Verdict

Pros

• Very manoeuvrable
• High suction power
• Excellent on hard floors
• Washable HEPA filter

Cons

• High power consumption
• No stair specific tool
• Poor on pet fair

What is the Panasonic MC-CL934?

The MC-CL934 is a high-power, high suction cylinder vacuum with HEPA class filtration and is Panasonic’s only bagless cylinder in its current cleaner line up. It offers Panasonic’s original Eco-Max motor which, combined with Panasonic’s wonderfully titled 3D Inducer Fan, promises continuous high suction power with less energy consumption.

Thanks to dust compression technology, where the dust and air are separated via centrifugal force, the unique hourglass shaped dust compresses 33% more dust than a standard (straight) bagless canister. The textured black bodywork and vivid green container inners make for a dramatic look about the house and its short wheel base and large rear wheels make it a nifty performer around the bends too. It also claims to be pretty quiet in use thanks to Panasonic’s noise reduction system.

Panasonic MC-CL934: Accessories

In addition to the standard head with drop down brush for parquet floors, you also get a crevice nozzle and a dusting brush. The latter two of these are stored underneath the ergonomically designed handle, which makes changing them a breeze. The handle has a telescopic tube extender, which saves having to store and fit together separate tubes but does limit reach somewhat.

On the missing list is any rotating brush tool, which means pet hairs on carpets are going to be a challenge for the MC-CL934. It does have a washable HEPA filter, though, which is great news for dust allergy sufferers and saves the cost of regular replacements.

Panasonic MC-CL934: How well does it clean carpets and hard floors?

The large rear wheels and short wheel base certainly make the MC-CL934 extremely manoeuvrable. You can tow it around by the hose with ease, especially on hard floors when it rolls freely. Tug gently though — even a gentle pull on the hose will see the Panasonic MC-CL934 heading across the room with gusto.

Before

Conversely, while the cleaner itself rolls well on carpet, the high
suction power has a tendency to stick the cleaning head to the floor, so
it needs a strong arm to move it around. Our three pass test involves
seeing how effective the cleaner is on collecting carpet freshening
powder sprinkled on a dark red carpet, right up to the skirting board,
in just three passes.

After

The Panasonic MC-CL934 performed outstandingly in this respect, collecting all visible powder from the carpet and cleaning very effectively right up to the edge of the skirting board. Some of this exceptional suction power is down to a high power motor, which in our tests used closer to 1,500Watts (max) rather than the quoted 1,200watts.

Panasonic MC-CL934: How easy is it to use on stairs?

This cylinder cleaner tackles stairs well, although the hose length is not as long as many of its peers and will only reach half way up an average flight of stairs without moving the vacuum itself. There is no dedicated tool for stairs in the accessory roster although the Panasonic MC-CL934 is light enough to use the main brush with a bit of manoeuvring. Overall it is passable for stairs, but not exceptional.

Panasonic MC-CL934: How does it cope with pet hair?

As there is no turbo or rotating brush with this machine it was always going to be hard work vacuuming up pet hair and this was exactly the case in our test. Using a mix of Labrador (short) and Collie (long) pet hair, from our willing canine assistants, it took a lengthy 49 seconds to clear up all the hair in our 30cm diameter circle on the carpeted floor.

The pet hair got caught quite badly on the brushes of the cleaning head even if they were retracted, so this meant that the pet hair just kept getting spread out over a wider area. Clearly the MC-CL934 is not going to be your best bet if you have carpeted floors and pets that moult a lot.

Should I buy the Panasonic MC-CL934?

The Panasonic MC-CL934 is a great looking, highly manoeuvrable and very powerful bagless cylinder cleaner with a decent sized bin capacity. It is ideal for those with mostly hard floors and the on-board tools are handy, but the limited reach and lack of pet-hair specific tools means it’s not going to be a cleaner for everyone.

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