Eureka AirSpeed NEU100 Review

The Eureka AirSpeed upright vacuum only comes with a crevice tool and duster hand tool attachment, which are very basic but effective attachments for simple challenges. For a low-cost vacuum like this, we recommend that people use these attachments for cleaning out crevices, cleaning close to walls, and even to clean up larger messes on hardwood floors. Why? This machine is not tuned to work well on hardwood, which our test results show below. Even though it might seem odd, we'd rather use this model's crevice tool to suck up a box of spilled cereal than run the cleaner head over it.

Performance Comparison

Carpet Performance

We begin our carpet tests with mixed blend of sand, rice, and Cheerios, representing common household debris. We distribute our mix over both carpet types, allowing the vacuum to suck up as much of the material as it can in 24 seconds. This is a very challenging test for vacuums at all price points. Here's the results we saw.

Before Testing After Testing

Low Pile

This budget vacuum collected an average of just 71% of our test debris, well below average on low pile carpet.

The Eureka AirSpeed plowed the rice and Cheerios, and I found it quite difficult to push across the carpet.

Before Testing After Testing

On the first trial run, it seemed to erupt like a volcano with debris spray on a reverse pass, but it behaved better on the next two tests yet did not collect significantly more material.

High Pile

The dense, shaggy texture of tall pile carpets allows dirt to conceal itself easily, complicating the vacuuming process. As the fibers fold over, they trap debris, preventing it from being drawn into the vacuum. To tackle this dirt, a vacuum requires a strong brush roller to agitate the fibers to allow its suction to grab debris.

As I pushed this machine, I marveled at how well it achieved good suction on the shaggy carpet and sucked up both the surface and embedded sand. The high pile carpet suction was far better than the sticky feeling on low pile carpet. Given more time, I think this little budget vacuum could do a good job on high pile carpet!

Overall Carpet Cleaning Performance

The AirSpeed cleaner head seems better tuned to thicker carpets than low pile carpets, making it a reasonable buy if you have a thick area rug you need to clean.

Still, for a few more bucks, the Eureka PowerSpeed delivers better performance overall.

Hardwood Performance

We combine cleaning test trials with edges and crevices to comprehensively examine how these vacuums perform on hard surfaces.

Before Testing After Testing

Cleaning Performance

Unfortunately, the AirSpeed is wildly ineffective on hardwood, barely managing to suck up an average of 61% of our test debris.

What's worse, it seemed as if this vacuum were out to get me, judging by the way sand and rice shot out from under the cleaner head at me. It produced one of the worst outcomes I've experienced yet, a horrendous job that spread the mess around more than what I started with. The debris spray is so awful it's almost mesmerizing!

If you spill something on a hard floor, I recommend using the crevice or duster tool to clean it up. Seriously, skip the cleaner head. It's that bad.

Crevice

A cleaning job can feel incomplete if you see dirt lingering in crevices. To ensure each vacuum can thoroughly clean up every area in your house, we design a test to measure how much a vacuum can suck up from the hard-to-reach areas.

The AirSpeed sucked up just 27% of the sand from our crevice, which wasn't the worst outcome I recorded in this test. If you have crevices, get used to using the hand tool attachment.

Edges

Tight areas or long hallways require your vacuum to clean at the very edge of its head. These areas can accumulate as you think about the many baseboards, furniture, and stairs you may have. We test how well a vacuum can pick up coffee grounds when pushing head-on, like into stairs, or running it parallel, like cleaning baseboards of a long hallway.

Before Testing After Testing

When I approached the coffee head-on in this test, the AirSpeed sucked up some but then seemed to throw a fit like an angry young child, spreading the rest out in an even bigger mess. The same result on the parallel pass. Unreal.

So, yeah. Use the crevice tool for anything close to a wall.

Overall Hardwood Cleaning Performance

While it's possible to use the AirSpeed on the carpet, its hardwood test scores were so low that we can't recommend it for hardwood in good conscience.

While the Eureka PowerSpeed is better on hardwood than the AirSpeed, if you want good results on hardwood, I recommend that you step up to the Shark Navigator Lift Away Deluxe NV360. It costs twice as much when on sale, but it's a much better machine overall if you can afford it.

Pet Hair

Vacuuming shed pet hair from dogs and cats can be one of the toughest cleaning challenges pet owners face because so many vacuums fail and clog. To help you find a machine that can pick up after your favorite pets, we created a rigorous pet hair challenge test.

Again, the AirSpeed collected far less pet hair than the average for all the vacuums we tested.

Before Testing After Testing

I was surprised by how easily this vacuum rolled right over pet hair, leaving it seemingly untouched on low pile carpet. On high pile, it was harder to push than it was during my high pile debris test, and it even back plowed some hair and left a little blockade at the edge of the carpet. I was stunned. Usually, brush rollers with tall bristles collect and clump a lot of hair, but it felt like this vacuum was built by an evil genius who dislikes pets and wants to sow discord in pet-loving homes.

Filtration & Suction

Filtration and suction are two distinct factors we wanted to test because they have significant consequences if your vacuum performs poorly in either of these tests.

Filtration

Even though the AirSpeed doesn't have a HEPA filter, this vacuum is unlikely to exacerbate sensitivities to pet dander, pollen, or dust for allergy sufferers.

Suction

Even though the cleaner head seems to create decent suction on carpet, the suction, cleaner head, and brush roller don't seem to work well together, resulting in poor overall collection rates.

Ease of Use

We wrap up our testing with a crucial metric: ease of use. A vacuum that's easy to maneuver around the house requires less effort and provides a more enjoyable cleaning experience. This also applies to other aspects, like emptying the dust bin and using attachments to clean different areas. Our goal is to highlight where each vacuum made cleaning easier—or where it fell short.

Maneuverability

In our lab, I conduct a dedicated maneuverability test for each vacuum and test them at home. This process includes navigating around cones, pushing vacuums under furniture, and examining any special features that impact their movement.

I found this vacuum hard to push on carpet. Because it doesn't have a swivel head design, I struggled to turn it, had to wrestle it around the cones in our obstacle course, and I had to create low, twisty angles to get it to transition from a hard floor to our bamboo test mat.

Maintenance

One major drawback of this machine is the brush roller, which is a hassle to clean—common among budget vacuums with bristle rollers. Since it's not removable, you have to manually pull out tangled pet hair and human hair, which can be quite frustrating. While cleaning floors can be rewarding, dealing with hair stuck in the vacuum isn't nearly as enjoyable.

Upholstery & Attachments

As vacuum attachments have improved, many people prefer to clean and dust their furniture with hand tools linked to their vacuums. I evaluate interesting attachments and test upholstery cleaning capabilities by sprinkling coffee grounds on a throw pillow. I then use the most appropriate attachment to clean it.

The brush tool was too raised and spread out to be effective on the coffee, so I tried the crevice tool and managed to suck up some of the coffee. However, because it's a narrow tool, I had to make several passes over the coffee, which smeared some of it into the pillow. If you're the kind of person who isn't grateful for extra messes while you clean, this isn't the machine for you.

Should You Buy the Eureka AirSpeed?

We're not particularly impressed by the Eureka AirSpeed at its full list price because other similarly priced vacuums perform much better. However, if you get it on sale and plan to use it sparingly in a small environment with minor messes, it could be a great value as long as you're willing to use extra passes and pull out the crevice tool at the first sign of trouble.

What Other Upright Vacuums Should You Consider?