Side by Side Comparison of: Eureka vs Powerextra vs MIDEA vs Amazon

I've been using this regularly for three years to vacuum loose dirt off hardwood floors in my place, and absolutely love how powerful this is for a cordless vacuum. It works well, is easy to clean and maintain, and performs reliably. I did have to buy replacement batteries recently, and here's what I purchased: Powerextra 2 Pack 2200mAh Eureka Replacement Battery 60776/68112/39150 for Eureka 96 Series VacuumsI've also replaced the filter one time with this: Genuine Eureka STK Filter 61544B - 1 filterAnother really nice convenience is that, while charging, the red light on the recharging unit blinks, and when its full charged, turns solid red, so you know it's charged. Very nice design.The only real very minor note I want to make is that at one point I thought that the batteries had died, but, I believe now, in fact, the battery had just dislodged itself. I've noticed that, while using, sometimes the battery will dislodge and the vacuum will cut off. I then just press down on the top of the battery, to make sure its seated properly in the vacuum. It's hard to fault the vacuum for such a minor detail, however, as when I use the vacuum, I really swing this little guy around. Plus, the battery pack is really convenient to be able to insert and remove, and it only becomes dislodge with alot of great force.

Almost 70, and can't believe I haven't gotten one of these before now!
This little sweeper is a real time and work saver. I use it primarily on my kitchen floor(hardwood with a few throw rugs, big country kitchen) and it really makes cleanup fast. I have never run the battery down so I can't say how long it lasts, but they say 18 or 20 minutes. You would be surprised how much ground you can cover in less time than that.
My hardwood floor accumulates a large amount of dust, popcorn chips, cat food crumbs, grand kids cookie crumbs, lint, and any number of other small bits in a very short amount of time. So I end up using this thing at least a couple of times a day. I used to use a dust mop then have to pick up the pile. This thing makes life much easier. I also have a cat that is nearly as old as I am(Max is his name) and I was surprised at the amount of cat hair that was on that floor that I didn't know about. This sweeper cleans it right up and I was amazed at how much there was. Glad I bought it, just for that. There is a setting for rugs(just activates the spinning brush) and does a great job of the throw rugs I mentioned earlier.

I mounted the charger on the wall in my laundry room right next a power outlet. The sweeper just hangs there in it's nifty little holder charger, inconspicuously out of the way and always charged and ready to go. It's light weight and great for old people as well as young, and saves me from getting out the big vacuum. I still use the big vacuum, just don't need to as often as I used to.

We'll see how long it lasts, but it has already saved me enough work and aggravation with the big vacuum that I figure it has paid for itself and everything else is gravy.

When it goes, if it goes(before I do) I will certainly buy another.
Oh! and nobody gave me nothi'n for this review.

Debated about which cordless vacuum to get and this one was so affordable! I just moved into an apartment with hardwood floors and my two feline children love to fling cat litter around. Once I saw somebody specifically mention it's perfect for cat litter, I purchased it. I let it charge for 24 hours and just ran it through my apartment (which is small, ran it for less than 10 minutes and battery survived the whole time). I think it worked hardcore on my carpet because it seemed to have found another cat (see photo!). Would recommend for sure.
I want to add a tip, if you're looking for something to pick up big things, this probably isn't the best vacuum for you. It's more for picking up hair and dirt and little pieces of things. I got this a couple of months ago and it still works. I still love it because I'm too lazy to use a plug in vacuum. I run it every other day or so to pick up cat litter.

If I could give this 10 stars I would. I have a hairy, hairy dog and hardwood floors. I am not a clean freak. This stick vacuum is perfect for picking up the dog hair. No, it will not clean your floor spotless, but it will make it presentable. I LOVE mine. It's so light weight and easy to just run over the kitchen floor once. You will not be sorry. It makes normal noise for a dustbuster/stick vac. I bring that up because I have another one that sounds like a jet engine- I can't even use it I feel like it's damaging my ears. This one, normal, expected noise level. The charging station can be mounted to the wall and mine seems to go for quite some time before it needs to be charged. You open it and dump the dirt out. I think the stick detaches as well, but I have never done that.

