I've been shopping here for about 15 years. I am very happy with the products and the brick and mortar experience. Product availability with the knowledge and guidance that is provided by a live human being is so satisfying. Sure I can go online and buy my bags and vacuum cleaners and even parts from Amazon but I prefer this experience. My most recent purchase was a very satisfying experience. Thank you Northgate Sew & Vac read more

I called the store to get a replacement floor sweep attachment for my Dyson. Cathy was efficient and said she could get it in the shop in a day or two. I learned that she can clean and help maintain my expensive vac. Much more personal than ordering online ! read more

What a gift this shop is! To have a brick-n-mortar that can help with your vacuum or sewing machine is awesome!* The turnaround time to help with my clog was fast, customer service was awesome, and they even have a sweet pup who will entertain you with playing fetch while you wait. Highly recommend! *I've never been thrilled to vacuum! read more

They replaced the battery to my Dyson and now it works perfectly! I am so thrilled to have it working again! Thank you!

The worst customer service possible. Salesperson is rude and extremely unpleasant. Everything in the store is overpriced.

Great service, helpful and nice staff. The location is easy to get to. I enjoyed meeting their dogs.

Small shop but great owner and staff. They now have fabric which is very good. I purchased a new Baby Lock Radiance and love it. The shop has been redecorated and it is lovely. read more

terrible staff! worst I've ever seen. one was rude and the other one refused to discussmy repair. Never again!!

After 20 years, a part on my trusty Miele vacuum needed to be replaced. I went to Northgate Sew & Vac where I bought the vacuum. I had taken the vacuum there in the past for cleaning. The staff was as efficient and helpful as I remembered from past visits. It turned out that part in question had been replaced by Miele with a better designed and much sturdier part. Even better, the cost was quite reasonable. I was in and out of the store in 15 minutes. I highly recommend Northgate Sew & Vac. read more

Very knowledgeable - taught me a lot about my vacuum after my repair! Love a local shop that is keeping us from being such a disposable society. Repair don't replace! read more

So helpful I am grateful to have a working vacuum! Fast, friendly, reasonably priced service. Highly recommend.

I brought in my 25-year-old Miele vacuum for repairs, and they had used parts available that brought the machine back to good running order within a few minutes! Most of the parts for these vacuums are no longer available, and I am totally delighted with their service. We also discussed some of the newer vacuums, and the staff member (Krissi) was very helpful with her experienced opinions. I will happily bring them my business in the future. read more

GREAT experience with a recent vacuum repair! i came home with a clean, outfitted vacuum with a brand new electric cord, new filters, new bags, a clean vacuum and the best part is the knowledgeable and thoughtful staff! (The replacement cord was ordered and I got the vacuum back in a couple of days!! Wow!!) I highly recommend this nice company. read more

was quoted one week for sewing machine maintenance at $150. a week later someone called to tell me it will be $250, not a problem. after a month when no one called, I called to see the status of my machine. "oh it's here and ready" I received to calls and no messages and waited while my machine presumably sat on a shelf, ready. I came to pick it up and the dog in the store bit me on the way out. (the fuck?) go to the one in downtown San Rafael. read more

machine went in for a tune up and service. got it back and there was a problem with the needle not threading properly. Kimberly Bage was wonderfully patient and generous with walking through the use of the machine and making sure that it was properly threaded and working as expected. This service was quite helpful and extraordinary for me. read more

I felt bad for writing this review but after seeing the other 1-star reviews, I thought it would be helpful to add my experience. I took my Dyson in because it was having suctioning problems. The woman was kind and commented that they had a lot of Dysons getting repaired. The repair was ~$100 and I was still having suctioning problems. On top of that, they swapped out the head and hose so the one I got had a sticker and these plastic notches on it. Thought that was odd but figured it was part of the repair. I called back and spoke with the woman who did the actual repair. She insisted said my vacuum was fine and didn't offer to take a look at it since it wasn't fixed the first time. She said it could be the bristles and they could try replacing it for another $100. She also denied swapping out head and hose and said mine was the only Dyson that was getting repaired. This didn't make sense because the first woman said they were repairing a lot of Dysons. My friend had bought me my Dyson as a housewarming present and also said that that wasn't the hose that came with my Dyson. Yes they are nice but I literally just gave this shop $100 for nothing. Instead of trying to re-repair this one, I just purchased a C3 Miele from a vacuum shop in Walnut Creek. The drive was worth it as I couldn't justify buying one from them after this experience. read more

I took my Miele vacuum in to be serviced and didn't think I needed the hose and head attachment. The man suggested I bring those two parts in as well and said they would hold off on servicing the vacuum. Several days later I was told the vacuum was ready and they had cleaned the motor which was most likely contributing to the high pitched noise. I picked the canister up and brought it home only to discover the problem had not been resolved. I took the entire vacuum back to the store and they swapped out the hose for free as it was the source of the problem. read more

