There are times where bringing out a large upright would be overkill. And you’d wish you have something lightweight that can tackle lighter messes without to straining your back.
The Vibe 3-in-1 from Dirt Devil is a stick vacuum that can be used as a handheld that allows you to clean areas above the floor.
Even if this isn’t a cordless, it’s still light and nimble to move around. And it has enough power to clean at least surface dirt on carpet.
The manufacturer says that this is a 3-in-1 vacuum. But it’s actually a 2-in-1 that’s a stick that becomes a hand vac.
So this versatile machine is a great spot cleaner in smaller homes.
Even with motorized brush, you can’t rely this to deep clean on carpet because it lacks power.
A quick look at the features
- 10 inch cleaning path
- Both wand and main cleaning head is removable which makes this usable as a handheld
- Brush roll on/off
- Weighs less than 4 pounds
- 15 foot power cord
- Comes with a crevice tool for hard to reach areas
Pros
- Very affordable
- Versatile vacuum that’s both a handheld and stick vacuum
- Brush roll on/off feature makes this usable on bare floor
- For a stick it has a decent sized cleaning path at 10 inches
- Lightweight and easy to move around
- Crevice tool makes this usable on hard to reach spots
- Very maneuverable because the head can swivel
Cons
- Short power cord
- Smallish dirt bin means you need to empty often
- Short warranty
- No power switch on the stick handle, you’ll have to bend down a bit to turn it on
What to expect from the Dirt Devil Vibe 3-in-1 SD20020?
If you look close closely at this model, this is basically a handheld that’s has a broom stick attached on top and a floor tool at the bottom which is the reason why it is so lightweight.
Another nice feature is the brush roll on/off feature that prevents scratching on certain hardwood surfaces.
Don’t expect Dyson-like build quality as some reviews say that build quality looked flimsy. But what can you expect from a sub $50 vacuum right.
Attachments and accessories
It only comes with one attachment which is a crevice tool. You can attach on the handheld to clean up dirt from hard to reach areas like creases in between upholstery as well as corners and edges (baseboards) of the floor.
When you open the package it does come with a stick that attaches to the handheld’s back and a floor tool that you can attach on the inlet that turns this into a stick vac.
Cord length
It only has a 15 foot cord so you’ll need to do a lot of plugging and unplugging. It does have a quick release cord latch where you can store the power cord.
Filter clean up
To clean the filter you need to push the latch that’s located on top of the handheld unit then empty the dirt cup.
The filter is located in the middle, pull the filter out and tap it on the garbage can.
You’ll have to wash it regularly.
Depending on your environment and how much dirt you clean up, it could be as often as once a week or as seldom as once a month.
Warranty
It only comes with a one year warranty.
See it in action
Bare floor performance
According one video review I’ve watched, the consumer said that this performed well on her laminate floors picking up dust and pet hair.
Editors at Good House Keeping mentioned that this worked well in picking up dry debris from bare floor.
This is because of the motorized brush that supplements suction. A plus here is that you can turn this on and off.
Carpet performance
This would be great to use on low pile carpet because of the motorize brush. But don’t expect this to deep clean medium to high pile carpet because it does not have enough power.
You can use this though to clean high traffic areas so that dirt does not build up.
Pet hair removal
One bare floor like hard wood and thin carpets this would do well picking up pet hair.
On thin rugs it will also do well also but you’ll have to be careful when cleaning the edges as this will try pick it up by the edges.
Good House Keeping also says that it will well in picking up pet hair on carpet based on their tests. But they did not specify if it was plush or thin pile carpet.
You’ll have to regularly clean the beater bar so there will be some maintenance that needs to be done.
Product specifications
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Attachments | Crevice tool |
| Cord Length | 15 feet |
| Auto Cord Rewind |  |
| Motorized brush |  |
| Brush on/off switch | |
| Swivel | |
| Headlight | |
| Filter clogged indicator | |
| Full bin indicator | |
| Bagless | |
| Multi-surface | |
| Self propelled | |
| Net weight | 3.8 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 5 pounds |
| Hose length | N/A |
| Cleaning Path | 10" |
| Overall length | 40.5" |
| Dirt capacity | N/A |
| Filter type | Washable |
| Power | 240 watts 2 amps |
| Voltage | N/A |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 1 year |
What consumers say?
Consumers loved how light this little stick vac is (this is even lighter than some cordless variants).
Because it is so light it is highly maneuverable (thanks to the swivel head) and small enough to use even inside bathrooms.
This will fit under furniture as it can fold flat like the Dyson DC59.
Usable on both bare floor and carpet
Most people use this on bare floor surfaces and rugs but some have used this on low pile carpet and still found it to be effective in removing dirt.
Since the dirt cup is small this cannot replace a larger stick or upright because you’ll have to empty it often plus the motor isn’t strong enough to deep clean thick carpet.
Short power cord
Another issue that consumers saw was the short power cord (only 15 feet long) and found themselves plugging and unplugging more than they had hoped.
The release button that separates the floor tool from the handheld is a bit hard to push according to some consumers.
Other issues
If you’re over 5’9″ you may find the overall length to be lacking as some consumers found out and reported that they needed to bend down a little bit to use this.
Pet owners are happy with how this lightweight vacuum picks up pet hair on bare floor and carpet.
But take note that you’ll need to clean the brush roll regularly as hair strands will wrap around the brush roll.
This is a must do for all vacuums with a roller brush.
The option to use this as a handheld allowed consumers to use this on their computers, tables, chairs, bathrooms and various other places other than floors and it is a money saving tool because you don’t have to buy 2 separate vacuums.
Overall consumers were happy with the performance of this 2-in-1 stick vacuum. But there are some issues with this vacuums, specifically quality control issues.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this 2-in-1 stick vacuum for less than $30. And it’ll be eligible to their free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.
Another option would be buying direct from DirtDevil but it isn’t available as of the moment.
To wrap up
This stick vac would be great for people looking for a lightweight vacuum that will work well on hardwood and low pile carpet.
It will great tool for homes with expensive flooring like Hickory because of the brush roll on/off feature.
A bonus with this is that you can take off the stick and floor to and turn this to a hand vac.
Power will be sufficient for rugs, bare floors and low pile carpet but this will struggle cleaning large areas because the dirt cup is very small and you’ll need to empty it often.
However don’t expect the fit and finish of a higher end brand like a Hoover or a Dyson since this is a budget vac that will have some quality issues but it’s cheap so I don’t think that consumers would mind as long as it performs.
If you live in a small home or need a tool for quick pickups and not mind the cord, then this may be the product for you.
