Hands On: Next-Generation Specialty Vacs (cont.)

Manufacturer officials disagree with that theory and insist that hand-held cyclonic models have more than enough G forces to spin dust out of the air path no matter how the unit is held. But in our hands-on evaluations of cyclonic specialty vacs, we found that only models that use powerful lithium-ion batteries lost no suction when the unit was held upside down. According to Akhavein, the best way to avoid problems with upside-down use is to make sure that the model has a rim inside of the dust cup that’s designed to catch any debris that falls back or to get a model that has a mesh dust-cup cover. This cover is designed to prevent debris from getting into the center of the cyclone’s path. Such dust-cup features are yet another way that manufacturers are making it easier to keep everything clean.

Freelance writer Chris Gigley has written about consumer products for 15 years and has written about vacuum cleaners for Consumers Digest since 2008.