Verdict

Pros

• Compact, highly manoeuvrable
• High suction power / 2 levels
• Portable enough for stairs
• UV bed brush for mite-killing power

Cons

• Poor close to edge cleaning
• Needs optional head for pet hairs

What is the Samsung SC21F50UG

This is one of Samsung’s super high powered ‘extreme suction’ bagless vacuum cleaners with an easy to empty 2 litre capacity dust bin. It packs in a potent 2100Watt motor and Samsung’s CycloneForce centrifugal dust collection system. This uses centrifugal force to separate out dirt and dust into an outer chamber, reducing the amount of dust in the exhaust gas and keeping the filter cleaner for longer.

You also get Samsung UV brush head that claims to kill mites and bacteria as they are sucked-up and its dust detection facility that alerts you to really mucky spots as you are cleaning. The key controls are battery operated (2 x AAA batteries required) and very conveniently positioned on the hose handle to save you bending down to the main unit too often. It comes with a good selection of accessories and boasts HEPA class dust filtration for allergy sufferers.

Samsung SC21F50UG: Accessories

Along with the standard carpet or hard flooring brush head with traditional foot-operated paddle that retracts the brushes, this machine comes supplied with a crevice tool, a dusting brush and the large UV brush anti-allergen cleaning head designed for bed linen and furniture. Sadly there is nowhere to store any of these tools on the machine itself.

While strictly not an accessory, but worth mentioning as we found it very useful, the remote control handle is a great feature offering on/off and two-stage power controls without bending down. As you swap between cleaning floors and then maybe giving the curtains a quick dust, this is very handy feature.

Samsung SC21F50UG: How does it clean carpets and hard floors?

Samsung certainly knows how to make an easy to manoeuvre cylinder cleaner and the SC21F50UG is no exception. The big wheels with rubber ‘tyres’ and wide spacing between the wheels make it easy to roll and very stable for whipping around corners when speed-cleaning.

This model is also quite compact so sits on standard stairs quite securely. In use the powerful motor offers exceptional sucking power, giving you a great deal of confidence that it is cleaning deep into the fabric of the carpet. This level of suck can however begin to ‘stick’ the brush head to the carpet on maximum power so a good solid push and pull action is required in full power mode. The handy control on the handle comes in really useful here allowing you to reduce power and make it easier to glide the head when required.

Unsurprisingly then on maximum power setting the SC21F50UG passed the three-pass test with ease, confidently picking up all of the carpet freshening powder on the main area of carpet. However its edge cleaning was not perfect as it left a noticeable band of dust close to the skirting board.

Before

After

Samsung SC21F50UG: How easy is it to use on stairs?

The SC21F50UG actually performs quite well on stairs despite not offering any stair specific brush heads or tools. While the hose reach will only get you half way up a typical set of stairs, the main cleaner is relatively lightweight and good positioning of the carry handle means it is well balanced when carrying. Its compact size means it can be placed confidently on a step while you clean higher.

The main head is rather too big for smaller steps, making the dusting brush the tool of choice for stairs even if the softer bristles make it less than ideal for really scrubbing into the carpet. The UV head can be requisitioned for use on stairs, its rotating brush head cleaning deeply, but the UV bulb has a finite life expectancy so using this tool daily will mean the bulb will require early replacement.

Samsung SC21F50UG: How does it cope with pet hair?

Samsung does offer a dedicated pet hair tool with rotating brush as an optional accessory and without it the SC21F50UG is always going to struggle with the mess left by our furry friends. The main head struggles with pet hairs on carpets, either leaving them stuck to the carpet fibres if the bristles are retracted or getting them caught around the bristles if they are in the down position.

Ironically, this models extreme suction exacerbated the problem as with the brushes down it sucked the head to the carpet and allowed the hairs to wrap themselves firmly around the bristles. After some experimentation with bristles up and down and varying the power it still took over a minute to clear dog hair from our test patch.

Should I buy the Samsung SC21F50UG?

The SC21F50UG is a neat, compact and powerful machine with a decent sized capacity bin that is easy to empty. We loved the controls built into the handle and there was no doubting Samsung’s claim of ‘extreme suction’ as it sucked up dirt with ease.

While it really struggles with pet hairs, it’s relatively lightweight and compact size make OK for stairs, albeit without a dedicated tool. Its realistic price is considerably less than its RRP too, making this a good all-rounder for home without furry friends.

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