GH Institute

All Upright vacuum cleaners

• 
  Review of Dyson DC24 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. Set power level. 6m flex. 1.6m hose. Washable HEPA filter. Beater bar can be switched off. Tools on board: crevice, upholstery and dusting brush. Weight with flex and tools: 5.4kg. Noise: 83.4dB

  Comments

  Good points: Quick start instructions are useful. Ball makes it easy to manoeuvre. The handle slides into the body for compact storage. Dust canister is easy to remove, empty and replace. Hidden filter is less messy than other designs. Beater bar can be pushed out for cleaning. Good dust pickup on carpet and laminate. Good reach under low furniture.

  Drawbacks: Pictorial instructions are annoying. Handle doesn't lock into position when retracted.

  Rating: 86/100

  Price: £279.99

  Stockist: 0800 298 01298 - http://www.dyson.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

  
  

• 
  Review of Vax Mach Air vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. Set power level. 6m flex. 1.5m hose. HEPA filter. Tools on board: crevice tool, upholstery and dusting brush. Weight with flex and tools: 4.9kgNoise: 78.1dB

  Comments

  Good Points: Very good dust pick up on carpet, floor boards and laminate surface. Good results when removing pet hair from carpet. Satisfactory edge cleaning. Very lightweight and easy to manoeuvre and carry. Dust canister is easy to remove for emptying.

  Drawbacks: None

  Rating: 80/100

  Price: £179.99

  Stockist: 0844 412 8455 - http://www.vax.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Oreck XL3 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagged. Set power level. 8m flex. No hose. Washable outer bag acts as filter. Headlights. No beater bar. Extra portable vacuum supplied with tools. Weight with flex: 4.8kg. Noise: 89.1dB

  Comments

  Good points: Extremely lightweight and portable. Extra handheld vacuum is useful for stairs and edges. Drops very flat and has headlights which make it ideal for reaching under low furniture. Can be wall hung as quite flat in design. Good dust pickup on carpet and laminate and very good pet hair pickup.

  Drawbacks: Dated looking and basic. Noisy. Spreads dust on carpet before vacuuming up as no beater bar. Poor edge cleaning results.

  Rating: 79/100

  Price: £305

  Stockist: 0800 684 684 - http://www.oreck.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Dirt Devil DDMSTK1 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. Set power level. 5m flex. 1.2m hose. Washable HEPA filter. Tools on board: crevice and upholstery. Weight with flex and tools: 4.3kg. Noise: 81.0dB

  Comments

  Good points: Extremely lightweight. Auto cord rewind keeps the cord tidy and is unusual to find on an upright. The handle can be removed easily for compact storage. Canister locks in place securely. Good dust pick-up on laminate and floorboards.

  Drawbacks: Flexible hose is not very stretchy and not long enough to clean many stairs. Falls over easily. Visibly poor pickup on carpet, poor pet hair pick-up and very poor edge cleaning. Small capacity dust canister.

  Rating: 51/100

  Price: £59.99

  Stockist: 0800 525 089 - http://www.dirtdevil.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2010

• 
  Review of Hoover Xarion vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. 1500W. Variable power. 6283g. Flex length 6.07m. Flexible hose length 1.93m. HEPA filter. Tools: dusting brush, crevice nozzle, upholstery tool, 2 x turbo brushes.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 66/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 97/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 98/100.

  Good points: One of the quietest cylinders tested. Good filter efficiency. Can reach 10 stairs.

  Drawbacks: Poor pet hair removal: 6 - 8 sweeps.

  Rating: 73/100

  Price Range: £147 - 149

  Stockist: 01685 721 222 - http://www.hoover.co.uk/airvolution

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Miele Autocare S7580 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagged. 1800W. Variable power. 9854g. Flex length 10.48m. Flexible hose length 2.98m. 2 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: dusting brush, extra long crevice nozzle, turbo brush.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 100/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 98/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 98/100.

