Revealed: The cordless and robot vacuum cleaners with va-va-voom
Samsung Bespoke Jet, €820.
So you've tripped over that snaking hose for the last time? Spluttering from emptying a flaccid, antique dust bag? If it’s time to replace the vacuum in your life, here are some super-sweet sweepers for spring 2025 to get the job done in sleek, economic style.
We’re floored yet again by a pricey Dyson with its 7,800-bristle head, and 125,000rpm vroom, but this is a hype-free solid winner for a number of reasons. One of the most disturbing aspects of hard floor damp cleaning is “the smear”, which redistributes molten muck across the floor in a bloom of grit, spills and accumulating bacteria. The V15 not only does a great job of picking up the mess but is designed to only use clean water throughout the adventure.
It’s that continuous cyclonic-powered extraction that’s a marvel in terms of hygiene and results. Pale floors can hide a bloom of dust, and the Fluffy Optic Cleaning head reveals it all. I found the Digital Motorbar to be fantastic on pet hair, adjusting automatically to snuffle through the pile.
The only downside to the Submarine (I really struggled to find one), is head changes. Still, regard this as a full-floor system (including its hand-held abilities) with a seven-cell, fade-free battery that can take us through a full hour. It’s excellent for soft furnishings and includes an Anti-Tangle Screw Brush bar that won’t require de-snagging by scissors. Sorry, but these super heads are not interchangeable with other Dysons.
Samsung Bespoke Jet with Pet Cordless Stick, from €820, various suppliers: I’m not sure if we’re seeing pricing on a Solid State calculator in the 1970s here, but this sexy beast features just about everything that’s happening in vacuum R&D. The Bespoke Jet is not only an outrageously powerful machine at 210w (working suction), but nestled into its sculptural charging base, air-pulse technology empties the dustbin while a spinning cyclone removes 99% of hair with air-spin edge technology.
A filtration system traps 99.999% of fine dust, and it smartly shuts the cover after emptying. It passes the V15 at 135,000rpm and glides through any surface you point it at with superb lightweight operation. At 4.4kg it can be waved up the wall with the main head released. I disassembled this to the annoyance of the store and was impressed that the dustbin could be completely washed out without taking the stick off the charger. Smart, handsome — a dream EV for 2025.
Robot vacuums are becoming increasingly affordable and familiar inclusion in our homes, whispering around deserted acres of flooring and unhinging the cat while we’re out. Eufy is one of the cheaper brands, showing that simplicity shorn of prime features like GPS mapping and overly wiry little brains that “learn” doesn’t preclude a brilliant little sucker. Manage expectations — robots will always perform best on lightly dusty, hard flooring that than carpeting.
This robot features Twin-Turbine 2.0 technology for 80%more airflow than an equivalent single turbine unit, and (according to the makers), 1.8X cleaning.
As someone with hip-length hair, I really like its active detangling roller brush, and with a quick test at home, I found its collision avoidance in its iPath Laser Navigation worked well as it did routine passes of my open plan areas. You can programme the Eufy X8 for no-go zones and virtual boundaries directly from your phone using a dedicated app and the LDS (laser distance sensor). Could you throw down another €100? Explore the slightly more talented Wi-Fi-connected Roomba robots with self-emptying cans, smart mapping, and voice assist to wake them from slumber at a roar into Alexa or Google Assist; Roomba stable from €449, irobot.ie.
Wands with 60-minute running times and that highly useful auto-empty? For a cheaper alternative to Samsung Bespoke that includes smart dirt-detection in a highly reputable in a reputable vacuum brand — think Shark.
Shark machines have taken a healthy bite from Dyson’s high price point and their progressive design features continue to impress year-on-year. This one is packed with excellent features (even if the bin is a bit, well — a bit of a bin). Lightweight and easy in the hand, it detects dirt through a pre-filter system, automatically boosting suction power, making it ideal for moving from relatively clean hard flooring to the complex challenges of carpets.
I’m a big fan of edge boosts with dirt detection, a commonplace canyon for debris. The 1.3L auto-empty base holds dirt and debris for up to 30 days — probably best handled twice a month.
Complaints? It’s simply a bit aesthetically clunky and utilitarian compared to the engine-turned inspo of the Samsung Bespoke. Park up in a discreet corner or conduit area with a power outlet that it won’t insult with its presence.
Henry is renowned for robust cylinders, but has recently departed into cordless wands, and the customer reviews are excellent. Their machines feel well balanced in the hand and hang on the wall nicely — perfect for a utility room or slip of space under the stairs. It’s not a cutting-edge choice but has everything you need, including 60 minutes of run time, a few tools, and the useful detail of Henry Pods — a bagged solution if you cannot be next to or near an open waste collector. 6 are included when buying the machine. There are also six scented pods ensuring the filtered air returned to the room is fresh and pleasant. Their pet tool is just the right size to tackle carpeted stairs.
A no-fuss, powerful cordless, perfect for hard flooring rallies, there’s a lot included in this low ticket Vax. It includes a brushless motor and Vax Direct Helix technology for efficient cleaning with no loss of suction. The boost mode is the dopier, push-to-operate style, but it does provide three times the standard power if you’re an attentive cleaner.
The recharge is a little slow at three hours, but I was impressed that its ONEPWR battery fits other Vax ONEPWR devices on the Shark platform. The three-stage filtration captures up to 99.8% of dust particles. It’s not a HEPA-level machine. If you or yours have any significant allergy or respiratory condition, those four letters are really going to matter. Buy at Currys, and there’s a Vax cordless car cleaning kit bundled for just €30, currys.ie.
Leashed to the wall, the C3 cylinder by Miele is my top budget buy. Free to roam, you can have all that German engineering and the same 160w of suction power as a C3 in your fist with the Miele Duoflex HX1 cordless. Launched this summer as a less expensive option than Miele’s Triflex cordless, it converts neatly into hand-held and in Nordic blue, it’s one of the prettier machines on the market in affordable cordless models with over 55-minute run times.
It includes a primary Intelligent electro-brush with automatic power adjustment, perfect for licking across hard flooring and lifting the head up to a feature rug. Any cons for this German gem? The dirt collector is minute — empty it regularly for optimum performance.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
