If you could design a versatile canister vacuum to clean pets and keep pet hair and allergens inside the bin then the Kenmore progressive would be pretty damn close to the ideal vacuum.
This purple colored vacuum is certified as asthma and allergy friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America thanks the fully sealed HEPA filtration system.
Most people think that they need an upright vacuum if they have asthma. But this is a more mobile alternative that will not only clean floors and upholstery as well as other above the floor areas that make it a better value for money option.
Since this is a bagged vacuum you will have to replace the bags and HEPA filters during the duration of its service life. But if you don’t mind that, this is a great option for people who have pets and have allergies.
All the tools that come with it are designed with the pet owner in mind. The floor tool all the way down to the pet upholstery tool will inhale pet hair.
Is it worth the $300 price tag?
A quick look at the features
- This canister is certified allergy and asthma friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
- Utilizes a fully sealed HEPA filtration system that uses a bag to collect dirt
- Has a 28 foot long power cord plus the 7 foot wand gives you over 35 feet of reach
- Power cord is retractable
- Weighs 23.1 pounds
- Comes with attachments that can clean bare floor, carpet and upholstery – a crevice tool, dusting brush/upholstery tool, mini powermate tool (this is the mini turbo brush) and pet hair catcher tool
- This canister is designed to clean pet hair
Pros
- Great for pet who have pets that have allergies because it has a sealed hepa system that uses a bag
- Strong suction
- Long power cord for a canister vacuum
- Front caster wheels make this very maneuverable
- A cheaper option than the Miele Complete C3 series
- Motorized main floor head will give you deep cleaning capabilities even on thick carpet
- Fold flat feature allows the main head to clean under furniture
Cons
- Weight over 20 pounds, this is a heavy vacuum
- Some concerns by consumers over the quality of this vacuum
- Short warranty (only 1 year)
- Because of the strong suction – this is hard to push around according to this review
What to expect from this asthma and allergy safe canister?
Looking at the feature set of this vacuum – it is designed for the people who have asthma or have lots of pets at home.
From the powered main floor head to the fully sealed HEPA filtration system that uses bags – this vacuum is designed for pet owners who have allergies.
And if you’ve cared for pets, one of the biggest issues would be cleaning up pet hair not just on floors but also on upholstery, stairs, vents, tables, etc.
They’re everywhere and with the amount of pet hair shed by our lovable furry animals it snowballs to another problem which is allergies.
If you have these two problems then the Kenmore Progressive canister could be the solution that will help you keep your homes free from allergens caused by pet hair or litter left behind by our animals friends.
Despite being a canister, this has significant weight – over 20 pounds but before you complain about the weight, remember that you will not be carrying this around, only if you need to bring this up or down a flight of stairs to clean another level of your home.
It weighs a lot because it uses a large 12 amp motor and with the main floor tool having its own motor also adds to the overall weight so it’s not really a bad thing.
Along with the main cleaning tool the Progressive canister also comes with other attachments that allow you to clean areas above the floor. These tools include the crevice tool, combination upholstery/brush tool and the motorized pet powermate tool.
All these attachments can be stored inside the canister so there is little risk of misplacing these tools.
If you look at the back of the main floor tool, it has a height adjustment lever that adjusts the height of the main floor tool from “xlo” for bare floor to “hi” for plush carpet. While I like the ability to adjust the height I am concerned that the lever may break or wear out over time. An automatic height adjustment feature would be better in my opinion.
Check out this video to see these features in action…
Bare Floor Performance
Armed with a brush roll on/off feature this machine with its strong suction should be able to pick up dust and other debris without any issues on bare floor but reviewed.com said that it had trouble picking up uncooked rice even with the brush tool but Consumer Reports say otherwise saying that it performed well on bare floor.
Make sure that you turn off the brush roll and set the floor tool in its lowest setting.
Carpet Performance
This is where the Progressive Canister shines. If you have thick pile carpet at home and you need some deep cleaning, this machine is one of your best options to do your job.
But you’ll have to remember to put it at the right setting to maximize the agitation and suction power.
In the right setting this machine is fully capable of deep cleaning even shag carpet. It is capable of picking up pet hair, dander, dust and all that nasty allergen off carpet.
