If you’ve been following this blog the last few months, I’m sure you’ve read my review about an innovative product from Shark that they call the Lift-Away.
That product combines the power of an upright to the versatility of a canister vacuum.
That’s a great product, right?
It saves you money because you don’t need to buy two separate cleaners.
What if I told you that another manufacturer came up with the same product minus the cord?
If you don’t believe me then feast your eyes on the Hoover Air Cordless Lift Upright.
This is one of Hoover’s new cordless vacuums in the market right now, with 50 minutes of run time combined from the two 20-volt lithium-ion batteries.
This feature allows consumers to use this on the floor and off the floor.
When you use the “lift” feature, imagine the convenience of a canister vacuum without any cords!
Of course, the run time will be limited and it will not deep clean. But what you are paying here is convenience and maneuverability.
If you have a small mess, which would you rather bring out, an upright with a 30-foot cord that you need to unwind or this machine with no cords?
My answer would be the latter and I’m sure yours will be too after you read this review.
A quick look at the features
- Utilizes a removable canister that coverts this machine into a canister vacuum
- Comes with two 20-volt lithium-ion batteries that will give you 25 minutes of run time each (or 50 minutes combined)
- Uses a multi-cyclonic filter to ensure that there is no loss of suction
- Lithium batteries will take 3 hours to fully charge
- Weighs only 12.5 pounds – very lightweight for an upright vacuum cleaner
- Brush roll on/off feature
- Comes with an extra washable filter, crevice tool and pivoting dusting brush
- Has a boost mode to help clean up tougher messes
- Has LED headlights
- Utilizes steerable technology meaning it can swivel
- 5-year warranty on the vacuum and battery
Pros
- The 2 lithium batteries will have roughly 50 minutes of run time
- Large dirt capacity – over a liter
- Capable of cleaning areas above the floor thanks to its lift feature that converts this into a canister vacuum
- Wide cleaning path at 11 inches
- Lightweight
- Pretty decent suction for a cordless
- Has LED headlights which helps you spot dusty areas
- Swivel feature make this very maneuverable
- When used as a canister it has a good amount of reach that’s to the stretchable hose and wand (Hoover says it has up to 8 feet reach above the floor)
- Utilizes a multi-cyclonic system that ensures there is little to no loss of suction throughout the cleaning cycle
- Long warranty
Cons
- Expensive – close to $400, that’s the price of a high-end upright vacuum
- Even if Hoover claims this gives upright vacuum performance, it will not match a true corded upright in terms of deep cleaning
- No pet hair attachment
What to expect from the Hoover Air Cordless Lift?
As I’ve mentioned earlier in this review, this machine has the “lift” feature that will allow you to separate the canister from the main body of this machine.
It essentially gives you two products in one – an upright and canister.
It comes with two lithium-ion batteries that will give you a total of 50 minutes of run time. This, in my opinion, is enough to clean a small home with mostly bare floors.
For your above the floor cleaning needs, it comes equipped with a stretchable hose, wand, crevice and a pivot brush tool.
It also comes with an extra filter so you don’t have to worry about any downtime while waiting for it to dry.
Some may find this too expensive. But remember that you’re getting more than an upright because it morphs into a canister that has a lot of reach.
With this feature, you may not need a handheld anymore.
Finally, the best part is the warranty. It comes with a 5-year warranty on the whole machine from the motor to the battery.
Attachments and accessories
It comes with a couple of tools, the crevice/brush combo and the pivot dusting brush that pivots in different angles to help you clean areas that is hard to reach.
Charging time
Each of the two lithium-ion batteries will take roughly 3 hours to charge according to Hoover.
Filter clean up
To maintain performance you need to regularly wash the filter located under the dirt cup cover as you’ll see in the illustration below.
You’ll also need to clean the core where the cyclonic filters are – Hoover recommends using the dusting brush for this task.
Run time
This Hoover will run for 50 minutes combined from the two lithium-ion batteries.
Warranty
Hoover will give a 5-year warranty on the whole vacuum (yup that includes the battery).
See it in action
Here are the features of the Air Cordless Lift and how to use it (2nd video)…
Bare Floor Performance
With the brush roll on/off feature, this is usable on bare floor. Another plus point would be preventing scratches on hardwood.
Be careful though when cleaning large pieces of debris like cereal or chips because it has a slight snowplow effect because of the low clearance of the floor tool.
It does have an area in the middle of the floor tool for larger debris to fit in. So that effect isn’t as bad as let’s say a Dyson DC59 were it is completely straight.