After 5 years of regular use, I brought in the Miele vacuum I bought from Northgate Sew & Vac for a service. I have a cat and my hair is long, so a lot of hair had gotten stuck in one of the attachments. I also figured that a good cleaning and checkup would help the vacuum last even longer. I was told that they would need to keep the vacuum for a week. Instead, I got a call only 3 days later saying they had already serviced the vacuum and it was ready for pick-up. The customer service person who works there is very nice and knowledgeable about vacuums and accessories. I couldn't be happier with both the service and the products at this store. read more

If you want to have someone yell at you for asking how much a repair service or parts cost and then have the same crazy, nasty person yell at you again for no reason, then go to Northgate Sew & Vac. If you want to be treated like a person and not get stressed out, I'm sure you can go anywhere else and have a normal customer service experience. read more

I needed a new battery for my vacuum. I called the manufacturer, Dyson, who said it was now obsolete. They didn't have the correct battery, told me to try Amazon. I ordered one that claimed to be compatible with my exact vacuum. I brought it to Northgate Sew & Vac but they were unable to open my vacuum to remove the original battery. So I returned the battery to Amazon but NSV was very helpful. It was the only shop I found that was willing to look at my vacuum. read more

I realized my parents hadn't changed the filters on their Dyson Vacuum. I bought them the best vacuum I could find at the time and I'm sure they didn't even know it came with filters haha. I began to call around stores big and small, asking if they had the right filters. After calling a few other locations, KIM at Northgate Sew and Vac told me that they carried almost every filter for Dyson. I quickly drove to the store and unfortunately, the filters were on back order. KIM went out of her way to grab me the very last filter from a New Dyson Vacuum. SHE ABSOLUTELY WENT OVER AND BEYOND AND I AM TRULY GRATEFUL!!! THIS IS WHY EVERYONE NEEDS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES! I will definitely go out of my way to shop at Northgate Sew and Vac after my experience today! Kim, you earned a customer for life. Thank you again for your excellent customer service! read more

Even though I buy most things online, when I needed a new vacuum I came here. Nothing beats real people with knowledge and experience for this kind of purchase. Over the years, I've used them for repairs too and so appreciate their thoroughness and honesty. read more

They were very helpful and informative and friendly. I'm happy with the sewing machine I bought. I needed to exchange machines and there was no problem. They even delivered. I will definitely go back. read more

During Covid in spring of 2020, I took my sewing machine to Northgate Sew And Vac for repair. After an extended period of time- four to five months- I was told that my machine was not repairable, that there were no parts available for it. For a second opinion, I took it to Novato Sewing and Vacuum Center and had it back fixed within a week. read more

Very friendly service!!! Love the owners! I would like to schedule a sewing lesson for my girls.

We first went to Steve when we needed to upgrade our vacuum machine. Being German I wanted to have a good old Miele and Steve recommended just the right machine to us: we have two dogs at home and they shed like crazy so we wanted to make sure the new vacuum machine had some good suction. I really can only recommend Steve. But he's not only your guy when it comes to vacuum machines, but he's also very passionate about repairing sewing machines. (Yes, I'm a man who sews ;-) read more

I have a kenmore canister. It was not picking up dirt like it should be. I googled vacuum businesses and found Northgate Sew & Vac. So grateful to have found them! I brought my vacuum in and their was a customer in front of me that was just leaving and the woman at the counter asked me how she could help. I let her know my vacuum issues. Then we tested it on the floor. She told me about the vacuum and suggestions to make it work more efficient. I said what do I owe you? She said nothing. She is great and very helpful! Hard to find good help these days that know their stuff and so helpful! read more

I wish I could give a million stars to this fabulous place! The smoke from the fires is hazardous. My IQAir Room Purifier needed new filters. We are miserable. I don't have a car and thinking I'd have to get a lyft to go pick up what I needed. An amazing woman named Krissi said, no problem, I'll pack it up and fed ex it to you today What? Are you kidding me? (I may have been in shock at her kindness cause I had just called the other provider of IQAir in Oakland and before I could even finish my question he yelled, WE'RE SOLD OUT. Click) Plus, she talked me thru what I needed and she determined I did not even need one of the filters, greatly reducing the cost for me!!!!!!!! When I do need that third filter, I will definitely order from her again and maybe rent a car to go pick it up and give her a hug! read more

Received knowledgeable service from Paul over the phone. Drove to buy the vacuum, as I would rather support a local business than buy online. But, two employees and neither was wearing a facemask. Businesses aren't even really open yet (yet this store is, as they are considered are essential). The covid 19 pandemic is still not contained. Why would people who converse with customers two feet away, with tons of talking, not wear a mask? I ask the associate the same question. It was clear that she does not believe it is necessary. She rolled her eyes and hugged "would you LIKE me to go put one on?!". I told her not to bother. I'll purchase online after all. read more

Experienced and knowledge help and assistance in buying an awesome vacuum cleaner. Thank you so much.

