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Onson EV696 Review

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

With technology constantly improving, it doesn’t take much cash to enter into the market of cordless stick vacuums. There are some big players out there producing heavy-hitters like the Dyson V11 or the Shark IOnFlex DuoClean.

But what about the little guys that boast a budget-friendly option? Enter the Onson cordless stick vacuum. Can this budget vacuum really compete with the market? We’re about to find out.

Lightweight, Stick Vac on a Budget

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Onson EV696 Cordless

The Onson EV696 Cordless vacuum is a 2-in-1 vac with good performance across all floor types (96% overall) and between a 20-32 minute run time, depending on Power Mode. It comes with a small assortment of tools and a cleaning head with a removable brushroll for easier maintenance. Overall a solid option if you’re looking for a cordless stick vac on a budget. Check Price

Pros

  • 32-minute max run time
  • LED lights on cleaning head
  • Lightweight body style

Cons

  • Takes a little longer to charge, up to 5 hours
  • Overall suction power felt a little lacking during cleaning tests. Limited suction may yield less than great performance for deep cleaning.
  • Bristle style brushroll may be prone to clogging hair

Design

The Onson cordless stick vacuum is a 2-in-1 vacuum designed for portable cleaning performance or handheld pickups.

It is value-priced to give consumers flexibility and convenience without the higher price tag.

Onson EV696 cordless vacuum
Onson EV696 cordless vacuum

Cleaning Modes

The Onson has two cleaning modes:

  • Low Gear: 7 Kpa suction power; 32-minute max run time
  • High Gear: 11 Kpa suction power; 20-minute max run time

Depending on what type of floor you are cleaning, it’s easy to switch gears as needed with the push of a button.

Power is controlled via a “trigger”, similar to what you’ll see on the Dyson V Series stick vacuums. However, unlike Dyson, you don’t have to hold the trigger for continuous power. Press once to start, once to stop.

It can run as an upright stick vacuum or a portable handheld. As a handheld, you would simply swap out the stick vacuum wand with a compact cleaning tool, like the dusting brush shown below.

handheld mode of the Onson EV696 vacuum
Handheld mode of the Onson EV696

How strong is the suction?

As mentioned above, this vacuum has two different cleaning modes, low gear and high gear. When we tested this vacuum, it performed pretty well, but overall suction did feel a little lacking, even on high gear.

Most vacuums have a “pull” on the carpet as it agitates fibers and pulls debris up. We didn’t really feel that same power with the Onson.

That being said, it did have a pretty good performance during our tests, but we can’t necessarily say that the performance would continue when faced with ground-in dirt or debris.

The Brushroll

The brushroll on the Onson is pretty typical of a standard spiral bristle roller. When cleaning carpets or area rugs, the bristles help to agitate debris and pull it into the dust bin as you clean.

Onson cordless vacuum brushroll

For easier maintenance, the roller can be removed from the cleaning head. This can make it easier to snip away wound up hair or use the cleaning tool.

This makes it easier to clip hair from the axel or untangle stuck debris.

RELATED: Looking for a stick vac with a separate cleaning head for hardwood floors? See our Dyson V10 Absolute review here.

How big is the vacuum?

The Onson vacuum is a pretty standard size for a budget stick vacuum. It has a 0.5L dust bin, whether you’re in handheld or stick vacuum mode.

  • Length – 29.25″
  • Height – 11″
  • Width – 6.88″
  • Weight – 8.78 pounds
Body of the Onson EV696 cordless vacuum

This vacuum cannot stand on its own, which is not really that unusual for this class of vacuum. It does include a wall mount that allows it to hang while charging, in between cleaning cycles.

What’s in the box?

Wondering what’s all included? Honestly, the parts and accessories are really simple for this vacuum.

The Onson EV696 comes with the following tools and parts:

Onson EV696 cordless vacuum accessories
  • Onson EV696 stick vacuum
  • Docking station: charges the vacuum; can be mounted on the wall
  • HEPA filter: washable filter that helps to capture fine particulates during cleaning; also recyclable
  • Combination tool: uses soft bristles to gently dust surfaces or swap over to a wide mouth crevice tool with one singular tool.
  • Cleaning tool: has a small brush or a hook tool for clipping hair or other debris that may tangle around the brushroll
  • Floor cleaning head: spiral brushroll for carpet or hard surface flooring (not pictured)

Cleaning Performance

To put the Onsosn EV696 to the test, we ran a series of cleaning performance tests. Our tests consisted of performance assessment of three different floor types and four different debris types.

We tested the debris listed below on:

  • Hardwood flooring
  • Low carpet flooring
  • High carpet flooring
Cleaning test debris types
Testing Debris – From left to right: Rice (3 oz.), Kitty Litter (3 oz), Cereal (1 oz), Sugar (3 oz)

Here were our findings looking at all 12 cleaning tests. All tests were done on High Gear for the best performance possible.