Carpet Performance
The motorized brush is capable of cleaning dirt on low to medium pile carpet. But it won’t match an upright in terms of agitation.
It has a boost mode similar to a Dyson cordless that increases suction power but at the expense of run time.
You’ve got to remember that this is not a deep cleaning machine that will totally replace an upright vacuum. But this is a great supplementary cleaner that will help you keep your carpets clean in-between deep cleaning sessions.
Pet Hair Removal
On bare floor and carpet the Air Cordless Lift will do well in removing and cleaning pet hair. But on upholstery and stairs will struggle a bit because it lacks a dedicated pet hair tool to clean pet hair efficiently.
Upholstery performance
This is where the “lift” feature comes in. In Canister mode, you can use this along with the flexible hose and attachments to clean up loose dirt on chairs, tables, sofas, and other upholstery. It is also lightweight enough to use to clean your car’s seats and floors.
Product Specifications
| Feature | Hoover Air Cordless Lift Bagless Upright Vacuum BH51120PC |
| Attachments | Pivoting Dusting Tool Extended Crevice Tool Extension Wand Extra foam filter |
| Battery | 2 x 20-volt lithium ion batteries |
| Battery indicator |  LED |
| Charger | Charging base |
| Charging time | 3 hours (each battery) |
| Battery life | 50 minutes (combined) |
| Brush on/off switch | |
| Headlights | LED |
| Swivel | |
| Net weight (with battery) | 12.5 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 20.2 pounds |
| Cleaning path | 11" |
| Above the floor reach | 8 feet |
| Overall length | 44" |
| Battery indicator | Yes (LED) |
| Filter type | Cyclonic + Foam filter |
| Dirt capacity | 1.05 liters |
| Power | N/A |
| Voltage | 110v |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 5 years on vacuum and battery |
What do consumers say?
A little bit of a disclaimer, since this is a new product, most of the reviews here you’ll see come from Amazon vine consumers – a select group of individuals chosen by Amazon to test a free product in exchange for an insightful review that will help consumers decide whether or not this product is worthwhile.
Most of the consumers who used this product loved how it performed both on hardwood and carpet. It was able to pick up dust, pet hair, sand, and pet liter without struggling. Despite the strong suction, several reviewers also pointed out that it still does not match a full-sized upright.
Good run time
Run time was another strong point. One reviewer said that he was able to clean his home that’s over 2,000 square feet.
Having the extra filter is nice because it’s you can use the extra when the other is drying up.
Hoover listens to its customers
Consumers also appreciated that Hoover has listened to its customers.
The Linx Stick, a best-selling stick vacuum which had its share of problems – no swivel, plastic tabs the break and a common problem of the plastic handle that breaks when it falls or just from wear and tear.
This new product has swivel steering and a more solid build with the handle securely fastened in place by stronger plastics. And all the attachments fasten with a loud “click” sound.
If there is a downside it is the price
This is an expensive vacuum period, a $400 vacuum (currently this vacuum sells for less than $150 in Amazon) that will not deep clean is not for everyone. But remember you are paying for convenience here of not having to lug around a heavy machine just to clean a small mess.
It is also powerful enough to clean a room or two thanks to the 2 batteries and the 1-liter dirt capacity.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this versatile from Amazon for less than $150. And it’ll come with their 2-day free shipping if you join Prime.
Amazon also sells extended warranties of up to 3 years of you want that extra peace of mind. Buying this direct from Hoover or Amazon will entitle you of a 5-year warranty which is 3 years more than Dyson cordless.
To wrap up
This would be great for people who own small to medium sized homes looking for a cordless option that will not take up a lot of space and has multi-function capabilities.
It has the “Lift” feature that separates the canister from the frame. This converts it from upright mode to canister mode. In this mode, you can use it to clean areas like stairs, upholstery and even ceiling vents.
In upright mode, it has strong enough suction to remove surface dirt that is on the carpet. It also has side brushes that help this product maximize its nozzle width because it picks up dirt even on the edges.
Consumers who’ve used this product were generally happy with the cleaning performance and versatility saying that this product has changed the way they thought about cordless vacuums.
Despite all the suction power, it will not match a corded full sized upright in terms of deep cleaning power. So you will still need that in your cleaning toolkit to keep your carpets clean. But if your home is mostly hard surfaces you may be able to get by with this as your main cleaner.
It is versatile enough to tackle a number of areas without the need to buy another handheld vacuum.
One downside is the price but consider this a long term investment because Hoover covers your purchase with a 5-year warranty.
