Be brave enough to stray away from the mainstream and Karcher’s new stick-vac offering has more than a few tricks up it’s sleeve.

We’ll be the first to admit it, when it comes to the vacuum game the first name on our lips starts with a ‘D’ and rhymes with “my son”. However if you are ready to look beyond the mainstream, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Enter Karcher’s VC 7 Cordless your Max vacuum cleaner.

I am definitely in need for a vacuum that can pack a punch, our 40kg, double-coated German Shepherd Flynn makes sure that any vacuum is going to be put through it’s paces. Unfortunately with the sort of hair we are dealing with, most stick vacuums end up full, clogged and out of battery before the house has been done.

The Arrival – Unboxing

Unboxing is a simple process, and included in the ‘kit’ will be familiar to most. Included is a wall bracket with integrated charging function, crevice nozzle, soft brush, upholstery nozzle and soft furniture brush (2-in-1), filter cleaning tool (more on that below). The VC 7 is an attractive piece of kit, the signature Karcher yellow proudly on display, and the rest of the setup either in black or brushed silver. It’s an impressive look and it needs to be, the competition is fierce, the VC 7 is lighter in weight and materials than it’s size would belay.

Battery Life

One of the clear disadvantages of cordless stick vacuums is the running time. Often larger areas will need a half-time to allow for a recharge, Karcher has tried to tackle this hurdle in a couple of different ways. First and foremost is the interchangeable battery system. The lithium-ion 25.2 V battery is lightweight but packs a decent enough punch to make short work of most things that our household could throw at it. It has a claimed running time of an hour on standard suction, and we managed to clean the house and still have some life to spare, so we reckon that this claim holds up. Dog hair, spilt rice, dirt and dust all went straight into the 800ml bin. Curiously, it seemed (at least to me) that unlike some competitors, the contents of the bin are tightly compressed so that you can capture more than the size would belay. Once the filter gets clogged, rather than having to replace it or clean it under a tap, Karcher has included a filter cleaner which simply plugs into the nozzle and utilises it’s own suction strength to clean it off, really clever stuff.

Usability

First and foremost is the quiet running noise. Gone are the days of yelling over the vacuum, the VC 7 operates at less than 78 decibels, the equivalent of a normal conversation. Another gem in the ergonomics of this stick vacuum is the (frankly ingenious) trigger lever. Rather than having to hold your finger on the trigger butter, the lever can be adjusted so that it holds it in place for you, leaving your hand more freed up for difficult-to-reach manoeuvres. The standard attachments are, at first glance just normal vacuum attachments however I found the soft brush attachment incredibly useful. For those of us struggling to remove pet hair from upholstery, the brush is deft at the task. The soft bristles bunch togther the surface hair (or dust) and allows the vaccum to increase it’s suction automatically and in turn, effectively pick it all up.

The Verdict

For $799 (or as this article is written, discounted to $499); the Karcher VC 7 Cordless yourMax vacuum cleaner really cleans up the competition when it comes to value for money. We didn’t find us at any point missing our old stick vac from a leading brand, and found the little easter eggs such as dust sensor, trigger lever & filter cleaner thoughtful & intuitive. For those tackling a clean that involves stairs, the light weight and great battery life makes a home once-over a doddle. If Karcher allowed different colour options, and a more ergonomic bin-emptying setup this device would be the ideal home-cleaning companion.

Tech Addict Rating: 8.5/10

All Kärcher cordless vacuums are available online via karcher.com.au, with a 60-day money back guarantee. Prices range from $399-$799.