Hi — I’m Andrea, one of the owners at Geek Vacuums. If you’ve been staring at the SEBO E3 and the SEBO D4 and thinking, “Which one is actually right for me?” you’re not alone. This is easily one of the most common questions we get.
Here’s the honest truth from behind the counter at Geek Vacuums: both are excellent. Neither one is a “bad choice.” The difference comes down to how your home is laid out, how much cleaning you do at once, and what kind of vacuum you want to live with for the next decade-plus.
My quick recommendation:
If you want the easiest “grab it and go” premium canister that still deep-cleans like crazy, the E3 is usually the best fit for most homes.
If you want maximum reach, a bigger bag, and you vacuum big areas in one run, the D4 is the move.
The big, obvious differences:
The D4 is the larger machine. It has the longer cord, longer cleaning radius, and bigger bag. That matters if you:
- Hate switching outlets
- Vacuum a lot in one session
- Have lots of pets, lots of debris, or a bigger home and want fewer bag changes
The E3 is more mid-size and feels a little more nimble day-to-day. That matters if you:
- Have tighter rooms or more furniture
- Have stairs
- Want something that stores more easily
- Still want premium performance without the full-size footprint
The subtle difference most people don’t know (but you’ll feel it)
The D4 has a rotating hose-to-canister connection. That might sound like a small thing, but it helps a lot with mobility because the hose naturally follows you instead of fighting you when you pivot around corners or furniture. If you’re the type who gets annoyed when a canister “drags weird,” this is one of those little details that makes the D4 feel smoother in larger spaces.
Powerhead vs. no powerhead: Don’t think only about today
This is where people accidentally make a decision they regret.
Even if you don’t have carpet or thick rugs right now, you should think about “future-proofing” yourself if you’re buying a vacuum you want to own for the next 15 years or more.
Here’s why: You can’t just add a powerhead later to a vacuum that didn’t come with one. The powerhead gets its power through the electrified hose. If the vacuum isn’t built for that from the start, you can’t upgrade into it later.
So the decision is basically:
- Get a vacuum that comes with a powerhead now (and know you’re covered if your home changes), or
- Don’t—and hope you never decide later that you want one.
This is why a lot of “mostly hard floor” shoppers still choose the E3 or D4. It’s not because they need it today. It’s because they’re buying once and they want flexibility.
“But I don’t want the brush spinning on my hard floors”
Totally fair—and this is another reason I love the E3 and D4 for mixed homes.
Both the E3 and D4 have a switch right on the handle that lets you turn the brush roller off. So yes, you can still use the powerhead with the brush stopped when you want suction-only.
And both models also include a parquet brush for hard floors. If you’ve got wood, tile, vinyl, etc., that parquet tool is what gives you smooth pickup without feeling like you’re “snowplowing” debris.
So… which one should you actually buy?
If you tell me nothing else, here’s the simplified version:
Choose the E3 if you:
- Want the best balance of power and maneuverability
- Don’t want a larger canister to store
- Have average-sized rooms, furniture to navigate, or stairs
- Want a powerhead for now or later, without committing to the biggest canister
Choose the D4 if you:
- Want the longest reach and biggest bag
- Vacuum big areas in one shot and hate switching outlets
- Have a busier home (pets/kids/high traffic) and want fewer bag changes
- Want the extra “smoothness” of that rotating hose connection in a larger layout
If you want the fastest, most accurate recommendation, send us a message through the orange chat button on the lower right hand side of the screen, and tell me three things:
- Approximate square footage
- Floor types (hard floors, area rugs, carpet—and if any rug is plush)
- Pets (and hair length)
I’ll tell you which model fits and what setup makes sense, so you don’t end up buying the wrong expensive vacuum.
TLDR:
- E3 = best “daily driver” for most homes: premium cleaning, easier handling, easier storage.
- D4 = best for larger homes and longer cleaning sessions: longer reach, bigger bag, smoother movement thanks to the rotating hose connection.
- If you want to future-proof for carpet/rugs later, buy a model that comes with a powerhead now—you can’t add one later if the vacuum doesn’t have an electrified hose.