In the world of cordless stick vacuums brands like Hoover and Electrolux standout but if you look at their price the Hoover costs easily over $250 and the Electrolux over $170.
This product costs less than $100. If you’re looking for a budget vacuum then give this a close look because it also comes with a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee.
If you’re not familiar with Anker, they are a world-leader when it comes to power banks and solar chargers so battery technology isn’t new to them.
They’ve put this knowledge to good use in their 2-in-1 vacuum that will run for 24 minutes on a full charge and up to 60 minutes on eco mode.. Anker calls this the “HomeVac Duo” that works as a stick and handheld vacuum.
Since this is a new product don’t expect a lot of reviews but for people who’ve tested it, this product looks promising.
Update (April 25, 2017): Currently there are over 700 reviews in Amazon and still got positive reviews. Eufy sells the exact same vacuum but at a slightly higher price and shorter warranty.
A quick look at the features
- Offers a lot of versatility since it can morph into a handheld vacuum
- 2,000 mAh lithium ion battery will last between 24 minutes to 1 hour depending on the cleaning mode
- 18 month warranty and 30 day money back guarantee
- Washable HEPA-style filtration system
- Comes with two attachments (in handheld mode) – crevice and dusting tool
Pros
- Cheap – less than $100
- Lightweight – weighs only 6.2 pounds
- Lots of versatility – it can toggle between a stick and handheld vacuum
Cons
- Relatively short warranty
- Will not deep clean carpet
- Quality a big question mark
What to expect from the Anker HomeVac
This vacuum is designed for maximum versatility and maneuverability. In essence this product is a handheld vacuum attached on a stick vacuum body so it suffers a bit in suction power.
But unlike similar styled vacuums that only last for about 15 minutes, Anker was able to squeeze out about 24 minutes of run time in their 2,000 mAh lithium ion battery on normal mode, when you switch it to eco-mode, the run time goes up to 60 minutes.
The handheld vacuum part of this product comes with two attachments – a crevice and brush tool that extends the functionality.
While it excels in terms of versatility, it lacks in power but for spot cleaning and cleaning bare floor surfaces this vacuum will do well.
It also has fingertip controls that toggle between normal and eco mode. Use normal mode when you’re cleaning carpet and eco mode when cleaning bare floor surfaces like hardwood.
Storage is also not a problem because the handle folds down which lessens the vertical footprint.
Bare Floor Performance
This is the surface where this vacuum excels. On bare floor you can use the eco-mode to extend run time to 60 minutes and still be able to clean dirt on surfaces like tile, hardwood and linoleum.
It may have trouble cleaning dirt out of deep cracks found in old-style hardwood surfaces.
You may need a full sized upright for this.
Carpet Performance
Even if it does not have the suction power to be a deep cleaner this stick vac can pick up surface dirt on low to medium pile carpeting thanks to the motorized brush. Again, don’t expect any deep cleaning from this.
Pet Hair Removal
On hardwood and upholstery, this vacuum will be capable of cleaning up pet hair but it will struggle cleaning such on carpet.
Upholstery
One of the biggest strengths of the HomeVac is its ability to clean most types of upholstery thanks to the detachable handheld unit and tools that come along with it. From fabric, leather or suede, this product can clean off dirt, dust and even pet hair.
Attachments & Accessories
It only comes with two attachments:
- Crevice tool
- Brush tool
I must warn you that the crevice tool is short and may not reach deep into crevices.
Filter Clean Up
It comes with a washable HEPA style filter which means that it filters similarly to a HEPA filter but it isn’t really a HEPA filter.
Filter is inside the handheld attachment and gaining access to it would entail having to remove the handheld part first.
After removing the dust bag you then proceed to remove the dust cup.
Pretty much standard on all similarly designed handheld vacuums.
Run time
On normal mode this will run fade free for about 30 minutes thanks to the lithium ion battery.
If you’re cleaning bare floor you can switch it to the eco-mode and extend that run time all the way to 60 minutes which is really good for a cordless cleaner at this price range.
Warranty
Anker backs this up with an 18 month warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee, just make sure to read the fine print in their website which basically states that if you’re returning this make sure that it has a quality-related defect or else you will shoulder the shipping cost.
Product Specification
| Attachments | Crevice tool Brush tool |
| Brush roll on/off | Yes |
| Battery | 2,000 mAh lithium ion |
| Charger | Upright charging base |
| Charging time | 2 to 3 hours |
| Battery life | Normal mode: 24 mins Eco mode: 60 mins |
| Net weight | 6.2 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 9.1 pounds |
| Cleaning path | 10.2" |
| Overall length | 45.9" |
| Battery indicator | Yes |
| Filter type | Washable HEPA-like filter |
| Dust capacity | N/A |
| Air Watts | N/A |
| Voltage | 110v |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 18 months (with 30 day money back guarantee) |
Customer Reviews
When this product first came out a lot of the reviews are from consumers who got it for free or at a discount.
I already mentioned that this is a new product so this is part of Anker’s marketing push to give visibility to this product.
Even if didn’t have the strongest suction, consumers were pretty happy with how it performed. Its strongest suite would be spot cleaning.
Anker’s best feature would obviously be versatility and run time because it is usable as a stick and handheld.
In eco-mode it will run for as long as 60 minutes but only on bare floor because the brush roll is off.
Biggest concern would be quality. The quality of plastic used isn’t up to par with Dyson but that’s something you’d expect from a cheap vacuum. But fortunately Anker has a pretty good warranty coverage of 18 months so take advantage of it.
Where can I buy this?
The best place to buy this would be in Amazon where the red variant will cost less than $100. And it is eligible for the 2-day free shipping if you join Prime.
Eufy also sells a similar looking product but slightly more expensive. Take note that both of these products are the same, only the branding is different. Eufy comes with a shorter 15 month warranty.
To Wrap Up
This versatile two-in-one vacuum is great for homes with a mix of carpet and bare floor as a spot cleaner. If your home is mostly bare floor you can get away with this as the main cleaner as long as your home isn’t too big.
It will not hold as much dirt or have the same power as a full sized stick vacuum. But if you’re only using this to spot clean, it shouldn’t be a big issue.
The biggest selling point aside from the versatility is the price – at just under $100 you will get a quality product with a decent warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee just in case it does not meet your quality standards just make sure to read the fine print.
