BestAir L8-C Lasko Cascade Humidifier Filter

I purchased this to replace a dirty filter in my Lasko 1128 humidifier. It is a direct replacement of the filter that came with the device and fit perfectly. It humidifies just as well as the OEM filter. This also has antibacterial properties built in and so far so good. Amazon has it for the best price of any place I've seen (Prime for the win!) I've seen these as expensive as $24.99 at a local Lowes so definitely get it on Amazon with your prime membership.

Save 5% Off

PetClean Tower Air Purifier

I recently added three (abandoned) cats to my household. I now have five cats in a small condo.I have 4 litter boxes and use premium litter,zero odor litter spray, scoop twice daily and do complete litter changes twice weekly.

I have a lot more cat hair ,litter dust and lingering litter odor in my home with the additional cats.So I had been looking into purchasing an air purifier to improve the air in my home.

I was excited to see this product in my local Target. The name of the product "PETCLEAN AIR" and the wording and pictures on the carton stating this was an air purifier for pet owners convinced me that this was the unit for me!

The unit is off white in color and looks nice out of the box.It uses replaceable HEPA TYPE filters and replaceable carbon type pre-filters.It also has an ionizer feature that can be turned off if desired. (NOTE: I have successfully used a stand alone ionizer in my cat area in the past so I liked this feature)

The unit has three speed settings.I found the high setting to be very loud.On the high setting this unit blows a lot of cool air...This would be hard to deal with in the winter but pleasant in the summer.It does not power oscillate but you can manually adjust it.I would have tolerated that had this machine been effective.The medium setting is nice and barely noticeable but I feel that it's too weak of a setting to properly clean the air.The low setting is barely audible and very weak.

I left this on high for three days and noticed no change in the scent of my home.I have a small place and used this in my living room (too loud for bedroom) I did notice a slight reduction in the dustiness of my home.

Overall, this unit disappointed me. As a pet owner I was excited to see an air purifier supposedly designed for my situation.This unit does not deliver on it's promise to reduce pet odors in the home. I would not recommend this unit to other pet owners looking to improve the air quality in their homes.

Eureka DCF-4 DCF-18 Washable & Reusable Long-Life Vacuum Filter

Was gonna buy new vacuum here on Amazon until this filter popped up on my suggestion list. I thought to give it a try since it's pretty cheap. My vac wasn't giving much suction at all. No amount of cleaning of the old filter was helping. Wasn't even picking up loose dirt anymore. After putting this filter in, the suction skyrocketed to brand new power again. From not being able to pickup loose dirt to actually lifting up ~heavy objects again depending on its shape and "grab-ability".

Honeywell AirGenius4 Air Cleaner

Honeywell AirGenius4 Air Cleaner/Odor Reducer, HFD310

This is my third air cleaner that I have added to my household in the last year.

At this point, I know what features I really prefer and find helpful.

I appreciate the timer feature and use it daily and I consider it a must for all future purchases. It's so convenient to just set the timer after you turn it on and not have to worry about turning it off before bed or if it's in my bedroom turning it off after I get up in the morning. This unit has settings for 2, 4 and 8 hours. My other air cleaner has a 24 hour timer which I prefer. I run my cleaners longer than 8 hours.

With this unit the air cleaner oscillates which I think is the most important and the best feature. It is the first and only air cleaner I have seen with this feature. I think it really helps clean/distribute/deodorize the air better and faster and at this time I feel it is a feature I won't do without in future purchases.

Aside from the energy star rating I also like the quietness of the unit. This has a sleep mode that is extremely quiet, you can barely tell it's on. There are also the general, allergen and max modes. They get slightly louder as the levels go up but I think even at the highest setting it is rather quiet.

The Honeywell AirGenius 4 measures about as wide as my other air cleaners but for some reason it looks wider. With all it does though, I can easily overlook the appearance. (The control panel and width is almost 8 inches across)

A feature of this unit is that it also comes with an odor filter. This is in addition to the washable foam pre-filter but you cannot use this in combination with the odor reducing pre-filter. I really wish I could use both at the same time. The odor filter you throw out when it needs replacing.

