If you live in an apartment where you don’t have room to store a full-sized upright vacuum, cleaning the place may become an issue. Especially if you’re a dog or cat owner!
If your place also has a lot of hard-to-reach corners, that also rules out most of the robot vacuums. If all this sounds familiar, check out the Shark Wandvac Self-Emptying System as a cleaning tool. In this vacuum review, we’ll look at this powerful, lightweight cordless vacuum and share the results of our tests so that you can decide if this vacuum suits your house cleaning needs.
Shark Wandvac Self-Empty System: First Impressions & Specs
Shark is a big brand name in the vacuuming world. Shark vacuum cleaners are often compared to some of the most popular vacuums on the market, like Dyson’s.
The Shark Wandvac is designed as a lightweight cordless stick vacuum that empties itself. So if you’re someone who regularly forgets to empty your vacuum’s dustbin (or maybe you’re like me and just don’t like doing it), the Shark Self-Empty System is a perfect find for you. The system takes this bit of maintenance off your hands, and you always have your vacuum ready to start cleaning your house.
Another obvious perk of this vacuum is that it’s cordless and ultra-lightweight. I’ve experienced a few handheld vacuums before, which were too heavy for me to finish cleaning in one go. The Shark Wandvac System weighs 13.85 lbs (6.3kg) together with the charging base (which you won’t have to move during cleaning).
The vacuum itself transforms from the upright stick to an above-floor vacuum and to a small hand vacuum that only weighs 2.1 lbs (0.9kg), which you can use to quickly clean a spill without any effort.
Before we move on to talk about the Shark vacuum’s design and performance, here’s the list of tech specifications of this cordless vacuum cleaner.
- Dimensions: 8.75 x 11 x 43.5 in (22 x 28 x 110cm)
- Weight: 13.85 lbs (6.3kg)
- Type: cordless bagless stick vacuum
- Cleaning path width: 8.35 in (21.2cm)
- Capacity: 2.2 lbs (0.99kg)
- Dust cup capacity: 0.13 quarts
- Filter: HEPA H-10, washable
- Wattage: 120W
- Voltage: 14.4 Volts
- Noise level: 80 dB
- Extra accessories: duster crevice tool, pet hair multi-tool
- Battery type: lithium Ion
- Color: white
- Price: $329.99 on the Shark website and Amazon .
Design and Unpacking
The Shark Wandvac comes unassembled, with all parts fitting together in one box. After taking all of the contents out of the box, you can either use a quick start guide to put your cordless vacuum together or do it without using any instructions. The whole system is intuitive. I put the Shark Wandvac together in a matter of minutes without looking at the guide.
What’s in the Box
Here’s everything you’ll find in the box while unpacking your Shark Wandvac Self-Empty System vacuum:
- Shark Wandvac Self-Empty System Vacuum
- Self-Empty Charging Base with HEPA filter & quiet mode
- Duster crevice tool
- Pet tool
- Quick Start Guide & Owner’s Guide
Right from the start, I recommend doing one thing that will improve the look of your Shark Wandvac vacuum – peeling off all the labels you find on it. The labels are a thoughtful touch. Each of them helps you assemble and get to know how the vacuum works, but they spoil the overall appearance of the gadget. I believe the labels are there to be peeled off after (or even before) the first use.
The Shark Wandvac feels well-built and not fragile. The body of the vacuum, as well as the charging dock, are made of sturdy hard plastic. All parts easily connect together, and don’t feel like they’d easily break in case you drop them. The smaller part of the vacuum – the ergonomic handheld vacuum – feels super light and comfortable to hold.
The charging base doesn’t take up too much space, so you’ll be able to find a corner to tuck it in, even in a small apartment. The whole unit, together with the vacuum, doesn’t take up too much space either, so you won’t have a problem storing it in tight spaces. Plus, it looks stylish and modern. If anything, it’ll complement your apartment.
The back of the charging dock comes with an accessory storage space where you can attach one of your accessories – the duster crevice tool or the per multi-tool.
One thing that I found frustrating was the power cord, which I found too short for my apartment. You’ll probably have to find a place for the charging station right near the plug for the charger to reach the wall easily. Alternatively, you’ll have to use an extension cord as I did.
