Conor Pope reviews hand-held cleaners.
Black & Decker Dustbuster €36.95
Highs: While the Dustbuster may be the old kid on the block, it has been given a makeover and now looks surprisingly funky and strangely reminiscent of an Apple Mac. It is comparatively cheap, widely available and very lightweight. It can also be used to suck up spills, giving it a broader appeal than the competition.
Lows: The suction isn't really that great so it might struggle with heavy duty jobs and won't be much good when the time comes to get pine needles from the Christmas tree out of the boot of your car. It hangs off a hook instead of being clipped into a holder or docking station which doesn't look quite so secure.
Verdict: Cheap but challenging.
Star rating: ***
Dyson €149.99
Highs: If you want a hand-held cleaner that looks for all the world like a particularly funky 1950s sci-fi stun gun, thethe new-to-the-market Dyson is your only man. It is, the packaging assures us, the only hand-held one that doesn't lose suction and it also claims to have twice the suction of the competition. Whatever about that, it is very good. It has a natty one-touch emptying system which means you never have to cover yourself in grime. The wall mount on which it is stored and recharged is compact and sturdy.
Lows: The price, the price and the price. Yes, it's cool looking, yes it's a conversation starter (and not many handheld cleaning devices can say that) but €149.99?.
Verdict: Dear, very dear.
Star rating: ***
Dirt Devil Handheld Pet Control Cleaner €61.95
Highs: If the Dyson looks like a 1950s space gun, then this looks for all the world like a space rocket from the same era. It has 10.8 volts of power which seems like quite a lot and it's also quite sturdy. The rubber handle facilitates a good firm grip and we liked the motorised brush which is specially designed for pet hairs. Of course, we had no pet hairs to hand to check if it was any good so we have to accept the Dirt Devil's word for it.
Lows: This is a somewhat more fiddly device than the Dyson. The docking station which is used to recharge it is also on the large size. While it is a good bit cheaper than the Dyson, it is still anything but cheap.
Verdict: Pricey and fiddly
Star rating: ***
Beaumark v900 Rocket Vacuum Cleaner €24.95
Highs: This is an Irish-made cleaner which wears its space-age nature proudly on its box. When turned on it also sounds a bit like a rocket preparing for lift-off. It has tremendous suction and is pretty cheap.
Lows: Of course the main reason it has such good suction is because it is mains powered. PriceWatch was surprised to see a flex attached to this cleaner when it was divested of its box. Its size and the absence of any flex on the pictures of the cleaner on the box led us to believe it was cordless, so the cable was something of a disappointment. It obviously lacks the flexibility of the others and while it does come with a lot of accessories, you might question the usefulness of some of them.
Verdict: Cheap but restricting.
Star rating: **
Rowenta Oriun Wet and Dry hand Held Vacuum Cleaner €44.95
Highs: This looks like an aardvark. It has a natty emptying system which allows you dump all the junk with the push of a single button and seems to be pretty powerful. The cute little nozzle attachment slots very neatly into the docking station. It can be used to clean up spills as well as crumbs, and it blows cool air directly into your face while cleaning.
Lows: While this stream of air is fine when you just turn it on and wave it about, it might be less pleasant if you were cleaning, say, baby sick.
Verdict: Not so flash but good value.
Star rating: ****
***** Excellent **** Great *** Fine ** Below Par * Awful
