The Sebo X7 Excel vacuum cleaner is exclusive to John Lewis, but does the engineering differ and can you buy it elsewhere cheaper, get a longer guarantee or better value for money?
First and foremost, all Sebo X7 vacuum cleaners are ostensibly identical in the basic specification. That is to say they all have similar or identical body parts, motor, tool fittings, wand handles, switches etc. All that differs is the colour of the body and trims, the extras offered with the machine and in the case of the black Pet Boost model, it has an extra Boost button.
There is no extra magic or complicated sorcery involved in “exclusive special editions” like the Sebo X7 Excel. They don’t secretly have more powerful motors, better engineering or anything extra that you cannot otherwise obtain.
The reason department stores approach manufacturers of appliances and ask them to make an “exclusive” line for them such as the Sebo X7 Excel is in order that nobody is able to make a like-for-like comparison with other appliances at other retailers. This allows them to offer things like a “price match promise”.
If nobody else sells the identical machine in all respects you don’t need to price match anybody. All you need to do is give a wry smile and say, “Ah, but that machine is not exactly the same as ours, let me explain why…………”
This is marketing from the 1970s large department store retail playbook, and you don’t see that much of it nowadays as people are wise to it. But some of the old school retailers from the era of Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served still believe this stuff works.
For the independent appliance trade, Sebo make three models of X7:
There is the basic white Sebo X7 ePower which comes without any extra stair hose or vacuum driven tools. It still has the two basic on board tools.
There is the blue Sebo X7 Extra ePower model which is blue and this comes with the long extension hose in order that you can reach up the stairs and three onboard tools, exactly the same as John Lewis’s Excel machine.
There is finally the top of the range black Sebo X7 Pet ePower machine. It comes only in black. It has a Boost button, it has the long hose to go up the stairs, three on board tools and it has a vacuum driven turbine tool. It also has a headlight.
The Sebo X7 Excel has a headlight (actually called a searchlight). Opinion is divided on how useful a headlight is on a vacuum cleaner nowadays (given that most of us have lightbulbs on the ceiling), but you will draw your own conclusion as to the value of a headlight.
Some people do like a headlight though, and for those who want to retrofit one to an existing Sebo X7 we sell a Sebo X7 headlamp conversion kit. After all, practicality debate aside, a headlight on a vacuum cleaner is quite cool and retro. See the 1960s Hoover Dirtsearcher for details.
So what exactly is the John Lewis Sebo X7 Excel?
The John Lewis X7 Excel Sebo vacuum cleaner is actually a basic white machine with the extension hose, brush tool and clamp from the blue and black machines and the headlight from the black machine. This makes it an “exclusive”. There is no more to it than that.
In terms of specification (assuming you are not too concerned about the headlight), you would buy the blue Sebo X7 Extra ePower and this machine is otherwise identical to a Sebo X7 Excel apart from being blue rather than white and not having the headlight.
Yes, you can save money by shopping with an independent store as many people do.
Here are your four options if you want to perhaps save money and get better value than you will find at John Lewis with the Sebo X7:
- You buy this white Sebo X7, you add this hose and this brush and this clamp and apart from the headlight, you now have the same machine as the Sebo X7 Excel – but cheaper and still with a five year guarantee.
- You buy this blue Sebo X7 and apart from the headlight, you now have the same machine as the Sebo X7 Excel – but in blue. Oh, and cheaper and still with a five year guarantee.
- Best value: Or you buy this top of the range black Sebo X7 Pet. This comes with the extension hose, it also comes with a hand held mini turbine tool, the carbon filter (to reduce pet smells) and Sebo’s famous Boost button for deeper cleaning. Oh, and it has the headlight and it is in a rather fetching gloss black. John Lewis sell this machine but you can find it cheaper and still with a five year guarantee at the Sebo Shop.
And there you have it. You now know everything there is to know about the John Lewis Sebo X7 Excel.
All Sebo vacuums from the Sebo Shop at Manchester Vacs are delivered with DPD fully tracked next working day delivery at no extra cost. If you are relatively local to us you can get our Premium Home Delivery at no extra cost as well.
The Sebo Shop – part of Manchester Vacs – are approved Sebo dealers offering the full range of domestic and commercial Sebo vacuums together with consumables and spare parts.
