The Eureka Lightweight Vacuum Cleaner (#166DX): A Product Review

If you're looking for a inexpensive upright vacuum cleaner for a one bedroom apartment or smaller living area, the Eureka Lightweight is a pretty good choice at a price range of around $20. The official Eureka website lists the online ordering price at $25, and it's currently listed at Amazon for $29, but I picked mine up at a Big Lots for $19.

The design is basically that of a large handheld vacuum as the base, but with a removable floor nozzle with wheels, telescoping handle, and crevice tool. It's fundamentally a "stick vacuum", but powered by a wall cord. It can be used as a hand vacuum or an upright vacuum. With the telescoping handle fully compressed, the unit stands only about 2 feet high, and with the handle fully extended it's about 3.5 feet high. For a six foot man, this is comfortable to use without having to bend or hunch over.

The primary point of interest is that the unit delivers a surprising amount of power thanks to running off of a wall cord rather than a battery. I'd say it's roughly comparable in power to a low-end full-sized vacuum, though the floor nozzle is only about half the size. The one minor downside is that it has no battery capability whatsoever, but a fairly long AC cord is included. For the small living areas that this is intended for, the fifteen foot cord should be more than adequate. Another point of interest is that the unit does not use vacuum bags; as with a smaller portable vacuum, you simply separate the base and twist it apart to manually dump everything out.

As with all things in life, you have to choose the right tool for the job. Most of the complaints about this one that I've seen online come from people who are using it in a household with pets, children or thick carpeting. In such a situation you really should just shell out the $50 for a good low-end full-sized vacuum. For a dorm room, single room or small apartment where you don't tend to make big messes on the floor or carpet, however, this thing is ideal, especially if you're on a tight budget. I imagine it would also work well in an RV since it stores compact and is very light. It works extremely well for me for keeping a carpeted one bedroom apartment free of lint and light dust.