I recently tried out this vacuum after it was sent to me to test. I was actually really surprised at how lightweight the vacuum is for being a full-size, full strength, vacuum. It should be great for people who are older, or have lifting difficulties. In terms of cleaning, I have hardwood floors, and this worked really well in my apartment. It also worked well on the rug in my living room, which has regular height pile. Unfortunately, for the rug in my bedroom, the piles/threads are too deep and knotty, so the vacuum did not clean as well on that rug.