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Since most of us nowadays own at least one if not more computers that we use daily or at least often enough, the idea of a mini vacuum is a great idea, especially if we take a really good look at our computer keyboard, fan vents, etc. Most likely, we’ll discover that our computer is filled with dust and remnants of pet hair, last week’s lunch or, stuff we don’t want to know what they are.

The idea of a mini vacuum cleaner that can clean up all those little particles caught between our keyboard keys, around the fan vents and other areas around the computer is a good one. I will be reviewing USB Fever’s USB Mini Keyboard Vacuum, which is powered by the USB port.

For those who want to skip over all the detailed review and just want a summary, you can jump to the review summary

This is a mini vacuum cleaner that is powered via the USB port. The product comprises of the main vacuum with a curved hollow neck which is also the canister area where dust and particles collected will be stored until emptied out. You are supplied with two attachment heads: one flat tubular and flexible head meant for reaching tight areas like the space between the keyboard keys, and another head with brushes to help clean dusty and dirty areas like the fan vents. The main power or motor of the vacuum is powered at the back with a miniature fan with air vents. To separate the motor compartment from the canister compartment, there is a small filter to allow air to go through from the attachment heads through to the fan and out through the side vents.

To operate the device, simply plug in the USB end of the cable to the USB port. Locate the power switch located near the top of the neck. There are three modes: Off, Light (located at the belly of the vacuum) and Vacuum with Light. There is also a special power booster button (Power Up) located near the belly of the vacuum that you can boost the power by pressing it. Of course, it’s not meant to be depressed for any length of time or you may overheat it.

That is how this vacuum works. There is no special design or implementaions to suck in the dirt or dust from the front and most of the work is expected to be done via the movement of the air from the front to the back through the filter and out at the sides. A quick test of the product yields minimal dust and particles in the canister.

To open up the neck and dispose of the dirt collected, twist the neck until you can feel that the neck is loosened enough to be separated from the back. Then dispose of the collected dirt.

Click on the thumbnail images for a bigger picture

Product Video

Video at YouTube

Here are my observations:

I’ve never really liked canister styled vacuum cleaners because cleaning them can be a bit of a chore. The USB Mini Vacuum is something similarly designed. Whatever the mini vacuum picks up is stored inside until you empty it out. If you hate cleaning the canister, you will not like cleaning this vacuum. I am in that boat.

Although the idea of a mini vaccum that’s powered by the USB is a really good one, unfortunately, this product isn’t much of a vacuum. A closer examination of the product shows a hollow tubular neck powered by a fan at the back. The neck operates as a particle or dust collection canister or temporary storage of these items. The back part of the product is covered and separated from the front by a filter. Inside is a miniature fan, that drives the vacuum and the air out.

This product really isn’t designed to vacuum small particles as there isn’t anything special to either concentrate the flow of air from the front of the attachment to the end nor enough power to do so. A test of it does yield some dust and particles inside the vacuum that was picked up after a short use, but as a mini Dirt Devil, it certainly isn’t.

After saying that, you have to consider its small size and the fact that it is powered by the USB port to realize that it really isn’t going to have enough power to be a mini Dirt Devil. You may want to use the attachment heads in conjunction with your current vacuum cleaner to see if you can take advantage of the heads to get to those areas where you normal vacuum attachment heads can’t get to (ie. spaces between the keyboard keys).

I think that if the design of this product is somewhat revised to change it from a vacuum that is sucking the particles inside to instead a blower device that is meant to blow out the particles that it could possibly work better.

If you feel the air that is blown out, it is of a decent force and I think this product could work better to utilize this rather than trying to suck dust and particles, which would require much greater power and force to do.

Review Summary

I dislike having to give negative reviews because I believe that there is normally something good out of most products and that’s why I tend to express my observations and what I think can be improved in my reviews. This USB Mini Keyboard Vacuum unfortunately does not work very well as a vacuum to clean areas around my computer. Although it does collect some particles and dust, it is not good enough to be labeled as a vacuum. I would think that using Qtips or compressed air canisters would work better at cleaning.

As I’ve mentioned, the attachment heads are very good at accessing areas where most regular vacuum attachment heads can’t and had the product been better designed with more power, it could have been something interesting. You may be able to try to use the attachment heads with your vacuum cleaner to get better access to those nooks and crannies around your computer that your vacuum cleaner normally can’t get at, so I guess this can be useful in that respect.

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