Real Consumer Reviews and Ratings
H2O Vac Reviews and Ratings
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Overall Rating 
Manufacturer
Thane International, Inc.
Product Description
H2O Vac as seen on TV. Vacuum that uses a water filtration technology.
Average Retail Value
$199.95 (prices may vary)
Comparisons
Oreck XL Classic Vacuum | Oreck XL Deluxe Vacuum | Oreck XL ULTRA Vacuum
Consumer Ratings
Buy a real H2O Vaccum
9/16/2008 - pat of ga, usa writes:
This thing is garbage!! I used to sell a vaccums similar to this years ago! When i saw this i thought it would be kind of the same wrong this thing just makes a mess and doesnt pick up any more than my upright and you have to empty it often! This thing is a piece of junk! If you want a real H2O vac get a [] or []! They really work and have a lifetime warranty!
Keep Your Receipt!!!!
9/9/2008 - Lauren of Utah, USA writes:
Please, do not buy this vacuum. I've been looking for the vacuum of my dreams and this was clearly NOT it (see all of the other reviews on this site). A friend and I went in on the deal since it was buy one get one free. We were both very dissatisfied with the quality and the fact that we would have to purchase an additional attachment to use it on the carpet. So, we decided to eat the shipping costs, which were substantial, and sent the vacuums back. All in all, the shipping we were out was $120 ($80 in original shipping plus about $40 in return shipping). We called and received a "return number" to reference. Because we live in different areas of town, we shipped the vacuums back separately, in separate boxes and referenced the return number for both. Long story short--almost two months later, my friend's credit card has not been credited for the return. When she called, she was told that NEITHER vacuum had been received. What are the chances that both packages that we mailed separately on different days didn't make it to their receiving area???? They will not process the refund until they receive copies of our postal service receipts showing that they were mailed. Now, it is common sense to keep these things, but I mailed the vacuum 2 months ago! Since I can't locate the receipt, they will not issue a credit for either vacuum that was returned. So now, they have the money AND the vacuums and we are out $325! DONT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE PEOPLE! If you do, please be smart and hold on to every receipt and piece of paper and plan on a LONG LONG wait when you return your purchase. BUYER BEWARE!
Don't Buy!!
9/9/2008 - Cynthia of MN, USA writes:
Awful vacuum!! self propelled power head. Got two vac's for the price of one. No power head for the second vacuum you have to buy it, that's extra. If you call wanting to return the vac they offer you a discount of $90.00. If you accept it, it will void the 30 day money back guarantee. It will cost you $80.00 s/h if you return it plus, you will pay s/h for having had it shipped to you from the factory. So $160.00 s/h total for a vacuum that does not perform well on carpets. I have used many types of vacuums This was a disappointment!! Don't Buy this. Payed $363.00 total, everything is extra. Plus when I opened the box the canister top was scratched and had two spots that were dull in finish, looked at it and immediately thought like it had been used before and was somebody's return. Boy, am I sorry for buying this. I could have had a beautiful vac for $363 had I only read the on line product reviews. Lesson learned. :-(
H20 vac humpf
7/18/2008 - Lucie of Québec, Canada writes:
I have used the H20 Vac at a friends home and my comments on this product is that it is an interesting concept, but it sure does not work as it is advertised on tv. Though I was and am still amased at my H20 Mop, it does work wonders on dirty floors. But I do not recommend the H20 VAC as it does not meet with the expectation it creates on the infomercials. It reeks after the first try, even though we cleaned the water tank in our pool, to ensure that we removed all the gunk it collected. It send moists into the air, and unless you live in hot and dry Tucson arizona, we do not need the extra humidity. Save your money, ask your mom about the best vacuum she ever owned and go buy the same brand. Our moms used to vacuum every single days, so they are expert at what works best.