Overall, I totally love the oscillating feature and the fact that this does a larger room (250sq.ft) which is perfect for my house because my kitchen opens in the living room area. The Honeywell AirGenius does a fantastic job of cleaning, deodorizing and distributing the air that I plan on getting one for my daughter's room.

There is a 2 pack odor reducing pre-filter on Honeywell's site for 19.95. The other filters are permanent because they are washable which will add up to quite a savings!

Save 16% Off

Puzhen PZ-UA08C Bamboo Essential Oil Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser

I absolutely love this diffuser. Puzhen is a great brand. doTERRA (although they aren't my favorite essential oil company) are the US exclusive distributors of the Puzhen Lotus diffuser. This diffuser is comparable to the Lotus as far as specifications are concerned, however, this diffuser, the Bamboo, actually has a larger water reservoir, which equals a larger running time. It's not cheaply made. It's actually a lot better than most diffusers. I highly recommend this product.

Save 9% Off

Sears Kenmore 83152 Sears/kenmore Air Cleaner Replacement Filter

For anyone who has one of these old air filter machines, this is really the only replacements out there. Fits tight and works well just as the originals did.

Electrolux Oxygen Ultra Air Cleaner

No one's reviewed this unit yet? It surprises me. I really like it. It has lowered the overall odor in my home and completely eliminated the pungent odor from daily hookah smoking from my dining and sitting room in about a month running on auto-mode. The 5 speeds it has goes from a soft soft whisper up to a bit of a roar and the amount of air it moves is noticeable too. I've been using it for a nearly 2 months now and believe it's very effective. I have a chronic low level sinus issue where stuff in the air can really bother them and many times don't breathe well at night and wake up very fuzzy-headed, but in the first week of having the 2 different Electrolux purifiers in the house I wake up feeling alert and clear-headed now. I certainly didn't expect that! There are so many fake air purifiers out there and I did some homework on the technologies to weed out the fakes and reading reviews to weed out the ones with issues.

I researched and shopped around for the best purifier at a reasonable cost and this is it in my opinion. I'm a senior electronics technician of over 25 years by occupation in the fields of medical and telecom equipment and good at understanding how technologies whether electrical or mechanical works.

I'm very skeptical about the claims they all make and there are so many of these too good to be true purifiers that work by magic or seem to be really leading edge sophisticated technology that's not so much. Honestly when I started educating myself on air purifiers it got confusing. I spent many hours over a month or so looking at all the different makes and trying to eek all the science out of each one. These Electrolux units I think are solid and clean the air with a simple 3 stage process instead of 6 to 9 steps and the extra maintenance and cost that would entail to do maybe as well as this one. I think that this unit does as well or better as some of the ones that go for $500 or more.

This Electrolux is well worth the money if you have a larger area with it's ability to move a lot of air and it's CADR specs are impressively higher than some of these high priced things that rate half as good and do little more than a walk-in closet. Between the HEPA filter and the PlasmaWave ionizer it scrubs the air of everything and it's cool how it senses when the air needs more cleaning and steps the fan speed up to clean more and gives an indication on a 5 segment display. Mostly I just leave it in auto mode and it adjusts as needed to the air quality. The air in the house is not only dust free as in I never see anything floating in the air through the sunlight or a lamp, but the overall odor that the place had has been much neutralized. It does a great job of eliminating cooking odor even if I don't use the kitchen range exhaust fan.

I've figured out that these Electrolux units are built on the same chassis as the Winix 5300, Sharp Plasmacluster, and possibly the Rabbit BioGS. Seriously go look them up and tell me they aren't based on the same unit! But all have wildy varying ratings and prices and the brute performance and low price of theElectrolux makes it for me the cream at the top.

I can't think of anything to ding it on; the quality seems very good and the construction is solid. It's very good so it gets a 5 star. I'll revisit this review later and update it from a longer term perspective.

I also have the EL490A that I use upstairs. It's a lower CADR rating but still higher than most, does about 80 sq ft less area and half the price. My overall impression with that unit is the same as this one; superb!

It's been over a year now and I still like it as well as the day I got it. The overall odor of the house is much more neutral than it was since it sucks the odor out of everything in the place and the amount of dust throughout the house is noticeably lower!

