Reviews: Vacuum Cleaners

When you start to look at them in any detail, you realise that people try to sell vacuum cleaners in the same way they push the latest computers, printers and televisions: new technology, more energy efficiency and smaller, quieter, more powerful devices are the mainstay of ads for all these products.

Despite the fact that almost everybody has one, vacuum cleaners are attracting more attention due to advances in technology.  Bags—which were expensive consumables—are largely disappearing, and dust is now squashed to smithereens by powerful cyclonic forces inside.  One thing hasn't changed though: a lot of people confuse the number of Watts prominently displayed on the outside for an indicator of how effective their new hoover is.  So if you go for a 2100 W vacuum cleaner, you're only guaranteed one thing: a huge amount of energy will be used up.  There's no guarantee at all that it will actually be any good at doing the job.

What should I look for?

Not the number of Watts!  As an aside, as things progress, manufacturers are producing vacuum cleaners that work better and use less energy.

The most transparent of them will give you their equipment's suction power and airflow, a measure of quickly it can suck in dust and air.  The first is measured in kilopascals, kPa, while the second in litres per second, l/s.  These values shouldn't be below certain thresholds, but don't fall into the trap of thinking that the highest possible figures will be the best.  Any hoover with an incredibly high suction power will pull so hard that you will hardly be able to lift up from the carpet.

That doesn't leave you with very much to go on while you're shopping for a new hoover and trying to work out if it will be efficient.  But there are a number of other things to look out for: are all of the accessories suitable for the different surfaces in your home?  Is it loud?  How long is the cable?  How big the dust bin—or how often will you have to empty it?  Does it gradually lose power over time or remain constant?  How often do you need to wash the filter, and is it easy to reach?

Most of the models we've tested come with two filters.  Washing the first one is up to you, and that can be anything from after every use to once every six months.  The second filter, which traps smaller particles, is usually good for life.  High Efficiency Particulate Air filters can filter 99.97% of particles under 0.3 µm, and are rated from H10 to H14 depending on their performance; most products use H12 or H13 filters.

The last thing to check is how long the guarantee lasts: it's often two years, but Dyson offer five.  And while you're at it, see if you'll need to use it: is it tough enough to stand up to the rough and tumble of everyday life?

Strength Tests

The ideal way of testing how durable a product is is to get out there and use it for at least a year to see how it copes in realistic situations.  That's just not practical though, so we give them a bit of a rough time instead.  We drag them around, stretch the cable, jump up down and then, if the manufacturers agree, try one last test: we drop them down the stairs.  The first firm we spoke to, Dyson, didn't hesitate to say yes, but others have been more reticent, and some refuse outright.