One thing I didn’t really consider when we first had our pet Labrador was the mess made by shedding fur. Liberty is a black labrador and has short hair, but I can tell you that it gets absolutely everywhere. I naively thought that maybe she would only shed at certain times of the year, but it is continual. That means that a reliable vacuum cleaner is an household essential when you have a dog in the house.
We have been through two different vacuum cleaner models since having our dog and I am going to be honest and say that neither of them was particularly effective. The fist one was quite old and the suction picked up some of the dog hairs, the second was quite good for a few months and then it seemed to struggle, only getting rid of surface hair, leaving a lot of hair stuck in thee carpet pile.
When I was asked to review the Hoover Upright 300 Pets Vacuum Cleaner, I was keen to put it to the test. Neither of my previous vacuum cleaners was specifically for pet owners and I was hopeful that this would make a difference.
What do I usually look for in a Vacuum Cleaner?
There are a number of things that I would look for in a vacuum cleaner. On a general level, it needs to be easy to use, not to bulky so that it can be stored out of the way, light and easy to manoeuvre and I like to have extra tools to be able to do the stairs and corners and crevices around the house. It also needs to be easy to maintain – easy access to filters is important as this helps keep your vacuum cleaner working efficiently. Suction is essential too, especially with the constant dog hair battle and it must be easy to empty. Finally, a long cord is so helpful as is being able to use it on hard floors as well as carpet and I have to admit that I like vacuum cleaners that aren’t too noisy.
Is the HEPA Anti-Allergy Filter important?
A vacuum with a HEPA anti-allergy filter is a crucial feature of a vacuum cleaner for me. Not only do we have a dog, both myself and my daughter suffer with allergies to dog hair. This is something that can be kept at bay by antihistamine and a good vacuum.
The HU300 has an Allergy Care H13 HEPA Filter which is a washable filter which traps allergens and helps purify the air in your home. The filter is easy to remove and can be washed.
What’s in the box?
- Upright 300 Pets Vacuum Cleaner
- 1 x Pets Turbo Brush.
- 1 x 3in1 Crevice/Dusting/Furniture Nozzle
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about the Upright 300 Pets is that it is really light. My previous vacuum was a stick model and as the Upright 300 is an upright model, it looks heavier than it is. It actually weight in at under 5kg This makes it easy to manoeuvre too. It has a very long cord and the floorhead swivels with an 80 degree steering angle which makes steering really easy. It is also a nice looking vacuum. It comes in red or blue and it has a compact design which also allows you to store the tools on the vacuum itself.
Is it easy to set up and use?
Absolutely. Initial unboxing and set up was so quick and easy, I was really impressed. Unlike some vacuums, you simply undo the Upright 300 Pets, slot in the handle and you are ready to plug in and start hoovering.
The instructions are clear and easy to follow and I love the fact that you are able to slot the tools onboard. This is a big plus point as it means that they are to hand when you need them and you don’t have to find somewhere else to store them. Switching the machine on and off is simple and the smart compact design means it doesn’t take up a lot of space.
How easy is it to vacuum with the Upright 300 Pets?
Personally, I love the manoeuvrability. The fact that it is so light makes it easy to use but the Upright 300 has a swivelling floor head which has an 80 degree steering angle and it quite literally glides around your floors. This means that you can go around corners and get into nooks and crannies with ease and it is a joy to use. The long card is also useful as you can easily move around a good sized room and I was able to do two rooms without having to change plug sockets which was really useful.
The Upright 300 Pets also has the bonus of having a hose which unclips to use with either the wand (the main handle of the vacuum) or simple the additional tools. Like all of the features of the Upright 300 Pets, this process is quick and easy. It is great to have the additional length that the wand offers and the hose is perfect for doing stairs.
You can choose to have the brush bar on or off and there is a button next to the on/off button to switch between the two functions. This can be useful if you are vacuuming rugs or carpets/rugs with very long pile.
Does it work well on hard floors?
You can switch between hard floor and carpet using the sliding switch above the brush bar. Our kitchen has a Lino flooring and it seems to be a magnet for endless amounts of dog hair. The Upright 300 Pets is great for giving this floor a really good clean and it got rid of all of the hair along with crumbs and dirt from the garden. The suction is as good on hard floors as it is with carpets.
Does it pick up the dog hair?
As it is designed for households with pets, I was most interested to see how is fared with the large amount of fur that constantly covers all of the flooring in our house. On that front, it really impressed me as the suction is impressive. The Upright 300 Pets has a 1.5 litre capacity bin and even on the first trial, the bin quickly filled with dust and dog hair. The clear design of the dustbin makes it easy to see how much dust and hair your are collecting.
Is it easy to empty?
The bin is really simple to remove and empty but I liked the size of the bin as you can clean a few rooms before emptying (depending on how dirty the rooms are). There is a release button which you push to release the bin and the debris all comes out into the bin without any problem.
The filter is at the top of the dustbin and can be removed and washed. I have already washed mine and it dries really quickly which is helpful as you don’t want to be without a vacuum too long when you have a pet in the house.
What are the tools like?
The two tools included with the Hoover Upright 300 Pets are a crevice/dusting/upholstery tool and the pet turbo brush. The crevice/dusting/upholstery tool easily transforms into which tool you want and clips easily onto the end of hose or the wand to enable you to get to those hard to reach places. I particularly like the mini turbo brush. This clever little brush also attaches easily to the wand or the hose and it makes easy work of the fur that has become really embedded in the carpet fibres.
Was there anything I didn’t like?
There is a lot to like about the Hoover Upright 300 Pets. However, there were a couple of things that felt could be improved. Firstly, it is a bit noisier than my previous vacuum cleaner, but it isn’t horrendously noisy. Ironically, Liberty didn’t like the noise and took herself to bed whenever I was hoovering. Secondly, it does collect hair on the brush bar. Both my daughter and I have quite long hair and this can bee a nightmare with hoovers, After a few uses, the Upright 300 did collect quite a lot of hair on the brush bar but it was easy enough to pull it out, I just need to remember to do this regularly so that the hair doesn’t build up too much. Finally, it isn’t a cordless cleaner which I have been used to. It does have cord measuring just over 8 metres, which does give you some flexibility and of course, it doesn’t run out of charge which is the disadvantage of using a cordless.
Would I buy the Hoover Upright 300 Pets Vacuum Cleaner?
I have been very impressed with the Upright 300 Pets. It is a nice looking vacuum and I love that it is so easy to use. The versatility is amazing and every time I use it, it picks up so much dirt and dog hair that it makes me feel confident that my carpets and floors are really clean. The constant dog hair that coats your floors when you have a dog is difficult to manage. My allergy to dog hair means that I am even more reliant on a decent vacuum to try and avoid sneezing all of the time and knowing that the Upright 300 has a HEPA filter definitely gives me peace of mind. The RRP of the Upright 300 is £199 which is a good price for a vacuum cleaner that does such a good job. I would definitely buy it.
Disclaimer – I was sent the Hoover Upright 300 Pets Vacuum Cleaner for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.