Save 13% Off

BEM1040/BEM1042 Bemis Aftermarket Humidifier Wick Filter

I order this thinking it was that exact same type of filter. It is an off brand not what is picture on website. To send it back it would cost me the same as I paid for it. Really be sure you want an item from this company the due charge a re-stock fee and will take some back for return shipping. The filter is like a honeycome style filter only half as much surface area. I did not receive any type of resolution after my inial email so I'm going have deal with it and buy directly from the manufacture.

Hunter 30890 Total Air Sanitizer

We just purchased the 30441 version of this model at Target. The 30441 model shares the same manual with the 30890 model. Don't know the differences, if any.

Here is my 3 day assessment:

1) First six hours of unit operation produced an unusual smell. After 24 hours, could not longer detect. I've worked with HEPA filters in clean rooms before, and the smell seems like that of a new HEPA replacement. There may have also been a bit of `electrical' type odor, but I no longer notice that.

2) On all three speed settings, the unit is louder than I would like. We located it far from our bed, so can run overnight on the number 1 setting. Since I have tinnitus, the white noise seems to help a bit with sleeping, but I still think it seems a bit louder than desirable on the lowest setting.

3) We have never used an air purifier before. We finally realized we needed this when I experienced a prolonged allergy attack lasting months which seriously affected my health. After only 12 hours, this unit had a noticeable effect on my breathing. We turned it off one night, and by the morning, I was having difficulty with breathing. The unit really helped me.

4) For comparison, we also purchased the Holmes HAP9726 (I'll review that unit separately) at Walmart. So far running about six hours in our living room, and seems to be working, but need to turn off for a day to test this.

Bottom line: The Hunter seems to be working for us. Like magic for me. I suffered for months, and when home, I can now breathe again.

Update after seven days:

I at first though the odor had disapared after about six hours, but after seven days, when entering the room where the unit is operating, I can still detect a very slight odor. (No odor at all from the Holmes model which is working well.). In terms of performance, the Hunter model still seems to be filtering well.

Update after about 20 days:

The odor from the Hunter unit is slowly going away, though I can't say for sure it has completely vanished. It appears some sort of volatile has been warmed off the unit, but is declining to the point that it may not be a problem. However, after comparing the performance of this unit against the Holmes, which we bought at about the same time, I would say the Holmes, while somewhat more noisy on its lowest setting, may be more effective at cleaning the air then the Hunter. We plan on purchasing another unit, and based on our experience with the these two, we will purchase a new Holmes unit. In less than an hour, the Holmes unit seems to very effectively reduce allergens to make the air breathable.

After about 30 days,

in the Hunter unit I may be hearing an infrequent arcing pop sound as reported by other reviewers. Only have heard this at night when the room is otherwise quiet. The Hunter unit is otherwise performing well, though it is still not certain to me that the odor has disappered. It may now have no odor, but not sure. The Holmes unit is still behaving well, and we still prefer it. Keep in mind it is slightly noisier than the Hunter unit.

Update after about 4 months:

Both the Hunter and Holmes units are working well. The apparent odor from the Hunter unit has completely disappearred. We smell nothing now from the unit. For a period, the Hunter unit began the arcing noise that annoyed other buyers. However, this only seems to be problematic on the high setting, and over night we leave the unit on the low setting, which doesn't create this sound, or is much more minor. We still think the Holmes unit is superior. After nearly continuous operation of both units in a very dusty locale, we still have no indication of the need to replace filters. The two units did improve our air quality. I have had no serious sinus problems since we got these.

Six month update:

We finally replaced the filter on the Hunter unit ($25+tax at Target). I am not sure we had to, but we were beginning to experience increasing light arcing sounds overnight. When we replaced it, my wife used a Swiffer® dust cloth to clean around where the filter had been, The filter is easy to replace. There is no odor from the new filter, so the original odor of the Hunter came from the Hunter unit itself. Note that this odor is now completely gone, so if you can wait 3-4 weeks after purchase, the odor that others complained about will disappear. The Holmes unit is not yet ready for a new filter as we use that in our living/dining room, mostly only in the evening. One does have to turn up the TV volume when the Holmes unit is operating.

