Equipped with a HEPA air-outlet filter, this compact, lightweight canister vacuum protects against allergens while its 1,200-watt motor produces exceptional suction power for cleaning all around the house. Suction can also be adjusted, permitting maximum power for floors and carpets and lower power for delicates like lampshades. The canister measures just 12-1/2 by 10 by 10 inches and weighs about 13 pounds, light enough to be carried around by its shoulder strap for cleaning furniture, shelves, and drapes. (Dusting brush attachment included.) For deep-cleaning carpets and rugs while tagging along on its two wheels there's an air-powered 11-inch-wide brush-roll nozzle with a slide control to adjust the brush roll's speed. A separate, 10-inch-wide nozzle comes along for bare floors, and it has a retractable brush for loosening stubborn dirt. Both can be attached directly to a wand on the vacuum's flexible hose or to an 18-inch chrome tube that telescopes out to 30 inches--or stops anywhere between. The vacuum employs either a reusable cloth bag or a disposable paper bag, and an indicator light flicks on when the bag is full. (One cloth bag and three paper included.) Both the HEPA air-outlet filter, which traps 99.97 percent of air impurities as small as 0.3 microns, and a washable air-intake filter protecting the motor need changing once or twice a year. (Replacements can be ordered separately.) A button on the vacuum's top automatically retracts the 17-foot power cord when pressed with foot or thumb, and the vacuum can then be stored either upright or flat. The vacuum carries a one-year warranty against defects. --Fred Brack
