The Best Affordable Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaners
| | ||
|---|---|---|
| Corded | Battery | Corded | 25ft | |
| Bagless | ✓ | |
| Filter | Washable | |
| Weight | 10.8 lbs | |
| Hose | Yes | |
| Brush Roll | ✓ | |
| | ||
|---|---|---|
| Corded | Battery | Corded | 16ft | |
| Bagless | ✓ | |
| Filter | Washable | |
| Weight | 3.75 lbs | |
| Hose | No | |
| Brush Roll | x | |
| | ||
|---|---|---|
| Corded | Battery | Corded | 15ft | |
| Bagless | ✓ | |
| Filter | Washable | |
| Weight | 6.5 lbs | |
| Hose | No | |
| Brush Roll | ✓ | |
| | ||
|---|---|---|
| Corded | Battery | Corded | 16 ft | |
| Bagless | ✓ | |
| Filter | Washable | |
| Weight | 3.8 lbs | |
| Hose | No | |
| Brush Roll | x | |
Vacuuming is up there with ironing and washing the dishes as the least favorite chores around the home. Whether it’s carpet, solid wood, laminate, or tile, the flooring you have demands the best vacuum cleaner for the job. Keeping a home clean can be a challenge, especially with the modern busy lifestyle, and it can also be costly, with many vacuums coming with surprisingly steep price tags.
Expensive vacuums have their perks: those in the market for a model costing $400 or more can expect greater battery life, more powerful suction, and less than 0.3 percent leakage of the dust and bacteria. One manufacturer even claims that the air produced by their vacuum is cleaner than the air you breathe. You can also expect digital, compact motors that generate 79,000g as the cyclones spin and a ceramic motor casing that is three times stronger than steel. This all adds up to a vacuum that will even suck up particles of microscopic dust and bacteria. These vacuums are packed with innovations, but we recognize that spending hundreds of dollars on a vacuum isn’t always possible.
Accordingly, we decided to look at the affordable end of the market and investigate the best Dirt Devil models that provide strong performance at an excellent price. Why Dirt Devil? The brand is one of the most tried and true in the vacuum industry and offers models consistently built to last and to perform. They might not be the most powerful in the cutting edge of technology, but they can get your vacuuming jobs done efficiently. This article offers some insights into the Dirt Devil brand and then profiles five models that can clean well and cost very little.
Dirt Devil Overview
Dirt Devil sounds like a catchy, modern name, but the company has a real pedigree in the story of vacuum cleaners. Started in 1905, by Phillip A. Geier, in Cleveland, Ohio, then known as Royal Manufacturing, the company has gone from strength to strength and is now selling products all over the world. They even helped the American war effort, putting their skills to military use during World War II.
But how good are their vacuum cleaners? We know, from sites like Amazon, that Dirt Devils are popular. In fact, one of the models that we review has over 14,000 purchases. Dirt Devil has found particular success by targeting the younger generation with their bright colors and bold designs. They want new homeowners and young professionals to buy their brands, and if they have pets, even better. Dirt Devil make great claims about their pet technology. They are the entry level manufacturer of vacuum cleaners and offer four categories of vacuum:
- Upright
- Cordless
- Hand
- Stick
Designed to meet a variety of cleaning needs, what these styles all share is an affordable price point. Let’s take a closer look at some of their leading models.
Overview
Details
Upright | Cord 25ft | Bagless | Washable Filter | 10.8 lbs. | ✓ Brush Roll| 10 Ft Hose
This is an affordable option, especially when tackling pet hairs. It’s great for multi-surfaces too, excelling on both deep pile and hardwood flooring.
Pros
- Pros
- No loss of suction
- Gets into tightest spots
- Maneuverable
- Rinsable filter
- Multi-floor
- Handles pet hairs with ease
Cons
- Plug-in cord
- One speed brush
Features
- Swivel steering
- Spin4ProTM pet brushroll
- Low profile design
- Tools: 2 in 1 crevice & dusting, stairs & upholstery, Turboclaw pet
- 1 year warranty
This vacuum is lightweight and easy to use. With its low profile and swivel action, it certainly feels less awkward to maneuver than the traditional two-wheeled variety. It glides along, taking tight corners with ease. It also makes bumping into furniture a rare occurrence, making it easier to get into hard-to-reach spaces. Couple that with the 10-foot extendable hose, and there won’t be many places in the home that this thing can’t tackle. The Razor can even clean drapes. It has a lightweight feel and is very easy to handle.
