I have never used the more expensive brands out there. I was very interested in the idea of water filtration. However, I chose this model because it costs a lot less money than other brands. That being said, I'm sure other brands have more bells and whistles. It has no brush fan. For carpets, I prefer the whisk brush. When it comes to hardwood floors, it's fantastic. I also use it for short pile rugs and sofas. I have two dogs that she is madly in love with and they think the sofas are theirs. It removes hair just as well as my Dyson. The most important thing I noticed is the lack of dog smell. A regular vacuum cleaner will remove the smell. The vacuum water filtration was odorless. It's worth it for me for that alone.