A lightweight vacuum like the Electrolux Ergorapido 2-in-1 can be extremely handy for a quick cleaning before guests arrive or to remove crumbs from under the table after dinner. Small messes can be quickly cleaned up. I was anxious to see how well this model would perform. Keep reading to see how my test went.
Product Despcription
- Electrolux® Ergorapido® Brushroll Clean 2-in-1 Vacuum EL1061A
- Lightweight upright with removable hand vacuum
- Designed for bare floors, area rugs
- Bagless bin
- Motorized Brushroll
- Brushroll Clean Technology™ - removes hair with the touch of a button
- 2-in-1 Cordless combination stick and handheld vacuum
- NiMH,12V Rechargeable Battery
- Run time: 20 mins. (Normal Speed), 12 mins. (High Speed)
- Hi/Lo selector suction control
- Crevice tool and dusting brush stored in the charger
- Clean under and around anything with the patented 180-degree swivel power head
- Dust bin capacity: 0.4 quart
- Energy Star Charger
- "Very Innovative Product" award winner from Good Housekeeping magazine
- MSRP: $199.99
- Available in Black, Teal or Watermelon
- 2 Year limited warranty
- Learn more from the manufacturer
How the Ergorapido Performed
August 13th, 2013
This is an extremely lightweight stick-style vacuum with a small detachable handheld unit. I was pleasantly surprised to find it fairly efficient for a stick vacuum, better than some models. When you turn it on, it sounds low powered, but picks up hair and dust very well, just not gravel at the door or bigger debris.
On high speed, I did get around 10 minutes of run time, which was ample to do a quick 'traffic area' clean-up. You do lose a minute here and there of run time, while moving things out of the way.
It did an excellent one-pass vacuuming of my fairly flat pile entrance mats. On the area rug which is about 1/4" plush, it was too difficult to push around on High speed, but switching to Low, it was easier to maneuver and did a good surface cleaning. You can clean under beds, but low furniture can only get a quick under-the-edge pass, as expected.
The vacuum has a very nice swivel; it's easy to go around things. Setting it on the charger is quick and there's a little crevice tool and small dusting brush for the handheld, inside the charger base. Note that this stick vacuum does not stand by itself and you cannot lean it against the wall - it will slide and fall. When done, it must be set back on the charging base. The handheld does come in handy for little messes, but cumbersome for dusting.
And now for the most unique and best feature of this 2-in-1 stick vacuum, it can clean the brush roll with the push of a button. And really, it does work extremely well with the exception of thick threads - as mentioned in the manual. So hair and light thread is quickly cut from the brushes and voila, a clean brush, so no messy detangling required. Best to use this feature when on a full charge. I can see why this vacuum won a 'very innovative product' award.
The dirt bin seems small and I had to empty it after each full charge, but you really wouldn't want to make it any bigger or add bulk/weight to this unit, because the slim lightweight nature is a great feature. The bin-emptying process is a little different and maybe somewhat finicky, but workable. The cone shaped filter set-up is quite neat, because it basically cleans itself with a tab pull or two over the trash bin.
Overall Impression and Related Resources
This is an efficient little vacuum for quick clean-ups of dust, hair and lint, and an improvement on an earlier Electrolux stick model I tried a few years ago. Though it wouldn't replace the power and suction of a full-size vacuum for routine cleaning, it would be very convenient for keeping your hard floors dusted on an everyday basis.
The best feature of course is the brush roll self-cleaning, but I also consider the lightweight nature to be a big plus. Run time is not long at 10-12 minutes on High, but could be sufficient for quick clean-ups. It does clean low pile area rugs and mats well. I consider the price to be a little on the high side, but you can find it cheaper than the MSRP at some retail outlets.
We have no pets so could not try the effectiveness of removing (pet) hair. Because the brush cleaning technology works well clearing off human hair, I would assume it might also work on soft pet hair. For those with coarse dog hair, it might be ineffective and underpowered.
This is an ideal unit for a dorm room because it's quick to use, quieter than some and takes little room. It's also ideal for seniors since it takes little effort, is easy to use and light to carry. Cleaning the kitchen floor after dinner was so much easier/quicker with this vacuum, than having to sweep. I can see this unit being very handy for quick touch-ups and it would make a nice gift.
Update August 17th, 2013
I decided to leave this stick vacuum with my elderly neighbor for a couple of days, to see what she thought. She loved it. She wasn't tired after vacuuming, found it super easy to place back on its charging base and loved being able to just grab it to clean a small floor mess. The onboard lights were also very handy. This was something she could easily handle and even carry upstairs. Then today, I showed her the brushroll cleaning feature. Her eyes lit up. I wasn't surprised at her reaction, I think the Ergorapido is the perfect fit for seniors.
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Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.