I've had this vacuum for several months now -- wanted to wait to review its performance over time. Early on, I had some of the loss of suction a few other people complained about, BUT THEN I discovered the SECOND filter chamber I was supposed to clean out. When I found the inner filter section and emptied it out, the suction on the vacuum picked up like new.
It's true that it's not a substitute for your primary vacuum -- because of its limitations in holding a charge -- but I frequently use it to do one room, and it's great. I have multiple cats, also, and it's a great picker-upper for pet hair as well as a good all-round cleaner.