Works Great; Looks Great - Slam Dunk!

We originally purchased this vacuum with the intent of replacing our old Black & Decker cordless handheld (that after 6 months was failing to hold a charge). At first, I was skeptical - was this too "cute" to really clean? I must say, we have been very pleasantly surprised.

First and foremost are, of course, the aesthetics. This vacuum LOOKS great. It is the first vacuum that I have ever felt comfortable placing in my stainless-steel-and-granite kitchen in plain sight (on the countertop!). We purchased the "Champagne" color, which I would describe as essentially stainless steel with a very slight gold undertone. (Side note: I have the vacuum immediately adjacent to my brushed stainless [GE Profile] appliances, and it coordinates nicely, notwithstanding the slightly gold undertone). The sleek design fits in nicely with just about any decor, as well. (You might have guests asking, "What is THAT?", however, as one cannot immediately tell that it's a vacuum!)

Secondly, is the functionality of the machine. I have found it very simple to use, with more-than-adequate suction power. In our home, we mainly use this vacuum for "spot cleaning" (i.e., spilled cheerios, crumbs on the floor, etc.). We do not have any pets, so I cannot speak to its adequacy on pet hair, but thus far, it has not failed me. The cordless feature is a must-have for those of us who just want to be able to grab a small vac quickly, clean up a mess, and move on with our lives!

I saw reviews that had mentioned a "scuffing" from (I guess) the rubber "lip" around the bottom of the vacuum - I have not experienced that at ALL, despite using the vacuum on white tiled floors, so I cannot say that I have an issue with "scuffing".

I have also seen reviews mention the fact that the vacuum's external "exhaust" sometimes causes things to "blow around" while you're trying to vacuum them. While I have witnessed the "blowing" that they were referring to, I have not found it to be problematic, and I certainly have never had to run around chasing after something to vacuum! Again, however, we do not have pets, so if this is something that is limited to pet hair, I cannot speak to that.

I found initial assembly to be extremely simple. Essentially, it comes pre-assembled right out of the box. We followed the instructions exactly and did not use the vacuum for the first 24 hours after we initially began charging the battery, and I have yet to exhaust the battery's life while using it. (Again, this may be a factor of only using the vacuum for quick "pick-ups" here and there, after which we immediately place the vacuum on the charger). Since we have only had the machine for a week, I cannot speak to the battery's longevity over time.

To empty the dust cup, you pop off bottom half, take out the filter, and empty into a trash can. Although the dust cup itself is quite small, again, since we only use this vacuum for small quick-pick-up jobs, I have not found this to be a real constraint. I empty the vacuum after each use.

Overall, I am very pleased with this vacuum. It looks great, and it works wonderfully. What else would you want from a hand-held cordless vacuum?