If you've ever wondered where all the fashionable hand vacuums are hiding, the Dirt Devil KONE MO213 is for you. Created by noted product designer Karim Rashid, this small hand vac is not only intended to be a handy clean-up tool but a piece of fashionable table art.

While we found the idea a little silly at first, we must admit, Dirt Devil's KONE is an unusual and attractive product that fits unobtrusively into a room. It's also always at the ready to do its job -- such as picking up a stray crumb or clump of pet hair. A very simple model, the KONE offers only a tiny dust cup and is appropriate for similarly sized small jobs. When we picked it up, we found it to be unexpectedly heavy for its size. It also has a smooth surface that could benefit from some texture to keep it from slipping out of your hand. The value of the unit lies more in its unusual design than in its ability to add anything to the common pick-up features of a small hand vac.

The mechanics of the unusual KONE are simple and to the point. This little machine offers just straight suction -- no tools, no brushes, no accessories of any kind. With a 7.2-volt motor, it draws only a small amount of current from its battery, which allows it to maintain a charge for quite awhile. On the other hand, the small draw doesn't provide the model with a whole lot of suction. Shaped like a diamond, the vacuum portion pulls out of a conical base. Around the center of the unit are a series of air intakes. These intakes unfortunately have a tendency to blow the dirt around before it can be sucked up. In some cases this tendency required us to give chase to the dust.

Emptying the KONE can be a bit awkward. The dirt often adhered to the replaceable filter and required us to brush it off with our fingers. Occasionally the filter came loose from its housing when we emptied it out.

Available in plum, pink, charcoal, champagne, blue steel and white illuminated, this product makes a good gift for the obsessively neat. These neatniks can enter a room to relax and be quickly and conveniently motivated to clean up any stray pieces of lint they may find. The function of the Dirt Devil KONE MO213 doesn't make it the best hand vac around, but it does the job while making a great conversation piece that fits easily into the decor of a funky living area, bar, playroom, dorm or apartment.


Pros: Unique design puts a convenient hand vac unobtrusively into any room, unusual 3-year warranty
Cons: Small dust cup, may blow dirt around before capturing it

Warranty
3 years