Consumer reports say that it excels at capturing dust. And the manual height adjustment works better than the automatic systems in terms of agitation. I guess I was wrong.
Upholstery Performance
If you have a lot of pets one of the trouble areas is upholstery. And this vacuum has the tool that will clean up pet hair not just on chairs but also on your bed. This tool is called the pet powermate which basically is their fancy term for a mini turbo brush.
You can use attach this tool on directly on the handle and clean any upholstery with it.
Pet Hair Removal
In terms of cleaning pet hair, this machine is up to the task when you combine the suction and agitation plus the HEPA filtration, this machine picks up a lot and keeps it inside the bag. Like what I’ve said in the intro, if you have a lot of pets and you have allergies, this is a good option.
Attachments and Accessories
This vacuum comes with a total of 4 – the crevice tool, brush/upholstery tool, pet powermate and pet hair catcher. If you buy this from Kenmore (through Sears) you’ll get the bare floor tool as well.
Here’s how some of these tools look like…
The brush/upholstery tool
Pet PowerMate tool
Cord Length
The 21614’s cord is around 28 feet long which is pretty long for a canister vacuum plus it has a cord rewind feature.
Filter Cleanup
Since this vacuum uses HEPA filters, you cannot clean the filters but replace them once a year. If you live in a dustier environment you may have to replace it more often. These filters cost around $9 for a pack of two.
Another item you need to replace is the bag. Don’t worry about guessing when to replace them, the vacuum has an electronic performance indicator that tells you when the bag is full or clogged. These bags usually clog up when you clean a lot of fine debris like sawdust.
Warranty
Unfortunately Kenmore vacuums on have one year warranty. But if you buy this from Amazon, you can buy extended warranties of up to 3 years. This is a great if you want some extra peace of mind.
Product Specifications
| Attachments | Dusting brush Crevice tool Pet PowerMate Pet Upholstery Tool |
| Cord Length | 35 feet |
| Auto Cord Rewind |  |
| Motorized brush |  |
| Brush on/off switch | |
| Swivel | |
| Headlight | |
| Filter clogged indicator | |
| Full bin indicator | |
| Bagless | Uses a bagged system |
| Multi-surface | |
| Self propelled | |
| Net weight | 23.1 pounds |
| Shipping weight | 28 pounds |
| Hose length | 7 feet |
| Cleaning Path | 14" |
| Dirt capacity | N/A |
| Filter type | Bag + 2 HEPA filters |
| Power | 12 amps |
| Voltage | 120 volts |
| Manufactured in | China |
| Warranty | 1 year |
Consumer Reviews
While consumers like the performance of this vacuums especially cleaning pet hair there are some design issues that are hard to ignore.
The first flaw would be the design of the brush slash upholstery tool. I mean do you need it to be that wide? I think Kenmore would be better off with a standard brush tool with longer bristles. This one really has short bristles which pretty much is useless. If you try cleaning nooks and crannies with it, you’ll find it really hard to do.
And when you attach the crevice tool the presence of the brush tool lessens the reach of it and it is virtually impossible to clean areas in between seat cushions because of the size.
Another problem area would be the size of the handle. Some women commented that it is tool bulky and the designer didn’t take time to think about the size of a woman’s hand when designing this.
When it comes to performance, the consensus is it did better on carpet versus bare floor. This is because of the floor tool design.
Agitation is excellent and suction is good enough even on shag carpet. The height adjustment also helps with the cleaning performance on carpet.
Where can I buy this?
You can buy this canister vacuum for around $300. And it’ll be eligible for Amazon’s 2-day free shipping if you join Prime.
To wrap up
This vacuum is a great option for for pet owners for who suffer from a condition like asthma. The fully sealed HEPA filtration system has a bag so allergens stay inside. There is virtually no exposure even if you empty it.
Biggest downside of a bagged vacuum is the additional cost of bags and filters. This adds to the cost long term.
If you have a really dusty home and want something versatile that will pick up allergens as well as pet hair on carpet this is a great option but not a cheap one.
Overall this is a decent option for pet owners who have homes with a lot of shag carpet looking for a vacuum to help them clean pet hair off not just carpet but upholstery as well.