I neglected to add earlier that within our home we have central air/heat and we use the 3M Filtrete (UA03DC-6) FPR 10 air filter on our central air/heat. I also recommend this. It alone doesn't completely keep a local room clean like the Hunter or Holmes unit as it is not HEPA rated, but it is otherwise very effective, and good to use with HEPA type units like the Hunter and Holmes. For instance, during all of the fires in the west, we have occasionally been hit with heavy smoke now and then, and the 3M filter seemed to be very effective at taking this out of the air. After a month of on and off smoke, I looked at the filter and it was completely black. Evidently, it has a strong attraction for smoke particles. I want to emphasize, however, that my severe allergy attack which prompted us to buy the Hunter and Holmes happened while we were using this 3M filter, so, it alone, apparently doesn't take out all allergens. A HEPA type unit is more effective.

Update after seven months:

The new filter in the Hunter unit began the clicking noise from electrical arcing within about 10 days of use, and has become quite prominent, sometimes like a slow machine-gun repetition. I can deal with it, but it has annoyed my wife enough that we shifted the Hunter unit to out dining/living room, and moved the Holmes unit (HAP9726) to our bedroom. The Holmes HAP9726 is not quite as quiet as the Hunter, but it is a continuous din, not with spark-crackle-pop like the Hunter right now.

Apparently, Hunter filters do vary in their propensity to do this arcing, and in the case of my wife this sound would keep her awake, even when the normal fan sound did not. I would say the Hunter unit would be much more desirable if one could turn off the electrostatic portion of the filtering. Since the filters do seem to vary, some users may not immediately experience this problem, but may experience later when they replace the filter.

Note that the Holmes HAP9726 does have electrostatic action, but unlike the Hunter, one can turn it off, and you can have simple filtration, which alone is quite helpful.

Note that both the Hunter and Holmes HAP9726 have quiet controls, and one can make quiet adjustments while your partner is sleeping.

For the office, I purchased the Holmes HAP633-U unit from Walmart for about $60. This unit does not have quiet controls. It has a louder chunky click when changing settings and also, strangely, starts on a very noisy high and you have to adjust low. It is also quite a bit more noisy than the larger Holmes HAP9726 we have at home. There is actually a mild rattling of the fan mechanism, and it as well cyclically bellows mildly louder and softer. Even than though it a smaller unit, it is more noisy. I don't recommend the Holmes HAP633-U. I use it, but I often have to turn it off when anyone enters my office. If one compares the HAP633-U to the better HAP9726, it almost seems like they are designed on completely different principles of efficacy.

I want to make an observation on the air purifier use. My really sensitive allergy window is late August through early November. Our Hunter and Holmes HAP9726 units at home did help alleviate my condition, but did not eliminate it. Probably because I can't remain at home continuously. However, I also feel that these two purifiers (Hunter and Holmes HAP9726) on their own were not enough to fully clean the house. Next year, we plan on purchasing at least one more unit for the home, and starting next August, we have all run on maximum to see if they might help me better.

So, far, given all of our experience, I would most recommend the Holmes HAP9726. The Hunter might be better if one could turn off the electrostatic action, but one can't. Stay away from the Holmes HAP633-U; it is cheaper, but you can find better which will make you happier.

Update after eight months:

Just after seven months the Holmes HAP9726 unit seemed to be laboring with its fan action. I opened the case, and the filters were packed with dust. Evidently, the unit had filtered so much that it was now having difficulty drawing air. I replaced the HEPA and carbon filters with new ones, and the unit is now performing fine.

A note on the carbon filters for the Holmes HAP9726. I know something about how these are supposed to work to remove organic vapors, and I was extremely skeptical of their capability since it takes a lot of carbon to be effective, but originally (8 months ago) I installed anyway. When I recently opened the box to replace all of the filters, evidently the carbon filters mechanically trapped an enormous amount of dust on their own, and may have prolonged the life of the HEPA filters, so I recommend using the carbon filters for the HAP9726.

One other observation on the Holmes HAP9726: It takes air in from the side and blows filtered air upward. The Hunter takes air in from the side and blows filtered air sideways. The Holmes HAP9726 seems to do a better job of air circulation while filtering because of this side and up action.

Finally, when I looked at the dust trapped on the HAP9726 filters, it was extremely fine. It is my perception that the HAP9726 is filtering out much finer particles than I see trapped on our 3M filter for our air conditioning system. Our 3M filter is in the ceiling, and the Holmes (and Hunter) are on the floor. Evidently, the smaller particles remain closer to the floor, or are not being taken out as well by the 3M filter for our air conditioner.

