I'll start by admitting that I've been a Swiffer junkie for years. I use Swiffer cloths for everthing from dust-mopping the floors to dusting knick-knacks. This is probably a story for another review, so I'll keep it short and sweet--I love everything about the Swiffer cloths (they pick up dog hair, my hair, dust bunnies, dirt you can't see with your eyes...) except for just one little thing--the darn cloths will not pick up particles like little rocks or sand, larger chunks of stuff that make their way onto my floors. This problem led to the unfortunate situation where I was first vacuuming my kitchen floor to get the big stuff (see my review of the Oreck XL2, hint, hint...), then dust mopping with a standard Swiffer to get the miscellaneous dust and hair that the large vacuum just misses.

Enter Dirt Devil...I have to say that I thought long and hard prior to making this purchase. Every time I passed a demo model in a store I would turn it on and play with it. I waited for the price to come down. Most of this was because I have a number of different vacuums at home (large Oreck, compact canister Oreck, mini Shark that has been relegated to the basement) and I just didn't want to spend money on yet another product that didn't live up to my expectations. Eventually I saw this at our local WalMart for just under $30 and decided it was time to give it a whirl. I brought it home and put it together (this was a snap--a monkey could do it--just push the pieces together until they snap in place), then it had to charge up. What?? I can't use it until tomorrow??

Well, tomorrow eventually came and I was able to take it for a test drive. I clipped on one of the Swiffer cloths that came with the unit (this was very nice of them, although I did have a stash of my own anyhow). It clipped on just like they do on a regular Swiffer--you push the cloth into four different grabber holes. The only difference was in the front of the unit the nozzel for the vacuum feature is in the way, but it easily flips up and out of the way so you can attach the cloth (you just have to remember to put it back down). With the cloth attached I was off and Swiffering. It is necessarily heavier than a standard Swiffer unit as it does have the added vacuum feature, but it is lighter than any other stick-vac I have ever used. It manuevers quickly and easily around and under furniture, with a swiveling head that twists and turns with little effort. You can turn on the vacuum with a simply push of a button conveniently located right on the handle. I find myself turning it on and off frequently as I go through the kitchen and hallway. The suction is powerful enough to pick up anything I have yet encountered on my floors, including rather large dog kibble! (This is, of course, assuming that you remembered to charge the unit!)

The unit itself......is as I mentioned above, quite lightweight for what you get. It is a bagless unit, something I am not a great fan of, however, I make an exception for this unit. Since I only use it in the kitchen and hall I am not collecting that much stuff in the unit. Also, I find that there is not as much dust as you might suspect, presumably because the dust is going on the Swiffer cloth while the larger stuff (which is easier to empty) is going in the cup. The unit also has a filter (of course) in the cup that really needs to be tapped out after each use and I imagine that it will eventually need replacing. I haven't seen these filters at the WalMart where I purchased the unit, but I looked online and was able to find them at Dirt Devil's website for $5.99 for a two-pack. The unit uses the standard sized Swiffer cloths (the head is approximately 10" wide). I also has a ring attached to the handle so you can hang it on the wall and out of the way, preferably convenient to an outlet for charging. I hang it on my rack with my mop and dustpan and feel it is safe and secure.

As far as durability goes, I have had it for about six months not and it is still going strong. I use it on average 4-5 times a week (sometimes every day) so it has had quite a bit of use. The dog likes to chase it (some game, huh?) and has gotten his teeth on it a couple of time with no harm done. I mentioned the possibility of needing to replace the filter eventually--honestly, after six months I still don't feel the need yet.

Any negatives?Very few, to be honest. I love this unit. The only beef I have is the fact that it doesn't fit as far under a piece of furniture in my kitchen as the standard Swiffer did because the vacuum part of the unit gets in the way. Other than that, it does exactly what I want from it--combine vacuuming with dust-mopping so I get the kitchen floor done sooner! You do have to be careful to make sure that it is plugged in after every use. Also, if you use the vacuum feature constantly and you are covering a large area, I could see it losing charge. Use it as it is intended and you shouldn't have any problems. Did I mention that you have to plug it in after every use?

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 29