Overall

96%

Hardwood

99%

Low Carpet

93%

High Carpet

96%

Overall, the cleaning performance came back with pretty good scores across the board. It struggled with more fine debris that was deeper in the carpet, but when cleaning debris on the top surface, the performance was great.

Cleaning Hardwoods

Cleaning hardwoods, the EV696 was pretty good. It captured nearly 100% of all debris tested. As one quick note, it did struggle a bit with flinging debris across the testing lane.

Despite the flinging, it was still able to capture 99%.

Cereal

100%

Rice

99%

Kitty Litter

99%

Sugar

99%

Onson EV696 hardwood floor cleaning tests

Cleaning Low Carpet

Cleaning low pile carpet, the biggest issue was with kitty litter and sugar. Again, the fine debris had a tendency to sink down into the carpet fibers and the suction power just wasn’t enough to fully clean that area.

Cereal

99%

Rice

99%

Kitty Litter

86%

Sugar

86%

Onson EV696 low pile carpet cleaning tests

Cleaning High Carpet

Cleaning high pile carpet shower results similar to above. For some reason, it actually was able to capture more debris than on low carpet, but overall the suction still felt a little weak, in my opinion.

Cereal

99%

Rice

99%

Kitty Litter

93%

Sugar

94%

Onson EV696 high pile carpet cleaning tests

Usability

The overall usability of the Onson EV696 was, overall, very good. It was quick and easy to set up and get going.

The cleaning head and handheld cleaning tools all easily attach or detach from the vacuum.

Onson EV696 cordless stick vacuum

Red buttons highlight where they attachments are and the whole vacuum was intuitive and simple.

It was also nice that the brushroll is removable, for easier maintenance.

There is no wifi connectivity, remaining run time displays, or other fancy bells and whistles. But the basic design also helps to keep the price low.

Is it easy to manever?

The EV696 is maneuverable and lightweight. Its compact body style can make tight turns and get into compact corners.

Onson EV696 cordless stick vacuum laying flat

It also can lay nearly flat to clean under furniture.

RELATED: Want to clean low without having to get low? See our Shark IONFlex DuoClean review here.

Maintenance

Maintenance of the Onson is easy and quick. For the short list, here are the main items you’ll need to take care of to keep things running smoothly:

  • Regularly empty the dust bin. The bin can hold up to 0.5L, but to keep it from getting clogged, I would recommend emptying it after every major cleaning cycle.
  • Dry brush or wash the filter, as needed. You can use the cleaning tool provided or use cold water to rinse out the filter. Allow 24 hours to dry prior to reinstalling.
  • Maintain the brushroll. Keep an eye on the underside of the cleaning head and make sure debris is not getting stuck. If you do notice a clog, the small cleaning tool can be used to break away hair wrapped around the axel or other debris issue.

Is the Onson a good value?

I would say that you do get what you pay for with the Onson. It affordably priced and the vacuum comes with a nice selection of tools and cleaning accessories.

Cleaning performance is good for most floor types, but may struggle with:

  1. Fine debris
  2. Ground-in debris

That being said, if you’re just looking for something for quick pickups or a lighter cleaning in between deep cleans, the Onson could definitely be the ticket.

Onson EV696 Specifications

Below is a complete list of important specifications and features included on the EV696 cordless:

Specifications
TypeStick
ManufacturerOnson
ModelEV696
Length29.25"
Width11"
Height6.8"
Weight8.78 lbs.
Floor TypeAll (indoor)
Dust Bin Capacity0.5 L
CordlessYes
BaglessYes
ReturnsVaries by retailer
WarrantyUnknown
PriceCheck Price

Who Should Buy the Onson?

I would recommend the Onson EV696 cordless vacuum if you’re looking for the following features:

  • Easy maintenance: The 2-way cleaning tool, removable brushroll, and clear dust cup all contribute to the easy maintenance of the Onson cordless.
  • Quick cleanings: Onson has a max run time of 32 minutes in Low Gear or up to 20 minutes in High Gear. Either gear should be sufficient for quick cleaning cycles or low traffic areas.
  • Good Value: If you don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of cash, the EV696 is a good option. It is reasonably priced for what you get and provides a solid value for most consumers.

Click here to learn more or to purchase the Onson EV696 cordless stick vacuum.

Standard Features, Budget-Friendly
  • Design - 92%
    92%
  • Performance - 96%
    96%
  • Quality - 90%
    90%
  • Usability - 92%
    92%
  • Value - 90%
    90%
92%

Summary

The Onson EV696 is a budget-friendly cordless vacuum cleaner. It’s stripped down with only essential accessories and basic features. Nevertheless, it performed well in our cleaning tests, removing an average 96% of all debris. It doesn’t have the raw suction power that we’ve seen from Dyson and other high-end brands. This lack of suction leads me to believe it could struggle with ground in dirt and other debris buried within carpets. Even so, for the price it’s hard to complain too much. It’s a good inexpensive vacuum that’s ideal for quick cleans.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.