I took my Sebo Vacuum cleaner to Northgate Sew and Vac. Crissy was extremely helpful over the phone and offered to retrieve the machine from my car when I told her I had a bad back. She carefully diagnosed the problem and fixed in on the spot. She even volunteered to call the manufacturer to see if it was under warranty . Unfortunately it wasn't. They had the part, and I was happily out the door in 15 minutes. I really like to patronize small businesses and this one deserves your patronage. Friendly, quick and experienced service. read more

Northgate Sew & Vac is terrific. I have used them multiple times over the years for my vacuums as well as rug cleaners and have always had a positive experience plus, the appliances that I rely upon to clean my house are always repaired quickly and perfectly. I recommend them without hesitation. read more

I am taking the time to post a review about Northgate Sew & Vac because I have had multiple visits of excellent service!! I believe in companies that are owned and run by locals. Those businesses have the heart & dedication of someone who cares and whose success is their livelihood. Northgate Sew & Vac is a perfect example of a great locally run business! Initially, I brought my old sewing machine in for a repair. This was when I 1st met the owner, Kim. She was wonderful! She educated me about what I owned and about the pros and cons of different repair options vs cost. I was thankful for all her knowledge & I felt good and confident about spending my money because I was well informed of my options and therefore made an educated decision. I returned some time later with a vacuum repair where once again, Kim took the time to educate me about what all my options were. In this case, I was not as lucky as with my sewing machine. My vacuum wasn't all that great. Kim assisted me with a plan to fix my vac yet spend a minimal amount so I could get by until I was prepared to buy an upgrade. I felt as though Kim wanted the best for me and I really appreciated that feeling. Finally, I returned to buy my new vacuum and once again, Kim gave me her time & educated me on Everything I needed to know to make an educated choice. I strongly recommend those of you in search of vac or sewing repair or purchase to take the time to get educated on what you have, what your options are and what Northgate Sew & Vac can offer you. You wont be disappointed!!! read more

I needed a vacuum belt for my Miele upright vacuum... I searched online everywhere and could not confirm if it was the correct belt....even with the model number. After a couple of hours of research on so many sites... and other vacuum dealers without any luck, I finally called Northgate and spoke to Krissy. She was incredibly helpful in identifying the correct belt within a minute of my conversation... I could've saved hours of looking had I called her first. Since I'm in SF and she's in San Rafael, I asked if she could send it to me to save me the drive. The icing on the cake, and the reason for my review, was that she simply sent me the belt with a nice note and asked for me to send back the money to her. I mean, who in business has this kind of belief in people and humanity anymore...? Well, Krissy does, and for that - in addition to supplying me with the correct belt - I say go to Northgate Sewing and Vacuum and support this wonderful person and business! read more

The BEST! Plus the dear lady who waits on me is a Chi rescuer :)

I just wanted to give an update that my $45 replacement battery from amazon arrived and has completely fixed the problem. My almost nine-year-old dyson stick is good as new. Im honestly rather disappointed to share this, because we were told it would cost $250 to repair it from this store. I guess in the future, try and fix it ourself with google and youtube as your guide and you can always send back what you ordered and take to a repair shop if you cant do it yourself. read more

I bought a used Kirby. I brought it in and asked 1) check it out- does it need repair? Would it be worth the cost to repair? (They assured me they give free estimates.) 2) If it's in working order- have a tune up and cleaned (was dirty from sitting in someone's attic). I very explicitly asked the guy I dropped it off with (not technician) to be sure to have the technician CALL ME BEFORE DOING ANYTHING. So that I could decide on what I wanted done considering any repairs etc... they quoted me a price of $50+. I GET A CALL ON TUESDAY THAT MY VACUUM IS READY AND BECAUSE IT WAS SO DIRTY IT WOULD BE $75!!!! WTF?!?! so I go to pick it up- and I guess the "tune up/cleaning" only applies to the inside of the machine because the outside was exactly the same-dirty! I'm wondering if I got anything other than a new bag and belt for my $75? I'LL NEVER GO BACK! Technician was RUDE to the lady before me- telling her how gross and dirty her machine was- I could tell she was embarrassed.- dude- that's why she brought it in to you! ONE MORE THING- the guy told me his momma had three vacuums just like mine that she couldn't GIVE away- this guy clearly has social issues. Whatever dude- I've had this same vacuum before and LOVED IT! read more

I brought my Dyson in for a repair estimate. 5 days later (!) I was told that the estimate was done. They were going to install a used piece from another vacuum to fix mine. The repair boy refused to show me how to keep the same problem from happening again, saying that doing so would "keep him out of business." I told him that he just lost my business and would do my best to steer other people away from this store. I then went to P&L Vacuum Ctr on D St. in San Rafael where the vacuum was fixed under warranty and the owner was polite and business-like. read more

Exemplary customer service that's remarkably rare. Stevan, the manager, really cares about his customers. You will get surprisingly forthright advice. If you're buying a vacuum he'll give you the complete candid scoop on which ones last and which ones break down. And he sells at good prices. Customer service is amazing. A real gem. Highly recommended. read more

I went today to Northgate vac after an hour on the phone with a Bisell vacuum rep who could not fix my problem. The Northgate tech not only fixed it in 5 minutes but it was an issue that the Bissel rep had even inquired about. The owner Kim and her two dogs ( one pruebred, one rescue) are all helpful and very friendly. I wouldn't hesitate to return here for my sewing or vacuum needs! read more