Good Vac would Buy New Model
7/18/2008 - Dave of Winnipeg,Manitoba,R2M2W2, Canada writes:
I was very shocked and surprized on how many people gave bad reviews on the H2O vac? I purchased mine from a []a month ago for only $15.00 cdn. never used, I thought for $15.00 what do I have to loose I'll take chance on it. Got it home and tried it out right away I must say the set up is quite easy, fill the water cannister up and away you go! I was very surprized on how much dirt and debris the vacuum actually picked up I thought my present vac was doing a good job boy was I wrong! The suction is very good not as good as the infomerical stated but to my surprized the vacuum was picking up sawdust leftover from refinishing our hardwood floors about 4 years ago which my present vacuum was leaving behind. I own two cats and they are everywhere in the house this vacuum cleaner finds all of their cat hair, I just luv the small upholstery nozzle it gets the hair, dirt, etc. quickly and easy off my faux suede sofa, chairs and drapes, after every few strokes you just have to suction off the nozzle's brush because it clogs up quickly, now my furniture has never looked better since new! Even my area rugs have never looked so clean! Every cleaning task I have put it through the vacuum does a overall Very Good Job! I even noticed after a couple uses that my home is has less dust and is much more cleaner! Sure the vacuum is some what nosiy but really what vacuum is really not! I can live the nosie level it's at least quieter than my carpet cleaner or shop vac! I luv the fact that you can put scented oils in the water and it will freshen the air while you vacuum too besides help keeping the water cannister fresher smelling after use once throughly washed, rinsed and dried for storage. I very much like the stain remover kit that came with it I can finally clean up the cat's little furball accidents quickly and throughly off my area rugs. I also like the storage bag that came with it I can store all the accessories easily with machine in my closet! Sure this vacuum has it drawbacks, for a quick pick up you must wash and clean the cannister throughly each time(which easy with warm soapy water, shake it vigorously, throughly rinse it, then allow to dry completely before storing), I wish I water cannister was smaller and easier to clean. The quality of materials could be better that it did not have such a cheap feel to it but hey what do you expect for a $65.00 vacuum new and made in China? Anyway if I even get 1 years use out of it I am Happy I would even consider the new model they have out. Looks like the company listened to all of the complaints it receieved on this one and made improvements on the new model. Thank you
H2O Vac Amazing
7/12/2008 - William of Texas, USA writes:
After looking at all of the reviews I was getting nervous cause I had already ordered the H2O Vac. When I recieved it was so easy to hook up, and immediately I started cleaning. I was so suprised when I saw all the gunk and dirt that was in the chamber after cleaning my apartment. I woud defintly recommend this product to anybody, by the way you won't really know what the H2O vac is until you try it. Don't take other people word and there's a 60 day money back on it. Your decision!
Better than all other type of vacuums !!!
6/11/2008 - Chitra of CA, USA writes:
I would highly recommend this product. It is much better and convenient than the bag / dust cup vacuums, i have used previously. I have used it several times now and the suction is still good as new. The water does help prevent the dust from going back to air and when cleaning the vacuum dust does not blow everywhere, unlike the dust cups. I am glad I bought this. But I would suggest the company that if they are revising this product, try to make the water tank easier to clean (may need more places from where dirty water can be easily poured out).
Waste of Money
6/6/2008 - Amy of VA, USA writes:
My husband purchased this after falling for thier informertal....He got very excited over seeing how well it worked. He ordered all the extras and we ended up paying $375 plus for it. The quaility of craftmanship is poor ( MADE IN CHINA) , it works ok, for what it is, but is not the quality I expected. If you get a refund , it is minus $86 s&h. If you accept their discount to keep it (25%) you void the 30 day money back guaruntee. They fail to tell you this when they make the offer. Save yourself the hassle & DO NOT Buy it! If you do need to try it....I have 1 for sale. LOL They were buy 1 get 1 free....A JOKE~
H2O CRAP!
