or 10 in a box for about the same price! A box of the largest amount of bags for example has managed to last me a year and a half. Hospital grade filters don't have to be changed until 16 to 32 bags have been used up - Super, super value!

We do have another vacuum in the house to deal with carpets, but the K1 Komfort's key point is that it comes with three large floor heads as standard - a standard pedal floor tool for general cleaning, a Parquet soft brush for hard floors (which is what I required) and a super fast air driven turbo brush that I find to be much lighter than Miele's version. The K1 is also very light to carry - around 5kg - and taking it out to the car is much faster and quicker at task.

In use, the K1 is very lightweight to pull around and it has two cute little feet on the front that makes it stable for cleaning stairs. It doesn't have many downsides other than it having a rather small handle. My husband can just about get his hand through it.

There is also no cord rewind on this machine - like a pedal - you just pull the cord after you have taken it out of a mains socket and the 6 metre cord winds back into the machine automatically. Bags and filters are very easy to change and the bags come with seal caps so that you can seal the bag up when it needs changing.

All in all, I'm a SEBO convert. My machine didn't come with a 5 year guarantee as standard because it's an older model - the current ranges do and the K1 Komfort still exists, but in a darker blue body with a slightly higher motor than mine. Still, I'm pleased and I highly recommend this vacuum as it is well built and just does what it promises - effortlessly.