You know how sometimes you’re lucky enough to stumble across an appliance that you never knew you needed until you got it, and then you can’t imagine how you got along without it? That’s how I feel about the

Raycop RN Allergen

vacuum that I was lucky enough to review.

I’ve been looking for something that could really get the black Labrador Retriever hair out of my white microfiber linen sofa since my puppy came home two years ago, and I’m happy to say, I’ve found it in the Raycop RN Allergen vacuum. Bonus? It does wonders for our allergies and is an incredible mattress vacuum too!

My… What Black Hair You Have

With an eight-year-old boy and a black Labrador Retriever puppy, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I bought a beautiful white sofa for my home. At the time, I loved how soft it felt and casual look of microfiber linen (a microfiber with a bit of a linen touch). And oh, a white sofa makes a room look so lovely and fresh.

That is, until little boys bring all their little boy things in from the outside (dirt, leaves, bugs) and black puppies snuggle into the cushions. And, because the material had a linen feel, it was like it was a trap for the dog’s hair. I have four different vacuums (they’re high-dollar brands) and not one of them has been able to get all the dog hair to disappear completely. I’ve always thought my options were to either suck it up (pun not intended), cover the sofa with blankets or get a new couch altogether. Then I opened the box for the Raycop RN vacuum.

A Handheld That Really Sucks

This sleek, modern handheld vacuum is not your average old-school model. It’s a bit heavier than some handhelds on the market, but the handle to hold it is ergonomically designed to be comfy. I have arthritis in two of my fingers and used the Raycop RN to vacuum my entire sofa with ease. The rounded corners make it easy to get into tight spots in the corners and behind my cushions, and it reminded me of a travel iron, only with incredible sucking power.

A closeup of the doghair on my sofa before the Raycop RN vacuum.

And, that’s pretty much how you use it. The manual tells you that pulling across whatever fabric you’re vacuuming will allow enough UV light exposure and suction to happen so that the buildup of dust mite matter, viruses and bacteria is tackled.

After I used the Raycop RN on my sofa.

It differs from many other handheld vacuums in that it has a cord, but then again, I’ve found that many cordless appliances don’t have a ton of power like this one does. Quite possibly, my favorite feature is watching all the dust and dirt collect in the collection cup. You may find you have to empty the cup regularly due to size.

A Heap Of HEPA Makes It Better

The dirt cup also includes a HEPA filter to continue working on battling allergens in your home. Because the technology in the HEPA filter is similar to that used in air purifiers and cleanrooms in the manufacturing industry, this bad boy can capture particles as small as 0.3um and it traps 99.9% of allergens as it vacuums. Think about dust and hair you unsettle as you vacuum with your regular vacuum. The Raycop RN prevents that from happening with its powerful suction.

The Raycop RN is aided in that power by what I love best: the pulsating brush. It’s newly developed for this line of Raycop vacuums, and it’s what worked to remove the black hair from my white sofa. The rotating brush head combines with pulsating pads and vibrates at 18,000 pulsations per minute. That’s the magic number needed, apparently, to get the hair that’s trapped in between fibers on my sofa. For this reason, it’s a must-have for any place your pet hangs out.

Bye-Bye, E-Coli (And Other Viruses and Bacteria)

The most enticing and versatile feature of the Raycop RN is the UV lamp it uses to eliminate over 99% of bacteria from fabric surfaces all over your house. Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation that removes bacteria and viruses (like E-coli, the flu virus and other nasty stuff that finds its way into the home one way or the other). This is particularly important to know when it comes to using the Raycop RN for cleaning your mattress. Experts recommend you vacuum your mattress (even if it is in a cover) once a season as bacteria and dust mites are notorious for making themselves home there. The Raycop RN is perfect for this job, and the UV light alters the DNA of dust mite eggs and reduces egg hatch rates exponentially. Add that to the two to five seconds of UV light exposure it takes to eliminate 99.9% of the bacteria that it encounters, and you’ll likely keep doctor visits at bay as well.

But Does It Suck?

I can’t count how many times I’ve been frustrated because a vacuum I owned sucked. And by sucked, I mean it didn’t work at all. But that’s not the case with this one. I’ve used it several times in the same place for the last few days, and every time, I find it picks up stuff I didn’t know was there, again and again. But unlike some vacuums that are so powerful they tug the fabric or get stuck with the suck, the Raycop RN doesn’t. The new air ventilation technology releases some air as needed, depending on the fabric, to achieve optimal suction power without trapping fabrics. The air that is exhausted out of the vacuum is clean and allergen free thanks to the HEPA filtration.

The Verdict

The Raycop RN has become one of my new favorite appliances. The fact that it got the black dog hair off the sofa alone made it my hero. That I can visibly see how much dust (and presumably, bacteria, pollen and other allergens) gets sucked up from my mattresses, my curtains, the dog bed and even my carpeted stairs have made this become part of my daily routine. Not only do I feel like I’m keeping my house cleaner, I feel like I’m going even further by sanitizing with HEPA filters and UV light similar to the high-powered air purifiers that I have in my bedroom and my son’s bedroom. As we’re allergy sufferers, having this to fight what the Environmental Protection Agency estimates are as many as 10 million dust mites (and that’s just in one mattress!) on furniture and fabric surfaces makes me feel like we’re doing right by our allergies too. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America would agree.

All it takes is a push of a button and the commitment to make sure you go in the path of trails pretty diligently so you don’t miss anything. You need to be sure you have a bit of time to do so, as well, depending on what you’re cleaning, and to make sure that you give enough UV light exposure time.

That said, it’s time well spent, and worth keeping your home healthier for the entire family.