Is Ryobi's USB Compact Hand Vacuum Worth Buying? Here's What Reviews Say

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Whether you have other Ryobi tools you'll want for your spring-cleaning tasks or are just on the market for a lightweight and easily portable handheld vacuum, you might be considering whether the Ryobi USB lithium compact hand vacuum kit is worth it. With its retail price of just under $100, this tool is on the pricier side compared to some other handheld models. However, it does boast several impressive features that make it sound like a very appealing pick. The vacuum weighs a little under 1 1/2 pounds and offers a slim and compact design. This means that you can easily move it to use anywhere you need to tackle dirt — whether you need to vacuum your mattress, are trying to suck up crumbs and dust in a corner, or are looking for the easiest ways to clean your car seats. It even comes with an upholstery tool and a two-in-one crevice tool/dust brush to help you more effectively clean a variety of surfaces in your home and beyond.

So, do those impressive features make this handheld tool worth the cost? One of the best ways to evaluate this is by looking through real customer reviews to see what real users have to share about the performance and quality of the vacuum. We did just that to help you simplify your decision, reading through the feedback that customers left on Ryobi's website, as well as on Home Depot's, where the vacuum is also available.

Reviewers are overall very impressed with this compact hand vacuum from Ryobi. It has a 5-star rating with 17 reviews on Ryobi's website and a 4.8-star rating based on 23 reviews on Home Depot's website. In the write-ups, several customers praise the suction of the vacuum, noting that it is very strong for its compact size. One reviewer on Ryobi's website wrote, " I really like this compact vacuum! I used it today while cleaning my home including cleaning cat hair off velvet chairs, crumbs under my couch cushions, cat litter, and more. It handled every task I used it for perfectly – it had great suction and the batteries lasted through everything I needed it for."

Other reviewers highlight the tool's compact design and how easy it is to use. Another happy customer on Ryobi's website shared, "Besides the power and runtime, the most impressive feature is how it feels in the hand. The design is amazing to feel and hold with the right weight and balance. Love this addition to the house!"

However, while most customers are generally pleased with this vacuum, some are not as convinced that it is worth the heftier price tag. One individual on Home Depot's website shared that they're not so impressed with the charging setup. They note that the tool offers "inconvenient charging for an on-the-go item. To charge without the charging station means taking the batteries out. I can not just leave this in my car without spare batteries."

Ultimately, only you can decide whether the nearly $100 price tag of this compact hand vacuum from Ryobi is worth it for you. As noted above, most customers are pleased with its performance and recommend it to others. The tool also offers some other notable features that might influence your decision. First, it comes with two USB lithium batteries, which can double the run time. Each battery is estimated to last for 14 minutes, so with two you could clean for nearly 30 minutes before needing to stop and recharge. While this might not seem like an incredibly long time, keep in mind that this tool is more designed for quick cleanup tasks rather than vacuuming an entire room. It also offers USB charging, which can open up more possibilities if you are not at home. For example, you could plug the batteries into the USB cord connected to a car charger.

That being said, the $100 cost may not fit in everyone's budget. If you're looking for a handheld vacuum, there are several models that cost significantly less than this one. For example, we tried one of the cheapest cordless handheld vacuums at Target — the Black+Decker compact lithium handheld vacuum — and were impressed with its cleaning capabilities. This model retails for only $39.99 at Target — less than half the cost of Ryobi's model. The Shark Cyclone PET handheld vacuum and CKIKH cordless handheld vacuum are two other options that both have a retail price of less than $70.