Bought this to replace a 2009 model (purple) that didn't charge properly. Over the 6 years we owned it we replaced the battery every 2 years which is expected of NiCad batteries. This time it was the charger base and that is $22, so might as well buy new model. This model is virtually identical in design. They both use NiCad batteries and claim a 12 minute run time. We use this for our kitchen floor and the oriental carpets at the front door. It does a fine job picking up small debris/dirt/hair. Be aware that the unit uses small rubber rollers (no height adjustment) and probably rides less about 1/16" off the floor. In other words, it won't ride over top of Cheerios and larger debris, but if you lift it it would have no problem inhaling those items.
The old model used a simple "trickle" charger design that really isn't good for NiCads. The new design uses a smart charger that shuts off once charging is complete, this should be better for NiCad life. There are two red LEDs on the charging base. The right one is always on and simply indicates that the power block is plugged in and the unit is receiving power. The left LED is normally off, but when you plug in the vacuum (or set a battery in the charging base), the LED will flash while the battery is re-charging. Once re-charged, the LED goes off. Used the unit for 10 minutes and the re-charge time is many hours. This is not a 1-hour Li-Ion charge like a cell phone or cordless drill.
Upon receipt, you must initially charge the unit for 14 to 16 hours to provide a full initial charge. I then ran for ten minutes on carpet (with brush on) and on vinyl floor (brush off) and then placed back on charger for a good overnight charge. It took over 4 hours to re-charge. I have also placed the 2 year-old battery from the old unit on the charging base and charged it overnight. One thing, when both vacuum w/battery and 2nd battery are placed on charging base, the left LED will flash until BOTH batteries are charged and you really don't know which has finished first...
The dust cup on this model is clear so it makes it easy to see when the cup is full or the filter needs cleaning. The brush does a fairly good job beating/lifting the carpet nap, but this unit is not corded and therefore it is not anywhere near as powerful as a corded unit.
One final thing, don't even bother comparing to a Dyson cordless. The Dyson is a whole different animal from battery through motor and cost 10X the amount. The best way to think of this unit is "Dustbuster on a Stick" and is a good unit for the price. I expect it to be as reliable as the 2009 model it replaces.

I got this for "in between" cleans on my vinyl plank flooring and tile floors. So far, I love it.

Pros:
- Lightweight and easy to use. My 4 year-old loves using it, and I certainly don't mind getting some help from my kids.
- Easy option for charging. I prefer to remove the battery and charge the battery, but there's a mount option that allows you to plug the entire unit onto the charger (this option makes more sense for a wall-mounted charger set up).
- No cord to fumble with, plug in, unplug, untangle, etc.
- Reasonable battery life. Since this is only for my downstairs and between major cleanings, it usually lasts as long as I need it to before the battery needs recharging.
- Cleans the messes I need it to! I got this for picking up crumbs. I've got three young kids and there are always crumbs on the floor after meals. This has saved me from getting on my hands and knees and a using a dustpan to clean under the table. This does not pick up larger, moist foods, though.
- Beater brush works surprisingly well on carpet and rugs. I was thrilled to see how well this picked dog hair off the carpet on my stairs! Again, I use this as an in-between cleanings with my Dyson and for quick pick-ups. Using this on the stairs compared to a full size vacuum is, of course, like a dream. Super light-weight and no cord features make it perfect.
- Small and stores well. This unit will stand up on its own, unlike a large, heavy vacuum that might have tendency to tip over. Slim enough to store in tight spaces.

Cons:
- Does not pick up well against walls/edges. I have no trick for getting around this issue other than sweeping out messes away from edges (like under lower kitchen cabinets) and then vacuuming. I find that it really doesn't pick up anything that is within an inch from the wall, no matter what angle you come in at.

Other than that one issue, I have no major complaints. This is not a vacuum for all jobs! It's been a great replacement to sweeping and wonderful to do quick pick ups on rugs and carpets without bringing out the big guns. This isn't really any more powerful than a handheld vacuum, so come in with reasonable expectations and you'll be happy with it. The larger head provides more efficient vacuuming for larger areas than your typical hand-held and if you have young kids, you might actually get help with some light vacuuming. Seize that opportunity, parents!

For what you pay, it's great value. We have a Dyson but I hate dragging that up from the basement to use - we have 2 young kids and this is perfect for a post dinner quick clean up vacuum, or in the winter if you've trod in a bunch of salt and grit from outside.
Would I use it to deep clean my whole house? Definitely not.
Could I use it to pick up crumbs and food post dinner or dust balls from the rug or under the couch? Yes.
It is not a heavy duty vacuum. It's light weight so you can also use it to vacuum your stairs too - providing they aren't crazy dirty. Does the battery last a long time? No, not really if you use it as much as we do. This isn't the one with an additional battery either, so I recommend picking another one up when you buy it. It's also light enough to get the kids involved in helping to clean up! :)
I'm actually posting this review now as I grab another one of these!

