I got this to use on hard surfaces to replace a stick vac I wasn't completely happy with.  It works surprisingly well, much better than its predecessor.  Suction on hard surfaces is very good.  You can vacuum upholstery with it although it takes a bit more work than an upright.  The upholstery attachment is not as good as the one that came with our upright.  Fortunately they're interchangeable. The floor attachment is articulated so it can get under cabinets easily.  It's a bit more cumbersome than a stick vac but it's light enough to carry when doing stairs.  Like almost every non upright I've ever used the cord is not quite long enough to cover each story of a 1600 sq ft 2 story house without using an extension cord.  I find myself opening the shutter that you can use to moderate the suction accidentally because it's in a place where it's most natural for me to grip the wand.  I'm 5' 10" with long arms and may not fit the human factors profile the designers used.  I may tape it shut if I can't train myself not to open it.