Getting a decent vacuum cleaner at a great price can be a tricky challenge, especially if you need a heavy-duty model that will cut through pet hair without much effort. Suction loss, short power leads, and awkward manoeuvrability are all par for the course with the budget options.
Not so with the Vax Air Stretch Pet Max Vacuum Cleaner, currently just £89 at Amazon down from £119.99. The non-pet version is also on offer at £79, although the added cleaning capabilities of the Pet Max mean it’s worth considering even if you don’t have fluffy friends at home.
With over 17m of reach thanks to a long power lead and stretchable hose, this bagless vacuum cleaner will easily reach every corner of your home. At just 5kg, it’s lightweight enough for easy movement between floors, too.
READ MORE: Amazon deal sees Lenovo tablet bundle drop below £160
READ MORE: Amazon’s ‘value for money’ dehumidifier is a ‘must have’ for eliminating damp and mould
Vax promises there will be no suction loss, even when the cylinder is full, and the included pet tool makes light weight of lifting discarded fur from carpets. Its turbo tool is great for intense spot cleaning too, pulling out caked-in dirt with ease.
Most Amazon customers have been very pleased with this Vax, awarding it an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 9,400 reviews. One customer labelled it a “Must have for a house with kids and dogs,” adding: “It has amazing suction. I have a huge dog and four kids and this has outperformed my Dyson. Only thing is that the ‘bag’ is smaller but it just means I clear it out more frequently. Carpets look so much cleaner.”
Another called it “absolutely fantastic”, writing: “Suction power, best I’ve ever had, unbelievable how much came off the carpets and transitions well to wood floor. My old [vacuum] would blow the dog hair, lint etc around, but this [vacuum] picks everything up. Fantastic edge cleaning, picks up well to the skirting boards. Excellent value for money.”
“Great product,” said another happy customer. “It has a long cable that does tend to get tangled a little, but that’s okay due to the great suction power. I haven’t used the stretch hose yet but overall it’s a really good cleaner. I’ve always had cylinder cleaners before and struggled to get fluff out of a deep pile rug, but this did it with ease.”
Another noted its power is an upgrade on their old Vax: “Good value. Actually bought to replace an older model Vax Blade, which was a bit underpowered. I like the long cable and telescopic hoses which come in useful when vacuuming my car interior. Useful storage of hoses and tools. Easy to empty.”
Some disagreed about its suction power, however. “Not as much suction as my old Vax, struggled to pick up dirt at times,” said one review. Another customer warned about the “long cable that does tend to get tangled a little”.
At a higher price point, you could go for the Gtech AirRAM 3 Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum, which is £399.99 from Lakeland. Alternatively, the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum at £349.99 is an excellent pick, especially if there’s long hair in your household that usually gets wrapped around rotary brushes.