Looking at most canister vacuums sold in the market today, you’ll have to be really smart in choosing one.
While some have a turbo brush, it may not be enough to deep clean medium to high pile carpet.
A turbo brush is a brush that agitates carpet that allows vacuums to deep clean carpet.
These usually only have belts that draws power from the vacuum motor.
The UltraActive DeepClean from Electrolux takes this up a notch. Instead of using air, the floor tool has its own dedicated motor making the brush roll more powerful which means more deep cleaning power.
This is why the floor tool is noticeably bigger that let’s say a DC39 because there is a motor inside there.
It has another side benefit, because of the heft it will be able to stand on its own.
A quick look at the features
- Floor tool has a motorized brushroll and its own motor
- LED headlight
- Uses a primary foam filter and HEPA filtration on the motor exhaust to prevent fine allergy causing dust from coming back out
- Has these attachments – crevice, dusting brush, upholstery, hard floor and mini turbo brush tool
- Weighs only 12.5 pounds
- Has a multi surface brush roll switch to adjust between different types of flooring
- Ergo shock cord wrap doubles as a bumper that protects your furniture from scratches
- Low profile nozzle will fit under a lot of furniture
- Ergonomic handle with fingertip controls for both power and brushroll on/off
- Lifetime belt – no need to replace belts
Pros
- Floor tool has its own motor which improves deep cleaning which makes it
- Great to use on medium to deep pile carpet
- Strong suction from the 12 amp motor
- Comes with a small turbo brush – great to use on pet hair on upholstery
- Weighs only 12.5 pounds – relatively lightweight for a canister
- Has cord rewind
- Has an LED headlight – great to track dust on bare floor surfaces
- Long 5 year warranty
- Cheaper than a Dyson
- Floor tool can stand on its own
Cons
- No true storage for attachments
- Bare floor tool does not perform as well
- Ergo shock feature that holds the hose in place easily falls out of place
- Filtration not good because you need to wash the filter often
What do you expect from the Electrolux UltraActive DeepClean EL4300B?
The feature that separates this from other canisters is the motor located inside the floor tool.
This allows it to pick up more dirt from thicker pile carpet than let’s say a canister equipped only with a turbo brush.
It does not have the ball feature of the Dyson but it swivels so maneuverability should not be an issue here.
Motor is pretty strong at 12 amps so there will be enough suction power.
It also comes with a crevice, dusting brush and a turbo brush for cleaning upholstery which makes this a great all around cleaner on homes with wall to wall carpeting.
Attachments and Accessories
This comes with four – the crevice tool, dusting brush, mini turbo brush, upholstery and hard floor attachment. The upholstery tool and mini turbo brush are separate attachments.
The mini turbo brush has a brush roll inside it that will work great on stuff like pet hair on upholstery. The upholstery tool does not have any spinning brush and uses a strip of Velcro like material that agitates whatever dirt that is on the way.
Cord length
Power cord is at 21 feet and it does have cord rewind.
Filter clean up
There are two filters in this vacuum. The main filter is a foam that needs frequent washing (at least once a week). There’s a second filter that’s a HEPA that isn’t washable. You’ll need to replace this once every 6 months to a year.
You can find the main foam filter inside the dust cup.
You can access this by…
Hepa filter is located here…
Warranty
Electrolux will give consumers a 5 year warranty on parts and service.
Bare floor performance
Bare floor performance should be more than enough with the hard floor tool. But there are complaints by consumers about the poor performance using this attachment.
You can also use the main floor attachment with the motorized brush if you don’t want to remove it.
It has a brush roll on/off feature so it won’t scratch hardwood or linoleum if that is a concern.
Carpet performance
Having a floor tool powered by its own motor has a lot of advantages.
First, the motorized brush spins faster. This equates to better pickup power and when you combine that with strong suction then what you’ll get is a potent carpet cleaner.
Watch these two videos to get a better understanding what I am talking about.
Youtube user FantomLightning compares this with the Dyson DC39 Animal.
First he cleans a low pile area rug first with the DC39 then the Electrolux…
In this video, he first cleans a medium to deep pile carpet first with the Dyson DC39 Animal then follows it up with the Electrolux.