6/3/2008 - Jon of Ontario, Canada writes:
I have never actually owned this product, but felt the need to warn people against it upon further examination of the infomercial. About 5 years ago I babysate for some family friends and we would watch childrens programming together on a network called Treehouse (Canada). There was a childrens performer on the show named Lenny Graf and after watching the infomercial, I imediatley recognized him (he was one of the cleaners)! Unless hes been charged or has fallen on hard times, I dont think he owns or works for a cleaning company, in-fact his website states he is very successful in the childrens entertainment field. So be warned, not only does the product come across as showdy, but the testimonials are obviously riged...I wouldnt let my cleaning company be showed up by a $200 toy.
it last 3 months
5/15/2008 - Josbeth of valencia, venezuela writes:
I bought the H2O vac because I have pets, and a newborn baby the vac is very noisy and I couldnt use when the baby was sleeping, than the water disposal is terrible to clean really a mess. then after 3 months using it a main plastic part broke up and here in my country they dont sell the replacement for it so I coldnt use it anymore
H2O cleans the air!
5/7/2008 - Miriam Lavis of BC, Canada writes:
DO NOT USE ALL CAPS. Do not buy, do not buy, do not buy. This item is disgusting. It makes the air smell musty, my daughters got mold in it, you have to empty out sludge to where? This vac makes more of a mess than the dirt! Gross, gross, gross.
never ever think of buying it!
4/30/2008 - iryna of manitoba, canada writes:
only the first time you use it-your air will smell fresh. Try it second time - it will stink like a terrible sewage! I regret greatly for buying it. The water tanker design is terrible - it traps all the dirt in, so you have to reach with your hand and pull out all the stuff. And remember you can't dump everything (pieces of plastic,little stones, little "lego" pieces, buttons etc.) into your toilet. So, after every vacuming I would "sort out the garbage". Awful! Another thing is the material the vacum is made of. It is a cheap plastic. The water tank cracked after few months. Once I used the vac to suck the water from washed carpet. It did a good job but I didn't realise that the hose inside got wet and when I vacumed dry stuff afterwords, - it all sticked to the hose! The next time I turned it on the awfull faul smell came out! I thought I got a dead mouse inside my vac... Bottom line - H2O is a junk that you pay for.
Product sucks!
4/26/2008 - Lou of IL, USA writes:
Why, oh why, didn't I search the web for honest product reviews, BEFORE I bought this piece of junk?! Please read all the comments and don't waste your money! The few people who like it must have been paid by the company to LIE! My machine is going into the landfill. It's loud, attachments do not stay hooked together, trying to empty and clean the water tank is horrible, s/h charges are outrageous, can't get a total refund, customer service is a joke and finally WHY IS THIS COMPANY STILL BEING ALLOWED TO SELL THESE PIECES OF CRAP?! Where is the better business bureau when you need them? Wish I could give this product a MINUS -100! Save your money and go buy a wet/dry vac. You'll be happier!
H2O VAC waste of money
4/16/2008 - VJ of ON, CAN writes:
Terrible product, waste of money. Left my floor sopping wet.. unlike the commercial detailed. I don't know how it could possibly clean a rug! I tried it and it was just like pouring hot water on the rug.. I don't know how these companies can get away with making false claims and then not standing behind their product!! Very disappointed. DON'T waste your money.. buy a []instead!
Don't buy
4/11/2008 - Ben of Ontario, Canada writes:
I had to return this item because it has no suction power. I got my money back but I wasted the shipping charges. I am not going to try any product sold at [] ever ever again.
