A Mom's Balancing Act: Checking Our List: Dirt Devil Gator 18V Cordless Hand Vacuum with Brushroll ~ Review

Do you ever walk into a room that you've just cleaned, only to find it needs to be cleaned again? With two little ones, this is something I experience a lot....especially when it comes to our kitchen! Between meals and snacks, much of my time is spent cleaning up the crumbs and food that fall on the chairs and the floor. It's a constant job and one I need to be as easy and quick to do as possible. That's why I'm thankful for Dirt Devil.

Nearly 30 years ago, a small group of investors purchased Royal (which began in 1905). Bringing a fresh sales and marketing strategy and new leadership...their sales grew from just under $5 million to approximately $408 million in 2000. In 1984, Royal introduced an innovative new product, the Dirt Devil Hand Vac which has since become their signature product and largest selling hand-held corded vacuum cleaner in the United States. The success of having sold more than 23 million Dirt Devil Hand Vacs has opened the door for many new product introductions under the Dirt Devil name. Focused on supplying customers with high quality products that help solve their customer needs, Royal (now TTI Floor Care North America) manufactures everything from uprights and steam cleaners to stick vacuums, carpet shampooers and canister vacs.

Browsing the Dirt Devil website, I was very impressed with their extensive line of products. Looking for ways to save time and make our daily routine run more smoothly when it comes to cleaning up our constant messes, I was especially drawn to their hand vacs and couldn't have been happier to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review one.

We were sent the Dirt Devil Gator 18V Cordless Hand Vacuum with Brushroll.

Features/Benefits:

3 year limited warranty
Gator Series Dirt Cup for Easy Emptying
Motorized Brushroll
Reusable Filter
Powerful suction
Energy Star Rating
18 Volts
Cordless
Bagless Design
Lightweight

I was looking forward to checking out the Dirt Devil Gator 18V Cordless Hand Vac when it arrived.

Upon opening the box I was immediately impressed with the quality. I can tell this is something that will last a long time and appreciate that there's a 3 year limited warranty as well. It is about the size I expected it to be, however its sleek design far exceeded my expectations. The pictures online did not do it justice.

It came with a handy Motorized Brushroll attachment. With the push of a gray button by the nozzle, it easily slides on and off which is great when cleaning both carpet and hard surfaces like I do in our kitchen. The Brushroll would be perfect for crumbs and pet hair if you have a dog or cat especially.

There is also a built-in Crevice Tool, perfect for cleaning tight spaces....between the couch cushions, under the booster seat, etc. I love that it's built right in so I don't have to mess with attaching and detaching it. It simply extends down by pulling the extension piece until it locks into place. It then retracts by depressing the arrow button near the front of nozzle and pushing it back when finished. I love it!

Before using it for the first time, I followed the instructions and let it charge up for at least 24 hours. It actually includes smart charging technology that has earned an Energy Star rating. To charge it up, I simply plugged in the included charger to the unit and knew it was charging when the indicator light came on. The next day I was really excited to test it out, and of course have had plenty of messes since then to use it on as well!

I have been really impressed with the powerful suction of the Gator 18V Cordless Hand Vac! I am very pleased with how well it cleans up the kids' meal messes.

Since I'm usually cleaning the rug under the table (or the couches where crumbs have fallen), I probably use the Brushroll attachment most. It works great! The crevice tool has been handy for places on the high chair and booster seat that are more tight.

I appreciate the fact that it's so easy to use. And, although 4.1 lbs feels a bit heavier than I expected, it's still pretty lightweight and very easy to carry from one mess to another. I really like the D-Shaped handle which makes it even simpler to clean up all our messes.

Emptying it out and maintaining the hand vacuum couldn't be easier either! First of all, it's bagless which I love! I do not have time to deal with replacing bags or the mess that comes with emptying them out. Thankfully, this is perfect. Not only does it not have a bag, but the Gator Series Dirt Cup flips open, making it super easy to empty...there's no mess which means my hands stay clean! YAY! I simply push the buttons on each side, it flips open and I empty the crumbs and dirt into the garbage.

The filter is reusable which is nice too. By removing the filter and rinsing it with water...I can easily keep the hand vacuum working well.

Overall we've been very happy with the Dirt Devil Gator 18V Cordless Hand Vacuum. It's convenient and very easy to use. It's great for quick clean ups and so much easier than pulling out a big vacuum for every little mess. If you're looking for a high quality, affordable hand vacuum (or maybe a last minute gift for a busy mom on your Christmas list), this would make a terrific choice! Be sure to head over to Thanks, Mail Carrier to learn how Xenia and her family like this great hand vac too.

Here's a short clip of the Gator 18V Cordless Hand Vacuum with Brushroll in action...