REVIEW – I have been using a Dyson V10 Absolute stick vacuum in my home since 2018. I am not the most careful cleaner, and that poor vacuum has taken some hits. The side is cracked, and I can feel some suction escaping from the resulting hole. I can also tell that the battery does not last as long as it used to. So I have been looking for a replacement. I wanted to get another Dyson, but they are on the pricey side of vacuums. I jumped at the chance to review the Eureka Stylus Elite when Julie offered it and I was lucky enough to get selected. The Eureka Stylus Elite is significantly cheaper than any Dyson I looked at. Read on to see how it compares to my old Dyson and if it could be something you buy in the future.
What is it?
The Eureka Stylus Elite is a cordless stick vacuum with a maximum run time of around 70 minutes at low power. Its one feature that I have not seen on any Dyson is a self-emptying charging station. The vacuum automatically suctions dirt out of the canister and into a dust bag, HEPA filtering along the way. The vacuum also has a replaceable battery, which is a nice feature.
What’s included?
- 1 Eureka Stylus Elite NEC490SE vacuum
- 1 long hard nozzle extension tube
- crevice tool
- adapting brush tool
- 2 dustbin bags – one is inserted already in the machine
- charging station with built in dustbin – comes in two pieces
- 1 battery
- Instruction manual
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Model-Stylus Elite
- Motor Power-350W
- Battery Voltage-29.6V
- Run Time-15/40/70min
- Charging Time-4–6h
- Battery Capacity-7*2000mAh, Swappable
- LED Display Panel-Yes
- Dustbin Full Indicator-Yes
- Dustbin Capacity-0.6L
- Dust Bag Capacity-2.5L
Design and features
The handle of the Eureka Stylus Elite has two buttons. The one closest to the top is the power button. Pressing once will turn it on and pressing it again will turn it off. I like that I no longer have to hold a trigger down to keep the vacuum running. Holding a trigger down for a quick clean is not a big deal, but holding that trigger down for 20 minutes or more can get tiring!
The second button is the mode button. The vacuum has three modes:
- Low – the long LED light just below the mode button does not light up at all
- Medium – the LED light will light up white
- High – the LED light will light up blue
When you power the vacuum on it will always come on in the medium mode. The two LED lights below the long LED indicate charging status. They will blink and become solid as the vacuum charges.
At the base of the unit is a silver slide that you pull back to open the end cap on the dust cup.
At the very bottom of the handle is a button that will release the entire dust cup for cleaning. It has three different pieces.
- The clear plastic cup.
- A washable filter that sits at the top of the main filter.
- A silver mesh final filter.
On the bottom of the dust cup is the opening where the dirt will enter the main cup. There is a rubber flap. The second picture below has the hole in the main handle where the dust cup fits in place.
The Eureka Stylus Elite vacuum only comes with a single powered head. The more expensive Dyson models also come with a motorized upholstery tool. The head is very flexible and swivels both left and right easily. It has a rubber brush that helps keep long hair and fur from tangling in the brush. I noticed that it also has two small white wheels at the front of the unit. I find that the head glides very easily across hard surfaces.
The automated head comes apart for easy cleaning. You press the roller release button on the back of the unit. Then, on the right side of the head, you rotate the silver side to the unlock position. The entire brush comes out at that point, and you can clean it with water. You also have access to the inside of the main unit to remove any stuck debris.
The vacuum comes with a standard crevise tool, and a brush tool. In the pictures below, you can see that the brush can retract for an optional cleaning tool.
Now for one of the best parts of this vacuum. It has a charging station with a built-in dust cup emptying system. My old stick vacuum had me standing over the garbage bin and shaking out the dust cup. I often did this outside in my main garbage can because dust often flew everywhere. Now I never see the dust, dog hair, or dirt. I press the ‘dust cup empty’ button, and the charging station will open the dust cup and suck it down into an allergy-free dust bag. The charging station even has an indicator light to show you when the bag is full and needs to be replaced.
The base of the station has a HEPA filter on the side opposite the dust bag. The back of the filter has a rubber gasket. When I emptied the vacuum, I did not notice any dust flying around.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
The setup of the Eureka Stylus Elite vacuum was pretty simple. I plugged the long pole that supports the vacuum and holds the dust cup and accessories into the base. It can only go in one way and attached with a satisfying click.
I then inserted the battery into the base of the vacuum’s handle. I love that I can order a second battery; however, I don’t see how you can charge the second battery without inserting it into the vacuum and placing the whole thing in the charging station. At least it is an option for consumer replacement as the battery starts to lose its charge over time.
Here is the picture of the charging station assembled with the vacuum inserted. I love that it essentially comes with a built in stand. I know for my Dyson, I had to buy an aftermarket stand or screw the charging plate into the wall.
Performance
The first thing I noticed when using the Eureka Stylus Elite was how light it is compared to my old Dyson. At first, it made me think that maybe it was not as well built, but it has more than met my expectations. The picture below shows how it sits when using it. I have about a 32 inch inseam.
The motorized head has a built-in light, which is nice. I don’t always have the lights on in all of my rooms. This is an upgrade from my old Dyson though I do realize most new models also have a light.
I love the design of the main unit compared to the Dyson when it comes to reaching under furniture. The handle is on top, and the battery is at the same level as the bottom of the dust cup. You can lay the unit completely flat and even with the automated brush head, and get far underneath furniture. The Dyson design has the battery sitting below their main dust cup so you can’t get it completely flat on the floor.
Here is the Eureka Stylus Elite vacuum with the small brush attachment. I often use this setup to run over all of my furniture to pick up the stray dog hair. The vacuum feels a lot lighter than my old Dyson, but within 5 minutes or so, I will end up using my second hand to support the bottom of the unit while vacuuming waist-high and above. I can feel a lot more suction coming from the nozzle and it does a great job of picking up all of the fine dog hair.
My only real complaint is the max level they recommend on the dust cup. The max level indicator is just above that barcode sticker. I have vacuumed past it several times, but I do wish it had a bit more capacity.
Here is a video showing how the self-emptying dustbin works. I press the button, and it empties the dustbin on the vacuum cleaner directly into the dust back on the docking station. No more dumping the canister into a garbage can and breathing in dust! It is about as noisy as when my Roborock vacuum self-empties.
What I like about Eureka Stylus Elite vacuum
- Much lighter feeling than my old Dyson,
- Self-emptying dust cup – YAY
- User-replaceable battery
- Great price
What needs to be improved?
- A larger dust cup would be nice.
- Offer an automated upholstery tool.
- Have a way to charge the second battery on the side.
Final thoughts
I love using my new Eureka Stylus Elite vacuum. It now has the position of the main vacuum in my house after my Roborock. You can get a great deal on them now for $198, even though I see Eureka and Amazon selling them for $275.
Price: $198.00
Where to buy: Walmart and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Eureka. Eureka did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
