My 4 and 5 year old boys love it and yes it really works. Make sure you have strong new batteries. There is a small hole in the bottom center of the floor tool with brush, so there is no side suction hole, so aim for the center. Children love it best when the handheld device sucks up objects. It's very quiet, so let them play with it all day, you won't be disturbed by loud noises. My 5 year old son is 45 inches tall so you can see how big the vacuum is. To the parents who say it has poor suction, remember it's a toy! If you want good suction power, buy a real vacuum cleaner and pay a high price so your kids can actually do the housework. If this toy had great suction power, it wouldn't cost $40. And as long as your baby is happy, who cares how hard he sucks. The thrill of having the same vacuum cleaner as adults is cool. So again, yes the vacuum has suction and works well.