  Good points: Good pet hair removal: 1 - 2 sweeps. Longest flex. Swivel head gives good manoeuvrability. Can reach 12 stairs. Quietest of all the uprights tested. Excellent filter efficiency.

  Drawbacks: Quite bulky, one of the heaviest uprights tested. The door that gives access to the dust bag can be tricky to close.

  Rating: 94/100

  Price Range: £339 - 379

  Stockist: 01235 554 455 - http://www.miele.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

  
  

• 
  Review of Dyson Ball DC25 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. 220 airwatts. 7389g. Flex length 7.42m. Flexible hose length 3.12m (not including extended wand). 2 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: dusting brush, crevice nozzle, upholstery tool, turbo brush.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 93/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 98/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 98/100.

  Good points: Good manoeuvrability. Average pet hair removal: 2 - 3 sweeps. Excellent filter efficiency. Can reach 13 stairs. The British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval.

  Drawbacks: Short flex.

  Rating: 85/100

  Price Range: £237 - 311

  Stockist: 0800 298 0298 - http://www.dyson.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Oreck XL10 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagged. 400W. 4940g. Flex length 9.25m. No tools, but comes with a free portable hand held cleaner 2596g that has a dusting brush, crevice nozzle, upholstery tool, turbo brush, wall and floor brush, telescopic extension tube and flexible hose.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 92/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 94/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 96/100.

  Good points: Excellent pet hair removal: 1 sweep. Lightest upright tested. Doesn't have a flexible hose for stair cleaning but comes with a free portable vacuum with lots of accessories. Good filter efficiency. Headlight.

  Drawbacks: One of the loudest machines tested.

  Rating: 81/100

  Price: £429

  Stockist: 0800 684 684 - http://www.oreck.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Sebo X4 Pet vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagged. 1300W. 8235g. Flex length 9.72m. Flexible hose length 1.75m or 5.64m with extra hose attached. 2 filters (S class filtration system). Tools: dusting brush, extra long crevice nozzle, upholstery tool, turbo brush, extra stair cleaning hose.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 79/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 96/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 98/100.

  Good points: Good pet hair removal: 1 - 2 sweeps. One of the quieter uprights tested. Can reach 17 stairs. Long flex. Average filter efficiency. The British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval.

  Drawbacks: Dustbags can be a bit fiddly to change.

  Rating: 81/100

  Price: £299

  Stockist: 01494 465 533 - http://www.sebo.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Morphy Richards 73381 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. 1000W. 7940g. Flex length 8.82m. Flexible hose length 3.31m. 3 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: Extra long crevice nozzle, extra stair cleaning hose, hair and stair tool, 2 x extension tubes.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 85/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 99/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 100/100.

  Good points: Good pet hair removal: 2 sweeps. Can reach 13 stairs. The British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval.

  Drawbacks: Poor filter efficiency. Dust canister is a bit messy to empty.

  Rating: 78/100

  Price: £83.19

  Stockist: 0870 060 2614 - http://www.morphyrichards.com

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Hoover Freedom FR7187 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. 1500W. 8374g. Flex length 8.7m. Flexible hose length 3.26m. 3 filters (1 HEPA).Tools: dusting brush, extra long crevice nozzle, allergen remover turbo brush, pet hair remover turbo brush.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 81/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 83/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 93/100.

  Good points: Excellent pet hair removal: 1 sweep. Can reach 12 stairs. Good filter efficiency.

  Drawbacks: One of the loudest uprights tested.

  Rating: 77/100

  Price Range: £130 - 176

  Stockist: 01685 721 22 - http://www.hoover.co.uk/airvolution

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Vax VZL-6017 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. 1500W. 10470g. Flex length 8.42m. Auto rewind flex. Flexible hose length 2.92m not including extra stair cleaning hose or 6.18m including extra stair cleaning hose. 3 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: dusting brush, crevice nozzle, turbo brush, parquet floor brush, extra stair cleaning hose, 2x extension tubes.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 75/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 84/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 96/100.

  Good points: Excellent pet hair removal: 1 sweep. One of the quieter uprights tested. Auto rewind flex and headlight. Good filter efficiency. Can reach 21 stairs.

