Are cordless vacuum cleaners worth the money?

panika

My hoover is on its way out and am looking for a new one.

I live in a flat, no children or pets, vinyl on the floor and carpet in bedroom. I don't need expensive or big machine. I would like to be able to use it in my car and I am considering something cordless. I am just a bit worried about battery. I have read reviews in different online shops, but they are written by owners who haven't had them very long (couple of weeks or a month).
Does it have to be plugged in all the time, when not in use?
Is battery good (or it gets worse with time, like in laptops , electric toothbrushes)?
Are these hoovers as powerful as ordinary ones?

Any help appreciated.:)

Doozergirl

They are not as powerful.

I've had three, a GTEC, a Dyson and something random. I didn't really get on with any of them. I found they all flicked dirt behind them on hard floors instead of picking it up.

Bought a proper Dyson again and I'm happy.

BobQ

I tried out a Dyson stick in a shop on their own floors and was disappointed with the suck up. I was also shocked at how short the battery capacity was by their own figures.

I brought a corded one in the end and then got a smaller one for the car and stairs.

missile

We have a Dyson cordless and find it is great for home and car. Battery does restrict the duration you can use it. We have not found battery life deteriorates after 24+ months use.
It doesn't have to be plugged in when not in use, but why would you not want to?
Is it worth the premium price tag? - we think so :-)
Buy from JL and if you find it is not suitable for you, take it back for a refund.

Hoploz

My mum has a gtech one and it's great. She has a 2 bed flat and uses it almost every day. She doesn't keep it on charge all the time, just plugs it in when it runs down.

She says the dirt dumping isn't quite as dust-free as it looks on the tv ad, but is clearly better than the old larger ones where it flies all over the place.

I think I'll get one myself when mine packs up.

ETA sorry this one is no good for the car as it is a stick one and doesn't have a bit to lift off like some of them do.

emmatthews

We have a Dyson one & it's a bit rubbish! To get everything up I still need to use the corded hoover.

panika

Thank you for quick responses.
I nearly bought traditional vacuum cleaner, but last weekend I tried to use vacuum at petrol stations. One was busy, so I went to another place - vacuum was broken, so eventually I cleaned my car at third PS. I have got to say, suction on these machines is not always good. Probably, because people "hoover in" bigger items no one checks filtres or pipes for clogging.
That's why I am thinking about cordless thing. And it would be nice not to worry about length of cord.
Now I really want to buy one! Just have to do research on makes.

teddysmum

I seem to collect vacuum cleaners.


We've had an AirRam for a few years and it's fine , even with dogs, though the hair does often have to be removed from the brushes. However, a good run over with a traditional hoover is necessary to thoroughly freshen a carpet.


A few weeks ago I bought a Dyson hand-held (to use up some Tesco points on double-up) and that is fine for quick clean ups, especially on tables, worktops etc and for clearing out the car, but it doesn't run as long, on a charge, as the AirRam . The collection cup holds much less , too, as the AirRam compacts the contents.


Also, I have a V6 handheld and my son has the V6Animal (same handheld part but with a rod and floor brush) and have the feeling that it doesn't have as much suction as his, although the filters etc are clean. (must try them side by side).


If I'm honest, they are a bit of a gimmick and not really necessary, but the AirRam, being very light to use (you have to bear the weight of the Dyson power unit) is fine for anyone with a disability and not too much mess to clean up.

thescouselander

We've got a cordless Vax and it's really good. We can do the whole of our 4 bed house on one battery if we're quick enough but they give you two anyway just in case. The fact you don't have to keep moving power sockets and manage the cable when going round makes the whole process much quicker.

The only thing I would say is the suction isn't as powerful as a corded vacuum but somehow it gets most of the dust out. We've still got our old corded vacuum which gets deployed occasionally but it doesn't pick up that much more than the cordless one.

vivatifosi

I have a Dyson hand held and it is not as powerful as my normal vacuum (Miele). The latest Which Magazine however has a review of the latest models. The Dyson V6 models, which are the latest and most expensive cordless models, come out almost as well as the best buy corded. The next closest model is the Bosch Athlet. Worth having a read if you can get a copy (local libraries are a good bet for Which if you don't have a subscription).

anotheruser

I have a Dyson hand held, the v6 I think.

We leave it on charge when we're not using it, but when it's fully charged, we turn the plug off.

The problem is, people need to adjust how they hoover. Most people will do the whole house at the same time, spending, what 20/30 mins? With the Dyson, if you spend 5/10 mins every few days, then you wouldn't need to have a big binge.

We bought one, primarily because of the convenience of stairs and car use. The old Dyson that we had was okay, but I don't find Dysons to be that great at sucking - certainly not as good as what is trumpeted around in the adverts.

But then I find the same with Henry. I see so many people being amazed at the suction power but I just don't see it. It's in the same league as nearly every other cleaner I've tried - the only one that was much worse (but still "okay") was an Argos basic.

So far, I have yet to find a vacuum that makes me say "wow, that's powerful!".