As soon as we saw the Dirt Devil KONE online and in print, a handheld vacuum designed by prolific Karim Rashid, we knew we were going to give in and get one. In a household of two wrasslin' felines, fur, whiskers and toenails litter our white vinyl and wood floors more often than we'd like. We always wanted a small household vacuum, but always balked at the ho-hum industrial design. We fess up: looks matter. But now we're here to report back if the Kone works as well as it looks.
So what do we think after two months of using the Kone? Overall, a positive experience, with some notable shortcomings. The hand vacuum is powerful enough to pick up wayward cat litter crystals and sucks up dirt with ease, but has problems occasionally regurgitating its payload if shaken. Emptying out the washable bin is a relatively simple affair (cat hair can be a bit of a pain). It's a beautiful object of art when not in use, with a night light feature. At first we loved the nightlight, but then we quickly realized it was just wasting energy so we've kept it off; but the option is a keen aesthetic feature. In terms of ergonomics, my girlfriend and I are a bit divided. She notes the Kone is a bit heavy for her to use for any extended amount of time, with a slightly unwieldy grip. I haven't had any problems myself, and the Kone fits comfortably in my average size paws. But dainty, it is not. My biggest issue with the hand vacuum was its propensity to jettison small debris right into the eyes if aimed incorrectly, but I've learned to point the air vent away when using it.
Dust bunnies, begone!
I wouldn't be too concerned about the night light using too much electricity. It is an LED light, and if left on 24/7, would use perhaps a quarters worth if energy per year, if that much
I've heard it's left handed...
i would love to hear how it's still working in a year. we used to have a shark vac that, when we got it, was the greatest thing ever. but about a year later, it couldn't hold a charge long enough to vacuum stray hairs on the bathroom floor. we couldn't find any information on new batteries, and eventually had to get rid of it.
I was very tempted to buy this when it first came out. Instead of purchasing it online I went to the store where I could actually test it side by side with a regular (and boring) Dust Buster. Not only was the Kone much much louder, but it's sucking power was noticeably less. I've also since seen several negative reviews for this vacuum online (Amazon). It's definitely built more for the looks than it is for functionality.