The Hoover HFX is the best vacuum for cleaning around clutter

Hoover’s HFX can attain locations different vacuums can’t. With its Nook Genie mode that’s designed to get into awkward spots, the HFX is the perfect vacuum we’ve examined for cleansing cluttered areas.

Design & Construct

• Three cleansing modes
• Compact storage mode
• Massive dustbin

Purchase the HFX and also you’ll get loads of stuff. A lot stuff, the truth is, that it’s initially troublesome to determine how every thing suits collectively.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

That’s as a result of the HFX is a modular vacuum that you need to use in considered one of three formations: as an everyday carpet or laborious flooring cleaner, with an anti-tangle brush bar and LED headlights; as a handheld, with both a combi brush or crevice instrument; and as a full-size vacuum optimised for corners, edges and troublesome bits.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

The instruction booklet that comes with it’s equally sophisticated. Whereas it’s amply illustrated with the kind of blandly reassuring photos you see on airplane security playing cards designed to alleviate your concern of dying by fireball, there are simply so many illustrations that it’s not significantly useful till you decipher what’s happening.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

When you do, the HFX is simple to place collectively and use – however keep in mind that there are loads of components to retailer. Nonetheless, it comes with a stand you possibly can wall mount and a drawstring bag for equipment. And the vacuum itself can fold in half for extra compact storage. Break it down and a carry deal with seems for simple portability.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Nonetheless, it’s removed from the lightest vacuum we’ve used. With the principle cleansing head on, its weight is a hefty 3.65kg/8lbs. This makes it heavier than Dyson’s flagship Gen5detect – though the vacuum head does assist to help its weight in use. However we wouldn’t suggest it for aged or frail customers. Nonetheless, when you’re utilizing it in nook cleansing mode, it weighs solely 2.4kg/5.3lbs, which is actually very gentle.

It additionally has a capacious, 1.2-litre dustbin that pushes out mud as you open it. One of the best bit about that is that it opens like a pump motion shotgun – one thing that I’m fortunately not too mature to take pleasure in. Nonetheless, it’s a very lengthy bin and when you’re vacuuming up loads of pet fur, it should doubtless get trapped and also you’ll need to dig it out with a chopstick.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Will the HFX final? The vacuum is pretty robustly made however I did have points with the dustbin jamming a few instances and I didn’t all the time discover it straightforward to click on the components into place.

Efficiency & Options

• Cleansing timer show
• half-hour most runtime
• 3.5 hour charging time

The HFX is comfy to carry, with a moulded grip. It’s easy to make use of as nicely. Simply above the grip are three buttons you possibly can simply attain along with your thumb: energy, turbo and mode.

Flip the vacuum on and also you’ll instantly see the variety of minutes of vacuuming time you’ve got left, proven on a transparent digital show.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

When you have the principle cleansing head hooked up, press the mode button and you’ll swap between laborious flooring and carpet cleansing. You’ll discover that the laborious flooring mode, being much less energy intensive, will permit you a few further minutes of cleansing time. If you happen to don’t have the principle cleansing head hooked up, this button gained’t do something.

The turbo button switches between the traditional and boosted energy. Use the common setting and also you’ll get round half-hour of cleansing time. This doesn’t evaluate nicely to top-of-the-line vacuums, which will provide you with an hour of cleansing time. Nonetheless, in turbo mode, you’ll get 14 minutes, which is in step with – or higher than – high-spec fashions.

In commonplace vacuuming mode, it’s a reasonably stable vacuum cleaner – though stable actually is the phrase. It’s heavy in use and after some time, you possibly can really feel the drag in your wrist and hand, despite the comfy grip. It’s additionally not sensible at cleansing proper as much as edges – however this, in fact, is the place the Nook Genie mode is available in.

The headlights are good high quality, nonetheless. They actually illuminate pet fur, a lot in order that it’s extra environment friendly to hoover at the hours of darkness to get clear. The anti-twist hair wrap fins on the curler are good as nicely, though it’s not a flawless system.

Take off the principle cleansing head, although, and it’s a very totally different prospect. You don’t want to connect the Nook Genie – it’s already in place. On the finish of the cleansing nozzle are two tiny wheels, which make it very straightforward to manoeuvre. (Nonetheless, they’ll jam up with pet fur, which suggests you’ll must get in there with some nail scissors periodically.)

The Nook Genie mode is the perfect motive to purchase the HFX. You’ll be able to vacuum down the facet of the fridge, behind the couch with out dragging furnishings round, alongside skirting boards, and underneath chairs – all with out having to stoop. The suction isexcellent as nicely. I discovered that I most popular to maintain it on this mode for fast clean-ups.

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Emma Rowley / Foundry

Nonetheless, the tip of the Nook Genie will make contact along with your flooring. It incorporates a velvet strip however there are two laborious plastic protrusions as nicely, and if these get scratched or broken, so will your flooring.

Hoover doesn’t present info on suction energy however the HFX does really feel efficient – particularly in Nook Genie mode.

Worth & Availability

On the time of writing, the Hoover HFX is a reasonably dear purchase. It doesn’t strategy the likes of newer Dyson fashions however it’s firmly outdoors of the price range class, with an RRP of £449. You should buy it at this value from John Lewis, Amazon and Hoover.

We’d anticipate it come down in value to £349 in the end, by which case it’s purchase. On the time of writing, although, the best way to save lots of is to go for the Pets Version, which comes with an additional mini motorised cleansing head. It’s normally priced at £469, but it surely’s at the moment on provide from John Lewis, Amazon or direct from Hoover for £369.

The Hoover HFX will not be but out there within the US. For a extra inexpensive small cordless that you would be able to purchase in each the UK and the US, try our evaluation of the Shark Detect Professional.

If this isn’t the vacuum cleaner for you, take a look in any respect of our high suggestions in our round-up of the perfect vacuum cleaners we’ve examined.

Must you purchase the Hoover HFX?

At its full value, we expect the Hoover HXF is a bit too costly for what it gives – particularly, we don’t assume it’ll final so long as fashions such because the Halo Capsule X, which has an analogous value level. But when you should purchase it for much less and you’ve got a cluttered residence, or a number of nooks and awkward spots that want cleansing, its usefulness may outweigh different considerations and it may nicely be the proper vacuum cleaner for you.

Specs

• Weight: 3.65kg
• Dimensions: (H)112 x (W)20 x (D)25m
• Dustbin capability: 1.19 L
• Working time: 30 minutes
• Charging time: 3.5 hours