Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum review: A powerful stick vac with value that exceeds its budget-friendly price

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Levoit makes some of the best air purifiers and humidifiers the Business Insider team has ever tested, so I couldn't wait to see what the brand's vacuums were like and had high hopes for the Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum. It promises a tangle-resistant brush, versatile cleaning, and a multi-step filtration process designed to take on pet hair and allergens. But at under $200, could it really live up to the hype?

Living in a small, multi-cat household, I'm constantly cleaning, and my idea of the perfect vacuum is one that's lightweight, easy to clean, can tackle pet hair on multiple surfaces, and has different attachments. I've been testing the Levoit LVAC-200 daily for weeks. Here's what you need to know about where it falls among the best vacuums. 

Set up and design

The box the vacuum shipped in is pretty light, which isn't a surprise considering the vacuum itself is only 3.2 pounds. After unwrapping each piece of the vacuum contained in a plastic bag, setting up the vacuum is really simple with visual instructions to help guide you if you need it. Assembly entails connecting the long stick and short stick together, attaching the cleaner head to one end and the vacuum body to the other. 

The overall design is pretty sleek and offers a lot for the price point. The main feature worth highlighting is the vacuum's tangle-resistant roller brush. It has a two-in-one rubber and cloth design to capture hair and minimize tangles. The vacuum head also has a handy cleaning light that helps you see all the dirt, dust, and hair on your floors. Lastly, it comes with two attachments, including a pet tool that can help remove pet hair from upholstery and a crevice tool with a moveable brush piece for tight spaces and corners. 

Our review of the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum

Ease of use 

For any household item, the easier it is to use, the more likely you are to actually use it. This rings true for the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum. It has a comfortable grip with easy access to two buttons that control the power and three vacuum modes. I also love how lightweight it is. In comparison to another cordless vacuum I've tested that causes slight arm strain while I clean, it's not tiring to use by any means (and that's coming from a petite person with minimal upper body strength). I can carry it up and down the stairs or from room to room without any issues.  

Once you're done, it's also easy to store. The vacuum can stand on its own without a dock, so you can prop it up in a closet or corner once you're done cleaning. I really like this feature, as another cordless vacuum I have has a tendency to slip and almost fall when I open the closet door if it's not secured in a certain way. But if you want to mount it on a wall, the vacuum also comes with the accessories to do so. 

 I also want to note that it's surprisingly not as loud as other vacuums on the market, especially on the Eco and Mid modes. But even with the increase in suction on Turbo mode, the noise level isn't too bad by any means. 

Cleaning performance

Now, it's time to get to the most important question: how well does the LVAC-200 clean? Short answer: it's amazing. Given the price point, I was skeptical about how it matched up to more expensive vacuums I've tested, like the Dyson Gen5Detect, but it fully exceeded any expectations I had. The LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum is compact but packs a major punch with performance almost on par with the high-end vacuums I've tried. It has 70 air watts (AW) of suction power, which is less than the 280 AW of the Gen5Detect, but it is still effective and great for cleaning around the house. I use the vacuum daily to pick up litter, little cardboard pieces from cat scratchers, and other dirt and dust that sprinkle in throughout the day. I do rounds around my house and it easily glides through hardwood floors, tiles, and vinyl plank flooring, picking up pieces efficiently even on Eco mode. The vacuum headlight also helps a lot, giving me a view of any bits ahead or pieces I missed. 

To test the vacuum's performance beyond daily cleaning, I poured flour, sugar, rice, and Cheerios on hardwood floors and a rug to see how well it cleaned. On both surfaces, 100% of the sugar, rice, and Cheerios were picked up, but the larger the material, the longer it took to clean up. Even though Cheerios eventually passed the test, it took a few swipes to get there, as the pieces moved around a bit and didn't easily get sucked into the vacuum, especially on hardwood floors. Flour was completely picked up off hardwood floors, but on a rug, a small amount remained with 94% of the material getting picked up. 

But my biggest test with the vacuum was with pet hair on my living room rug. With three cats, fur is absolutely everywhere, as they love to lounge and play in that area. My rug is low to medium in terms of pile height and a dark red color, so it's easy to see the pet fur stick to it. On Eco mode and Mid mode, the fur took a few swipes to get through but still got rid of all the cat hair and made my rug look pet hair-free. However, I like to use Turbo mode on the rug to get things done more quickly. The cleaning power is really impressive and performed as well as my Dyson Gen5Detect vacuum when cleaning up pet hair on the rug. So it's safe to say it passed the pet hair test with flying colors and can hold its own among the best Dyson vacuums.  

I also found the attachment tools to be very useful, too. Thanks to the brush on the pet tool, it easily picks up pet fur on pet beds, cat trees, and sofas. I was also a fan of the crevice tool for getting those hard-to-reach corners, like between furniture and baseboards. It's also long enough to use to get the ceiling corners of my room and along door frames. 

