Eureka 431A Optima Bagless Upright Vacuum

Pros: Small, lightweight, easy to carry, fits under and between just about everything.
Cons: Short cord.

This vacuum sucks - and that is a good thing! For such a small vacuum, it has an impressive amount of power! The hose also has a very powerful suction. As for the unique handle and design, it is very easy and comfortable to use. The vacuum is lightweight and can be held and carried from a choice of three different handles.



The only negative aspect of this vacuum is that the cord is rather short which can be frustrating at times. Also, at least with my vacuum, the grooves on the top of the collection container are difficult to align. However, an arrow drawn in permanent marker to mark the grooves solved that problem.

Pros: Great suction, cleans wonderfully.
Cons: Cord is WAY to short, constantly unplugging and plugging in elsewhere.

Best vacuum I've ever used, picks up everything, no bags to buy. I used my other vacuum which is an expensive name brand and then re-vacuumed right away with the optima and was shocked at the amount of stuff it vacuumed up! My only complaint and it's fairly substantial to me is the the optimas cord is way to short. I constantly had to unplug and replug it in a new spot.

Pros: Suction is strong, the vacuum is light and the handle adjusts to different height
Cons: Stops working before I am through with one room, needs constant cleaning

I liked this vacuum for about a week. Then it stopped working so I cleaned it (very messy job) and it stopped working again within two minutes. I am taking it back tomorrow. Wish I could figure out how to keep it working as it is a nice vacuum. Sucks hair very well with the bottom brush but it takes scissors to clean the hair out.

Pros: Powerful yet lightweight. Compact for easy storage. Stylish, ergonomic loop handle.
Cons: Filter clogs and is hard to clean effectively.

This upright vacuum is compact and lightweight but (according to the specs) has the power of a full upright - it is rated at 12amps and a cleaning effectiveness of 33. Manufacturer's claims aside, I can't say I disagree with that statement. The see through dust canister lets you see the dirt that's being picked up so you also know when to empty it.

The valve to switch between floor and hose is built into the body instead of the hose which means that you won't lose floor suction if there is a hole in the hose.

One problem I have with the vacuum is that the filter is hard to clean well. I don't have experience with other vacuums. Otherwise this vacuum would get 5 stars from me.

Being compact, it's also very easy to store.

Overall, I think it does a superb job.

Pros: Great suction with Onboard Attachments!
Cons: Front Exhaust a Minor Flaw.

With three kids and dog home 24/7, sweeping up a little is just totally unrealistic. A small vacuum that fits in my pantry closet seemed to be just what we needed. After trying a cordless model that did not work, I swapped it out at the store for the Eureka Optima.

This vacuum is now the vacuum of choice for our whole house. We still use our "Rainbow" once a month for a big cleaning, but the rest of time it this little guy. It has great suction, a large dust cup that empties easily & best of all a hose attachment that does not need to constantly be attached. Just a flick of the dial and the suction switches to the hose. The rolling brush can be turned on or off for cleaning rugs & floors.

The only disadvantage is the exhaust is located on the front which can cause you to blow every piece of paper off the refrigerator front that does not have a SUPER magnet holding it. That aside this is a great little vacuum.

Pros: Ok when brand new
Cons: You cannot access the roller to clean the vacuum.

This thing worked fine when it was brand new, but God forbid that you get something stuck in the roller, something like hair, because it is so cheaply made that if you take out the roller, you need a screwdriver and the whole thing comes apart. I had to remove 12 screws to get at the roller and after I did, I found that the teensy tiny vacuum motor was not mounted on anything, so it never worked after I put it back together. Major engineering faus paux. Spend the extra money and get something that will last more than two to six months.

Pros: Green, bagless.
Cons: No height adjustment, separate motor for brush keeps overloading, short cord.

My wife wanted a lighter vacuum to carry up and down the stairs and the belt on our old vac burned out and is hard to locate. We found this at Target and we thought it was cute. First thing we noticed is that without a height adjustment it is not real easy to push on thick carpet. Then after 10 minutes it wasn't picking up very good and we saw that the brush wasn't spinning, so after reading the manual found the reset button, which got the brush going again... for another 5 minutes. We are taking it back. This may be ok on hardwood or short carpet but not for us.

Pros: The suction and weight were as described.
Cons: cheap plastic construction and poor design.

