Unsure if you need a stick vacuum or another type of suction device? See more in our review of the best vacuum cleaners.
Editor's Note: This Dirt Devil review was updated on January 11, 2022, with details to help you make the best buying decision. This Product Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Premium Stick Vacuum |  Best Budget Stick Vacuum | |||
| Price | $35 List $34.99 at Amazon | $500 List $330.00 at Amazon | $170 List $128.94 at Amazon | $150 List $99.00 at Amazon | $34 List $33.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
|||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This vacuum definitely wasn't our favorite, with its main merit being its exceptionally low price and not much else | The cleaning performance and convenience of this stick vacuum impressed our testers, and made them want one for their own homes | This inexpensive vacuum is convenient and well-priced but only average overall | The advantages of this vacuum are numerous, but the drawbacks of subpar cleaning performance on typical surfaces outweigh those benefits | A budget vacuum with distinct limitations across all metrics |
| Rating Categories | Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik | Shark Stratos Cordless | Eureka RapidClean Pro | Black+Decker Powers... | Bissell Featherweight |
| Convenience (35%) | |||||
| Hard Surface Cleaning (30%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (20%) | |||||
| Carpet Cleaning (15%) | |||||
| Specs | Dirt Devil Simpli-Stik | Shark Stratos Cordless | Eureka RapidClean Pro | Black+Decker Powers... | Bissell Featherweight |
| Weight | 3.4 lbs | 8.9 lbs | 5.1 lbs | 5.8 lbs | 2.9 lbs |
| Cordless Battery Life | n/a | Boost: 10 min 28 sec Eco: 49 min 6 sec |
23 min 12 sec | Boost: 16 min 36 sec Auto: 24 min 50 sec |
n/a |
| Measured Charge Time | n/a | 2 hours 55 min | 4 hours 30 min | 4 hours 45 min | n/a |
| Noise Level | 74 dBa | 78 dBa | 65 dBa | 80 dBa | 78 dBa |
| Model Number | SD20000RED | IZ862H | NEC180 | BHFEA520J | 2033 |
| Measured Head Width | 9" | 10.25 | 9.75" | 9.88" | 8" |
| Variable Suction Control | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brush On/Off Switch? | n/a | Reduced Speed | No | No | Yes |
| Storage | Stands up; falls over easily | Freestanding in MultiFLEX storage mode | Wall mount only | Stands up; wall mount | Stands up |
| Swivel Head? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Soft Bumper? | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Cordless? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Maximum Corded Reach | 17.5 ft | n/a | n/a | n/a | 15 ft |
The SimpliStick did a decent job cleaning hard floors, earning an average score in that metric. However, this was the only component of our test where this model gave an acceptable showing. This vacuum earned the lowest score in our best stick vacuum review in the rest of our metrics, as it was the hardest to use, the least convenient to clean with, and the worst in our tests when it came to collecting debris from the carpet.
Ranking at the top in significance, convenience comprised 35% of the overall score for each stick vacuum. We compared the ability of each model to clean areas other than the floor, how much each weighed, battery life, or how far the cord reached, whether it was corded or cordless, as well as how the vacuum can be stored — whether it was stable enough to be freestanding or if it needed a wall mount. The SimpliStick delivered a below-average performance.
This vacuum transforms into a handheld vacuum with an edging tool for the non-floor parts of your home. We found it a little challenging to remove or attach the brush head while standing, requiring picking up the vacuum and fiddling with it to transform the setup. This model did earn some points back for being one of the lightest models of the group, weighing in at a paltry 3.4 pounds. However, this model has a cord, and it's one of the shortest of all our tested models, only able to clean about 16 feet from where it is plugged in. And, while the SimpliSitck can be freestanding, it is relatively unstable and prone to being knocked over inadvertently.
Next up in our testing process was evaluating the ability of the SimpliStick to clean up debris from hard surfaces. We used flour, rice, oats, pet hair, and Cheerios as our sample messes on a section of hardwood floor, rating each model on how much debris it collected and how long it took. This vacuum didn't do particularly well.
The SimpliStick started the test with an alright performance in our rice collection test, doing a decent job and collecting all the rice in a single pass. It also did a solid job picking up pet hair. However, it leaks when the collection bin is full and delivers an abysmal performance in the flour test, taking over 20 passes in each section to clean up the flour satisfactorily. It did better when tasked with picking up Cheerios but still became clogged after a while, and with oats, it tended to pile them up before sucking them up.
Our next set of tests surrounding ease of use made up 20% of the total score. We based this on how many cleaning modes and options each model had, how well it cleaned in close to edges and under furniture, and the level of noise emitted by each vacuum. The SimpliStick wasn't the easiest to use and had a below-average performance.
This model doesn't have any different cleaning modes available and lacks a rotating brush. It also doesn't do well at cleaning close to edges and left a decently sized strip of rice behind during edge-testing.
The SimpliStick was average when cleaning under furniture, reaching about 15 inches under our simulated sofa. Other models in our lineup can reach much farther. And while this is one of the quietest stick vacuums we tested, it lacks swivel steering, making it a bit more challenging to maneuver.
For the remaining 15% of the total score, carpet cleaning was our final evaluation metric for rating these products. We used the same sample messes from our hard floor evaluation — oats, flour, cereal, pet hair, and rice — conducting tests on both flat, low-pile carpet and fluffy, medium-pile carpet. The SimpliStick delivered a poor performance.
This vacuum did an okay job picking up rice from flat carpet, though it took multiple passes and left behind plenty of residual rice dust. It did much, much worse on fluffy carpet, barely picking anything up and leaving a fair amount of residual debris behind. It didn't do any better at picking up flour, leaving plenty of leftover mess behind.
This model did about average at collecting Cheerios on both flat and fluffy carpets. However, it took some maneuvering to get the vacuum actually to collect them rather than just push them around. From there, the SimpliStick did an absolutely awful job at collecting pet hair and oats. It took a multitude of passes to collect the oats, with tons of debris left behind, and it barely picked up any of the pet hair.
As one of the lowest-scoring products in the review, it is hard to recommend this Dirt Devil, no matter your goals. It struggled in metrics like the convenience and the ability to clean surfaces, making it somewhat useless compared to the competition. We can see why some folks on a budget would be drawn to this vacuum, but we think the frustration wouldn't be worth the savings.
