Let me clarify about the title above: the Electrolux Ergorapido 2-in-1 Sweeper is the best hard floor vacuum for pet owners. After countless recommendations from other cat owners, we finally got our hands on one of these 2 in 1 models and put it through the daily cleaning chores for 3 days now, and we're reporting back an enthusiastic "yay". Check out the details after the jump...
Best Product: Electrolux Ergorapido 2-in-1 Sweeper
To start, the Electrolux Ergorapido just looks darn nice compared to all the other stick and hand vacuums out there. We've always loved the previously labeled Electrolux Pronto model, but this new champagne coloured is arguably more handsome (but why don't we get the even cooler selection of colours available in Europe?). Ergonomically speaking, the Ergorapido is just that, an efficiently designed product that feels like a comfortable extension of my cleaning whims. With the light form factor, using this lightweight vac is more akin to using a Swiffer stick than a traditional upright.
With the click of two buttons, you've got yourself a Dustbuster sized hand vacuum to reach those spots the stick form factor won't reach (aka behind the cat litter box). Build construction of both the stick and hand vacuum is made with rugged and pleasantly brushed plastic, with a noticeable tight finish to all corresponding parts (unlike some of the plastic laden uprights we've sampled).
The Ergorapido is really meant for hard surfaces, but it does decently well on low pile surfaces (it frankly sucked in a bad way, on our shag rug). We tested it on FLOR carpet tiles and our seating, and it removed about half the pet hair our Hoover canister vacuum pulls off using its thin rotating brush heads. But considering the difference in size and motor, this isn't too surprising.
The Ergorapido's natural habitat is on bathroom, kitchen or hardwood floors, where its cordless freedom shines and its appeal becomes evident. Cleaning with it is so ridiculously simple because of the unit's size and the pivoting head, which allows for easy reach under tables, seating and around corners. In just three days of use , its shortened and eased daily cleaning chores, because I've been able to just do a quick once around each morning, lessening the need to seriously vacuum with the canister.
No, that's not Donald Trump's hairpiece.That is from three days of use. Cleaning the filter is fairly easy, though like every other hand vacuum, emptying can become a mess. We recommend you empty it outside to avoid returning whatever you vacuumed into your house.
Inside is two filters system: a fine plastic mesh and an inner removable cone with HEPA filtration material (but please note, the HEPA filter only applies to the quality of the filter itself, not necessarily the whole unit where there is noticeable air-particle leakage). Both can be washed after use, but we just wash the plastic mesh and lightly brush the HEPA cone. The vacuum's receptacle seems to need to be emptied every 3rd day with daily use for full efficiency.
Overall, this is one of the few products we've loved in recent memory. It handles a task we have to do, makes it simpler and efficient, and is fairly priced. It's not a replacement for a full sized vacuum, but rather a helpful compliment to your full powered upright or canister models. Our white floors are looking a lot nicer, and the litter boxes a lot lessy granular thanks to the Ergorapido. Definitely recommended.
Available at Amazon, Target, and Allergy Be Gone.
Comments (20)
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I got one of these a few months ago and it is wonderful for a once-over for my hardwood and small area rug. I wouldn't use a larger vacuum as often but it's so small and light it's easy to just grab it off the charger and get rid of those persistent hairballs the dogs leave in their wake.
view heidh's profile
Does it work just as good on carpet?
view anne's profile
wow, what a great and detailed review! this sounds perfect for me, my fake hardwood floors, and my super-shedding dog.
thanks, gregory!
view my little apartment's profile
Does this really hold up? I have bought a few similiar vacuums, they work great in the beginning and then stop being effecient? Any toughts? Thanks
view coristyle's profile
Also for Anne, in the originally story they mention it worked well on low pile carpet.
view coristyle's profile
Can anyone comment on whether this would be good with small kids who drop a lot of food on the floor? Would it pick up cheerios and chunks of broccoli? Does it take the place of a broom?
view metromom's profile
Like the socks.
view Indy Jeffrey's profile
coristyle:construction seems durable, but I won't be able to give you definite feedback for a few months.
metromom: no I would not recommend this for a mixture of dry and wet items, nor to vacuum up chunks of produce. The vac seems best suited for dust, dirt, small sized items, fur and hair. We still keep a hand broom and dust pan for anything larger.
view gregory's profile
I have owned this thing for two years...I thought it would be great for the hardwood floors & area rugs. It worked great for about 8 months, then I think I abused it too much by sucking up some pine needles from a Christmas tree (which I ended up pulling out by hand). It never acted right after that.
