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Dirt Devil Kurv - Deserves More Credit; Pretty Good For A Cordless, Despite Low Suction

The Dirt Devil 0216CHM Kurv Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner deserves more credit than it gets. This is not a perfect product. It is definitely not designed for everybody. But as somebody who has bought way more vacuums than the average person, I think this model has a lot going for it that will appeal to specific customers.

SO SHOULD I BUY THIS?

* If you need a compact cordless vacuum for occasional clean up around your car or house, this is a product you should look into.
* If you need to clean large areas, look into the alternatives.
* If you are expecting the same power out of a cordless hand-held vaccuum as a corded one, you will also be disappointed with this. This works great for light use. Just don’t plan on picking up nuts and bolts with it like people do on those infomercials.
* If you need to clean heavily soiled areas, look into another product.

PROS
+ The battery holds a charge longer than any other handheld I have tried! Just make sure you prime it properly (follow the instructions) and it should last a long time
+ Improved filter keeps dirt out of the motor; should help it last longer
+ The integrated charging base is very convenient and compact
+ Very nice design; button is flush on the top, good non-skid nozzle
+ Very light! See more in the alternative section

CONS
- Like all cordless vacuums, the suction is not very powerful
- The storage bin does need to be emptied often; hair and debris stick to the filter, so you will have to remove those things by hand to keep this thing working well
- The charge light doesn’t change color to differentiate between “charging” and “charged” states
- The price may be slightly high for such a small unit

TIPS

As soon as you get your vacuum, plug it in for at least a day without using it. Once your battery is primed, this thing holds a charge better than any cordless vac I have tried.

Cleaning out the dust bin takes some getting used to. The filter of this guy is very good. At first, you have to pull it out in order to clean it and empty the bin. When you replace it, you have to line it up with a small tab that only fits on the top of the circular filter holder. While this takes some time, it holds the dust away from the motor better than others that I have.

ALTERNATIVES

The Eureka 71B Hand-Held Vacuum is very highly rated. Just an FYI, Eureka is a Dirt Devil company too from what I understand. I got one of those last year to use for spot cleaning. That version is corded and does have a lot more suction power than this cordless Kurv. So what’s the problem with that one that made me shop for others? Well, even though it’s twice the size, the dust collection bin isn’t much bigger. That’s not a huge deal. But cleaning the bin takes much more time. The filter gets clogged quicker and needs to be frequently changed. I also found that because that unit is heavier, I didn’t use it as often.

Those who mainly want more power and don’t mind replacing filters or dealing with wires may prefer the 71B. As for me, I find that the fact that the Kurv is light, small and always ready to go in the charging cradle means it gets used a lot more often in my house. It may only be good for a few dust bunnies, hair and dirt, but that’s enough to make it useful.

The Eureka 79B The Boss Cordless Rechargeable Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is a similar design to the classic “dust buster.” There are newer versions of the classic dust buster, such as the Black and Decker CHV9600 9.6-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster. I suppose those are more direct competitors to this one but I haven’t tried those models myself. I really like that the collection bin is seperated from the motor by the filter. Those old school designs tend to be messier to clean up, but it may be worth looking since they sell for slightly less.

Similarly, Dirt Devil also makes a Kone Cordless Hand Vacuum that sells for a little less. I also own and have used that one. It is very similar to the Kurv, but the battery doesn’t seem as robust and the dust bin is even a little smaller. I think that the improvements to the Kurv and the better filter make it worth paying a little more for it. You will have to decide if those features are worth the extra cash to you.

Of course everybody is aware of the newer Dyson handheld models. But the Dyson DC16 Root 6 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner and Dyson DC16 Animal Handheld Vacuum Cleaner retail for around $150 and $200 respectively. I’m not quite sure if I’m ready to spend that kind of cash for a handheld. Every site I have checked has complained of poor battery life for those units.

CONCLUSION

While far from perfect, this design is convenient enough that you will probably find yourself using it more often than other models. For light use around your house and your car, this is a good unit. For more demanding use, look into the other options.

Enjoy.

Update (2/21/2012):

The featured review for this product, Dirt Devil M0216CHM Kurv Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Kitchen, was written by Mark.

The average rating for this item is 3.3 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.