Dirt Devil KONE Review

What the reviewers like:
The Dirt Devil KONE 0213 wins kudos for its appearance, with reviewers saying this cordless handheld vacuum looks more like a modern art sculpture than a small appliance.

What the reviewers don't like:
Even many owners who love the Dirt Devil KONE say this cordless vac is noisy and the grip is less ergonomic than they'd like. The KONE hand vacuum also gets low marks for power, and numerous reviews mention that it blows dust around while it vacuums.

Dirt Devil KONE review highlights

Professional reviewers have few compliments for the Dirt Devil KONE cordless hand vacuum, while owner ratings are mixed. Testers at Popular Mechanics rate it far behind the top-performing Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac (*est. $70) and the high-end Dyson DC16 Root 6 (*est. $150). Owners posting to Amazon.com, Epinions and Target.com say everything from "Love this thing!" to "this product is not worth buying." If appearance is a priority, the newer Dirt Devil KURV (*est. $50) may be a better choice. If price and performance are more important than style, the Shark Cordless Hand Vac SV736 (*est. $40) receives the best reviews among budget cordless vacuums.

The most useful review of the Dirt Devil KONE 0213 cordless handheld vacuum comes from Popular Mechanics, where testers compare the effectiveness of three models in picking up sifted flour and wet kitty litter. Amazon.com has a large number of owner-written reviews of the KONE. Epinions and Target.com both have a good number of user reviews as well. There's also an "Expert Review" of the KONE from ConsumerGuide.com, while Slippery Brick offers a comparison of the KONE and the Dirt Devil KURV, but neither of these reviews goes into detail about what testing was performed.

Also see full report: Handheld Vacuums

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Popular Mechanics
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Handheld Vacuum Test
Editors of Popular Mechanics
Dec. 7, 2007

In this short video by Popular Mechanics, the Dirt Devil KONE fails to match either the Black & Decker 18 Volt Pivot Vac or the Dyson DC16 Root 6 it tests, which include sucking up sifted flour and wet kitty litter. Testers say the KONE "makes more of a mess than it picks up."

2. Amazon.com
Dirt Devil KONE 0213 Reviews
Contributors to Amazon.com

Users posting to Amazon.com have written well over 100 reviews for the Dirt Devil KONE. Although the average score is good, owners have more complaints about the KONE than about other top-rated handheld vacuums. The majority of posters say it works well enough, but several unhappy customers say its performance doesn't live up to its looks.

3. Epinions
Dirt Devil KONE M0212 Reviews
Contributors to Epinions

Epinions users each post pros, cons, and a summary in addition to a main review. This format, along with the fact that the more than 20 reviews here tend to be quite detailed, makes Epinions a good source of information on the KONE hand vacuum. Although the ratings here are quite high, there's some useful discussion of the KONE's negative aspects, such as its noise level and cumbersome grip.

4. Target.com
Dirt Devil KONE Vacuum Reviews
Contributors to Target.com

Target.com has a few dozen reviews on the KONE vac, but users go into considerably less detail than on Amazon.com or Epinions. Scores for the KONE on Target.com are lower overall and include more highly critical assessments.

5. Consumer Guide.com
Dirt Devil KONE M0213 Review
Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Apr. 27, 2007

ConsumerGuide.com's "Expert Review" of the KONE is primarily a list of features, but it does include a somewhat useful ratings breakdown. Interestingly, the KONE is the only handheld vacuum in ConsumerGuide.com's current "Expert Review" list that doesn't earn their "CG Best Buy" award.

6. SlipperyBrick.com
Review: Kone and Kurv Dirt Devil hand vacs
Conner Flynn
Nov. 20, 2007

What's interesting about this article is that it compares the Dirt Devil KONE and KURV to each other rather than pitting them against other hand vacuums. According to the author, who used both vacuums around his home, the KURV significantly outperforms the KONE.

Also see full report: Handheld Vacuums

Dirt Devil KONE Review