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For years now I have been using cordless vacuum cleaners and I think they’re great for what they are. I love that you don’t have to plug them in so you can move them about easily, and they are great for doing a quick run over the floors and carpets.
However, I do find that they never seem to pick up that well and of course, the batteries don’t last for ages so I often find myself frustrated that I haven’t managed to finish hoovering before the battery has died.
I still really liked using a cordless vacuum though, mainly because I can just quickly grab it and get on with it and I honestly didn’t think I would ever go back to a plug-in vacuum again (I find it so hard to not call them hoovers, whatever the make!).
But I was getting a bit sick of my carpets still looking a mess after I’d taken the time to vacuum. We have a cat and a dog so obviously, there are always lots of hairs about and I was just continuously finding that the cordless vacuum we have was just not powerful enough to clean the carpets properly and I was having to hoover even more often than I should have been.
So when I was asked if I would like to test and review an Upright Vacuum Cleaner from Hoover I decided that it was the perfect time to try this type again and I was excited to try it out (if you’re not my age yet then just you wait – these types of things will excite you one day!).
The Hoover Upright 300 (HU300) is their newest model and it is their lightest one to date, weighing less than 5kg, and I have the ‘pets’ version of the vacuum.
Straight away I loved the fact that I don’t have to hold a button in like I do on our cordless vacuum – I struggle with my hands a bit so it was such a relief not to have to do that constantly to keep the power on.
The Hoover Upright 300 has an 80° steering angle and it does seem more manoeuvrable than other uprights I have used and feels lighter too, so it is easy for me to lift it between rooms and upstairs.
I REALLY love the holders on the back and sides for the different parts and connectors. I find little things like that really make a difference – I have lost multiple extra parts for my vacuum cleaners when they’ve got buried deep in the-cupboard-under-the-stairs never to be seen again. All of the extra parts fit on perfectly.
It did take me a bit of time to get used to having a wire to keep out of the way again and I haven’t quite mastered looping it over the hook and keeping it there yet, but it’s not a problem – I’ve just only used cordless hoovers for a while!
The Hoover Upright 300 has an H13 HEPA filter making it particularly brilliant for allergy sufferers as the filter traps allergens and helps to purify and improve the air in your home.
HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air and the filter traps ultra-fine particles (up to 0.3 microns) as they are sucked into the vacuum and pass through the filtration unit. The particles are then trapped so they can’t be re-released through the hoover’s exhaust back into the room as you vacuum. They will then stay trapped until you empty the vacuum which can be done safely outside into the bin.
Loads of us are affected by these allergens which can include dust, pollen, mould spores, pet dander and even bacteria, and breathing these in often leads to allergic reactions and breathing problems such as asthma for many of us
My husband gets really bad hayfever every year in Spring and I also seem to get it worse and worse every year. Obviously, with having pets, a lot of stuff gets brought into the house so anything that can help remove these allergens is amazing and will hopefully make a big difference to our lives, particularly as the pollen count rises.
Not only that, but pet dander (the skin cells released by pets) is a common allergen and causes reactions in those susceptible when it is inhaled. Pet dander gets released from them very easily as they scratch and rub against things.
Even those who don’t currently suffer with allergies or breathing issues can benefit from a Hoover with a HEPA filter as the quality of air is improved throughout the home which can actually lead to better sleep and a better quality of life!
For those who don’t have any pets, your house will still get covered in dust from dead skin cells (lovely!) and will remain there unless properly removed. Once you can see dust then it has really built up which is delightful, but a high-quality vacuum with a HEPA filter can pick up the dust particles and trap them inside.
All of Hoover’s upright vacuum cleaners have a HEPA-13 filter as standard, making them especially brilliant for people who suffer from asthma and allergy flare-ups but are also really beneficial for everyone to have for their home.
Get 20% off at Hoover Direct with the code BIRDS20
The first time I used the HU300 I was a little disappointed as I was excited to finally see clean floors again, but it didn’t seem to immediately pick everything up. I am one of those annoying people who don’t read the instructions before using something and so I then stopped and had a quick read!
I’d had it on the setting for carpets but actually, that is recommended for deeper-type carpets and so changing the setting on the base to ‘floors’ made a huge difference and picked everything up brilliantly! We have low-pile carpets and rugs and so I think the stronger ‘floor’ setting is what we need, which I’m happy with as it means I don’t even need to change anything!
After just one vacuum everywhere my floors all looked SO much better than they have in ages and everywhere feels so much cleaner and nicer.
I think the cord is a really good length and I can plug it in, in the lounge, take it through to the hall and almost all the way across the dining room before I have to switch the plug. That means I only have to switch it once for the whole of the downstairs, which I’m so pleased about because I’m lazy!
To really help keep the allergens out of our home this spring and beyond I am really going to make sure that I clean the hoover and its parts regularly. I find that is one of those things I VERY rarely do as it means working out how to clean it properly and so I just don’t usually take the time to do it.
But with this one I have already made a note in my diary to clean the filters and looked how to do it! It all comes apart really easily and rinses with lukewarm water and so I am going to make sure I keep it up to keep the Hoover working perfectly.
All of the Upright 300’s from Hoover have something called multi-cyclonic technology which means that dust is pushed away from the filter helping it to stay cleaner for longer and meaning there is no loss of suction.
I have the pet version of the HU300 which means that you get the Mini Turbo Pet Brush with it to tackle that annoying pet hair that gets everywhere! The brush loosens and lifts out pet hair and it is such a brilliant addition for us.
My cat in particular likes to sleep in places that are more awkward to clean, like on top of a sofa cushion which gets absolutely covered and is about my least favourite thing to clean as it’s such a faff.
However, with the Hoover’s pet brush it is SO much easier and easier to clean; it is the perfect size to use across the top of the sofa cushions and sucks all the hair up brilliantly. It’s also brill for using on cushions and those small, awkward spots you can’t easily get to so don’t get cleaned often enough!
It’s really nice knowing we’re now removing so much more pet hair and consequently allergens from our home.
I think it’s a brilliant vacuum overall and I especially love how well it picks everything up and knowing that the HEPA filter is removing as many allergens as possible from our home and improving the overall air quality.
I think it’s a really good price at £199 for a high-quality vacuum with all of the additional benefits and tools and I think the mini pet brush is such a great addition and I use it a lot.
Where to buy: Hoover Direct RRP £199, currently £149 and you can get an amazing 20% off with my code BIRDS20 making it just £119.20!
I was sent the Hoover Upright 300, Pets from Hoover Direct’s Lightweight Collection for this review but all words and opinions are my own. See my full disclosure policy here.
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
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