Registry Road Test: Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

I am definitely challenged when it comes to certain domestic chores. I enjoy cooking and even doing dishes — but rugs, floors and other dusty surfaces? Forget it. So, yes, I confess: all manner of grit and dust bunnies tend to gather on the home front. And while we have a stellar, industrial-strength vacuum cleaner at the ready, we are not, um, consistent enough. To the rescue: Dyson DC44 Digital Slim, a lightweight (5 pounds) cordless wonder that has seriously rocked my world.

For any of you who have tried — and failed — to ease the drudge factor by way of a cordless cleaning machine, let me just say that this battery-powered vacuum is an entirely different species. Not only can it inhale easy stuff like crumbs on a hardwood floor, it takes on challenges like fine dust and carpets embedded with god knows what.

The various brush attachments and wands employ a snap-on-and-off action that’s simple to use. The only possible downside: the Dyson stays fully powered for 20 minutes, then it’s time to recharge. But who wants to vacuum for more than 20 minutes at a time anyway? For more info, visit dyson.com.

—Mary Clarke