I now have enough experience and observation to advise you to take your money to Wal-Mart and purchase the Holmes HAP9726 if you can't find it on Amazon. It is cheaper than the Hunter unit we purchased, and overall is better.

I'll update this review in the future if anything changes, but this might be the final review update.

Save 35% Off

Hamilton BeachStay or Go Digital Thermal Coffeemaker

I was given this as a gift. I found reviews for it (either the model in all black or brushed aluminum) favorable. Some people rated it negatively because they failed to read any directions and didn't press the "PRESS TO POUR" button on the carafe. Instead they unscrewed the top off and said it spilled when pouring. RTFM You always have to look to see if bad reveiws are due to the user's mistakes and lack of knowledge of the reviewer. They often are.

The two most negative things is...

1. When making a full pot I almost always get a lot of grinds. The problem is that the filter cup fills too quickly and the water level goes over the height of the paper filter. I've tried to find a taller filter, but they seem to all be the same size. Usually I either do a single mug (three 6 oz. cup servings) or the full carafe(10 servings). I can't recall if I've tried 6 or 8 servings to see if grinds are an issue there.

2. the plastic travel mugs retain water between the stainless steel outer shell and the inner plastic shell. UNtil I realized what the issue was, they would dribble (dish/cleaning water not coffee) when I drank from them. I find water gets in between especially after a run in the dishwasher. To get the water out, hold them by the bottom. With them facing upside down wave the mug back and forth (like a pendulum). Do it very quickly and the water will shake out. Once I found the problem, the constant dribble from a clean cup stopped. They keep the coffee reasonably warm for a while. Especially if you run hot water in the mugs before you use them-so they don't leech heat from the coffee to equalize.

3. the Hour/Minute buttons might be too easy hit and change the clock time. They should have a set button. I haven't done it, but that's the only negative.

For singles or a lone couple this is great.

I like the double spout so I can brew one mug, two mugs or a whole pot.

No need to dirty the carafe when I'm making small amounts which is 95% of the time.

The Timed brew is easy to set and works well.

I use unbleached paper cup filters. (this uses a bucket, not the cone shaped filters.)

The coffee bucket lifts out on a loop handle and is easy to dispose of grinds.

The instructions it gave on measures of coffee were good. When I used the instruction on the brand of ground coffee, the coffee tasted terrible. The coffee company said to use almost twice as much ground coffee than Hamilton Beach says.

I've already experimented with Torino's sugar free vanilla syrup, and some ground cinnamon in the coffee bucket add a great cinnamon spice without the sharp taste of the grains of cinnamon floating on top of the coffee.

I've had the coffee maker about two years now. Despite being mostly plastic, I've had no breakdowns. Nothing has fallen off or cracked.

Feb 2013

Coffee maker still going strong. I rarely use the carafe, but the travel mugs are still how I make coffee every day.

Save 21% Off

Crane Adorable 1 Gallon Cool Mist Humidifier

A great little humidifier. Well worth the money for its functionality...the cute appearance is a bonus. It is not loud at all and really cranks out serious humidity.

Black & Decker Power Mop

I waited impatiently for this product's release and was not disappointed in it! Due to a knee problem I have difficulty in getting my kitchen floor absolutely clean using the typical spray-and-wipe tools such as the Chlorox Ready-Mop (which I had been using). Those work fine on a smooth surface but can't really get into any lower spots (like grout lines or lower areas in a textured-surface tile) very well. I'd often wished for something like the Black & Decker ScumBuster tool but with a long handle so that it could be used standing up. Well, this new product is exactly that, with the bonus of the onboard liquid dispenser and "mop-up" cloth right there as well. The bottle dispenser attaches instantly with a push-and-click, which is far easier than the setup on the Chlorox ReadyMop. The ability to use any cleanser (or even just hot water if that's your preference) and any mopping pad is yet another plus. My only question is why it took so long for any manufacturer to come up with a cleaning tool like this?!

