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Eureka RapidClean Pro Review

This vacuum delivered a middle-of-the-road performance that failed to make much of an impression
eureka rapidclean pro stick vacuum review
Credit: Eureka
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Price:  $170 List
Manufacturer:   Eureka
By Austin Palmer and David Wise  ⋅  Jan 11, 2022
64
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#7 of 13
  • Convenience - 35% 7.5
  • Hard Surface Cleaning - 30% 6.4
  • Ease of Use - 20% 5.5
  • Carpet Cleaning - 15% 4.9

Our Verdict

Truth be told, we found the Eureka RapidClean to be rather uninspiring when it comes to the best stick vacuums. This vacuum does have some handy convenience features and did alright at cleaning hard surfaces. However, it delivered mediocre results in the carpet cleaning challenges and wasn't the easiest to use while cleaning. While it is one of the least expensive options available, we think other products will suit most people better, whether they are looking for the overall best or the best bargain. For more on all things vacuum, see our other reviews.
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Convenient
REASONS TO AVOID
Lackluster carpet cleaning
Struggles with edges
Editor's Note: The RapidClean gear review, updated on January 11, 2022, now includes more information to help you compare like products to determine which option is right for you.

Compare to Similar Products

 
eureka rapidclean pro stick vacuum review
Awards    Best Buy Award  
Price $170 List
$139.49 at Amazon
$150 List
$129.99 at Amazon
$150 List$40 List$32 List
$34.99 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Pros Inexpensive, convenientGreat value, good at cleaning hard floorsQuiet, great battery lifeDecent at cleaning hard surfaces, inexpensiveInexpensive
Cons Lackluster carpet cleaning, struggles with edgesNot terribly convenient, more difficult to useUnimpressive cleaning performanceHarder to use, loudPoor carpet cleaning ability, harder to use, less convenient
Bottom Line This vacuum delivered a middle-of-the-road performance that failed to make much of an impressionThis vacuum provides excellent value, offering a solid performance at a fraction of the price of the top modelsThis prototypical cordless stick vacuum does an acceptable job at cleaning up light messes but doesn't distinguish itself as a top modelThis inexpensive model cleans decently, especially when it comes to hard surfacesThis lightweight vacuum may be super cheap, but don't expect much in terms of performance
Rating Categories Eureka RapidClean Pro Shark Navigator Fre... Black+Decker HSVJ52... VonHaus 600W 2-in-1 Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik
Convenience (35%)
7.5
5.5
6.3
4.1
3.9
Hard Surface Cleaning (30%)
6.4
6.6
4.8
5.8
4.6
Ease of Use (20%)
5.5
5.5
6.2
4.2
4.0
Carpet Cleaning (15%)
4.9
6.0
5.3
4.9
2.7
Specs Eureka RapidClean Pro Shark Navigator Fre... Black+Decker HSVJ52... VonHaus 600W 2-in-1 Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik
Weight 5.1 lbs 7.1 lbs 6.1 lbs 4.5 lbs 3.4 lbs
Cordless Battery Life 23 min 12 sec 13 min 53 sec 16 min 11 sec n/a n/a
Maximum Corded Reach n/a n/a n/a 21 ft 17.5 ft
Measured Charge Time 270 min 355 min 290 min n/a n/a
Noise Level 64.5 dBa 75 dBa 73 dBa 77 dBa 73.5 dBa
Model Number NEC180 SV1106 HSVJ520JMBF27 EPT2 SD20000RED
Battery Type Lithium-ion Lithium-ion Lithium-ion n/a n/a
Measured Cleaning Path Width 9.75" 9.75" 8.75" 8.75" 9"
Variable Suction Control Yes No Yes No No
Brush On/Off Switch? No Slows the brush for hard floor Yes n/a n/a
Storage Wall mount only Stands up Stands up Stands up; falls over easily Stands up; falls over easily
Bag Type Bagless Bagless Bagless Bagless Bagless
Swivel Head? Yes Yes; very limited Yes No No
Soft Bumper? Yes No Yes No No
Cordless? Yes Yes Yes No No

Our Analysis and Test Results

The RapidClean Pro has a few features that stood out to us, though not enough to redeem its overall mediocre showing. It can easily convert to a handheld vacuum and includes a dusting and crevice tool, making it much easier to do things like vacuum your car. It also has an integrated notch for resting the vacuum against a counter or chair — handy if you need to pause for a moment while cleaning.

Performance Comparison


eureka rapidclean pro stick vacuum review - all in all, we found this vacuum to be a bit mediocre.
All in all, we found this vacuum to be a bit mediocre.
Credit: Laura Casner

Convenience


For our initial round of tests, we looked at the different convenience features each of these vacuums has, specifically focusing on their cleaning versatility, weight, runtime, and how easy they are to store. The RapidClean gave its best performance in this category, meriting a solid score well above average.

