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Household<br />
Cordless Hand Vacs<br />
Dust off those promises you made about cleaning up your<br />
act. Sucking it up has never been easier. —JEN TROLIO<br />
EDITORS’<br />
PICK<br />
Black & Decker 18V Pivot<br />
$60 • blackanddecker.com<br />
The Pivot’s unique nozzle and extendable crevice tool make it ideal<br />
for cleaning hard-to-reach crap-collectors like windowsill grooves<br />
and the deep, dark canyons on either side of the center console in<br />
your car. Maximize battery life or turn up the juice for super suction<br />
via two motor speeds. A wall-mountable charging dock stores<br />
the attachments. The vacuum also features a see-through, easyto-empty<br />
canister similar to the Dyson’s—but the Pivot boasts<br />
a more ergonomic design and a sweeter price tag.<br />
WIRED Folds in half for extremely compact storage.<br />
TIRED Small nozzle opening makes it difficult for the Pivot to<br />
swallow large debris, like those peanut M&Ms under the car seat.<br />
Dirt Devil Kurv<br />
$50 • dirtdevil.com<br />
Created by trendy designer Karim Rashid and available only in<br />
fancy hues like Choco-latte and Harvest Wheat, this distant cousin<br />
of the lava lamp capably handles one task with aplomb: sitting pretty<br />
until called to action for quick crumb pickups and <strong>sm</strong>all dry-goods<br />
spills. But the Kurv’s low-voltage motor and lack of attachments<br />
were no match for a sofa upholstered in pet hair or for any serious<br />
scuzz, such as wet coffee grounds.<br />
WIRED The most fashion-forward model out there. Relatively quiet.<br />
TIRED Cumbersome and messy to empty. Filter clogs easily. Form<br />
radiates sleekness on shelf, but feels like vacuuming with a bowling pin.<br />
Dyson Root 6<br />
$150 • dyson.com<br />
The flamethrower-style Root 6 looks like it came straight from a<br />
Ghostbusters prop closet, complete with a trigger for a switch and<br />
enough power to melt the Marshmallow Man. The transparent<br />
canister makes it obvious when it needs emptying, which can be done<br />
with one hand and no mess. But as a whole, the unit felt unwieldy<br />
and difficult to maneuver. Plus, turn it the wrong way and the air vent<br />
may blow an unpleasant gust right in your face.<br />
WIRED Wall-mountable. Nifty, versatile combo brush.<br />
TIRED Vacuuming requires depressing the trigger continuously—<br />
a drag. Battery drains quickly (it lasted about two-thirds as long as<br />
the other models in our test). No attachment storage built in.<br />
EuroPro Shark 18V<br />
$50 • sharkcompany.com<br />
For pet owners, the Shark is man’s second-best friend. This<br />
hammerhead-shaped beast snarfed up animal hair and dirt better<br />
than any of the other models we tested, thanks to a detachable<br />
motorized brush that works just like a traditional upright vacuum’s.<br />
Though its conventional design lacks the clear canister of both<br />
the Dyson Root 6 and the Black & Decker Pivot, the Shark’s ample<br />
power and low price offer the most suck for the buck.<br />
WIRED Comfortable, ergonomic handle. Weight is evenly<br />
distributed: Farewell, forearm fatigue.<br />
TIRED No wall-mountable dock or attachment storage.
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