The Dirt Devil Razor Pet UD70355Bcomes with a “no loss of suction” guarantee, and it makes a great job of picking up pet hair too, especially as it’s equipped with the Turboclaw Pet Tool. It also tackles multi-surfaces like hardwood and carpet with ease thanks to its brush roll technology.
Handheld | Corded 16ft | Bagless | Washable filter | 3.75 lbs | 2.5ft hose
Handheld | Corded 16ft | Bagless | Washable filter | 3.75 lbs | 2.5ft hose
This is the cheapest of the Dirt Devil handheld vacuums, and doesn’t come with many accessories. However, it is great value for money and performs well.
Pros
- Cheap
- Great reviews
- Cleans hard-to-reach spots
- 16 Ft cord
- Comes with a hose
Cons
- Not battery powered
- Heavy for a hand-held
Features
- QuickFlipTM crevice tool
- Hose
- Dusting brush
- 3 year warranty
This brightly colored handheld may not have the sophistication of a Lithium battery to power the motor, but its 16-foot power cord means it does cost a whole lot less. Like the QuickFlipTM Plus, it has excellent suction, and because of the cord, there’ll be no waiting for the unit to charge.
The Dirt Devil Scorpion Quick Flip SD2005RED is great at tackling stairs and upholstery, something bulky upright vacuums struggle with. It has a 16v Lithium battery which gives it a 13 minute run time. It has a 0.5 liter dirt capacity and takes 4 hours to charge fully, which is quicker than other comparable hand-held units. It also has a QuickFlipTM Crevice Tool, making it easier to get to those awkward spots. This hand-held is also great in an emergency, tackling any dry spill in an instant.
Stick | Corded 15ft | Bagless | Washable filter | 6.5 lbs. | ✓Brush Roll | No hose
The Dirt Devil Vibe SD20020 gives a great combination of stick vacuum and hand-held vacuum, making it easier to clean the car or trailer.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Includes a handheld vac
- Easy empty dirt cup
- Great for the stairs or furniture
- Great on hardwood floors
Cons
- Weaker suction
- Limited tools
- Not great on carpet
Features
- On/off brush roll
- Quick release cord
- 10 inch Nozzle
- 1 year warranty
The lightweight design of the Dirt Devil Vibe SD20020 enables you to easily move from room to room. It also has an ultra-low profile so it lays flat; great for reaching under the bed or the sofa. The handle detaches easily to convert into a hand-held, and the cord behaves well with the quick release feature. A word of warning: The suction when the vacuum is used as a stick can be a bit weak. You might find yourself going over the same spot two or three times. That said, it does only seem to happen on carpet and rugs, not on hard flooring.
Stick | Corded 12ft | Bagless | Washable Filter | 3.8 lbs. | No brushroll | No hose
This vacuum cannot be beaten for value. It handles rugs and hard floors and converts into a hand-held device too. This is the best-selling Stick on Amazon.
Pros
- Cheap to buy
- Great for drapes or furniture
- Lightweight
- Easy to Use
- Great on hardwood floors
- Converts to a handheld
Cons
- No brush roll – suction only
- Weaker suction
- Looks cheap
- Not great on carpets
Features
- Crevice tool
- 3-in-1 feature
- 1 year limited warranty
- 1 year warranty
This 3-in-1 vacuum is in a class of its own. It can handle hard floors and rugs, although there is a note of caution: it has been known to struggle on carpets, and especially carpets with a deeper tread. Regardless, it is great when you have hard floors exclusively or an emergency spill or a hard-to-reach spot in a room. And don’t forget that because it is so light, it can be transported to any room in the house with ease. It even comes with a handy crevice tool to focus the suction power into tight spots. The Dirt Devil SimpliStik SD20000RED does look cheap and the production values aren’t high, but it has over 14,000 reviews on Amazon that say it does the job well and it is a great vacuum.
Final Thoughts
Dirt Devil makes fabulous products to suit the budget buyer. They don’t make false claims about their product performance, and their models do exactly what they say on the box. Though they are surpassed in quality by their more expensive competitors, Dirt Devil vacuums are good, affordable machines from a well-known American brand.
