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This vacuum with attachments is designed to clean your entire home, no matter what sort of floor surface you have. Eureka picked a good time to send me the Boss SmartVac — we’d just returned from a trip to the beach, and that fine, powdery sand was everywhere. Let’s see if the Boss SmartVac was up to the challenge.
Using the Boss SmartVac
My home office is partially covered with Berber-style carpeting, and it was thoroughly covered in fine sand after my daughter decided to dump the beach bag out in the middle of the room. A small mound of beach sand about six inches of diameter presented the first test for the vacuum.With the vacuum height set to the second notch I ran the vacuum slowly over the area. I would estimate that about 75 percent of the beach sand was removed with one single pass — not bad at all. After two passes, all of the sand was removed from the carpeting.
The other half of my office has concrete floors that were covered in birdseed (don’t ask). I switched the vacuum to bare-floor mode, turned off the roller brush and went after the seed. The Boss SmartVac picked it up without issue. I did notice that the suction didn’t appear as strong at the far corners of the cleaning path as in the middle.
That said, the suction was strong enough that seeds merely close to the cleaning head were pulled into the vacuum. Some vacuums have a problem cleaning bare floors and tend to throw the dirt and debris around the room. The Boss SmartVac didn’t have that problem.
The ease of cleaning using the Boss SmartVac reminded me of the Dyson DC15 “Ball” I reviewed early in the year. The two vacuums have similar cleaning power, though the Dyson is undeniably easier to maneuver than the Boss SmartVac. However, the price of the Eureka Boss SmartVac is significantly lower than the Dyson DC15, coming in at a suggested retail price of $171.99.
Bagged or Bagless?
These days, many vacuum buyers favor a bagless vacuum, not considering the risk of recontaminating their home with the dust when they go to empty the dirt bin.Asthma and allergy sufferers should heed this warning: Bagless vacuums are a great source of asthma and allergy triggers. Sure, they may be HEPA filtered, but what about when you empty the vacuum? My suggestion is for those with asthma and allergies to go with a bagged vacuum, which does a much better job of keeping the dirt and triggers from getting into your lungs and your home.
With this in mind, I consider the Eureka Boss SmartVac’s use of a bag to be a positive. The bags used in this test were the new Arm & Hammer Odor Eliminating bags that also boast allergen filtration. All in all, the new bags did a good job of eliminating odors and keeping the dirt and dust inside the bag during cleaning.
Attachments
One of my biggest pet peeves on a vacuum cleaner is attachments that are hard to use or just plain don’t work. Thankfully, the attachments on the Boss SmartVac are easy to use and work great. The attachment hose is always connected so you don’t have to stop to plug the hose in. To activate the attachments you flip a large, easy-to-use yellow dial on the right side of the vacuum to the attachment setting and away you go. Included attachments are two extension wands, a crevice tool, a dusting brush and a hard plastic suction nozzle.Cleaning cobwebs with the dusting brush was a snap thanks to the powerful suction the attachments feature. In the car, the crevice tool worked well and had a wide enough mouth that I didn’t have to stop and pull debris out of the opening frequently like I do with some vacuums. The attachment hose is quite stretchy and durable, allowing you to move about six feet away from the vacuum while using the attachments.
HEPA Filtration and Floor Cleaning
Eureka uses a patented, sealed HEPA filtration system on the Boss SmartVac and claims the filter processes all the fine dirt that the vacuum sucks up. I have yet to use a vacuum that could actually capture 100 percent of the dirt it carries through the filter system. When pondering the meaning of Eureka’s claim, keep in mind that by definition, a HEPA filter has to capture 99.97 percent of pollutants as small as 0.3 microns.Semantics of Eureka’s filtration verbiage aside, the Boss SmartVac works very well. I used it all around my home with great results.
Minor Issues
I have few complaints from my time with the Boss SmartVac, and none of them have to do with its cleaning prowess:I found it difficult to disengage the roller brush via the little toggle on the cleaning head. I kept thinking I had the brush disengaged only to have it spin to life when I stepped on the handle release. After a few tries, I got used to it — but this feature could be easier to operate.
The only other problem I had with the vacuum was its weight. The Boss SmartVac is one of the heaviest vacuums I have tested of late and was more difficult to push than many vacuums I use. Most people won’t mind the weight, but for some it could be a deterrent. If you have a two-story home, this could be an issue for you. The weight may also be a concern if you or someone in your family has limited mobility for any reason. Eureka lists the weight of the vacuum at 21 pounds.
I did not run into any real surprises nor did I have any problems that would be deal breakers for me. The vacuum simply worked and worked well. If it were lighter and the roller brush were easier to disengage, it would be nearly perfect. When you consider the low cost of the vacuum, the Eureka Boss SmartVac is one of the best vacuum deals you will find. This much performance usually costs much more.
Specifications
- Cord Length: 30 feet
- Weight: 21 pounds
- Power: 12 amps
- Dimensions: 15 x 11 x 45
- Bags: RR Filteraire
- HEPA Filter: HF2 HEPA Filter
- Belt: Style R Extended Life
Shane McGlaun has been a practicing Respiratory Therapist for 11 years. His diverse experience — including acute care, home care and rehab — enables a multifaceted approach to respiratory problems.