On the other hand, if you place the dock too close to the outlet and don’t want the charging cord to be visible, you can wrap the excess cord around the cord management slot near the bottom of the dock base.
On the handle of the vacuum, right under the power button, you’ll find three bright LED lights. These lights indicate how much battery you have remaining in your vacuum. Three lights are illuminated when the vacuum cleaner is fully charged, two lights for mid-charge, and one light for about 30% charge left. When the light starts blinking, you’ll know it’s time to pause your cleaning and charge your Shark Wandvac handheld vacuum.
Cleaning Performance
I found the Shark Wandvac Self-Emptying system to be a great help around the house. We tested the vacuum on hard floors, and it had no problem picking up large debris and fine dust. We don’t have a carpet at home, but the test we did on a couch proved that this vacuum could tackle different types of surfaces.
However, before you get to cleaning, you need to assemble your Shark Wandvac vacuum and put it on charge.
The Setup Process
After you get your cordless handheld vacuum out of the box, you’ll need to go through the setup process before you get started cleaning. Luckily, assembling the Shark Wandvac isn’t complicated and will only take a few minutes of your time. To assemble the vacuum, connect the wand to the nozzle of the main brush and then connect the hand vacuum to the wand.
When you put each part in place, you’ll hear a distinctive click. To assemble the dock, slide the charging post into the slot located on top of the charging base until it clicks into place. Then place the vacuum on the dock in a downward motion. You’ll know it’s properly attached when you hear the emptying of the dust cup process begin (it’s pretty loud, so you won’t miss it).
Make sure you fully charge your Shark Wandvac vacuum before the first use. That should take about 3 hours.
Vacuuming
Thanks to the different accessories included in the package, there are many different ways you can use the Shark Wandvac System to clean your apartment. If you prefer the upright stick mode, you can keep the PowerFins floor nozzle on for a deeper floor cleaning. Or you can ditch the wand and switch to the handheld vacuum cleaner mode with an accessory of your choice.
In our experience, the PowerFins nozzle is the best for general floor cleaning. The suction power is strong enough to pick up all of the messes in our apartment. We also tested it in our neighbor’s place, which has a massive dog hair problem, and the vacuum did a wonderful job there as well. The self-cleaning brushroll must be really working since we never experienced any hair wraps or traps during testing.
The duster crevice tool is perfect for cleaning up any tight spaces you may have in your apartment. In my experience, it was the spider web on the ceiling of our mezzanine that I kept looking at but could never get to. The Shark Wandvac + the duster crevice worked great at picking all of that up for me.
The multi-tool is designed for pet hair and upholstery and will do a great job at cleaning your car as well. Shark Wandvac is probably one of the best cordless vacuums for car cleaning, thanks to its portability and lightweight design. Detach the handheld vacuum from the wand and carry it inside your car without worrying about a power cord getting in the way. You can use both accessories for cleaning the vehicle’s salon and for getting into tight corners.
Aside from car cleaning, I found that this hand vac works great on furniture, dusty window sills, bookshelves, and stairs. In other words, all of the places that a standard stick vacuum would struggle to get to.
The handheld part of the Shark Wandvac system has a dust cup, which you can empty manually or let the vacuum do it automatically once you place the vacuum back onto the charging dock. The dust cup has a small capacity of 0.12 liters. When you slide the release button forward, the dust cup will swing open.
The Self-Emptying Process
If you’re not a fan of emptying the vacuum’s dust bin yourself, the Shark Wandvac Self-Empty System can do it for you. After you’re finished cleaning, place the vacuum on the charging dock until it clicks.
Once it’s attached, you’ll hear the auto-evacuation process begin. The self-emptying process is rather loud (surprisingly, not as loud as the auto-emptying on the Botslab S8 Plus ), but it only lasts for 10 seconds.
If you need the vacuum to be quiet, you can disable the auto-emptying process for the time being. To do that, press the mute button on the charging dock. Quiet mode is perfect for when you don’t want to disturb other people or pets in the house.
The best part about the auto-emptying feature is that you can forget those nasty dust clouds when you empty the vacuum’s dust bin manually. The Wandvac automatically empties fine dust, debris, and allergens into a sealed system with HEPA filtration.
Short Run Time
The first time I got to use this vacuum, I felt like it was too good to be true. And then I noticed that after about 12 mins of run time, the LED light started blinking, reminding me that I needed to put the vac on charge. The next time I used the Wandvac, I managed to get the whole 15 mins out of it, but that was its maximum.