ONE YEAR UPDATE: Battery lasted about a year and is completely dead as of July 2015. In defense of the product, I noted when I returned from a 10 day trip that our live-in pet sitter had this in a corner and NOT on the charger... possibly for the whole 10 days, and maybe depleted it completely before leaving it there. I liked this so much that I'm looking to purchase another of the same. I'm noting that the price has about doubled from $15.99 when I purchased to $30 now. May still be a good value when comparing to other cordless stick options, plus "known vs unknown" factor is big for me.
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Very good for the price. I've had this vac for 5 months now. The battery life is excellent. I purchased exclusively to pick up the scattered litter from our cat, but I'm preparing to purchase another because it's so small and convenient. Like most stick vac's you have a dust cup to keep clean - this one is easy to clean and dries quickly when rinsed out [which I do every 2 weeks or so since I used daily]. The waste receptacle is nice and large, so you can actually get away with cleaning it every few times used. The suction is best when the dust cup is just cleaned.. but still good after 2-3 light uses. I did note when I first got this that the suction to pick up litter and other small scraps is not very good if you don't have the brush bar switched on. The good news is that the spinning brush doesn't seem to kick particles back towards your feet like my others have. So, for that reason, when I first used it I considered returning, but for under $20 [paid $16] I'm happy I kept it. The hanging hardware is incorporated with the charger mechanism, and you also have the convenience of pulling the battery out [which is easy/nice design] if you have space to mount the charger, but not enough space to hang the vac. I've used this both ways - battery pull out, into charger, and back into vacuum is a swift one-handed easy operation.

This little vacuum is almost perfect for my needs. It has a decently long charge, it picks up very well on my wood floors, area rug and carpet on the stairs. I can get though most of it on 1 charge. The only thing that what somewhat disappointing was that with it being a 2 in 1, I thought I could remove the lower portion to be used as a Dustbuster type vacuum as I was going along. Welllllll, that's not really the case. The 2 in 1 means the handle can be taken off. There is a handle to hold the lower part when detached, but it is as you see in the picture. There is no taking the bottom part with the beater bar out of the unit. There are no attachments to get into tight spots. It doesn't work at all on furniture. It does work really well on the stairs though.

For the price, I would still recommend it. But if you want a true 2 in 1 vacuum, this isn't going to fit the bill.

Oh, and make sure the battery is seating in the unit correctly. Otherwise it doesn't charge properly and then you get to call customer service. Hopefully you won't get the same guy I did.......

I am very happy with this little mini Vac. I charged it for a full 14 hours before using it the first time as I've read. Did my whole upstairs (hardwood throughout) and my stairs (carpet runner)I was pretty happy with that! It is NOT for heavy vacuuming...won't pick up cheerios people (which is why it got 4 stars instead of 5!! Its perfect for crumbs, dog hair and dust bunnies which used to be my problem but now I can quickly take care of it without having to drag out the big vacuum AND no tripping over the darned cord!!

Another plus, it fits under the bed which if you have hardwood floors, you know you get dust bunnies under there fairly quickly.

Worked better than I thought it would on the carpets. Love that it doesn't suck the edges of the carpet up into the vac...but it manages to pick up the mess...

Also I read about the mess emptying and basically its fine - just put the cup INSIDE the trash when you pull it out - If your trash is full - empty it first or you will have a mess.

Can't say enough about this - If you have the problems I described above - Go for it you will be happy!

I purchased this item to keep tidy a carpeted area that was less than 250 ft square. It was sufficient for the task, even slightly impressive in its ability to grab hair, etc. (although it was not a high traffic area so hair, lint, etc was minimal). But given that I only vacuumed this room twice a month, I'm disappointed that the battery started dying just after month 5 (or 10 vacuums into its life). After that I had to recharge midway thru & as time went on, would have to recharge three times, just to do a small room. By the time I got my real vacuum out of storage a year after purchasing/using this item, it only held a charge for 2 mins or so at a time and was good for nothing.

