I live in a 3-story, single-family house with my wife and two rather large, hairy dogs. So the amount of dirt, dust, and dog hair we accumulate around here on a daily basis is way more than should be permitted by law. The question is, can a compact, cordless vacuum cleaner handle big messes like ours? Well, when it comes to the RoboRock H6 Adapt cordless vacuum cleaner, the answer is yes… with a couple of caveats.

The H6 Adapt is really well made. Everything about it feels substantial, from the shiny red anodized aluminum main tube to the substantial main vacuum unit and power brush accessories. This is no cheap vacuum. Of course, with a current retail price of $449.99, I wouldn’t expect it to be. This stick-style vacuum is designed for quick cleanup of everyday dirt and is perfect for spaces like apartments and smaller homes.

I’ve been used to lugging around a Miele canister vacuum here for a while, and it’s really powerful, but you have to deal with changing bags on a regular basis, plus it does lose some suction as the bag fills up. It’s also got a cord, so I find myself constantly having to fumble about and unplug and replug it, and try not to run over the cord while vacuuming. The RoboRock has none of those problems. No wires mean it can go anywhere, so you’ll find yourself cleaning spots you might not otherwise get to with a corded vacuum. Plus it converts from stick mode to a snub-nose portable, so you can use it for dusting and countertop spills too.

The RoboRock hangs neatly on the provided wall charger, and its included accessories clip in alongside it for easy access. Installation of the wall charging station is easy, and just requires a couple of screws to attach it to a stud or into drywall with the provided wall anchors. The accessories attach to the vacuum with a quick and confident click, and definitely won’t come loose during usage.

The vacuum’s main section has a nice OLED display which tells you how much battery charge is left, not just in percentage, but in estimated run time based on the current mode. Simply squeeze the trigger on the handle to start up the vacuum, and it gets to work. There are three power modes: Eco, Standard, and Max, which offer varying amounts of suction, and there’s also a sustain button that keeps the vacuum running even if you let your finger off the trigger. It’s light and nimble enough to move just about anywhere in your house, and can even be used to vacuum ceilings and dusty ceiling fan blades.

I tested the H6 Adapt on a variety of surfaces in our house, including hardwood, yoga mats, and both low and high pile carpets. As long as you choose the right accessory, it does a great job cleaning all of them. The larger carpet brush has an automated motor that kicks in when it detects it’s on the carpet and really gets down between the fibers.

There’s also a smaller carpet brush which I found worked better on the yoga mats we have around here to keep our older Bernese Mountain dog from slipping on the hardwood. Other attachments include a bristled dusting brush, a crevice tool, and a flexible hose for reaching tricky places.

What impressed me most is just how powerful this little vacuum is, sucking up some of the worst fluff and dander in just a single pass. Even as the bin filled up, I didn’t notice any meaningful drop-off in suction until it was completely full. Speaking of which, there’s one big tradeoff to having such a compact and easy to maneuver vacuum – and that’s the canister size is small.

Granted, I let a week’s worth of dog hair pile up for my testing, so I had to empty the dustbin three times to totally clean just our living room, while I wouldn’t have had to empty the Miele for at least a couple of weeks. On the flip-side, cleaning is easy – just push a button and you can either flip the bottom of the canister open or unscrew the whole canister for a thorough cleanout. The process only takes a few seconds.

RoboRock does recommend that you clean out more than just the dustbin on at least a monthly basis, which means you have to rinse the front filter, rear filter, and metal cyclone assembly and let them dry before using the vacuum. Accessing these components is easy and intuitive.

The other thing to keep in mind with a cordless vacuum – especially something that weighs just three pounds like the H6 Adapt – it’s that you do have to consider battery life. RoboRock claims up to 90 minutes of power on a charge, but that varies wildly based on how thick the pile is on the carpet, if the motorized brush is engaged, and what power mode you have it running in. I got closer to an hour in my real-world testing, which was enough to do two entire floors of my house with a full week’s worth of dirt to contend with. Of course, your mileage may vary, and if you’ve got lots of thick-pile carpets, expect shorter runtimes.

Overall, I think the RoboRock H6 Adapt is an excellent, well-built cordless vacuum. It’s powerful, easy to carry, versatile, and stylish – as vacuum cleaners go. It’s absolutely perfect for apartment-dwellers or if you’re a fastidious, frequent vacuumer. If you live in a larger house or have lots of hairy animals, you’ll definitely be happier if you run at least every couple of days. If you let it go longer, you’ll find yourself having to empty out the canister more often.

The RoboRock H6 Adapt is currently available from Walmart for $449.99.