Battery life

While testing, the battery life lasted even longer than the brand says it does. According to Levoit, the vacuum has a runtime of up to 50 minutes on Eco, up to 20 minutes on Mid mode, and up to 12 minutes on Turbo. Using the vacuum head, I was able to reach up to 38 minutes on Eco mode, 26 minutes on Mid mode, and 16 minutes on Turbo mode. With the pet tool and crevice tool, runtimes lasted for about 59 minutes on Eco and 14 minutes on Turbo. 

For charging, the brand says it can take anywhere between three to four hours for a full charge. Luckily, my battery has been consistently charging on the lower end for around three hours. 

Dustbin and maintenance

The dustbin has a quick-release button that ejects most of the dust and debris inside the canister with ease. It's pretty spacious with a 0.75-liter capacity, so I can vacuum for a bit without having to empty it. However, I make it a habit to empty the dustbin after each vacuum session. However, since the debris inside of the dustbin circulates while in use, pet fur, hair, dust, and larger pieces can clump up and get stuck on the filter or on the rubber piece that separates the metal filter from the rest of the dustbin. Sometimes a good shake will get some stubborn pieces out, but I usually remove the filter and take the pieces out by hand. But while I'm at it, I typically wipe down the inside of the dustbin and the filter with a paper towel to keep things clean. 

The vacuum head is also easy to take apart and clean by pressing a button on the left side of the vacuum head and twisting the side panel upward. The roller brush head pops out, and you can wipe it down with a paper towel and remove any pieces of string or hair that may have gotten stuck. To note, I've been using the vacuum for weeks and have only recently had to remove a piece of string that was wrapped around the brush. While the roller brush is out, you can also wipe down the transparent panel on the vacuum head. Mine was getting a little dusty after a month but was able to clean it quickly. 

Filtration 

The Levoit LVAC-200 uses a five-part filtration system, which includes a metal filter, pre-motor filters, and a post-motor filter. However, I will caveat that the vacuum is not HEPA-rated if you're looking for this type of filtration specifically. Regardless, the system is designed to capture 99.9% of 0.3-micron particles, including pet hair and dander, the parts are also easy to clean and maintain. Plus, you can easily buy replacements on Amazon. 

• Metal filter: The metal filter is the filter you see inside of the dustbin. To clean it, you open the dustbin, twist the filter so it pops out, rinse it under water, and let it air dry completely before putting it back in. 
• Pre-motor filters: The pre-motor filters include a removable foam filter and a felt filter and are housed between the metal filter and post-motor filter. The brand recommends washing them at least once a month with water and replacing them every three months. 
• Post-motor filter: The post-motor filter is above the pre-motor filters and metal filter and located inside of the vacuum body. The brand recommends washing with water at least once every year, but if you're vacuuming more regularly, you might need to clean it sooner.

Cons to consider

It was difficult for me to find things I didn't like about the LVAC-200, and any cons I found were me nitpicking, if anything. The first potential setback is the short battery life when the vacuum is in Turbo mode. On average, the vacuum lasts around 15 minutes at its highest suction level. It calls for quicker cleaning sessions, but you should still be able to cover small or medium-sized sofas, a few small pet beds, or a rug, depending on how much dust, pet fur, or hair you're dealing with. However, I will say that I've tested a more premium cordless stick vacuum that comes in at almost $1,000, and the battery life on boost mode was shorter than the LVAC-200. 

Another potential con has to do with the cleaning light on the vacuum head. Overall, the cleaning light is a major bonus that gives you a better look at how clean your floors actually are, but I wish the light had a wider reach and slightly different placement. Again, this is me nitpicking, but the light shines from the middle of the vacuum head and lights up the floor ahead in a 45-degree, cone-like shape, missing small pieces of the floor on the sides directly in front of the vacuum. I have another vacuum where the lights are placed at one end of the vacuum head, giving the light a wider reach to see more particles. It's not a dealbreaker by any means, but I think a wider-casting light would be a fantastic upgrade. 

What are your alternatives?

When it comes to the best cordless vacuums, we've tested plenty. Some purchase-worthy alternatives are our best overall and budget-friendly picks, the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum and Hoover OnePWR Evolve Pet Elite Cordless Vacuum, respectively. The Shark Stratos is twice as expensive, and the Hoover OnePWR has the same price point as the LVAC-200 at around $200. Both perform well but aren't without setbacks. The Shark Stratos can be loud and the Hoover OnePWR is on the heavier side with a shorter battery life and doesn't come with additional attachments. 

But the best alternative really boils down to your cleaning needs. According to Ken Doty, COO and Cleaning Expert at The Maids, take note of the surfaces in your home, including the pile of carpets and rugs, and make sure you find a vacuum that's compatible with them. Also, consider more lightweight options that are easier to handle, noise level, versatility, and battery power. 

The bottom line

The saying "you get what you pay for" can apply to a lot of things, but not the Levoit LVAC-200 cordless stick vacuum. At under $200, the LVAC-200 is a phenomenal vacuum that's not only budget-friendly but also works wonders against dust, hair, pet fur, and more on hardwood floors, rugs, and furniture in a home. It's compact, lightweight, and powerful, making it the perfect addition for small to medium-sized homes, especially ones with pets.