Verdict

Pros

• Extremely powerful suction
• Power controls on handle
• Great selection of tools
• Good for pet owners

Cons

• Poorly designed cleaning heads
• Telescopic tubes not secure
• Flimsy 3-in-1 tool

What is the AEG Ultra One Deluxe?

The AEG Ultra One Deluxe is a premium cylinder vacuum cleaner using high-performance, clog-resistant dust bags. At 2200W peak power it comes in well above the EU’s 1600W limit for new models, giving it exceptional suction power to go along with its host of innovative features. (Note: at time of writing AEG’s website and most retailers incorrectly state this is a 1250W machine.)

The funky two-tone steel blue/orange styling on the main cleaner works well, while the large, bright LED power display and on-board controls look good and require a light touch. The power controls and the auto-power function are replicated by battery-operated electronic switches on the handle of the telescopic tubes. The Ultra One Deluxe promises to be extremely quiet at a claimed 69dB, as well as very powerful and easy to use with its convenient switches and large wheels for improved manoeuvrability.

AEG Ultra One Deluxe: Accessories

Uniquely, not only does the Ultra One Deluxe offer a concealed compartment for its three-in-one tool, but there’s a convenient hanger on the rear of the machine for temporary storage of this tool during cleaning. The three-in-one head offers an upholstery brush, dusting brush and a crevice tool, but it’s not very well built. With the powerful suction of the machine we managed to break this tool on the cleaner’s first outing, with one of the nozzle arms coming adrift.

Two other main heads handle carpet and hard floors. Labelled the AeroPro Extreme and AeroPro Parketto heads, the Extreme is a switchable hard-floor head with drop-down brushes, while the Parketto is a very large turbo brush head for carpets.

All of the tools clip easily on and off the main tube, which is telescopic and extends when pulled to offer easy height adjustment. However, this feature doesn’t have a secure locking mechanism, so vigorous pulling or pushing of the brush head sees the tubes collapsing and extending with every movement.

The Ultra One takes AEG’s S-Bag, 5-litre bags that are designed to offer excellent filtration with high air flow right up to the point that they need changing.

AEG Ultra One Deluxe: How well does it clean carpets and hard floors?

Having broken the three-in-one brush almost immediately on first use, switching to the Extreme head also came with challenges. A combination of the head’s air-flow design and high power of the cleaner mean that on full power this head sucks itself to the floor like a limpet. On hard floors the brushes do allow for stiff sliding movement, but on carpet the head simply sticks down. If you try to apply more force to push it, the telescopic tubes for height adjustment collapse. The only solution is to use a much lower power setting, which rather defeats the point of buying a powerful vacuum cleaner, and makes using the automatic power function impractical.

The turbo brush head proved slow to spin up on carpet, but it was easier to move. It would also stick itself down on any setting above the third power setting out of five, again showing how poor air-flow design mixes badly with a high-power vacuum. However, when the turbo head is spinning properly and on a surface where it can be moved without the tube collapsing, the AEG Ultra One Deluxe cleans extremely well indeed. It sucked deep-down dirt from the test carpet, much of which had been simply passed over by many other vacuum cleaners that had been used on the carpet before it.

As the AEG S-bag filled up during the test, there was some decrease in suction, but it wasn’t as great as we usually experience with traditional paper bags. These are very easy to remove and replace, although the lid to access the dust bag area doesn’t raise completely out of the way. It’s a silly niggle, but slightly frustrating on a premium machine from such a well-respected brand.

In use and operating on carpet the Ultra One is also relatively quiet, if nothing like as silent as AEG claims. We measured 75dB at ear height above the cleaner, which is about the level most people have their TVs or kitchen radio.

AEG Ultra One Deluxe: How easy is it to use on stairs?

The turbo brush is very large in both width and depth. This makes cleaning stairs with it rather awkward, particularly if the staircase features turns and triangular steps. The smaller three-in-one tool would have helped here, had it not already fallen apart.

While the Ultra One boasts a 12m reach, much of this is cable length and the hose itself is quite short, reaching only half way up the stairs. On the plus side, the cleaner is very easy to carry using its large handle and will sit on a stair fairly securely if you’re working your way up or down.

AEG Ultra One Deluxe: How does it cope with pet hair?

Brilliantly. The large turbo brush head and exceptional suction power make for a very effective partnership for removing pet hairs entangled in carpet. Aside from the above caveats regarding the head sticking to the floor, on most carpets the Ultra One offers outstanding cleaning of dirt, dust, dried mud and pet hair. The machine cleaned up the contents of two dogs’ beds rubbed firmly into a 30cm-diameter patch of carpet in barely 10 seconds. Only Miele’s pet-specific Cat & Dog cleaner has beaten this time. An excellent result.

Should I buy the AEG Ultra One Deluxe?

In concept, features and sheer power the AEH Ultra One Deluxe can hold its brush head high as a premium cylinder cleaner. It has the ability to clean deep into carpets and it handles pet hairs very well. Yet its list of minor but niggling design flaws make it far less accomplished in terms of usability. The flimsily built heads with poor air-flow design make for very heavy work when cleaning on full power, and the collapsing telescopic tubes are simply crying out for a better locking mechanism. Overall the AEG Ultra One Deluxe is a bit of a mixed bag (if you forgive the pun).

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