The results were pretty surprising considering that Dyson is the more expensive machine.
Upholstery performance
This comes with a mini turbo brush which basically is a mini floor tool that you can use to clean pet hair off upholstery.
Pet hair owners will appreciate this tool. This can also be used on stairs if the main floor attachment is too big.
It also comes with a crevice and dusting brush. Both are great tools to pick up loose dirt on most types of upholstery from fabric to leather.
Pet hair removal
Whether on carpet, hard floors or upholstery this vacuum is well equipped to pick up pet hair from low pile to plush carpet thanks to the motorized floor head.
Cleaning pet hair on upholstery shouldn’t be a problem with the mini turbo brush.
Take note that you’ll have to clean both of these brushes to maintain cleaning performance over time.
Product specifications
| Features | |
| Attachments | Crevice tool Dusting brush Upholstery tool Telescopic wand |
| Height adjustment settings | 3 |
| Cord Length | 21 feet |
| Auto Cord Rewind |  |
| Motorized brush | |
| Brush on/off switch | |
| Swivel | |
| Headlight | |
| Filter clogged indicator |  |
| Full bin indicator | Dirt container is transparent so you can see if it's full |
| Bagless | |
| Multi-surface | |
| Self propelled | |
| Net weight | 12.5 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 27.5 pounds |
| Hose length | 6 feet |
| Cleaning Path | 13" |
| Overall reach | N/A |
| Dirt capacity | 1.32 Liters |
| Filter type | HEPA Filter |
| Power | 12 amps |
| Voltage | 120 volts |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 5 years |
What consumers say?
In terms of cleaning performance a majority of consumers who purchased this loved how this canister vacuum performed.
It was able to remove all sorts of dirt, pet hair and gunk from even thick pile carpet. And if you watched the two videos I shared with you above, it still picks up dirt even after a Dyson was used to clean that same area.
Hard floor attachment not as good
The hard floor tool attachment though was a disappointment on hard surfaces as consumers complained that it has a tendency to push dirt around. But remember you can use the main floor attach and turn off the brush roll if you are concerned about scratches.
One note though, a consumer mentioned that you have to clean the main filter regularly so that cleaning performance does not degrade.
Quality issue
In terms of quality, most users say that it is sturdy enough for everyday cleaning. But there are a few complaints about plastic parts, particularly the telescopic want breaking if you are not careful.
This comes with a 5 year warranty so if anything breaks within that period, Electrolux should replace those parts under warranty.
The ergoshock plastic bumper that doubles as a cord wrap did not get good reviews as it had a tendency to move out of place when you pick up the vacuum.
Not as maneuverable as a Dyson
Compared to a Dyson it was a little bit harder to pull. And it will not turn on the dime because it lacks the ball technology.
Overall consumers were happy with how this canister vacuum performs both on bare floor and carpet. Yes, there are complaints about defective units but that is the norm in consumer electronics. There will be a small percentage that comes out as lemons. This is the reason why we have warranties.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this canister vacuum from Amazon for less than $450. But it isn’t eligible to Amazon’s free 2-day shipping.
Amazon does sell extended warranties of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.
To wrap up
This canister vacuum is great for small to medium homes with wall to wall carpeting. It comes with a motorized brush which allows it to deep clean carpet.
Combine that with the strong suction from the 12 amp motor. And you have a very good deep cleaning machine that actually will cost less than a Dyson canister. It still comes with the same 5 year warranty so this is a great deal.
It has HEPA filtration so it will be great in theory for allergy sufferers. But remember this is uses a bagless system which means you’ll be exposed to dust when emptying this.
Even though it has a hard floor attachment, you’d be better off using the main attachment to clean hard surfaces as well because there are complaints about that tool not being too effective on bare floors.
The power cord will be long enough for most homes unless you own a very large 5,000 square foot mansion with a very high ceiling. And if you do, you’d probably rich enough to hire a house helper to clean your home for you but that’s another story.
This is also capable of above the floor cleaning thanks to the telescopic wand, 6 foot hose and the bevy of tools that includes the crevice, dusting brush, mini turbo brush and upholstery tool.
