The Ultenic U12 cordless vacuum cleaner is a Dyson dupe to contend with

a closeup shot of the brush and crevice component tools of a modern-looking sleek shiny vacuum cleaner with light grey components on a carpet in front of a blue background

(Image credit: Future)

Many moons ago, when I became an adult and found out how much Dyson vacuums cost, my head almost exploded. The grotesque sight would have been like something out of a ‘00s kid’s cartoon. But, had my head exploded, I needn’t have worried, because the $149 Dyson dupe Ultenic U12 Vesla would have been able to clean the mess with no problems.

I know, I was skeptical too. When I was really little, I remember my parents bought a Dyson knockoff and it often got too hot and filled the house with the scent of putrescent rubber. But I’ve been using the Ultenic U12 for two weeks now, without a whiff of that odor. Actually, my house actually smells way better, because the U12’s slayed all the dirt already. The Ultenic U12 is one of our best vacuum cleaners, and it's only $179 at Amazon, or $149 direct from Ultenic.

The unbearable lightness of clean…

a modern-looking sleek shiny vacuum cleaner with light grey components on a carpet in front of a blue background — (Image credit: Future)

If you’d asked 21-year-old me if cleaning was fun, I would have laughed in your face. Fortunately, as you mature, you start finding more mundane things entertaining. There’s nothing I love more now than a Sunday amble around my local Lakeland.

It's similar with cleaning. I used to hate cleaning the stairs in my house. Lugging a massive corded vacuum that weighs the same as a small car (slight exaggeration) up 12 steps, and then I have to somehow bend it against the will of physics to get into all the little crevices? I’d rather lick the dirt off with my tongue.

But that’s a thing of the past now that I have the U12. The snazzy stick is only 4.3 pounds and easily converts into a handheld. It comes with a crevice tool and a brush tool, so I can get into all the shadowy nooks and crannies I hitherto would have allowed to get gross.

The green-eyed monster

a closeup shot of a modern-looking sleek shiny vacuum cleaner with light grey components sucking up flour on a carpet in front of a blue background — (Image credit: Future)

Alright, you got me. That’s not an original saying. I nicked it from some little unknown writer who’s been dead for 500 years. I think his name was Shakespeare. Anyway, all that to segue into my favorite part of this vacuum: its GreenEye technology.

Who doth fear the green-eyed monster? Other vacuums without the handy green laser lights that illuminate every last speck of dust and help you maintain the cleanest home known to man. Some Dysons (the V15 Detect, to be specific) come with the green lightsabre light, too, but they’ll cost you. Come close — I’ll whisper it. ($1,049)

But every cloud has a silver lining… or every silver lining has a cloud

a closeup shot of the buttons on a modern-looking sleek shiny vacuum cleaner with light grey components on a carpet in front of a blue background — (Image credit: Future)

The U12 is all well and good if you have a relatively small house like I do. After a 5-hour battery charging time, you’re left with only 15 minutes on max power. Which, don’t get me wrong, is more than enough time I need to give my house a once-over. But if you’ve got a larger abode or an abundance of long-haired pets, this might not be enough for you.

For me, though, this is the perfect vacuum cleaner, and it leaves my home sparklingly clean. I even cleaned all my baseboards. Now that’s a marvel.

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Erin Bashford is a senior writer at Tom's Guide, focusing on reviews. She has a Masters in Broadcast and Digital Journalism from the University of East Anglia. As an ex-barista, she knows her way around a coffee machine, and as a music lover, she's constantly chipping away at her dream of having a multi-room home sound system. In her spare time you can find her reading, practising yoga, writing, or stressing over today’s NYT Games.