To be fair, I only have two small rooms, and I’m done cleaning before the battery runs out. But if you own a bigger home, this vacuum won’t suffice for any significant cleaning sessions. The Shark Wandvac is perfect for quick clean-ups but not for a top-to-bottom deep cleaning of your entire place.
Battery Life
The Shark Wandvac Self-Empty System comes with lithium-ion batteries pre-installed. You’ll need about 3.5 hours to charge the vacuum from zero fully.
Shark claims that the unit will run for 17 mins at full charge, but remember that you can only reach those results using the handheld vacuum. When you attach the wand and the floor nozzle, the time is reduced by a few minutes, making the already short battery life even shorter.
Like all lithium-ion products, the battery will naturally decrease in capacity over time. However, the Wandvac system comes with a long 5-year limited warranty, with a 2-year battery warranty and a 60-day money-back guarantee. If the battery fails during the warranty period, you can request a free replacement.
Should You Buy the Shark Wandvac Self-Empty System?
Shark Wandvac Self-Empty System is a perfect vacuum cleaner for anyone who lives in a small-to-medium-size apartment, doesn’t like to empty the vacuum’s dust bin manually, and needs a versatile cleaning tool that can tackle different surfaces.
Add the lightweight and portability factor, and you’ll get a definite yes to whether you should get this vacuum for your house cleaning needs. The only real downside of this cleaning beast is the short run time, so I wouldn’t recommend getting it as a primary vacuum cleaner for a big house.
And if you’re looking for a fully-automated cleaning option, consider getting a robot vacuum that will do all of the house cleaning for you.
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If you don’t have a full-sized printing machine at home and often need to print a document on the go, check out the Newyes portable printer . This wireless printer is lightweight and small enough to fit in your bag. Not to mention it’s environmentally friendly, since it uses thermal paper instead of ink.
Follow our review of the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer to see if it suits your printing needs.
Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal A4 Printer: First Impressions & Specs
When I was a student, I remember my university always required hard copies of documents. Luckily, there was a print shop on campus where I could always pop in to print something.
Then I became a professional, and to my surprise many life spheres still required me to have printed versions of documents with me. Of course you can get your own full-sized machine to print things at home, but if like me you live in a small apartment, you value every extra bit of space and don’t want a massive printer to take it up.
One day, when I was looking for a neighbor with a printer to help me with my event tickets, they introduced me to the concept of a portable printer. Seeing how easy it is to use, I immediately wanted to get my hands on one of those. So here I am, reviewing one of the most useful gadgets I received recently – the Newyes portable thermal printer.
Before we continue with this review, here is the full list of specs of this printer.
- Model: Newyes LD0801
- Dimensions: 10.4 x 1.2 x 2.28 in (265 x 58 x 30.5 mm)
- Weight: 16.8oz (475g)
- Paper format: A4
- Paper width: 210mm or 218mm
- Printing Type: thermal paper
- Resolution: 203DPI
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Charging port: USB type-C port
- Input Voltage: DC 5V / 2A
- Battery: 1200mAh lithium battery
- Charging time: 75 min
- Automatic shut down: after 30 minutes
- Stand-by: about 30 days
- Extra features: LED light, reset, on / off switch button
- Color: white, black
- Warranty: limited one year warranty
- Price: $199 on the Newyes website
If you find yourself in need of hard copies of important documents while on the move, the Newyes portable wireless thermal printer will become your go-to gadget. Newyes calls it “the world’s smallest printer”, and with the weight of under 500g this seems plausible. This mini printer offers a handy solution for those moments when you need to quickly print an important document but don’t have access to an office setup.
Operating this printer is a breeze – a simple Bluetooth connection is all that’s required. Once connected, just fire up the app, choose the file you want to print, and send it over. Efficiency is at the forefront, and you can easily print multiple sheets by inserting new pages back to back.
The only limitation this printer has is that it can only print in black. So even if your original file is in color, the printed document will still come out in black and white. Other than that – you can print a variety of file types including Excel, Word, PDF, JPG, PNG, and web pages – and it only takes seconds.
The Newyes portable wireless printer combines convenience, portability, and efficiency – all the things I appreciate in a modern gadget.