  Drawbacks: Heaviest upright tested and very bulky. Dust canister is a bit tough to refit after emptying.

  Rating: 77/100

  Price Range: £127 - 244

  Stockist: 0870 606 1248 - http://www.vax.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Electrolux Z9120 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagged. 1350W. 9927g. Flex length 9.92m. Flexible hose length 1.54m. 2 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: dusting brush, crevice nozzle.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 71/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 92/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 99/100.

  Good points: Good pet hair removal: 2 sweeps. One of the quieter uprights tested. Excellent filter efficiency.

  Drawbacks: Second heaviest upright tested. Not many tools.Can only reach 6 stairs. Bulky to carry and store.

  Rating: 74/100

  Price Range: £160 - 240

  Stockist: 0870 605 5055 - http://www.electrolux.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Samsung SU3361 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. 1800W. 6247g. Flex length 7.41m. Flexible hose length 2.44m. 2 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: combination dusting brush and upholstery tool, extra long crevice nozzle, turbo brush, 1 x extension tube.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 91/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 76/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 85/100.

  Good points: Good pet hair removal: 1 - 2 sweeps. Second lightest upright tested. Can reach 9 stairs.

  Drawbacks: Loudest upright tested. Shortest flex of all the uprights tested. Poor filter efficiency.

  Rating: 63/100

  Price: £99.99

  Stockist: 0870 726 7864 - http://www.samsung.com/uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Dirt Devil DDUPR1 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless. 1600W. 7163g. Flex length 8.03m. Flexible hose length 2.56m. 3 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: Dusting brush, extra long crevice nozzle, turbo brush, 2 x extension tubes.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 58/100. Floor boards cleaning score: 74/100. Laminate floor cleaning score: 79/100.

  Good points: Good pet hair removal: 1 - 2 sweeps. Can reach 10 stairs. Good filter efficiency. One of the lightest machines tested.

  Drawbacks: Poor floor cleaning scores.

  Rating: 60/100

  Price Range: £69.99 - 71.5

  Stockist: 0870 873 0081 - http://www.dirtdevil.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - August 2009

• 
  Review of Dyson Ball DC24 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Upright, bagless, 120 airwatts, weight: 5400g, bin capacity: 0.85 litres, flex length: 6.1m, 2 lifetime filters, HEPA filtration, motorised brushbar. Tools: Dusting brush, crevice nozzle, upholstery tool. Storage dimensions: H76 x W28 x D33cm.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 94/100. Hard floor cleaning score: 99/100. Pet hair removal: excellent. Very good manoeuvrability. Brushbar can be switched on and off depending on floor type. British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval. Compact and easy to store. Instructions brief. Flexible hose not long enough for cleaning full flight of stairs.

  Rating: 89/100

  Price Range: £177 - 242.95

  Stockist: 0800 279 5127 - http://www.dyson.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - September 2008

• 
  Review of Tesco VCU 007 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless, 1600W, weight 6627g, flex length 7.05m, flexible hose length 2.36m, 3 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: crevice nozzle, small round brush, 2 x extension tube.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 63/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 90/100 Pet hair removal: 2 - 3 sweeps. Can reach 10 stairs. Handle folds down to half the height so easy to store. On/off switch is flimsy.

  Rating: 61/100

  Price: £39.97

  Stockist: 0845 600 4411 - http://ww.tesco.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2008

• 
  Review of Dirt Devil DDUPR3 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless, 2000W, weight 8052g, flex length 8.03m, flexible hose length 2.1m, 3 filters (1 HEPA,) antibacterial extra hygiene filtration. Tools: extra long crevice nozzle, upholstery tool, extension tube.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 55/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 81/100 Pet hair removal:  2 sweeps. Can reach 9 stairs. Noisy on hard floors. Bulky to carry and manoeuvre around furniture.