Then, recently, I started using it again & the only part that works is the little handheld part..and that is only really good for sucking up dust bunnies.
I think there's a warranty for this vacuum somewhere, maybe I should try to get it fixed up to it's previous glory.
view incara's profile
I love this for cleaning up dog hair, and the crumbs the dogs don't get. Works beautifully on our low-pile stair runner, too. :)
view bridgettoledo's profile
gregory,
Like coristyle I am curious about long term wear. Any way you could follow up in a few months? And by the way, your three days of cat hair is one afternoon with my two dogs. Gotta love the hair balls!
view annaland's profile
Seems like just what I need with a Pug and a cat shedding like maniacs. Thanks for the info!
view TCMB's profile
Gregory,
I'm in the market for a stick vac too, but I read on various places that the Hoover S2220 Flair Bagless Upright Stick Vacuum with Power Nozzle is very popular. Why did you pick this instead of the Hoover? I don't have any pets at the moment.
view fusionista's profile
Don't buy it! I got it 2 years ago in Madrid, it seemed quite good at first (apart from on my medium pile rug, on which it couldn't pick up well at all). But suction seemed to get worse with time (despite cleaning fliters etc) till it couldn't even pick up crumbs... It's v sleek and the in-built mini-vc is a great idea, but for me it just didn't work, 2 years on I've ditched it and spent the same (150euros) on a compact LG filterless vacuum cleaner which leaves my house a lot cleaner!
view nadyamadrid's profile
fusionista: we prefer the Ergorapido because of it's pop-off hand vacuum option, which comes in especially handy when cleaning around the litter box, and also because we found the Ergorapido a better looking machine.
view gregory's profile
Have used a version of this vacuum here in Asia for a couple of years now - and while it does a decent job of being an electric broom in essence, it was horrible at picking up both cat and human hair (they tended to get stuck in the little rollers and). I spent more time picking out the hairs that prevented the rollers from spinning than cleaning the floors. Needless to say it now does a very good job of collecting dust, sitting unused in some hidden corner of my kitchen.
As for rugs? Not even worth the effort. I'd rather crawl on my hands and knees and pick up each speck of dust by hand.
Hopefully what you guys are getting in the US is a much improved version.
view onephatcow's profile
3 cats, all wood or vinyl floors here. I just use a StickMop (sort of like a Swiffer but it's just a stick with a cross piece on the end with a rag on it.)
I'm in the slightly damp is ok for wood floors school, so I just put a damp bar towel on my StickMop and rinse it when it cruds up. Or grab another towel and toss the dirty ones in the wash.
Plus they're easy to make and don't need electricity.
I do have a shop vac for kitty litter spills but I may have solved that problem with 18" deep litter boxes!
view Poster's profile
I have one of these. It worked great for the first 8 or so months, and since then it has lost its efficiency by A LOT. I have two cats and thought the vacuum would help out with the hair, but it gets clogged after running it in one room and it is more frustrating than helpful. I so wish it did all it promised. It now just sits in my closet. Quite honestly, my roomba does a much better job.
view Sharon H's profile
Interesting that after 8 or 9 months it seems to crap out. That's a really consistent quality/performance detail.
view kimg924's profile
My experience has been that all of the stick vacs will diminish in their functionality over time, so I buy a cheaper (~$35@Target) stick vac about once every 12-18 mos and run it till it craps out.
Not the most "green" solution but it saves you from having to clean the little suckers which is a chore that truly blows.*
*puns intended
view DennisInPortland's profile