Black & Decker PowerSeries HCUA525JA Review

Do you need something versatile without having to spend upwards of $300?

This product may be the product you may be looking for – it’s the Black & Decker PowerSeries Pro HCUA525JA.

Most Black & Decker 2-in-1 stick vacuums are essentially hand vac shoved in a stick body.

While these products provide versatility, power will be an issue and consumer reviews have verified this.

With the new PowerSeries, power should not be an issue. Black & Decker calls this “their most powerful cordless vacuum series”.

The removable canister, flexible hose and interchangeable tools turns this stick into a canister capable of cleaning just about every nook and cranny inside your home.

This is a great in-between cleaning option that’s compact, has decent suction and will run for 60 minutes.

And since this product is a true stick vacuum, it’ll hold more dirt than other 2-in-1 handhelds masquerading as a stick vac.

A quick look at the features

• This stick vacuum morphs into a canister vacuum thanks to a detachable hose and interchangeable parts
• AutoSense feature automatically adjusts suction when transitioning from bare floor to carpet and vice versa
• FilterSense tells you when you need to clean the filter
• The high performance, anti-allergen filter will trap 99.99% of dander, dust particles, etc. inside the bin where it should stay
• Built-in dust compactor pushes dirt down to create more space and more dirt to come in
• Extension wand will add more reach in cleaning areas like ceiling vents or fans
• 2 year warranty

Pros

• Versatile machine that will clean floors, upholstery and everything in between
• Decent sized bin will hold more dirt than the typical hand held vacuum
• Has HEPA filtration which makes it suitable for people with allergies
• Easy to empty bin thanks to the dirt compacting feature
• Swivel steering allows this to go around furniture easy
• Long run time

Cons

• Will not clean thick pile carpet or rugs
• Extension wand could use a little more length
• Long charge time

What to expect from the Black & Decker PowerSeries Pro HCUA525JA?

I like what Black & Decker did with the PowerSeries. Instead of using the same design in their previous 2-in-1 stick/hand vac, they completely redesigned it and came up with this.

Instead of starting with a handheld base, they’ve created a true stick vacuum with a larger dirt bin that has more power.

This was the issue with the older HS-series – it lacks power and has a really small bin.

The PowerSeries solves that by having a bigger motor and battery that will last for up to 60 minutes according to Black & Decker.

They also claim that this product is their most powerful cordless vacuum to date with up to 50 air watts of suction. That’s more than the Dyson V8 Absolute in normal mode.

Touch Screen Interface

The HCUA525JA also comes with a touch screen interface at the top of the canister. It makes switching modes easy and shows you other information such as battery status and gives you the option to turn on the AutoSense feature or not.

Extension Wand

In canister mode, there’s an extension wand you can attach to the hose that’ll extend the reach.

At the end of the wand, you can attach the any of the tools that come with this.

Tools Included

This variant comes with the following tools that’ll help you clean every part of your home and even in your vehicle:

• 3-in-1 accessory tool
• Extension wand
• Hose
• Long brush and nozzle tool

The 3-in-1 accessory tool is a versatile tool that will allow you to clean stairs, areas between sofa cushions, venetian blinds and much more. This tool comes with a 6 inch nozzle, crevice tool and upholstery brush.

Run Time

Thanks to the large capacity lithium ion battery, this vacuum will run for up to 60 minutes – in low speed. But it’ll take up to 6 hours to recharge which is significantly slower than a Dyson V8 or Shark IONFlex.

Large Capacity Bin

This stick vacuum can hold up to 1 liter of dry dirt. And when you add the dirt compacting feature, it frees up more space to pick up more when you pushdown dirt in the bin.

Quite a useful feature if you are cleaning lots of pet hair.

Bare Floor Cleaning

One bare floor surfaces like hardwood or tile, this product will have enough suction for cleaning such.

It does not have a brush roll on/off feature but it has an auto height adjustment feature so the brush maintains contact with dirt on the floor.

I must warn you it may snowplow through large piles of dirt because of the low profile head. It does have an elevated slot for large particles like the Hoover Linx but don’t expect it to perform like the Dyson V6 or Shark DuoClean soft roller head.

Carpet Cleaning

Despite having more power than older Black & Decker stick vacuums, this vacuum will not deep clean carpet. It is capable of picking up surface dirt but expecting it to pick up dirt deep under carpet fibers wouldn’t be a fair expectation.

But as an in-between cleaner it does a pretty good job at keeping dirt at bay. If you have one or two dogs, this could be a good solution because of the larger bin – you don’t need to empty as often.

Upholstery

Aside from cleaning floors Black & Decker also provides couple of tools to help you clean above floors. The 3-in-1 tool is great for cleaning different parts of upholstery.

One concern though would be how it is constructed. Several reviews say that when you fold out the upholstery cleaning tool, it feels flimsy and seems to break.

It won’t be as efficient as a mini turbo brush at picking up pet hair on fabric but it decent at everything else. You can attach the tools direct on the hose or on the extension wand so that’s good flexability.

Product Specification

What consumers say?

One thing that consumers like is the versatility that this product brings to the table. It has a varied enough toolset that will clean every part of your home.

At 50 air watts of suction (in max mode) this stick vacuum has pretty decent power. It’s actually more than a Dyson V6 or V8 in normal mode (around 28 air watts).

So cleaning stuff like pet litter on the sofa or cheerios should not be an issue.

It will have enough suction to clean pet hair on upholstery.

Usability also scores high points. It is easy to assemble and the swivel steering allows it to go around furniture. The only issue I have with the design would be the reach it has under beds.

Unlike the Dyson V8 or Dibea C17, the bulky canister will get in the way and it won’t reach as deep.

Another drawback would be the lack of power to deep clean carpet.

If you’re buying this for carpet then I suggest you go with the better agitating Shark IONFlex with the DuoClean system – it’s a little bit more expensive but it does have better performance.

Where can I buy this?

This versatile 2-in-1 vacuum is available in Amazon for less than $200. And this is eligible for the free 2-day shipping if you join Prime. Amazon also sells extended warranty up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.

To Wrap Up

This Black & Decker offers a versatile solution for owners of small to mid-sized homes looking for something that’ll clean all the nooks and crannies. The larger bin will hold easily hold more dirt versus a Dyson or Dibea stick vac. And it is detachable so you can use it above floors.

It will not deep clean carpet or rugs so keep your expectations in check. But it’ll dirt from piling up during the week the upright is inside the closet.

One concern for me would be large bin at the middle that will hinder this from going deep under furniture.

But it’s got enough tools on board to offset this limitation that would be able to clean other stuff like sofas, chairs and stairs.