Only two out of ten handheld hoovers perform well when tested
Quick to hand, immediately ready and thorough: Hoovers. Whether and to what extent this is true in practice was tested by "Kassensturz" with ten appliances - some of which kicked up quite a bit of dust.
I also have a handheld hoover at home. Somewhere behind the sofa, it lives an unused and unloved existence and has now collected quite a bit of dust itself. Why don't we use it any more? Because it has never really done a good job. A handicap that it apparently shares with many of its peers, as a recent "Kassensturz" test shows.
When "good" is enough to win the test
The SRF consumer magazine sent ten upright hoovers from different manufacturers to the Ipi Institute for Product Research in Stuttgart. There, the experts tested and compared the appliances according to several criteria: dirt pick-up, dust emission, battery life and handling.
The results were sobering, writes "Kassensturz". Only two handheld hoovers achieved a "good" test rating. On the one hand, there is the test winner with an overall score of 5.2, which "Kassensturz" bought from us: the "Wet'n'Dry 606" from Rotel. It was closely followed by the "Quick Clean Comfort" from Trisa.
"Enough" as far as the eye can see
Six other handheld hoovers make up the broad midfield (four of which can be found in our range). They all received an overall rating of 4.7 to 4.4, which is "sufficient". Most of them missed out on a better test rating because they lacked in terms of dust emission, battery life or handling. However, some also seem to have some catching up to do in terms of dirt pick-up - the main criterion tested ... Lookin' at you, Kärcher and Rowenta.
The dust collector
According to "Kassensturz", the handheld hoovers from Landi and Migros, both own brands, are "bad". They easily keep up with or even outperform the best in terms of dirt pick-up and battery life. But: "The dust emissions from these two models are so strong that they can be problematic for allergy sufferers", explains the test manager in "Kassensturz". The reason for this is the inadequate filtering of the exhaust air.
The Achilles heel of all test appliances
In terms of dirt pick-up, the experts tested various scenarios with the handheld hoovers: Dust on tiled floor, pet litter on tiled floor and dust on carpet. In the latter case, it was noticeable that not a single model was convincing. The scores of between 2.9 and 4.4 in this category speak volumes, which is not exhilarating. You can find the entire handheld hoover test by "Kassensturz" and the detailed results here.
Tests on our own behalf
"Kassensturz" has tested a limited selection of handheld hoovers. There are many more, perhaps even better ones (hope dies last). Our colleague Martin Jungfer is currently testing one of the top sellers at Galaxus. His test report will follow shortly.
Colleague Lorenz Keller recently tested a handheld hoover especially for cars. Like "Kassensturz", he is also disillusioned - to put it mildly.
Which handheld hoover do you use to tackle small messes in the household? Does it do what it's supposed to? Let us know in the comments.
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