I tested Hoover’s new cordless vacuum cleaner – it has ideal features you’ll *actually* use and a game-changing attachment for pet owners

I tested the new Hoover Turbo Sense Pet cordless vacuum cleaner to see whether it's worth your hard-earned cash.

And it was well timed, as my previous vacuum cleaner, which I'd had for a decade thanks to replacing various parts over time, had given up the ghost. While I could have opted for one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners that have been tried and tested by my fellow Ideal Home experts, I was happy to test out this new offering from Hoover to see if it earns a spot on the list of the crème de la crème.

I'm a big fan of the flexibility that comes with cordless vacuums, given that I vacuum daily and have a puppy, so don't want trailing wires that she might be tempted to chew. This is how I got on with the new Hoover, and ultimately, whether I think it's one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

In a nutshell

If you want a straightforward but effective cordless vacuum cleaner, then the new Hoover Turbo Sense Pet vacuum is worth considering.

It's simple to use, with a couple of great features that I really liked, including LED lights, the smart floor sensor, and the dual-direction clean, meaning it picks up dust and debris on both a forward and backward pass.

It also comes with a range of accessories, including the motorised pet tool that makes easy work of cleaning up debris from pet beds, which'll be all you need to give your home a really good clean, especially if you have pets.

That's not to say it's utterly without cons, though. Depending on where you're cleaning and whether you are using it in handheld mode or not, the vacuum can feel a little bulky and heavy.

How I tested

Sarah Handley

I'm Sarah, and I tested this vacuum over the course of four weeks in my three-bed home that has a mixture of hard and carpeted floors. As well as being a long-haired gal, I also have a super fluffy cockapoo puppy, who leaves her furry mark around the house.

In addition to regular vacuuming activities, I also followed Ideal Home's vacuum testing process to give it a star rating out of 5.

Specifications

• Weight: 3.3kg (main motor unit, stick and large brush head)
• Wattage: 650W
• Max run time: up to 100 mins
• Bin volume: 0.7L
• Charge time: 3.5 hours
• Modes: Eco, Standard, Turbo
• Noise level (tested by us): 77-87dB
• In the box: Main unit, stick and large brush head, plus a crevice tool, 2-in-1 dusting brush, motorised pet tool, maintenance tool, charging wall mount.
• RRP: £329

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

The vacuum comes neatly packaged in recyclable packaging (big tick from me on that front), and the attachments can simply be pushed together, so assembly is really quick.

The battery has some charge straight out of the box, but I wanted it fully charged before I used it for the first time. I simply detached the attachments and took the main unit over to a plug socket to plug it in. It's possible to stand the main body of the vacuum so it feels secure while it's charging.

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When you first put it on to charge, you will see four lights that show you the charging status; these flash initially to show that it's charging before turning off. If you want to check in on the charging, just press one of the buttons, and the lights will show you the progress before turning off again.

My first impression of the vacuum itself was that the main body was considerably bigger than my previous vacuum (a decade-old and very trusty Dyson V6), and that it was noticeably heavier, so I was curious to see how that would feel in practice.

What's the Hoover Turbo Sense Pet vacuum cleaner like to use?

What I love about the Hoover Turbo Sense Pet cordless vacuum is that it is really easy to use, with a simple on-off button, and then two other buttons to increase or decrease the power. That's it. If you're baffled by some of the all-singing, all-dancing features you can get on some vacuum cleaners these days, you'll definitely appreciate this.

A feature that was a step up from my old vacuum (the aforementioned and ancient Dyson V6) was the LED lights on the main brush head (they're also on the motorised pet tool attachment too). I've not used a vacuum with this feature before, and I loved it, once I was over the horror of just how much dust and debris were on my floor.

I find the lights to be more effective on the hard floors of my home, where the white LEDs show every little spec, and it's so satisfying once you've vacuumed them up. Once you switch to carpets, the lights turn blue thanks to the automatic floor sensor, but I couldn't see as much debris after the switch (although I am in no doubt that it's there). You'll also notice the motor speed change when you switch from hard floors to carpet, which is reassuring — it definitely feels like you're getting a good clean. This is also helped by the brush head that is designed to pick up debris on both the forward and backwards passes.

Another brilliant attribute is the anti-hair wrap technology, which definitely wasn't a feature of my previous vacuum and was an utter bug-bear. Despite using the vacuum daily, the main brush head does not have a single Sarah hair or any puppy fluff wrapped around it. And after having to dehair my previous vacuum's brush head on a weekly basis, which made me feel a bit queasy (even though I know it's my hair, IYKYK).

