This little vaccuum sucks up dirt, dust, cobwebs, and even the ubiquitous pet dander that clings to our sofas as if it were a new product from the Scotch Tape Company. It's portable, easy to maneuver, and gets into places better left alone when trying to maneuver an upright. It is, perhaps, the best $39 we've ever spent on a vaccuum, and I can name some very well-known whoppers, with pricetags to match, that couldn't hold a candle to this little gem...so where to start?

Power

   Similar to the old Royal products, from whence it was most certainly modeled, it has more than enough power to conquer the task at hand. Don't get me wrong, I love my little Chihuahua, Beagle, Terrier Mix, but that Fox Terrier hair of his sticks like glue to anything it touches. Our long-haired Calico Cat, Tipper, seems to have come from a similar bloodline, despite the species differential. I'm pretty sure 3M had both of them as prototypes in their Scotch Tape Division.
   Even the upright, when using the tube attachment, doesn't stand a chance of getting that ever so clingy pet dander up off of our furniture, and auto upholstery. Let's not even talk about the absolute uselessness of the standard battery operated handhelds when battling Pet Dander From Hell, hereinafter referred to as PDFH----They just don't work. This thing is fearless, it gets it up--all of it---and doesn't miss a beat while tackling the chore.

Maneuverability

   This is an area that could be improved ever so slightly, if there were a way to keep the cord from twisting. None the less, it is more than tolerable when one considers the absolute worthlessness of cordless models when going after PDFH, or even after just plain dirt if you have even the slightest bit of plushness to your carpet.  Overall, the fact that it is handheld, makes it a heck of a lot more maneuverable than 90% of what's on the market right now. Once again, factor in the power to weight to size ratio, and you come up with the answer "DEAL WITH IT" over and again.

Versatility and Convenience

   This one gets an "A" in my book. I've had to struggle with uprights, and their well-meaning attachments when trying to get a quick sprucing up done, and it just isn't worth it. By the time you turn off the vaccuum,  detach the hose, close off the original opening, twist the attachment onto the hose, and power the vaccuum back up, you could have already run this thing across the sofa. By the time you power off the vaccuum again, detach the attachment, reroute the hose, and power up the vaccuum again, you could have run this baby along the loveseat and chair.
  Oh this thing has an attached hose as well, but all you have to do to use it for finer nooks and crannies is to flip the hinged hood down over the main power brush, and the power is automatically re-routed to the hose. If you have really stubborn stuff, this has a small rubber attachment for the hose. Better yet, you don't have to power down the vaccuum, and reroute the hose in order to use it. It just doesn't get any simpler.

Filter

   Now the filter on this thing is a double edged sword of sorts. It catches everything that flows through the system, but in doing so, it can clog fairly quickly. If you are holding this baby, and she starts to feel a little warm to the touch, shut her down and clean the filter. You are going to be simultaneously grossed out, and fairly astounded by all the garbage the little moster seems to find. If the vaccuum suddenly shuts down--it's because you didn't power her down and clean the filter. We went through this little ritual the first day we bought her, but we were pleasantly surprised at how clean our furniture and upholstery seemed to be. No dust bunnies or PDFH to be found anywhere.


Overall Value

   I would definitely buy this thing again. At under $40, she has proven herself to be a real value. We've wasted at least that much on hand held battery operated junk that never lived up to the promises. We've spent a lot more in uprights and carpet cleaners that are nowhere near as efficient as this when measured on a dollar spent per work hour saved ratio. This little shark bites (dust bunnies and PDFH that is)--and that's a good thing!

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 39