A/C Safe??? Pan Tablet

• Use for air conditioners, humidifiers, or refridgerators
• Cleans scum and other accumulations
• Eliminates plugged drains and pans
• Stops odors, overflows and water damage
• Non toxic

My HVAC guy recommended these tablets to keep algae from forming in my system. I've used them for three years and guess what? No algae. The HVAC guy says that algae is one of the main causes for a system to flood and/or smell. By popping in a few of these inexpensive tabs, I'm buying some insurance against a mess. I'd call that a good deal any day. These tablets work great, and they are the ones my HVAC guy said to use.

Enviromate E20 Steam Cleaning System

Ordered this steam cleaner shortly after I got my 12 week old puppy who is in the process of being pottytrained. I have used it on my carpet to get puppy stains.odors out and they disappeared immediately! Now I find myself cleaning everything in sight and I do not know how I ever lived without this cleaner. My house smells fresh without the use of chemicals and it has taken in some instances 21 years worth of grime off in a matter of seconds!! Try it and see for yourself.

Save $0.99 Off

Honeywell 4B-H703 Central Vacuum Power Unit

This product really sucks! I could't resist the juvenile pun. Recently installed one of these as a replacement for an older vac unit that bit the dust. 4,000 square foot home with 5 inlets. Works great. Plenty of suction power, easy to install and easy to empty. Great price too. Two thumbs up for a mid range central vac unit.

Save 36% Off

Holmes HAP242-UC HEPA Type Desktop Air Purifier

I've owned mine for about 5 years, and I love it. I was surprised to see so many negative comments from other reviewers. If I may add my two cents to the discussion:

* This machine works great as an air purifier for small/medium bedrooms. It is designed to remove dust and other allergens from the air, and it does so quite well in my opinion. It's not meant to clean the air in the whole house. It's not meant to remove strong odors like stinky pets, dirty diapers, etc. That's what an odor eliminator is for. (I use a Hamilton Beach 04271R TrueAir Plug-Mount Odor Eliminator next to the litter box, and I can't complain.) An odor eliminator contains a carbon filter than neutralizes bad smells. A HEPA air purifier contains a filter of thickly folded fibrous paper that strains tiny particles out of the air. The two devices have completely different purposes and methods.

* Yes, you do have to replace the filter periodically. I run my unit continuously on the low setting and have to replace the filter about once a year. Target usually sells them in two-packs or three-packs for a good price.

* It needs to be wiped down with a damp cloth every couple of weeks because the outer casing gathers dust and lint. In my experience it does NOT, as other users have commented, get filthy. I supposed it might if you never cleaned it. The fact that it attracts dust means it's working.

* It's almost silent on the low setting. Medium is audible but not intrusive. The high setting is almost as loud as a dust buster. I've found the low setting to be sufficient for small bedrooms.

I hope this helps.

Save 26% Off

Plato 16oz Teapot

A quaint personal lil teapot artfully designed with noted appreciation to the detail of the gold-plated loose leaf coil. The gold-plated coil placed directly in-front of interior of pour spout extends to tip of spout. Preventing most tea particles from being poured into cup when using loose leaf teas. The gold-plated coil vs. other metal coils eliminates the metallic aftertaste that is created when serving hot/cold teas. The lid is kept on by a glass design feature on top of handle with a steam release hole that can be moved by turning lid. The tea pot is recycled borosilicate glass, varied heat exchange -4 to 300f without a problem, handmade, with the pleasure of using loose leaf or bagged teas. I chose this borosilicate glass teapot for the features mentioned above as well as for the visual esthetics's when the tea is ready. Knowing in my choice of selecting this type of glass tea pot to enjoy a cup of tea, the process is a bit slower. For me this is good, as it does slow me down all the while creating a mental environment of personal calm. As well as taking my time in the selection of tea to enjoy for the moment at hand; Weather personal time or with a friend or two. The 16oz. is a good size for personal or with a friend or two. Choosing to purchase a few more to have on hand so a selection of tea can be enjoyed by all.

Plato Teapot 16 oz pot,(Teaposy)

Save 39% Off

Hoover Platinum Lightweight Upright Vacuum

Hoover Platinum Lightweight Bagged Upright with Canister (UH30010COM) (3/14/09)

Overall, this is a terrific vacuum. The person who will be happiest with this combination is the person who: (1) wants a lightweight vacuum, (2) has mostly carpet in their home, (3) has carpeted stairs, and (4) uses attachments.

