It was not that long ago that Dyson had an 80 per cent market share in the vacuum market, and they had pallets of stick vacs waiting for you in a local appliance retailer, but all that has changed. Indeed, for a brand that never used to discount much, I have recently seen Dyson stick vacs for 50 per cent off. Why has this all changed?
Very simple: new competition and stick vacs are available at much lower prices. One example is the Westinghouse 350W Cordless Stick Vacuum (WHVCSV05SB) that I recently tested.
What does the Westinghouse stick vacuum include?
Westinghouse has only one stick vac model, so for simplicity, I will refer to it as the Westinghouse stick vac. At $350, this model is on the lower end of available stick vacs, and its accessories include a wall-mounting bracket, a crevice tool, and a brush. The charger plug can be mounted on the wall bracket, so it charges when stored, or it can be kept separate to charge the battery, either whilst attached to the vacuum or detached. This is handy if there is no power outlet handy to the storage location. You do have to remember to charge it, though.
Speaking of charging, the Westinghouse has a large LED display that shows the remaining battery power as a fuel gauge and as a percentage. This same display also indicates the vacuum power (three levels) and whether the bust bin is full. The clear bust bin, however, gives a good indication of its remaining capacity.
To empty the dustbin, remove the vacuum tube, then press the bin release button; the waste falls out. There are no apparent restrictions in the bin, and so far, in my testing, the waste has always fallen out on its own. (We have a cat that sheds hair all the time, which has caused issues with other stick vacs).
How well does it vacuum?
As far as suction power, the lowest setting has worked perfectly on our hard floors. My wife and I tend to use this vacuum as an in-between vacuum, which you would have once used a broom for. I do believe this product would be perfect as the only vacuum for a unit.
A trigger starts the vacuum and must be pulled again to turn it off. A clever feature is that the vacuum has a delay of a few seconds, which ensures any dust in the head and tube makes its way into the waste bin rather than falling back down again after the vacuum is turned off. The vacuum power is adjusted by pressing the right-hand side of the display between three levels. A fourth push activates an auto-suction function.
Westinghouse quotes a battery life of up to 55 minutes on low power and 15 minutes on high power, which has so far been true in our testing. Beyond the quick cleanup, the vacuum is also great for cars and other little jobs around the house, without having to worry about a power cord.
Every stick vacuum you use feels slightly different to use. After you adjust the telescopic wand to your height, you will find the cleaning head runs on wheels and is very agile as the swivel head turns very easily in the direction you wish to clean. To aid with cleaning, three LED lights shine out from the front and highlight hair and bits of grit in the vacuum’s path, which I have not decided is a gimmick or not, as you were going to vacuum that way at any rate.
As you vacuum and the battery runs down, you notice a distinct reduction in motor speed, which is related to the battery voltage dropping. If you feel the suction is not enough, you can simply increase the suction power or recharge the battery.
Other than emptying the dustbin, maintenance is required. A HEPA filter, which captures fine dust, must be periodically taped to remove dust, then washed in cold water and dried before being reinstalled. Also, any long hair or thread wrapped around the vacuum head needs to be removed. A tool with a blade is provided to help with this task.
The Westinghouse WHVCSV05SB Cordless Stick Vacuum is available for $350 from Betta stores and online through Big W and JB Hi-Fi.
The post I tested Westinghouse’s affordable stick vacuum: How did it go? appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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