In turbo mode, the battery does seem to dwindle away in next to no time (I got about 15 minutes out of it), and I definitely wasn't able to vacuum my whole house properly in this time frame. I save it for high-traffic areas, like the hallway and stairs, and the rugs where my puppy likes to play.

I tend to use the vacuum in standard mode for most areas, and I got around 40 minutes of vacuuming time, which is perfectly effective and was long enough to get around the whole house. This was also my preferred mode when using the crevice tool and the 2-in-1 dusting brush.

When I tried the lowest power setting, the volume was surprisingly quiet, so much so that my initial thought was that there was no way it could actually be doing anything. However, with the main brush head, it still picked up every spec of dust that I could see illuminated by the LEDs.

I found it most comfortable to use in stick mode, rather than handheld, which is fine for the majority of my vacuuming tasks. The main brush head can lock in position, so it is possible to stand the vacuum up when you need to, but I'd always make sure that it was rested against a wall too, for an extra bit of reassurance, as the vacuum feels a little top-heavy thanks to the motor unit.

The size of the motor unit also feels bulky when used in handheld mode. For me, it was fine when I had ample space to manoeuvre, but when I didn't, the weight of the unit became more noticeable. Switching from hand-held mode and using the stick with the crevice tool made this a bit easier.

The bulkier size of the motor unit and heavier weight (compared to what I've been used to), however, also meant it's sometimes a little tricky to detach the stick or attachments, especially when I was holding on to the unit's designated handle. But I found it much easier if I moved my grip to hold it nearer the attachment connection point. This is something that might ease in time, but could be problematic for those with any dexterity or mobility concerns.

What are the attachments like?

I love that you get a range of attachments with this vacuum, but I have to say my favourites are the crevice tool and the motorised pet tool.

I'm a big fan of a crevice tool when vacuuming anyway, so it was a no-brainer that I would find this one incredibly useful too.

But the motorised pet tool felt like a game-changer for me. Like the main brush head, it has LEDs, and it's the perfect size for speedy tackling of doggy fluff on my pupster's bed and the navy velvet sofa bed that she loves to lounge on. It also worked really well on the stairs.

The 2-in-1 dusting tool is one of my least-used attachments, but I have used it on a couple of dusty lampshades with success.

Emptying the bin and maintenance

I have yet to try a cordless and bagless vacuum that doesn't make any mess when you empty it. However, Ideal Home's certified vacuum expert Lauren assures me they do exist, citing the Shark PowerDetect, which has a base it empties itself into, and both the Gtech AirRAM and the new Dyson V16, which have a little slider to help empty the bin without mess.

Opening the bin on the Hoover Turbo Sense is really easy; you just push a little release button. However, this spring opening means that it does spray a little bit of dust when you do. Fortunately, you have a vacuum cleaner, literally in hand, to clean it up, but still.

I then used the maintenance tool to clear out the bin and ensure it's empty.

Impressively, I have used this vacuum every day for more than four weeks, and I have yet to have to detangle any hair from the brush head. If you have any long-haired family members and haven't yet had a vacuum with anti-hair wrap technology, this will be revelatory.

How does it compare to similar models?

If you don't have a pet, or want a more affordable version, you could buy the standard Hoover Turbo Sense cordless vacuum with an RRP of £299, which is exactly the same apart from it doesn't come with the motorised pet tool.

If the bulkier unit of the Turbo Sense Pet I've highlighted puts you off, then the HF4 Plus Power Move Pets cordless vacuum (RRP £249) might be a better option. However, while it's lighter, it has a shorter run time, so it's worth weighing up which is more important to you.

Should you buy the Hoover Turbo Sense Pet cordless vacuum?

If you're daunted by the technical features available on some vacuums nowadays, and the hefty price tag they command, then I think this Hoover model hits an ideal sweet spot between the two. Any fancy features, like the LEDs, anti hair-wrap capability and dual direction clean functionality feel inherently useful, rather than being a nice to have.

As a pet owner, the motorised pet tool (which doesn't come with the non-pet variation of the Hoover Turbo Sense) is a must. It's so much quicker than using the a crevice tool attachment on a dog bed, and more accurate than the main brush head, plus it has LEDs so you can see exactly what you're picking up.