The original concept behind the first Dirt Devil was probably to mimic a whisk broom –a small flat broom minus the long handle, that’s just right for ad hoc spot sweeping and other jobs beyond floor care. The first Dirt Devil, introduced in the early 1980s, became the largest selling handheld vac in the United States, and that name alone is now essentially synonymous with the entire category of cordless handheld vacuums. The company that pioneered the concept continues to innovate handheld vacs, plus bagless upright vacuum cleaner models. The Dirt Devil Quick Lite is one of their latest incarnations of the classic handheld vacuum cleaner. The Quick Lite is perfect for a variety of cleaning chores, and is particularly adept at cleaning stairs. The Dirt Devil Quick Lite is included in GR’s Best Vacuum for Stairs buyer’s guide. Find more great recommendations by visiting the best vacuum cleaner list.
Why We Like It – Dirt Devil Quick Lite
The Dirt Devil Quick Lite is a classic hand vac from the company that invented the hand vac. Features a sleek ergonomic design in the famous classic red color, washable filter, and a turbo tool attachment for stairs or upholstery.
- Lightweight
- 16V Lithium-Ion battery
- Turbo tool attachment
- Short run time
- No charging stand
- Noise
Power
The cordless Dirt Devil Quick Lite has an onboard 16V lithium-ion battery that delivers reasonable suction power. An indicator light warns when it’s time to re-charge, and according to Dirt Devil the lithium-ion battery charges 2x faster (than what is unspecified, and so your real-world experience will vary). Charge by plugging in a wired connector from a “wall wart” plug adapter. There’s no charging stand like is available with other handhelds such as the BLACK+DECKER Max Flex. Suction of the Quick Lite is ‘okay,’ although that’s maybe more related to its ergo styling which can make it challenging to get a good suction grip on some surfaces. A turbo tool attachment with a motorized roller brush is intended to assist in vacuuming stairs and upholstery.
Related: Read the Dirt Devil Endura Reach review
Speed / Efficiency
The Dirt Devil Quick Lite provides cordless handheld freedom which is useful for cleaning stairs or vacuuming car interiors. No power cord means you can go wherever you need to go, like inside a car or an RV, or even a camping tent, and the Quick Lite is featherweight (< 2.5lbs.). However, many customers report the Dirt Devil Quick running time is less than desirable for longer cleaning sessions (< 15 mins.). Avoid running out of juice while vacuuming and stick with a corded device, like you’ll read about in our Eureka PowerSpeed lightweight upright review.
Nothing like some of the other champs of power and runtime such as the Dyson V11 vacuum, but that comes at a more premium price. While the Quick Lite has an integrated crevice tool that’s handy, it tends to reduce the already mediocre suction power of the Dirt Devil Quick Lite plus not being long enough in some situations. The turbo tool attachment works fine for hard-to-clean places like stairs, although vacuuming up embedded pet hair may require several passes. Some Dirt Devil users also objected to it being loud when using.
Most vacuums are loud, especially those that wash the carpets with water, like the Hoover Deluxe carpet washer FH50150. Our review has more info.
Bin Capacity / Maintenance
The Dirt Devil Quick Lite features a bagless bin, but its capacity is relatively small –a shortcoming that’s overcome by the fact that it’s easy to empty. Suction also diminishes as the bin becomes full, so depending on the chore it could require emptying as-you-go in order to get the job done. The Quick Lite’s cloth filter can also be washed to be cleaned. Some customer comments reported a lack of availability for replacement filters through Dirt Devil’s customer support, but such complaints are several years old and replacement filter availability issues appear to be resolved. If you need more thorough dust removal than a single cloth filter can deliver, then by all means check out the MOOSOO Cordless Vacuum which features a high-density HEPA filtration system.
Related: Check out our Dirt Devil SD20000RED review
Durability
The Dirt Devil Quick Lite is a very compact and ergonomic design that’s built to work hard and handle tough treatment. Some users claimed that the integrated crevice tool on their Quick Lite was broken easily, but at the same time that didn’t stop them from continuing to use their Dirt Devil routinely. When using the turbo tool, vacuuming up long hair tends to wrap around the roller brush over time, a common occurrence on many vacuum roller brushes, even Dirt Devil’s own upright vacuum UD20015. Periodically clearing hair from the roller is a good idea.
Value
The Dirt Devil Quick Lite is a good choice as a handheld vacuum, and reasonably priced on par with other similar offerings such as the BLACK + DECKER CHV1410L Hand Vac dustbuster. The Quick Lite can be a very helpful tool to keep your world and your staircases clean. Good at-the-ready tool for cleaning up after small children, or keeping a workbench free of dust and debris from small DIY projects. If you’re looking to clean larger rooms or floors which will require longer run times, then perhaps consider a so-called “stick vacuum” that can also double as a handheld for vacuuming stairs, such as the Tineco A11 or their ultimate Tineco Pure ONE S12 Stick Vacuums.
Dirt Devil Quick Lite Wrap Up
The Dirt Devil Quick Lite works great as a general purpose cordless handheld vacuum and as a solution for cleaning stairs in particular. Sleek, ergonomic, and lightweight, it’s handy for spot cleaning to keep up with life’s everyday little messes.
