I must say, I am SO glad I did that exchange, because this vacuum is a real pleasure to use! It is so much easier to maneuver than a standard vacuum, and the head is super maneuverable. This vacuum has three speeds, and when you turn it on it defaults to medium. To test the battery I tried it on low speed, with the beater bar operating (carpet mode). I thought it might only be able to do my upstairs carpeted area, but I continued on to vacuum the carpeted stairs, and the entire downstairs, which is about 70% carpet and 30% hard floors. Even on low speed, this vacuum has very good suction.
I'd spent just under a half hour doing this, and it still had 50% battery capacity left. Frankly, that was pretty impressive to me!
I really love that this has an actual beater bar with a brush on it. I've used other cordless stick vacuums that had more of a foam brush roller, that really didn't do much on carpet.
By the way, as mentioned in the description, this vacuum is designed to go under furniture. The handle does extend all the way down, with the vacuum head remaining flat on the floor. It also has rubber coated wheels, so they will not damage hardwood floors.
The pet hair attachment has silicone strips instead of brushes, so pet hair will not get stuck on the roller. It also has a crevice tool, upholstery brush attachment, and a mounting bracket. I mounted it inside a linen closet, and it takes up very little space.
Removing the extension and attaching the floor head unit directly to the vacuum is how to clean carpeted stairs. It really does work well, and makes the process very fast and simple. Emptying the container is easy, and I always do this outside at my main garbage bin, when there's no wind 😁
So despite my initial experience, I am 100% pleased with this vacuum. If you have a very large home you may want to order the package with the extra battery and battery dock, but for my home, one battery seems to be fine. Highly recommended, and I believe it is well worth the asking price of around $300. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