H20 Vacuum Cleaner - A Wet Nightmare
3/11/2008 - Frank of New York, USA writes:
Well, I wrote this to put on the company website, so I didn't realized all these fellow sufferers have already described the major faults of this product, so some of this is redundant, but just for the record..... I watched an infomercial one night which, as they always do, showed the glowing merits of this unique product; I was intrigued, then suckered into buying the H2O Vacuum Cleaner. It certainly is an interesting concept; almost all regular vacuums rely on some sort of air filtration system to capture dirt that is not stopped and collected in the dirt bag, from being blown out with the vacuum's exhaust; the dust and dirt are always airborne in this type of a vacuum system and therefore need a very good filtering system to stop it from being belched back into the space you are trying to clean. Depending on how good (or not) the air filters are, some dust/dirt will wind up back in the room. The H2O vacuum is unique in that the all the dirt is trapped by passing it thru a water reservoir. There it is wetted and captured in the water itself, thus it cannot be returned back into the room with the vacuum's exhaust. So far so good, and I must say that it does sound like a very plausible and ingenious concept. Now for the reality-check, which, of course, they NEVER show in the infomercial and which makes them, as far as I am concerned, mis-informercials! You start by filling a canister that sits on the vacuum's base with regular tap water. There are some good features: the unit comes with a goodly long hose and long power cord, and it does produce a very strong suction....all very positive. (BTW, some of the complaints about lack of suction which I've read here may come from another negative fact of this design -- if the water is not exactly between the Maximum and Minimum marks, the suction is greatly deminished). It does have very big wheels that allows it to maneuver well over carpets and floors. But then comes the caveats -- in the commercial, it shows a woman gingerly emptying out the water that captured all that dirt which was vacuumed up. The water is now nasty, filthy water being flushed down the drain. Seems so easy and you are happy to see that the water captured all that dirt and none of it was exhausted back into the room like regular vacuum cleaners. But at home, I quickly found that the process of emptying that canister is not nearly as easy as seen on TV. In fact, it is practically impossible to clean the canister thoroughly of the dirty water and debris. The water reservoir is designed with plastic nooks and crannies which capture and hold the dirty water. You can turn it completely upside down and some of that black water and debris, clumps of hair and who know what will always remain in the canister as you can't get at the dirt that gets lodged in the plastic nooks and crannies. Gobs and gobs of black clumps of wet stuff will remain in the canister. And THAT is a very unhealthy situation.....stagnant water keeping dirt wet, sitting in this canister after you put it away....very bad, as you will find out the next time you turn on this appliance. So this water filter thing is creating a much bigger problem than some airborne dust which might be carried out of a regular vacuum cleaner's exhaust -- that wet junk left sitting for more than a day or two in the H2O vacuum cleaner's canister starts to stink to high heaven. Someone said it smelled like a sewer...that poster was being kind. It is a stench that will make you nausious. I tried rinsing the canister with clean water after I used it (a MUST) and then again the next time I needed to vacuum, but no matter what you do, you will get a terrible moldy smell blowing into the room from whatever is growing in the damp debris, which is a mixture of hair, dust mites, all manner of organic stuff. Of COURSE it's going to stink. Anything that smells that bad, in my mind, means something nasty is festering -- mold, bacteria....whatever, in between uses. It has to be extremely unhealthy. As if that isn't enough, there is another downside -- the TV ad rants about how much easier it is to empty the water canister instead of dealing with the dirt bags of regular vacuum cleaners. Fact is, you might have to empty a vacuum cleaner dirt bag maybe once a month?....with this H2O vacuum, you had better empty that gallon canister EVERY single time you use it, and emptying it is a big, BIG inconvenience -- a lot more inconvenient than emptying a standard vacuum cleaner dust bag once a month....water splashing all over the place. And lord help you if you get lazy or just forget to dump the dirty water....you wind up with an awful sludge that, as I said, probably contains all kinds of things growing in it. After each cleaning, I try to spray Lysol in it to keep it from smelling, but to no avail. Every time I turn it on, I can smell something rotten. And dumping that sludge is a project all its own....plan on then having to wash the toilet bowl or the sink after you empty the canister. It's messy and disgusting, and it's MUCH more time-consuming than any regular vacuum cleaner I ever used, either canister or upright, bag or bagless. Also, the water canister on the H2O vc has a mark on the side that you must fill the water up to; as you vacuum, the water evaporates because of the vigorous churning of the air rushing thru it. If enough water evaporates and it falls below the minimum line, the suction will stop altogether and you'll need to fill the thing up again at the tap in the middle of your vacuuming job, but there will still be water in it, making it heavier than when it's empty, so here you are, lugging this heavy canister around back to the sink and then back to where you are vacuuming -- another unacceptable, big inconvenience which they never mention on TV. Dealing with the filthy water, no matter when you have to do it is quite disgusting, and that's me saying it. I am a single guy who works in a mechanics shop -- I am not too finicky about that kind of thing; I can't imagine how a woman like my mom would deal with this filthiness, not to mention having to lug this heavy canister of water to and from the sink to the base unit. She'd look at that filty water and out in the garbage this thing would go. The ONE good thing that is does have over standard vacuums -- it will suck up water off the floor. So if you wash your floors, you can use it to suck up the dirty water. But then again, if that is a priority, just get a shop wet/dry vac. In short, this H2O Vacuum is good as a concept but a disaster in the application. Avoid it like the plague that it probably is harboring in its damp, festering innards.