I liked my old vacuum, so using the LBU has been an eye-opening experience for me: I didn't realize how much effort I was exerting with my old upright with attachments not only heavier, but so much bending and stooping to change settings or get tools.

At 11 pounds, the LBU is 2 to 3 pounds heavierbut less expensive than competing models. Bonuses: it has a longer cord and a stair cleaning handle.

Competing models -

Hoover LBU, 11 lbs list $300/retail $300 (includes canister), 6 yr warranty

Riccar RSL5; 8 lbs list $710/ retail $500 (without canister), 3 yr warranty

Oreck XL Gold: 9 lbs list $600/ retail $500 (includes canister), 5/10 warranty

Oreck XL Platinum: 9 lbs list $800/ retail $600 (includes canister), 10 yr warranty

All of these uprights (including the LBU) are similar to commercial models, but you don't get the same auto carpet height adjustment, lifetime belt, HEPA filtration, and warranty on commercial models.

The supplementary canister has a strap and a 25 food cord. I didn't like it the first time I tried it, but the second time I adjusted the strap to fit me (DUH!), and then I LOVED it! The canister carries the crevice and brush attachments on board, so switching is easy, and the wand is extendable. (I don't use the floor tool, because I use a stick vac on my hardwoods.)

ADDED ADVICE (9/9/09): I have been using my machine about 6 months. About a month ago, I noticed that my machine was no longer expelling fresh smelling air. I assumed that although the bag was not completely full (after 5 months, in a 2800 sq ft mostly carpeted house), the dust from my 15/16yo carpets had clogged it up and so I replaced it (not bad...5 months for one bag). After replacing the bag, it still didn't smell as good as at first. Not nasty, just dusty. Hmmm. So I took out the new bag, vacuumed out the interior of the bag area (carefully, so I wouldn't damage anything), removed the base of the machine and cleaned and vacuumed that out as well (an advantage to a separate canister).

(Edit 11/13/09) That seemed to pretty much solve it for me, but I asked about it when I called about the battery for my Hoover Platinum Collection Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum) (see review), and was told that if you live in a very humid climate (like the Gulf Coast), then a cloth bag machine can develop a funky smell especially if stored in an unventilated area which can be treated by putting the vaccuum out in the sunshine on a hot, dry day. I was told NOT to use carpet fresh or other powders or spray fresheners (like Febreeze) because the product might build up over time and clog up the outer cloth bag.(END OF ADDED ADVICE)

If you want details about specific features, read on:

PROS

FINGERTIP CONTROLS Wonderful. Many models have this type of control now, and now that I have used it I wouldn't buy one that didn't have it.

HEPA SYSTEM Remarkable. My old vacuum was a HEPA model with HEPA bags, but there is no comparison to this model. The air on this vacuum comes out smelling fabulous. I bought and returned a top rated Kenmore canister that had the exact same amazingly clean exhaust (turns out I don't like using a canister), so I think this is the new hallmark of quality vacuums.

AUTO CARPET HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT Works beautifully. I used to have to stoop down to change the carpet height adjustment on different rugs, but the LBU self-adjustment really works no problem pushing vacuum over even the thickest pile.

CORD PLACEMENT Smart! It comes out the behind the top of the bag rather than the bottom. This means I have even more useable cord, because I don't have to hold part of the cord up to avoid running over it.

CLEANING ABILITY VERY effective carpet cleaner, my 15 year-old carpets look & feel (to bare feet) remarkably cleaner, and even look & feel newer. Excellent at removing pet hair from carpet. The upright is 5.5 amps with direct air flow, like the Riccar & Oreck models listed. The canister is 7 amps. (The combined total is listed in the product description very confusing. I suppose that Hoover thought consumers want a 12 amp machine, but amps are like gas mileage; if you get more suction for less amperage it's like getting better mileage. That's good, not bad. Plus you won't blow your fuses!)

EASILY MANEUVERABLE One expects this of a lightweight model, and all the models I tried turned easily and so forth, but the Riccar & Orecks I tried had to be kicked or tipped up over the edge of an area rug placed onto another carpet. In my home I have area rugs in several rooms on top of the wall-to-wall carpeting, and the LBU moves seamlessly over the edges (even on my thickest area rug) without needing a kick or an extra hard push.