Design and Unpacking
Let’s have a closer look at the design and build of this smart printer, as well as what you get included in the package when you purchase it.
What’s in the Box
Here’s everything you’ll find when unpacking your Newyes portable thermal printer:
- The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer
- Bracket
- USB type-C cable
- Storage/carrying pouch
- 100pcs thermal printing paper
- User manual
You can use the Newyes portable printer right out of the box, as you’re all set with essential accessories. Aside from the printer itself, the package includes a bracket which will make printing more than one page smoother, a convenient storage bag for carrying your printer with you, a USB-C cable for charging, and a supply of 100 pieces of thermal paper to get you started.
One important thing to remember is that this printer only works with thermal paper. While thermal paper is significantly more expensive than normal paper, this printer also uses inkless printing and works without a ribbon and toner. Since you don’t have to spend money on ink, carbon ribbons or toner cartridges, you ultimately end up saving money with thermal paper.
The Newyes LD0801 is a pocket-sized printer that features straightforward design. For the purpose of this review, I had a printer in white color. The printer looks like a small white brick with just two pressable buttons on top – one for switching it on and off, and another for opening the printer’s cover. You’ll also see the paper entry slot on top of the printer.
On the side of the printer, you’ll find a single charging port.
The printer is made of plastic, but the build feels sturdy. I never have to worry about throwing it into my bag or damaging it when traveling. Besides, you can use a nice carrying pouch included in the package for protection.
Performance & Features
According to Newyes, the portable printer has a “handheld size and two times the weight of an iPhone”. This can give you an idea of how portable and convenient this little gadget is. In a month of testing, I used it at home, in a store, and even in a car while on the road.
Using the printer is unbelievably easy. Connect it to your mobile phone via Bluetooth, press the button to turn the printer on and put a sheet of thermal paper into the paper entry slot. Make sure to use thermal paper and not standard paper, and put it with the black marks facing down. Bear in mind that the thermal printer can only print in black and white and only on one (marked) side of the thermal paper sheet.
Then open the iPrint app on your smartphone. If you’re printing an A4 document, you can select one of two options – Photo Printing and Document Printing . Then choose the document from your phone’s files and print it.
The printer is reliable and in the time that I used it the Newyes LD0801 never let me down. The printing quality will surprise you, as it’s sometimes better than what you get from a full-sized printer. The printer supports printing in various formats, and you can use it to print documents from your smartphone (Android and iPhone), iPad, and Android tablet.
When fully charged, the printer can support up to 90 pieces of paper continuously, which is very impressive for a gadget of such a small size.
Software
The Newyes portable printer requires an iPrint app to operate. The app is available for free on iOS and Android. You’ll need to download the app on your device from the App Store or Google Play before you begin printing your documents.
The app has a simple and user-friendly design. You’ll need to pair your device with the printer on the first use via Bluetooth.
Depending on the type of document you want to print, you can choose different options from the app. There’s photo printing, document printing, web printing, and banner printing.
The app also has Materials and Template sections, where you can find various pictures and templates for printing to-do lists, post-its and holiday cards. You can also use the Newyes LD0801 as a label printer using these templates.
Battery Life
The Newyes portable wireless thermal printer is equipped with a decent 1200mAh lithium battery. This high-capacity battery allows you to print on the go without constantly worrying about running out of charge. When I received the printer, I charged it fully once, and it still hasn’t run out of battery after one month of use (I use it to print something almost every other day).
Charging this printer is quick and takes just over an hour to charge the printer from zero to full. The type-C charging cable facilitates a rapid charging experience. And if you run out of battery while on the go, you can quickly charge the printer from a portable power station or a power bank to continue printing.
The printer doesn’t support wireless charging, so I’d recommend always bringing the usb-c cable with you just in case.
Should You Buy the Newyes Portable Wireless Thermal Printer?
The Newyes portable thermal printer ensures high-quality wireless printing while on the go and easy operation. It’s not the most budget-friendly option, but this purchase will save you money and nerves in the long run thanks to its versatility and portable nature.
Personally, I can say that this printer made my life easier. So much that it’s probably my favorite smart gadget of the year. If you’re looking for a portable printer that won’t take any space in your house, I’d certainly recommend considering the Newyes LD0801 model.
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