This vacuum is great overall, but fair warning that the battery life is extremely poor. I've had 3 of these so far and I've managed to make each successive one last longer than the previous one. My first vacuum wouldn't hold a charge after about 9 months...the second after 12 months.....and this last one about 2 years.

You're probably wondering "why do you keep buying it?" Well, each time I've gotten it, it's been as part of a flash deal for just over $20. A new battery costs about the same (if not more), so I figured I'd just get a whole new vacuum. Right out of the box, this thing is better than cordless electric sweepers that cost $50-70....I've tried a bunch.

You can extend the lifespan of the battery by removing it from the charger after it's fully charged. Also, fully drain the battery before you recharge it. With my first vacuum, I just left it sitting on the charger constantly. With my second, I would remove it from the charger after it was charged, but I would recharge it after every use. With my third, .....well, you get the idea.

If you get this on sale and you're willing to put up with the headache of removing it from the charger, you really can't beat this vacuum. Otherwise, you should steer clear.....

There are no deals for this right now, and I can't honestly justify paying $35 for one of these, so I think it's time to move onto a new vaccum....

We have a 1600sq foot house 2 toddlers and 2 cats. When we put our house up for sale I had no desire to pull the big vac out every morning before work to vacuum the whole house before work. I thought about a Swiffer sweeper but they are only guaranteed to run 12 minutes and cost $45! This thing was amazing. I could do the floors, couches and area rugs without skipping a beat and without losing suction. The battery also made it through all 1600sq ft. Now don't get me wrong this is not my house cleaning vacuum. It was just my quickie, catch the cat hair balls, and food on the floor vacuum but it would last as good 25-30 minutes and I bet it would go longer.

**UPDATE**
Well 11 months later of daily use; I continued to use it at the new house to clean the tile and hard wood in the new house, the vacuum would die seconds after turning it on. I called the manufacturer and was sent a new battery but my electrical engineer husband said the battery wasn't the issue, in his opinion. New battery lasted several minutes longer but now after the warranty has expired I have a dead vacuum and 2 junk batteries. I honestly think they knew the motor was about to poop out on me but since I was so close to the end of my warranty they would just send me a $3 battery to "kill time."

All in all it was a good vacuum. I'd say in the 12-13 months I owned it I used it close to 400 times which adds up to about 950 hours of use so for the price I might just buy another. Unless I find an awesome deal on a Dyson and a few $100s in a parking lot.

We bought this just to do quick pick-ups on our hardwood floors. It works really well for that kind of job. These are the pros and cons:
-It's a little tough to get the cup back in to the vacuum after you have emptied it but you can get the hang of it after a few attempts. (Put the rubber seal at the bottom of the cup in first)
-After about 6 months, the battery stops holding a full charge. So you will be able to use it but battery charge won't last long enough to get the whole job done anymore. So, you can either buy a new battery or a new vacuum.
-It is so much handier than dragging out the big vac or even the canister that replacing it more often is not that terrible and the price is great.

I have a love/hate relationship with this vacuum cleaner. There are great things about it, and horrible things about it. I will break them both down for you but first I will tell you a little about my home. It is about 2300Sq ft. It has 3 most common floor times. Hardwood, tile, and plush carpet. I bought this vacuum for my new home because it was appealing on many levels. It was small, lightweight and cordless.

The Pros: This vacuum is small, lightweight, and cordless. It is easy to assemble and virtually goes anywhere! It's a lot quieter than a traditional vacuum cleaner. Heck it's so small and compact even my toddler enjoys using it (Woohoo!). It is also pretty easy to empty!

The Cons: The battery life only allows me to vacuum about 2-3 rooms at a time on a full charge, and about 1 room on a partial charge. The suction isn't the greatest, and you can FORGET picking up anything that isn't dust or hair. It has trouble vacuuming up anything dime sized or bigger. You can also forget trying to vacuum anything on thicker carpets.

In the end, it's not a bad buy for the price.. However, it could definitely use room for improvement. I find that it's best to use on a daily basis to keep the dust off the hardwood floors to prevent the dreadful dirty feet. It is great when used in addition to a regular sized vacuum. I use my Eukera stick vacuum daily for the dust and hair, and my traditional oreck twice a week for the bigger stuff, and a deeper clean especially on the carpets. If you are looking for a main vacuum, a vacuum you can buy and it does it all.. This is not for you. If you are looking for something in addition to your main vacuum for little jobs without having to lug out the big guy, then this is for you!