I have now owned this vacuum for just over a year so all warranties are off. The wheels have come off (literally). The plastic spindles that the wheels snap on to are both cracked and the wheels constantly fall off. I've contacted the company since I don't believe I've used it particularly hard - I bought it to zoom around bare floors and two area rugs to pick up dog hair. I was told to take it to an authorized repair shop but the closest dealer is more than 50 miles away. I thought I could repair it myself by replacing the grey bottom cover but can't get one.
Who would put the exhaust in the front so that you have to chase the dog hair into a corner to capture it? Cleaning the filter is another pain - and the cost and trouble of replacing it has already been mentioned

This vacuum is the equivalent of a disposable lighter - it works until it doesn't and then I suppose you should get another.

Pros: easy to assemble lightweight cute color (green) easy to use inexpensive
Cons: completely ineffective for vacuuming dust and hair from hard floors. No HEPA filter

I purchased this vacuum because I needed a lightweight vacuum that wouldn't scratch my hardwood floors. This vacuum seemed to fit the bill because you can turn off the brush roll and since it was lightweight, it wouldn't dent the floors. I have 2 dogs and need to vacuum frequently to pick up dog hair, so the fact that it was lightweight and easy to use appealed to me. However, I was frustrated because when I went to use this vacuum for the first time, the air is expelled out of the front bottom of the machine, blowing the dust and hair up into the air that you were trying to vacuum. This is the stupidest feature of a vacuum cleaner I have ever seen! You can actually see the dust and hair being blown up into the air. I'm returning it immediately to the store I purchased it from.

Pros: It's light, powerful and does a good job and we were quite happy with it.
Cons: Didn't last long. Great product but what ever happened to quality control?

I loved my funny green Eureka vacuum and it came with a great referral from a pet owner who vacuums twice a day. Even our daughters loved it and started vacuuming. Unbelievable. But suddenly in it's eighth month it expired. It would no longer turn on. The brushes whirred but the motor and suction were silent. I returned it to the store and received an exchange at no cost. Happily I assembled the new one only to discover that no matter which setting I chose the brushes always came on. I'm about to exchange it now. But if this doesn't work I'm not keeping it beyond the warranty period.

Pros: good suction, stores easily, light weight
Cons: Dust Collection canister is NASTY to clean out.

I bought this vacuum after spending an hour in Target looking at vacuums. I have laminate flooring through out my entire house. I needed a hard floor vacuum. Honestly, one of the main selling points was this vacuum had the "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval.

I will say it has great suction. It is light weight and stores well. The big problem is the emptying and cleaning of the dust/dirt container. It is such a mess!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to take it out on the street to empty it into a plastic grocery bag. The filter is just impossible to clean out. I prefer vacuum bags I guess. At least with a bag you can take it out and throw it away and you are done. With the optima the entire dirt canister is nasty dirty and impossible to get clean.

Just something to keep in mind.

Pros: Strong suction. Size and weight. Grip underneath canister for stair cleaning and carrying.
Cons: Filter cleaning may require some work and patience after vacuuming.

Recently purchased 3rd one (for different family households). Easy to use lightweight vacuum with the power of a heavyweight. All the essentials are provided without the unnecessary tools that add weight and cost to a vacuum. Bare floor and carpet cleaning functions are easy to use. Simple cleaner for complex cleaning.

Purchased at Costco.com for low price (w/ includes free shipping and an additional filter cup), not to mention their great return policy. Not that you'd need it.

Pros: Cheap, quiet, small
Cons: none really

I recommend this vacuum...it's small, quiet, light and efficient. The bagless vacuum is the way to go...just vacuum up and dump it in the trash. Ready to go again.

Pros: Lightweight, inexpensive, strong motor.
Cons: Have to remember to turn the brush off when using attachments.

I got a great deal on this little vacuum, and I couldn't be happier with it. It doesn't have the features of some of the fancier ones, but what do you expect for this price? What it does have is a powerful little motor and all the attachments you really need.

I had intended to have this vacuum to get me by until we buy a house and get a nicer vac. Instead, I will be keeping this one for my new house, I like it that much!

I wouldn't normally call an appliance cute, but I'll make an exception for this.

Pros: Lightweight, Powerful, HEPA Filter, Electric-Driven Brush, Cleans Carpets, Bare Floors, and Everything In Between.
Cons: A little messy to empty, but aren't they all? Still beats a bag!

We purchased this vacuum as a replacement for our heavy self-propelled upright. We weren't sure if this could do the job of a traditional upright, but what a surprise! It does a fantastic job! We have three cats - this vacuum is able to pick up all of the hair, dander, cat litter, even our cat perch looks like new again. It's very easy to handle a tons lighter than a traditional upright. We really love this vacuum and highly recommend it. You may have to empty it a bit more often because it is smaller, but what power!!!