The Eureka AirSpeed Unlimited vacuum cleaner offers some appealing features: good suction, a retractable cord that works well, a relatively light build at 15.5 pounds and a canister that is easy to remove and empty.
In our tests, it cleaned flour off hardwood floors quite well, which is something we did not experience much in our upright vacuum cleaner reviews. It was generally excellent on carpeting too, picking up most messes in just a few passes. However, its performance when cleaning carpeting was not stellar in every case. The carpet test showed it had some trouble picking up kitty litter, pushing some of it back.
We observed that when you turn off the brush roller and turn on the hard flooring control, it creates a kind of suction-cup effect on hard floors, cleaning them very well. The cleaning path is wide at 13 inches.
There was a lot to unpack when getting this upright vacuum out of the box. There were quite a few parts, so assembly was not all that intuitive. Nonetheless, it did not take long to figure out what went where, and actual assembly took only 4.5 minutes.
The tools that come with this vacuum can snap on and ride on-board, which is a real convenience when you want to clean out-of-the-way places or areas where you need a longer reach. You get a crevice tool, a stair and upholstery nozzle, and a dusting brush. The vacuum can be set to five different height adjustments so you can move from carpeting to flatter hard floors. Without a swiveling head it struggles with maneuverability a bit. For a vacuum that is easier to maneuver, consider the Shark NV800.
Once you get started, the vacuum is a bit loud with a decibel level of 89 dB, but the sound is not overwhelming. The retractable cord rewinds well, the canister is quite easy to remove and empty, and it is a simple task to change the filter. It doesn’t have a true HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, but this vacuum uses a filter that is designed to clear away a number of allergens and small dust particles.
One real benefit with this vacuum is that you get overload protection. If you happen to vacuum up something that clogs the machine, it shuts down automatically rather than continuously running, which risks burning out the motor.
For an inexpensive upright bagless vacuum, the Eureka AirSpeed does a good job of cleaning, especially on the hard floors where the suction is powerful. This machine is rather hard to maneuver, but it is a great upright bagless vacuum for the price.
