Deluxe Swivel Sweeper Vs. Original Swivel Sweeper: Is the Upgrade Worth the Price?

Everyone who knows me, knows that I'm a big Swivel Sweeper fan. Rarely a day goes by that I don't use my Swivel Sweeper to pick up cat fur, crumbs, dust bunnies and more. So when my Swivel Sweeper recently died, I had to make an important decision. Should I upgrade to the Deluxe Swivel Sweeper, or stick with the Original Swivel Sweeper?

Luckily for me, JCPenney had a sale on the Deluxe Swivel Sweeper. The price was just a few dollars more than what the Original Swivel Sweeper was selling for at other stores. So I ran to JCPenney excited to see what improvements they had made on the upgrade to the "As Seen on TV" product.

From the box I could see the first improvement was the color. The original Swivel Sweeper is an ordinary black color, but the Deluxe version is what they call an iPod white. I must admit that the color change does make the Swivel Sweeper look a little more sophisticated.

The second upgrade is the addition of three built-in LED lights. Yes, I could see the benefit of having a light when vacuuming under the kitchen table, your bed or in dark corners.

I continued to search the box for other upgrades, but I couldn't find any.

I was hoping I would read "New and improved battery," since poor battery performance was the main downfall of the Original Swivel Sweeper. Nope, it was the same battery, darn it.

Maybe they increased the capacity of the dirt tray? Nope, the dirt tray looks like it is the same size, which means it will have to be emptied often.

Maybe I no longer need to use the brush cleaning tool to get rid of the nasty hair wrapped around the four side brushes? Nope, the cleaning tool is still included.

Maybe the Deluxe Swivel Sweeper handles carpet better than the original? Nope, it still seems to slow down a bit when it gets to carpet. Just like the original Swivel Sweeper, the Deluxe version does best on hardwood, linoleum and tile flooring.

The Deluxe Swivel Sweeper still has all the advantages of the Original Swivel Sweeper. It only weighs two pounds, which is great for people in wheelchairs, people with back problems, senior citizens and people like me who don't want to get out a bulky vacuum every time my daughter drops a crumb. It is also great on steps because it is lightweight and cordless.

The ability of the Swivel Sweeper to swivel 360 degrees is great for cleaning under tables without needing to remove the chairs first. The side cleaning brushes let you clean right up to walls and corners where crumbs and dust bunnies tend to hide. The low-profile design makes storage a snap since it takes up so little space.

I now see that they have started selling battery replacements at reasonable costs. Since the life of the battery has been a bit unpredictable in my past Swivel Sweepers (I'm on my third one because of battery issues!) I'm glad to see this is an option. Perhaps purchasing a new battery would have been the best option for me. But I would have always wondered if the Deluxe Swivel Sweeper was worth the extra money.

Overall, the Deluxe Swivel Sweeper isn't a big improvement over the Original Swivel Sweeper. If you want the cool color, and the light, then you may want to watch for a good sale price on the Deluxe version of the Swivel Sweeper. Otherwise you might as well stick with the good old Original Swivel Sweeper which I feel is a must-have product for anyone looking for a quick and easy way to clean your house.