Product: SweeperVac
Manufacturer: Swiffer
Wired Rating: 6
The original Swiffer’s electrostatic-cloth-on-a-stick did a great job pulling up dust and small clumps of pet hair, but anything larger — crumbs, leaves, random detritus — just got pushed around until you came through with a broom or vacuum.
Thankfully, the SweeperVac has more sucking power than the collective attendees at the AVN awards. It combines a Swiffer with a cordless, rechargeable, Dustbuster-style hand vac mounted near the bottom of the pole, just ahead of the dust cloth. Don’t expect Dyson-caliber vacuum power here, but the combination works well enough to leave a kitchen or bathroom floor cleaner than any broom ever could — and with a lot less effort involved.
Keeping with Swiffer tradition, the double-jointed head corners nicely. And with a travel weight of just 3.6 pounds, the SV is light enough that you won’t tire after five minutes of, uh, sweepvac-ing. However, the hardware-fattened pole prevents the contraption from reaching more than a few inches under coffee tables, ottomans and other low-lying furniture — areas the original Sweeper could invade with ease.
What’s more, any cordless vacuum worth its salt should stand battle-ready in a charging dock. The SV stands on the floor, dockless, instead relying on an AC adapter you have to plug in and connect whenever you want to recharge. There’s a plastic loop on the SV’s handle for hanging on a hook or nail, but that’s hardly an elegant solution.
Still, Swiffer’s hybrid isn’t meant to take the place of your vacuum cleaner. It’s more of a fancy broom and dustpan, a room sprucer-upper you whip out when you remember company’s coming in five minutes. And for that, it’s nice to have around.
WIRED Quickly dusts and de-crumbifies kitchens, bathrooms and other hard-floor areas. Much easier to maneuver than an upright vac. Easy-to-empty collection bin. Slim and lightweight enough to hang behind a door or in a closet.
TIRED No charging dock. Smallish motor means weak suction power. Every time you use it, a disposable dirt pad makes its way into a landfill. Nonreplaceable battery, so when it stops holding a charge after a couple of years, you’re screwed.