The MetroVac Vac N Go is one of the best handheld vacuums designed differently from every other small vacuum cleaner, with a long steel tube for the dustbin instead of plastic. It's one of the lightest of all the vacuums in our lineup and has a couple of convenient attachments. Still, despite the manufacturer stating it's the "most powerful hand vac on the planet," our tests proved otherwise.
This handheld vacuum cleaner scored poorly on all our performance tests. We measured the number of passes it took to clean a generous heap of sawdust. The Vac N Go took eight passes on carpet and 14 on hardwood, which is the worst average of all the mini vacuums we tested. This means a lot of monotonous back-and-forth over the same mess until it's clean.
If you own a pet, this is not the right vacuum to buy. The vacuum picked up only about 30 percent of the pet hair we spread around, while the best handheld vacuums picked up 70 percent or more in some cases. It's also the worst at picking up dust in hard-to-reach places. We spread out sawdust on a car seat, and the vacuum left behind almost half. Although it's designed as an on-the-go vacuum, it's not your best choice for cleaning out a vehicle.
For a handheld vacuum, it really isn't that portable. It doesn't have a rechargeable battery like the cordless handheld vacuums we tested, which means you need to find a plug outlet wherever you take it. Even though it's not that powerful, it's quite loud. We measured it at a noise level of 92.5 dB, which makes it the second-loudest vacuum we tested.
The MetroVac website has a bare-bones design. The contact tab has a phone number and email form, but there isn't an online FAQs section or other support options. There are no videos, and the owner's manual is only a parts list.
The MetroVac Vac N Go is a flawed vacuum that focuses more on looking different than on doing its job. The vacuuming performance is poor, there isn't a rechargeable battery, and it's loud and hard to hold. There are many better options available to you when it comes to handheld vacuums.
