TechGearLab bought and lab-tested the Mighty Mite and named it its best budget canister: it picked up 99.3% of a hardwood mess, cleaned edges better than any other model in the test, and pulled 94% of pet hair from a shag rug. The trade-offs were a finicky bag seal that let debris escape into the canister, weak filtration of small particles, and only 49% pickup on high-pile carpet. It suits hard-floor homes and pet owners on a tight budget, not homes with deep carpet or allergy sufferers.
Full review
Hard floors, edges and pet hair
TechGearLab, which buys the products it tests, gave the Eureka Mighty Mite its Best Budget Canister Vacuum award and an overall score of 70 out of 100. On hardwood it picked up 99.3% of the spilled debris, and in the edge test along a baseboard it left nothing behind from any direction, the best result in the lineup. TechGearLab measured its suction at 1767 Pa, among the strongest of the nine canisters.
Pet hair was the other surprise. With the floor tool's bristles exposed, it cleaned 86% of the hair worked into low-pile carpet and 94% from a shag rug, and because it has no brush roll there was nothing for long hair to wrap around.
Carpet and the bag seal
Carpet results were weaker. TechGearLab measured 87.6% pickup on low pile, about average, and only 49.1% on high pile, mostly Cheerios. On the first low-pile run roughly 9% of the debris landed in the cavity between the canister and the bag's cardboard collar, because the bag was hard to seat securely; after reseating it, later runs passed 90%.
Handling and filtration
At 9.4 pounds measured, TechGearLab found it easy to carry on stairs, and the 20-foot cord is long for a canister because it does not coil inside the body, which also means wrapping it by hand. Testers noted the handle came off during use and the handle's suction-release valve was easy to knock open.
Filtration scored 3.0 of 10. TechGearLab's particle counter showed large particles were trapped but small particles escaped freely, so it advises allergy sufferers to look at a model with stronger filtration such as the Miele Classic C1.
Who it suits
TechGearLab recommends it for shedding pets and homes with a lot of hard flooring, at a fraction of the price of the other top models, and steers buyers with a lot of carpet elsewhere. Eureka's Amazon listing puts the bag at 2.5 liters and the motor at 1200 watts.
Strengths
- +TechGearLab measured 99.3% pickup on hardwood and the best edge cleaning in its lineup
- +Strong pet-hair results in TechGearLab's tests: 86% on low pile and 94% on a shag rug
- +Light: 9.4 lb measured by TechGearLab, with a 20-foot cord
- +Bristled combination tool cleaned coffee grounds off a throw pillow in TechGearLab's upholstery test
Watch-outs
- −TechGearLab found the bag seal finicky: on its first carpet run about 9% of the debris ended up loose inside the canister
- −Poor filtration of small particles (3.0 of 10 in TechGearLab's rating) and no HEPA filter
- −Only 49% pickup on high-pile carpet in TechGearLab's test
- −The handle fell off during use and the handle's suction valve was easy to bump open, per TechGearLab
How it compares
In TechGearLab's lineup the Mighty Mite scored 70, level with the SEBO Airbelt K3 Premium, and beat the Kenmore Elite 81714 on pet hair (86% vs 68% on low pile) but trailed it badly on high pile (49% vs 69%). TechGearLab rated its filtration 3.0 of 10, against 7.3 for the Miele Classic C1.
Rating sources
“Overall, the Eureka 3670M provides excellent value for its price. While it may not match the features or build quality of higher-end models, its powerful suction and lightweight design make it a strong contender for those on a budget.”
Counts as 3.99/5 in our score — this publisher's 138 scores on the site average 3.66, so its scores are adjusted up to compare fairly with other publishers.
Our 4.0 score is the average of the 1 scored review above, each adjusted for how strictly its publisher scores; 1 more reviewed it without printing a score and is not in the average. More about methodology.