DO NOT BUY THIS IT DOESNT WORK AS ADVERTISED
2/20/2008 - Bright of Ontario, Canada writes:
Unfortunately, I bought this thing and battling with Thane to give me a full refund. I bought it in September called them at the end September to ask for a refund and we are now in mid-February and still NO REFUND. The most they want to do for me is give me a store credit but that still leaves me $200 in the hole for this crap and no working vacuum. The hose itself is so short it falls apart every second. It doesn't clean properly because the way its made. Hepa filter clogs very quickly. You cant clean the stairs with this thing and carry it in the other hand at the same time because it is big and heavy. This thing is only good for floors and thats it if you have carpet at home good luck to you using this thing....Horrible. I have never felt so ripped off in my life of all the products I have ever bought in my life.
H20 Vac is AMAZING
2/19/2008 - Krsta of Ontario, Canada writes:
Im not sure whats wrong with all these people saying the H20 vac sucks. I own a cleaning service that has been up and running for years now. I bought this vac because it looked amazing. When I got the vacuum home I vacuumed my bedroom floor with my old vacuum which I thought was doing an amazing job.. THEN i used the H2O vac and OMG the water was black and sludgy. It picked up the stuff that I didnt even see. I have 4 dogs that shed alot.. and this is the only vacuum that I have ever had that picked it all up in just one swipe. All the attachments fit perfectly... the suctions rocks!!!! I dont know what planet these people are from.. But I would swear my life on this vacuum.. its that amazing.... Krista
It sucks... but not like it should!
2/8/2008 - Adam of Ontario, Canada writes:
Ok I won't. Wow. I went halves with a friend so he could have the other one. So I only spent half of the money on the piece of garbage. Stinks to high hell since you can;t clean it out properly. (mental note.. do not use Pine Sol in it. bubbly) and the plastic is so cheap. Hoses broke and we have rebuilt them with black duct tape. Hepa filter clogs quickly and they're expensive to order from the company. Heavy and awkward. Sounds like a jet engine when it runs and sucks like a straw in a McDonalds milkshake. Attachments fall off constantly! Try doing your stairs with this thing. It's like a trapeze act. BAD BAD BAD BAD product. Did you see the comments from people who liked it? IT'S PROBABLY THE COMPANY THAT SELLS THEM! Thane can eat me. They're product blows and for a vac that's bad. save yourself the hassle. If you want a big bulky loud and awkward wet/dry vac then buy a shop vac. This thing is fit for he pit. Why can't I give it no stars? That blows too. Nuff said.
Rip off!
1/29/2008 - Christopher of Georgia, USA writes:
My grandmother purchased this thing and I knew right off she was in trouble when she explained about getting a free one. I mean come on - everyone knows these infomercials are rip offs... nothing is free. Like everyone else has said this thing worked nothing like what they show on tv. I mean I have had handheld vacs that worked better. She called me a week later saying they had charged some outrageous shipping fee for the free one. Luckily I got on the phone with her credit card company and disputed the charge. We also reported the company to the BBB and the Consumer Affairs Office. I hope that everyone used a credit card so they could dispute this and get their money back! This company should HAVE to give everyone their money back no matter what but of course they are not going to do what's right. I think my grandmother has learned her lesson that these infomercials are a rip off. If these products worked as well as they claim they would be selling them in retail stores. The reason they don't is because they know people will return useless products to the store and the company would go bankrupt. Instead they prey on people just taking the loss and getting tired of fighting them! Don't let these places rip you off - FIGHT BACK!