This is going into the trash today so I thought I'd provide a review of its full lifetime performance. First, if you have shedding pets I don't recommend this stick vac. We have two mid-sized double-coated (e.g., heavy shedding) dogs and in no time the hair had completely gunned up the tiny "wheels" meaning when pushed over a smooth surface this left behind black marks where the wheels weren't turning. The brush in the vacuum cannot be easily (or at all?) removed but I would use scissors to remove dog hair. It's also not particularly effective for picking up larger items, like a cheerio. It is decent when working for vacuuming an entry way (dirt) or stairs. The biggest issue is how quickly the vacuum stops accepting a charge. It made it almost exactly two years in my home, but at least the last year of that was less than 2 minutes of vacuuming from fully charged. I've kept it because my three year old really likes to "vacuum" with me. Now it's something like 15 seconds of run time when "charged" which is frustrating for everyone so out it goes.

This used to be a great product. We have owned several of them over the past 10 years or so and kept replacing them as they wore out because they did a great job for what they were and could afford to be replaced as needed. It was cheaper to buy a new machine than to buy a replacement battery. We are very disappointed in the most recent replacement because of the charging system. They have made some changes and they are not for the better. We used to be able to charge the spare battery while the machine itself was also charging. No longer. If the machine is charging when we put the battery in the charger, the battery does not charge until we remove the machine and lift and replace the battery. The same for the machine. If the spare battery is in the charger when we insert the machine, the machine battery will not charge until we remove the spare battery. This never happened with the older models that we used to have. After complaining to the company they sent us a new wall charger, but it did not change anything. Still works the same inconvenient way. And it takes a very long time to reach full charge. This did not happen with previous models. Because it takes so long to reach full charge we often only get a very few minutes of running time when we need to use it before a full charge. The more recent model still does a great job of cleaning when it is running for awhile but we can't stand the inconvenience of the new charging system. It has been a great disappointment because we really liked all the previous ones we bought.

EDIT: dropped review from 4 stars to 2. See note at end.

Terrific little vacuum. I've only had mine a short time so can't speak of durability over time. Some complain of the battery giving out.* The instructions say it may be left plugged in constantly. It comes with a power-up wall-mount; I love being able to just take it off the wall, do a quick sweep and then put it back for recharging. It couldn't get any more convenient.

I (initially) give it 4 stars because there is no provision for edge work. The brushes and vacuum opening begins about an inch away from the edge, so you're not going to be able to get in edges and corners. This is intended for general quick pickup; for edges or hard-to-reach spots you'll need a hand vac or regular vacuum with a crevice tool.

* NOTE: The reviews stating the battery dies prematurely is correct. I followed all instructions on this device and the battery died in less than one year. Since I only use this for spot cleaning, the battery dying in that amount of time indicates extremely poor battery quality. I really like this vacuum otherwise... but the battery situation makes this a losing purchase.

Edited March 2014:

Taking away a couple of stars, because every issue I mentioned still exists, but is worse.

* The battery is puny and must be recharged between every single vacuuming -- and our kitchen is only about 10x12. It might do our kitchen and both our small (4x6 bathrooms), but probably not much more on a single charge.
* It still picks up hair well. But nothing else. In the kitchen, it pushes crumbs around, picking up most of them only after a few passes, often dropping some again a few feet later. As a kitchen vacuum, it is quite poor. We still keep the broom in the kitchen closet, for edges of the room and for crumbs larger than a small bead or heavier than a speck of bread, or for times when we want the floor to be more than merely mostly-clean.

It would be 1-star but for the dearth of decent products in this segment.

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I've only had this for a couple of weeks and so far I'm somewhat satisfied. It does a terrific job of picking up hair in the bathroom, wool lint that our rugs shed and dust bunnies under the bed. It is much less useful for the kitchen. It often will not pick up the crumbs that fall on the floor. I find it does a little better if I use the carpet setting on the bare floor but I still find myself in the position of having to use a different method to pick up those crumbs. I do love how it works for the stuff under the sofa cushions. It's lightweight and small enough to fit in odd places to conveniently pick up little things of garbage. The battery doesn't last very long at all. It will barely complete one room. It would probably be a good idea to have an extra battery charging while using this so more area can be covered. If it only had a little more suction, I would love it.

