Toshiba Escargot Vacuum

Sneak Up on Dust Bunnies With Toshiba's Sleek, Quiet Escargot Vac

With an average of nearly 15,000 people packed into every square mile of Tokyo — and roughly 900 per square mile across the country as a whole — living small is practically Japan's national pastime. Sure, diminutive domiciles are easy to clean, but try stashing a gaijin-size Hoover in a 250-square-foot apartment. Smaller than a basketball, the Toshiba Escargot vacuum hides nicely in any combination living room-bedroom-garage, packs 40 percent more air-wattage than a Dyson handheld, and is quieter than a hair dryer (65 dB). Just uncoil its flexible hose, connect one of the four nozzles or brushes, and you're set to swallow dust bunnies, Pocky shards, or even those 150-square-foot cobwebs. Just watch out for the spiders themselves — if you believe B movies (and we do!), Japanese arachnids grow bigger than Buicks.

• Type: Vacuums
• Manufacturer: Toshiba
• Price: $130 or 11,550 yen