  Rating: 64/100

  Price: £79.99

  Stockist: 0870 873 0081 - http://www.dirtdevil.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2008

• 
  Review of Russell Hobbs Pet Cyclonic vacuum

  Features

  Bagless, 1800W, weight 8002g, flex length 7.5m, flexible hose length 2.12m, 3 filters, (1 HEPA). Tools: dusting brush, extra long crevice nozzle, turbo brush, 1 x extension tube.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 82/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 83/100 Pet hair removal: 1 - 2 sweeps. Can reach 9 stairs. Bulky to carry and manoeuvre around furniture.

  Rating: 71/100

  Price: £99.99

  Stockist: 0845 658 9700 - http://www.russellhobbs.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2008

• 
  Review of Electrolux Power of Red Reach vacuum

  Features

  Bagless, 2000W, weight 9889g, flex length 6.57m, flexible hose length 2.8m plus 2.18m extra hose, 2 filters (1 HEPA with arm & hammer odour absorbing material). Tools: dusting brush, crevice nozzle, turbo brush (power paw) extension tube, extra hose.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 79/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 80/100 Pet hair removal: 1-2 sweeps. Can reach 17 stairs. Bulky to manoeuvre under tables. Bulky and heavy to carry.

  Rating: 74/100

  Price: £199.99

  Stockist: 0870 605 5055 - http://www.electrolux.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2008

• 
  Review of Panasonic MCUL862 vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagless, 1800W, weight 8852g, flex length 6.53m, flexible hose length 3.86m, 3 filters (1 HEPA). Tools: dusting brush, crevice nozzle, floor brush, turbo brush.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 72/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 97/100 Pet hair removal: 1 sweep. Can reach 15 stairs. Bulky to carry and manoeuvre around furniture. Fairly low particle emissions.

  Rating: 79/100

  Price Range: £140 - 179.95

  Stockist: 0844 844 3852 - http://www.panasonic.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2008

• 
  Review of Oreck Pink Vac vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagged. 350W. 4733g. flex length 9.32m. HEPA filtration. No tools, but comes with free portable cleaner at 3kg, that has a dusting brush, crevice nozzle, upholstery tool, large floor brush, carry strap, flexible hose, extension tube.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 64/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 91/100 Pet hair removal: excellent 1 sweep. Doesn't have a flexible hose for stair cleaning, but comes with a free portable vacuum which has lots of accessories. Very lightweight.  Dust bag a bit fiddly to change. Very low particle emissions.

  Rating: 79/100

  Price: £375

  Stockist: 0800 684684 - http://www.oreck.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2008

• 
  Review of Morphy Richards Perform Air Light vacuum

  Features

  Bagless, 1000W, weight 7775g, flex length 8.78m, flexible hose length 3.54m, 3 filters, (1 HEPA). Tools: crevice nozzle, extra long crevice nozzle, upholstery/ furniture brush, 2 x extension tubes.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 82/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 95/100 Pet hair removal: excellent, 1 sweep. Can reach 13 stairs. Easy to manoeuvre under tables. Has adjustable handle height. British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval.

  Rating: 81/100

  Price: £129.99

  Stockist: 0870 060 2614 - http://www.morphyrichards.com

  GHI Test Report - February 2008

• 
  Review of Sebo Felix Pet vacuum cleaner

  Features

  Bagged, 1300W (plus 175W brush motor), variable power, weight 7210g, flex length 9.34m, flexible hose length 2.07m, dust bag change indicator, 3 filters, S class filtration. Tools: crevice nozzle, upholstery tool, turbo brush, parquet nozzle. Cleaning head can be detached, so you can carry the vacuum whilst using flexible hose, making it more portable, reducing weight to 4.7kg.

  Comments

  Carpet cleaning score: 94/100 Hard floor cleaning score: 96/100. Pet hair removal: excellent.1 sweep. Can reach 7 stairs. Very good manoeuvrability. Adjustable handle height. Very low particle emissions British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval.

  Rating: 85/100

  Price: £260

  Stockist: 01494 465533 - http://www.sebo.co.uk

  GHI Test Report - February 2008