Everyone should have a USB-C mini vacuum in their home

A year ago, if you asked me whether I cared how a specific gadget charged, I’d have answered that it didn’t really matter. USB-C, micro-USB, DC input, anything was fine as long as a proper charger was supplied in the box. But perspectives change. Once I discovered that some brands were starting to pick USB-C charging for their small appliances and electronics, finding USB-C versions of things became a mild obsession.

Granted, I had the benefit of starting from scratch. I’ve moved to a new country and I’ve been furnishing an apartment from zero (nearly). So I had the luxury of picking more modern and convenient USB-C-powered versions of some items. A USB-C desk lamp from Baseus, a USB-C screwdriver from Xiaomi, and, believe it or not, a USB-C handheld vacuum from Xiaomi. It’s this last one that I want to talk to you about.

Related: Find the right USB-C cable and charger for your device

Many of us probably have a handheld vacuum, or a convertible one, that we pull up whenever the dust and crumb situation around the house gets out of hand. Unfortunate cornflakes accident? Chips crumbs? Mild dust and bits accumulating over several days? We zip through them and things are clean again.

The problem with these vacuums, though, is that they don’t look so good and you should keep their batteries topped up or they’ll fail you right when you need them. In my previous rental, I had to dig in the closet to get the massive ‘handheld’ vacuum and its very specific charger. Single-purpose, proprietary charging is never practical. So what if you could charge the vacuum with the same cable as your phone? And what if the vacuum was small and decent enough that you didn’t need to hide it in a cabinet? Well, those are the two problems that this mini Xiaomi vacuum solves.

First, it doesn’t look horrid and it fits inside my living room table. Second, I haven’t even taken out the adapter or cable that came in its box because I don’t need them. I already have a few USB-C cables lying around the house. After using it multiple times, I plug it in the living room wall charger and let it fill up. Easy peasy. No more empty battery, no more random crumbs on the couch or layers of dust on my desk. You could say it sucks, but it doesn’t suck.

Read also: It’s 2021 and USB-C is still a mess

Of course, this isn’t a perfect vacuum and there are some compromises. It has a tiny transparent dirt container that shows every little particle you’ve picked up. It isn’t the most powerful handheld vacuum, either — it’s rated at 13,000 Pa. And although it does a good job on furniture and smooth surfaces, you definitely need a separate longer and more powerful unit for floors and ceiling nooks. Still, the convenience of having it always nearby and charged outweighs these faults for me.

There’s one last caveat that I should mention. The Xiaomi mini vacuum costs around $40-50 in many countries, whereas it’s a hefty $79 in the USA. I bought it for €43 in France, but I’ve seen its price drop as low as €30 around Black Friday, making it a no-brainer. Even the competition doesn’t seem so appealing in the US — this cheaper Ugreen model costs $36, but only has half the suction power. We’ll chalk this off as one of those extremely rare instances where our American friends have to pay a bit more for the same tech, while the rest of the world gets it for less.