I use this for vacuuming my small office.  It has excellent suction.  The sound is a bit less than I expected, and very reasonable.  The head is perfect for the hardwood floor with small brushes that actually help scuff up the dirt, and the width is just right.  The tubes that attached to the head are nice and long so no bending over.  The hose is plenty long as is the cord. It is nice and small and compact so you could easily pick it up and carry it for stairs or really high spots or store it in a small space.  It doesn't have a retractable cord but for the price, that's a small exception.