Review of Riccar RSL5 SupraLite

The RSL5 is an upright vacuum, manufactured by Riccar, and is part of Riccar’s line of Supralite models of vacuums, weighing in at just 8 lbs. The RSL5 is manufactured for residential use and comes equipped with HEPA filtration. Riccar vacuums are only sold through authorized Riccar retailers.

The RSL5 is a vacuum that uses bags to collect dirt/dust/debris etc. The bags are HEPA, and when full, disposed of in a trash receptacle.

The RSL5 comes with a 30 foot cord, and the vacuum is backed by a 3 year household warranty. The vacuum is priced at $699.95.

Riccar RSL5 SupraLite Features:

• Lightweight
• Steel brushroll
• Lifetime serpentine belt
• Hepa filtration bags
• 2 speed settings

Lightweight:

The RSL5 weighs in at 8 lbs. Many other vacuums built for residential use weigh almost 4 times that much. Because the Riccar is lightweight, it takes much less work to vacuum floors, and it is not such an exhausting task.

Steel Brushroll:

The brushroll on this model is manufactured out of steel, making it extremely durable. The brushroll also has 2 rolls or replaceable brush strips.

Lifetime Serpentine Belt:

These feature means you’ll never have to worry about having to change a vacuum belt.

Hepa Filtration Bags:

All genuine Riccar bags are electro-statically charged, and have a 2 ply Micro-liner for efficient filtration. Microscopic particles as small as 0.1 micron are captured by the antibacterial liner. This includes allergens, spores, pollen, germs and bacteria. Riccar claims these bags are 6 times better than standard vacuum bags, and have a 99.7% filtration capability. Because the vacuum uses bags, there are very little (if any) particles released back into the air when the bag needs is changed.

2 Speed Settings:

The RSL5 is equipped with a 2 speed motor. The higher speed is for carpeted areas, the lower speed for hard floor surfaces such as tile or linoleum. (*since the brush cannot be turned off, it’s not recommended to use this upright on wood floors that may scratch)

Riccar RSL5 SupraLite Recommendations:

One great feature on this machine is the lifetime belt. Less expensive vacuums use less expensive parts, and it can be a real pain when a vacuum belt breaks. There is usually some down time associated with this, at the very least you need to go find a spare belt, and possibly a screwdriver to replace the belt. What a relief to not every have to worry about the belt breaking!

All reviewers were impressed with the RSL5’s cleaning capability and lightweight design. One reviewer wrote that she’s owned Hoover’s and Eureka’s and this was the best cleaning vacuum to date. Another reviewer wrote she returned her Dyson, that the RSL5 was much lighter and easier to maneuver, and had as much suction as the Dyson.

There are a couple on negative comments with the RSL5. One is you can’t turn the brush roller off; so you run the risk of possibly damaging hardwood floors if you were to use it on them. If there are hardwoods in the home, it might be necessary to purchase an additional canister type vacuum.

The other comment is that if you run over small objects like rocks or coins, you may damage the fan. The good news is if you do inadvertently damage the fan by running the vacuum over the wrong object, it is relatively cheap and easy to replace the fan.