Vax Air Cordless Lift U85-ACLG-B – Stair Cleaning

At just 3.4kg, the Air Cordless Lift is a master of stair cleaning. You can all but run up and down the stairs cleaning the steps and rails with either brush. The only caveat here is that for carpeted stairs none of the tools have a rotating brush and for solid steps both hand tools are a little on the small side for quick cleaning.

The increase in weight to nearly 5.5kg in its upright form has made cleaning stairs with the main brush head a little more tricky but not impossible. Once again the pivoting head and rotating brush bar make it both manoeuvrable and effective, and there is no danger of you tripping over a trailing cable either.

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Vax Air Cordless Lift U85-ACLG-B: How does it cope with pet hair?

In upright cleaning mode, the Air Cordless Lift is great for pet hairs. Not only does the rotating brush effectively pull hair from the carpet, the additional suction power on boost mode helps lift really woven-in hairs.

On our test patch of mixed Collie and Labrador hair we cleaned the patch entirely in less than 10 seconds with ease. This is as good as the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog, though a full-size upright like the Dyson DC54 Animal tackled this in just three seconds.

Like all cordless models, part of this machine’s appeal is its readiness to use at all times. If you spot a rolling ball of pet hair or a patch of cat hair on the sofa, it takes only second to power up the Air Cordless lift and clean the area.

On hard floors the Vax did well at scooping up stray hairs, although if you have a lot of pets in the home be prepared for repeatedly emptying the relatively small 1.0-litre dust bin.

Should I buy the Vax Air Cordless Lift U85-ACLG-B?

You should definitely consider it – we loved the Vax Air Cordless and the new Lift model is even better. While its edge cleaning on carpet is still lacking, the longer hose, greater power in boost mode and the convenience of the lift-off system make it a great every day cleaner for almost every situation.

It compares well to other cordless cleaners and even some corded ones, too. It’s not as light and easy to use as the Dyson DC59, but it lasts longer and is more versatile; it outperforms the Bosch Athlet in most ways and it’s more versatile than the popular Gtech AirRam. The very best bagless upright vacuum cleaners will clean better, but none are as comfortable cleaning the boot of your car as they are your living room.

If that kind of versatility appeals to you – and we think it should – then the Cordless Lift should be on your shortlist. Read more of our vacuum cleaner reviews to see how it compares to others we’ve tested.

Verdict

The Vax Air Lift will transform the way you clean. It’s a great all round cleaner and won’t want to go back to corded models once you’ve tried it.

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