Editor’s Note: This was a joint effort between Managing Editor Clayton Cornell and Editorial Intern Orion Kubow. Apparently it takes two editors to screw in a lightbulb, er vacuum…

Earlier this month, Eureka was kind enough to send us a review sample of their “green” vacuum: the EnviroVac. Vacuuming isn’t something you’d think of as a real energy efficient, but Eureka’s model does a good job of making the domestic cleaning process a little bit greener.

EnviroVac: GreenWashing or Real Deal?

Here are the major talking points that Eureka says qualifies it as a “green” vacuum:

The vacuum’s 8-amp motor uses 33% less energy than the 12-amp motor used in most upright vacuums. (That’s 960 watts per hour on an 8-amp motor, compared to 1,440 watts per hour on a 12 amp motor). If 1/4 of US homes switched to the EviroVac, it would save 6.25 million kilowatt hours of energy per year, which, in terms of CO2 emissions is roughly equivalent to removing 855 cars off the road. The EnviroVac uses no bags, just a washable HEPA filter, which decreases waste, and the hassle associated with Vacuum bags The HEPA filter captures 99.97% of dust and allergen particles. It comes in 100% recycled packaging.

How Well Does the EnviroVac Work?

I wouldn’t call myself a vacuum connoisseur, but this is probably the nicest little vacuum I’ve ever used (which could be related to it being the newest vacuums I’ve ever used). It seems to clean the carpet just as well as any standard vacuum, but with a cool new feature: since the vacuum has no bags, it uses a central plastic cylinder that collects dirt, lint, and dust. As you vacuum, it creates a vortex in the cylinder that spins all this stuff around. It’s a cool effect, and I’m all for anything that makes the vacuuming process a bit more exciting.

It’s incredibly easy to remove and empty the collection cylinder, which this is probably the biggest single advantage that the EnviroVac has to offer. No more dusty vacuum bags to deal with. The vacuum has the expected standard additional adapters and vacuum heads and they all work very well, despite clinging to the vacuum in a somewhat emotionally unhealthy way. (You know those insecure extra little vacuum bits.)

What We Didn’t Like about the EnviroVac:

100% recycled packaging is great, but what about the vacuum itself? Seems like it should also be made from recycled products or one of the newer plant-based plastics we’ve been hearing about. The green branding of the vacuum may be a little excessive when an Energy Star rating for energy efficiency might be more appropriate.

But all in all, we like the EnviroVac. At $72 (+tax) it’s not going to break your budget, and it does have enough benefits to make it a serious contender for your next home cleaning purchase.