My new vacuum cleaner and I have what we like to call an “open relationship,” and I don’t mind if he sees other people. But you should know a little about him before you decide to date him, because he’s not like other vacuum cleaners and you wouldn’t want to go into it with excessive expectations.

For one thing, he’s only as strong as my DustBuster. Okay, sure, I have a very good DustBuster (Black & Decker 15.6V), but still: my new vacuum is a very good dustbuster on a long handle. I’m not saying a long handle isn’t a valuable attribute, I’m just saying you shouldn’t expect more than that.

This is the perfect vacuum cleaner for someone like me: I hate the heaviness and bulk and cords and “hauling it out of the closet” of vacuum cleaners so much, I generally only use the DustBuster. (You probably want to believe that I’m kidding, but I’m not.) This Dirt Devil is the same as my DustBuster, but I can skate around the house with it instead of crawling. I find it….well, I hesitate to even say this, especially in such a public forum, but I find it actually ENJOYABLE to vacuum with it. Not enjoyable as in I’d rather do it than mess around on Facebook, but enjoyable as in if I get it out to do a little vacuuming, I generally find I continue vacuuming just because I don’t mind it and even find it a little hypnotizing. I hum a little tune.

It’s surprisingly lightweight (about twice the weight of a dustbuster, I think), and it was easy to assemble. The charge lasts a nice long time: I’ve toodled around all the rooms (okay, granted, not very thoroughly, but that’s what a verb like “toodled” is good for) without the vacuum running out of power. (If it seems to run out of power, empty the little canister and smack it against the side of the trash can to get the dust out of the filter.) When you’re done with it, you set it in its little floor base and it charges itself back up. Plus, it has one of those “Energy Star” ratings.

But I’m very worried that you’ll get it because I’m so happy with it, and then be like, “This has NO SUCTION! I might as well use STICKY TAPE to pick up the dirt!” It is NOT VERY POWERFUL. It would be no good for wall-to-wall carpeting: it has a carpet setting with a rotating brushroll, so you can use it for the foot-wiping mat and for area rugs, but it’s not going to do the kind of job you want for a whole house of plush pile. I have mostly hard floors.

It’s not a REAL vacuum. It would be no good for someone who doesn’t mind vacuuming and does it regularly, unless they wanted a second vacuum for quick jobs. What it is is a much-improved DustBuster-type vacuum: very, very convenient, and very pleasant to use. I love it, and I have never loved a vacuum cleaner before. —Swistle

Link: date my boyfriend at Amazon.com
Ballpark price: $69.99