As previously mentioned, we found this vacuum to be one of the more versatile cleaning options, as it can effectively clean plenty of other areas besides just the floor. The RapidClean includes both a brush and a crevice tool for this — similar to other top-ranked stick vacuums — but the ability to connect the motor directly to the powerhead is what sets it apart in this regard.

eureka rapidclean pro stick vacuum review - the handheld ability of this vacuum makes it very versatile.
The handheld ability of this vacuum makes it very versatile.
Credit: Laura Casner

This vacuum is also lighter compared to many other options, tipping the scales at just over five pounds. Additionally, the RapidClean is a cordless stick vacuum, further adding to its convenience. It has a non-swappable battery that lasted for a bit more than 23 minutes in our test, running on high power. It has a claimed charge time of around six hours, which is a little on the slow side. However, it fully recharged in closer to four and a half hours in our experience.

Unfortunately, the only real option for storage for the RapidClean is to use a hanging mount. There isn't a way to fold or balance the vacuum to get it to stand upright, though you can prop it against a counter or other piece of furniture using the Easy Rest feature if you don't want to mount it for hanging. This feature is a notch in the back of the canister that allows the vacuum to stand up without sliding or falling.

Hard Surface Cleaning


Our next set of evaluations rated and ranked each of these products on how well they cleaned up various messes from hard surfaces. We used rice, oats, cereal, pet hair, and flour on a section of hardwood laminate floor for this test, with the RapidClean, delivering a score just above average.

This vacuum performed decently in our rice test. It collected the bulk of the grains on the first forward pass but didn't seem to clean all that well on the backward pass — a final forward pass was needed to clean up the mess thoroughly. We appreciate that barely any rice flung out of the path of the vacuum as it cleaned.

The RapidClean did a bit better with flour, collecting most of it on the first pass and even cleaning in the cracks between boards. It didn't do much when running perpendicular to the cracks but did much better when cleaning in a parallel direction.

eureka rapidclean pro stick vacuum review - the rapidclean struggled to extract flour from the cracks between...
The RapidClean struggled to extract flour from the cracks between boards unless we ran it parallel to the seams.
Credit: Austin Palmer

This vacuum also did very well with Cheerios and pet hair. It cleaned up most Cheerios without crushing them and got all of the pet hair without too much issue. Performance dropped slightly with oats, as it was much more likely to fling them to the side but still delivered an above-average performance.

Ease of Use


Our next series of tests focuses on how easy it is to use these stick vacuums while cleaning. This type of vacuum should be easier to use than other types. We looked at how they cleaned along the edges of a room and under furniture, their cleaning modes, steering, and how loud each vacuum is. The RapidClean again did pretty well, earning a score just above average.

This vacuum has both high and low power options and is very effective at cleaning under furniture, reaching a total of 32" under our test sofa. It was also the quietest in our test group by far and is very maneuverable, with swivel steering on the powerhead. However, it doesn't clean edges very well in standard mode, forcing us to use the special crevice attachment every time.

eureka rapidclean pro stick vacuum review - this vacuum didn't do a great job of cleaning along walls unless we...
This vacuum didn't do a great job of cleaning along walls unless we busted out the crevice tool.
Credit: Laura Casner

Carpet Cleaning


Our last round of tests focused on the carpet cleaning performance of each product. We repeated the same types of cleanup challenges from our hard surface tests, swapping out the laminate floor for some low-pile and medium-pile carpets. The RapidClean did fine with the rice on the flat carpet, performing similarly to the hard floors. Unfortunately, it struggled a bit with fluffier carpet, taking a ton of passes to clean the area effectively. Moving on to flour, we only looked at cleaning performance on flat carpet since it is such a difficult task for stick vacuums. The RapidClean didn't really rise to the occasion, leaving a ton of leftover mess even after multiple passes.

eureka rapidclean pro stick vacuum review - plenty of flour eluded this vacuum in our carpet cleaning challenge.
Plenty of flour eluded this vacuum in our carpet cleaning challenge.
Credit: Austin Palmer

The RapidClean did much better with Cheerios, delivering above-average results. It tended to plow them around for a while but eventually picked them up, taking just a few more passes than the top-tier models. From there, this vacuum wrapped up our tests with a mediocre showing at cleaning up oats and pet hair from the carpet. It eventually cleaned up everything for these messes; it just took much longer than we would have liked.

Should You Buy the Rapid Clean?


This inexpensive and convenient vacuum offers a variety of attachments, can be handheld and comes with a helpful wall mount. However, despite these benefits, it may not be the right choice for most readers as it didn't offer standout performance in cleaning metrics. However, there is some argument that for the price and the adjustability, it could be a potential selection depending on your needs and budget.

What Other Stick Vacuum Should You Consider?


If you are locked into a budget close to the price of the RapidClean, the Moosoo XL-618A offers slightly better cleaning ability on hard surfaces, earned the same test results for the remaining metrics, and is about forty dollars cheaper.

Austin Palmer and David Wise
 
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