LIFETIME LED HEADLIGHT Brilliant! (Literally!) It is brighter than any other light I have ever had on a vacuum, and is it actually aimed at the carpet! I think having the LEDs has allowed them to aim the light better than with a standard bulb. I am sure other LED equipped models are comparable, so look for this feature,

LIFETIME BELT YES! I've replaced SO many belts over the years and I won't have to do THAT anymore, thank goodness.

STAIR-CLEANING HANDLE Finally. It is comfortably shaped & works well. To use competitors' models on stairs, you have to hold them by the back tube, which I've tried, and it isn't nearly as easy as using the handle. However, see cons below.

CORD RELEASE (6/9/09 edit) I thought it didn't have one until another Amazon customer posted a commment to me (see comments) that it most certainly does; then I tried it again and VOILA! it does. Because I couldn't figure it out before, I got into the habit of just winding up the 35' cord on my arm and plopping it into the top cord holder. The LBU doesn't threaten to tip over at all when I do this, so it works just great and saves me yet another bend and stoop but it's a good feature to have, so I'm glad the engineers didn't leave it out.

CONS

STAIR-CLEANING HANDLE Good grief! I assume it really WAS necessary to vent the motor exhaust toward the stair-cleaning handle (!), so rather than curse the engineers, hold the handle on the right-hand side. It's big enough to do that, thank goodness. Or vacuum the stairs first, before the motor gets warm.

NO BRUSH ROLL ON/OFF Hmmm. This is in the description (and competitors' models are the same), so it means that the vacuum is intended ONLY for people with mostly carpet. (2/1/2011 edit: I have been told by other Amazon users that the brush roll does not touch the floor when put on a hard surface & so I need not worry about damaging my hardwood floors. I have occasionally used it on my hardwood and I have not seen any damage, but I am not sure about this. Up to you.) I have about 80/20 carpet/bare floor, so it works for me. I use a stick vac on my hardwood, and the other person I talked to that has hardwood floors and this vacuum says she doesn't care because her hardwood floors aren't new anyway. But if you have brand-spankin'-new hardwood floors, will you really want to use a brush-roll on them?

EXPENSIVE BAGS Really, $5 each? But they are huge, and they are the very high quality type with fabric-like paper, so we'll see. I used to have to change my old ones ($3) fairly often, so maybe this will work out the same or even cheaper.

CARRY-STRAP FOR CANISTER Not padded. Anyone know where I can buy a pad for a 1 ½ inch strap?

This review is longer than I would like, but since there are so few reviews out there as yet, I wanted to be thorough. Sorry for the length but hope this helps!

(7/19/2009 edit) By the way, the original price on this was $400 and now it has dropped to under $300! This is a terrific value at this price! I would be furious if I hadn't gotten a 20% discount in the first place!

Save 19% Off

Air Filter for Poulan Replaces 530037793 Fits Craftsman

I purchased two of these filters, one being for my 2004 year 36 cc Craftsman chainsaw and the other for my 2002 year Poulan 2075 chainsaw. These filters were a perfect fit and identical to the original foam filter material. The purchase of them here through Amazon saved me cash and time looking for filters to fit my nine and eleven year old chainsaws. As long as I can still get my service parts for these old saws through Amazon, I won't need to spend more purchasing a new saw. Also, by purchasing two filters, I only paid the shipping price once and beat the price of local retailers.

Amaircare Roomaid Auto Adaptor Kit

I ordered this so that I could travel with my Amaircare air cleaner. Looking at the picture, it seemed that I would need this. However, I have a car Power Inverter for plugging in various electrical items while traveling such as computers and other electronics. The metal plate shown in the picture is a seat belt clip to hold the air cleaner in place on your front seat. Since I had planned to put the air cleaner on the floor behind me, $30 was a bit too much to pay to have the air cleaner ride jump seat. So, I returned the adapter and now just plug the air cleaner into my inverter. If you are inclined to purchase this adapter, you may want to spend your $30 and buy an inverter instead that will allow you to plug in your Air Cleaner and so much more.

Save 58% Off