The Eureka Comfort Clean Oh! 4235 (left in photo) and Eureka LightForce 300 4718 (right in photo) bagless upright vacuums are the latest examples. These newest additions to our continually updated vacuum ratings (available to subscribers) have tantalizingly low prices and come from a reliable manufacturer, according to our brand-repair surveys. Yet these two siblings seem like perfect strangers when it comes to performance and other important features.
The Comfort Clean Oh! 4235, $140, proved the star of this same-brand duet in our tests. The "Oh!" in its name alludes to its O-shaped handle, which you can grip at various angles and extend upward another 4 inches or so to match your height. While the design debuted on earlier Eurekas, the Comfort Clean Oh! marries it to a vacuum that delivered very good cleaning in our tough carpet and bare-floor tests at a price that's less than half that of many uprights. It's about a quarter the price of the Dyson DC28 Animal we recently tested and roughly 90 percent cheaper than the $1,350 Kirby Sentria vacuum—surely the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 of vacs when it comes to price.We also liked the Comfort Clean Oh!'s no-bend controls: You can raise or lower the cleaning head with your foot for short- or long-carpet pile and activate the push-button cord retractor from above without the usual stooping. A telescopic wand at the end of the hose also extends about a foot for cleaning between the pleats of drapes and other hard-to-reach areas.
Gripes include the relatively small bin and messy emptying typical of bagless vacuums and this vac's 20-pound heft. But top performance and features at a relatively low price make this new Eureka one of our latest CR Best Buys.
The $90 Eureka LightForce 300 4718 doesn't provide similar cleaning performance and, despite its airy-sounding name, is not much lighter—this model weighs 17 pounds. Lackluster cleaning in our carpet tests put the LightForce near the bottom of the ratings. So did poor airflow through the hose, which started out so-so and quickly dropped to zero as the filter clogged with dust-simulating wood flour.
The LightForce 300 also presents a stark contrast to the Comfort Clean Oh! when it comes to convenience. Never mind the ease implied by the onboard telescoping dust wand and window for viewing the drive belt: A small recessed power switch proved hard to reach for those with larger feet, and low-mounted retainers make wrapping the cord an arduous task.
Our advice: Spend a bit more for the Comfort Clean Oh! 4235 or choose one of several other recommended and CR Best Buy models (available to subscribers).—Bob Markovich | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook
Essential information: Our free vacuum buying guide offers lots of helpful buying tips. You'll also find some great deals among our ratings of upright and canister vacuums (available to subscribers). Look for our new report on vacuums in the October 2009 issue of Consumer Reports.
I was looking for a new upright vac to replace an older Hoover that was falling apart (plastic parts breaking). I always consult your ratings and looked at the Eureka Boss (seemed heavy and a bit awkward to manuever). I also looked at the Eureka Capture but online reviews were awful. I also looked at the Eureka Comfort Clean two days before your review came out. I liked what I saw but wanted to get additional info -- ie. online reviews - and was pleasantly surprised to find your Aug 17 review!
I purchased the Comfort Clean OH, assembled it quickly and gave it a trial run on berber and plush carpet. I am quite happy with the results! It practically pulls itself across the floor, is agile to move around furniture, comfortable to handle etc. It's not overly loud compared to my old Hoover and I really like the automatic cord rewind. Best of all, the suction is wonderful -- the amount of dirt and pet hair it pulled out of my two "test" rooms was incredible. This is a great vac at a reasonable price ($99 from Target). Keep up the good work CR!
I was in desperate need of a new vacuum. I went to Sams and found the Eureka Comfort Clean. I purchased it, took it home and put it together. I turned it on and it started sucking everything in sight - I was amazed. However, every time I would pull the vacuum back towards my body, the hose would shock the heck out of my leg. I thought maybe it was just me, then my husband got ahold of it. It shocked him pretty badly as well. He didn't have a mark left on his leg like I did though. So, since I was impressed with the results of the vacuum, I took it back and exchanged it for another one, same model. My husband put this one together this time. Low and behold, it shocked him. He told me to try it, but I declined. I don't know what's wrong with these things, but the last vacuum will be taken back tomorrow and I will get a refund this time and will buy a completely different vacuum. Sucks, cuz I really like how well it worked other than having bolts of electricity run through our bodies.
I bought this vacuum cleaner from Target in September 2009 because of this article and a couple of other reviews. I am not happy at all. The cleaner was missing a part; it's on the bottom of the back of the machine to hold the hose. I emailed Eureka and was told that they could not send me a part but that I could either take it to a local repair shop or return it. As it was difficult to assemble (holes were hard to align) I could not break it down and take it back. It's all fixed now.
My new problem: In early March, the belt broke. Four months? I made sure I had an extra on hand, but a week later, my spare broke. I can't find them anywhere, and Target doesn't carry them anymore. I read another review on Amazon.com with an identical story.
I bought this vac on CR's recommendation and have been VERY disappointed. A very narrow plastic at the top of the canister that comes off is cracked, and the tiny filter clogs easily and needs replaced often. While suction is good, the hose and cord are both very short. And on bare floors the brush roller pushes dirt away from the vac.
But most of all, emptying this thing is AWFUL. I will never have a bagless again. I have to empty this outside because of all the dust that spews, and then everything has to be washed. Getting the canister assembly back on the machine after emptying is tricky. What a hassle.
Aboput the only good thing I can say about it is the on/off switch is convenient!
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