UPDATE 12-18-15 : Tossed this vac out a couple of months ago. Just an absolute nightmare to take apart the powered head to remove tangled strings and to replace the belt, which comes off quite frequently...:((

When reassembling , some parts (the little roller wheels) have to literally sit in place by gravity while you try to snap the upside-down cover over them. Maybe 6 times you will try the cover, only to realize that the wheels are gone again. Two white nylon pieces that hold the roller in place are ridiculously difficult to keep in place at the same time you have to watch those wheels...%&$$^ Never saw even a full size powered head with this many loose pieces to watch out for.

Two stars instead of one, because when the machine is back together, it is really pretty good.
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Original Review:

I bought this, 3 wks ago, mostly for my kitchen, which has a rough surface stone tile.

PROs: - Good battery life, considering how small...can do a 14x10 kitchen and two rooms of hardwood about 13x22, plus hardwood stairs, in about 25 mins.

- Has s switch for hardwood / carpet selection, which saves on the battery. I found that the carpet mode works well on rough tile when the hardwood would sometimes not. Does a good job on area carpets and throw rugs, (if they are not deep pile, of course). Gets people hair off carpets, but don't expect a stick vac to get much pet hair from a carpet.

- Has only a cloth cup filter, but that is fine for small bits of crumbs, dirt, and dust bunnies. Would not try picking up spilled flour, until I had gotten most of that with a broom and pan. Filter is easy to shake, but does make a bit of a mess to get completely claer of picked-up debris. It can be washed. If you cant stand to clean a filter, I would question how well you clean a house in the first place...

- assembles easily: the bolt in the handle has a recessed design that is nice - you don't see it after it is in.

- Handle comes off to make a very usable hand-vac pretty good for stairs.

CONS: - The handle wobbles a bit where it goes into the vac body. No trouble yet, but a little less quality than the recessed bolt design - looks like two different grades of engineers worked on this design!

- To get most suction from the small motor, the vac rides very close to the floor, so anything larger than a large bread crumb will just scoot along on a slick floor. Sometimes backing up over it helps, but you do pay the price for it doing a better job on what it does well. Notice I still give it 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this vacuum the first time I used it. Ultimately I did return the vacuum as it became defective. I will outline the pros and cons for your reading pleasure.

Pros:
Very quick and effective vacuum
Lays flat to vacuum under furniture
Really decent suction
Easy to assemble
Easy to use
Easy to empty receptacle.

Cons:
NiCad battery
Cloth filter is easily clogged and has to be washed with soap and water, then air dried before you can resume vacuuming
12 minute battery life may not be sufficient for everyone, however I have only found one cordless with a longer battery life.
My unit stopped charging after 7 uses, was returned as defective.
It is an extremely cheap product that has obviously low quality parts.

This may be a great vacuum for someone who doesn't have much dirt tracked in, it did excellent work at collecting cat hair but dirt clogged the filter every time I vacuumed my entry rug.

Please mark yes that you found my review helpful so that I know you enjoyed reading my review. Thank you.

I originally gave this vacuum 4 stars but I am downgrading to one star. I purchased it at the end of the October and the vacuum already won't hold a charge.

The charger stopped working after 1 month of light use. I can't believe it. just past the return window!!!

First of all I read all the reviews and did lots of research before I purchased this. And at first I was thrilled with this little guy. Lightweight, perfect for stairs, ability to take off the handle. After only a few months, it won't hold a charge more than 3 minutes. I can't even get to the bottom of the stairs and it is dead. The charger works fine and says it is fully charged, but it doesn't hold the charge. I am so disappointed and wish I could return it. I also bought Bissell's Pet Vacuum for Hard Floors. It is corded and I use it on the main floor of the house. It has outstanding suction and now I will have to purchase another one to keep upstairs. Twice the suction on that vacuum, also lightweight and good on stairs. Buyer beware of this Eureka Quick Up.

I bought this vacuum to vacuum up Cheerios and bits of food underneath my child's high chair and to clean up kibble that my cats spill. This vacuum doesn't have any kind of clearance underneath it, so it just pushes Cheerios, food bits, and kibble around on the floor. It only vacuums them up if I pick up the vacuum and physically set it down on the Cheerio (food bit, or kibble). I don't have time to hunt down each individual Cheerio, food bit, or kibble and suck it up. So, this vacuum cleaner is pretty much worthless to me. I'm returning it and have already ordered a DustBuster to replace it. I don't recommend it for homes that have young children or pets.