I was skeptical before ordering these, but they really do work very well, and you don't need any extra machinery - just your regular old home vacuum as long as it has an extension hose. I used these bags to store my holiday throw pillows once the holidays ended several days ago, and the bags are still totally flat and compact. I will definitely be buying more of these to store winter clothes and other soft goods! The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because I expected the bags to be bigger.

Pros: Easy to use, very effective
Cons: Expected bags to be bigger