Not sure which Vax vacuum to buy? Here are our top five recommendations for a Vax vacuum cleaner, including handheld, cordless, and upright models.
Top Pick: Vax Air Lift UCPESHV1
Vax Air Lift UCPESHV1
Our top pick for a Vax vacuum cleaner is the Air Lift Steerable Pet. It’s not a flashy vacuum cleaner and doesn’t come with many advanced features, but it provides strong cyclonic suction for a great price.
The Air Lift Steerable Pet also has a lift-out cylinder and a turbo tool for pet hair, making it a versatile choice.
Vax produces a wide range of affordable vacuum cleaners. While you won’t find many advanced features on Vax vacuums, they can be a solid option if you want a simple vacuum for a great price.
There are many Vax vacuum cleaners on the market in the UK, which can make it difficult to choose. We’ve listed our picks for the best Vax vacuums below, along with links to our in-depth reviews of each model.
Contents
Which Are The Best Vax Vacuum Cleaners?
Vax Air Lift UCPESHV1 |  Vax Air Stretch Pet Max U85-AS-Pme |  Vax ONEPWR Blade 4 Pet |  Vax Mach Air Revive UCA2GEV1 |  Vax Gator H85-GA-B10 | |
| Price Range | ££ | ££ | £££ | £ | £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Upright | Upright | Cordless | Upright | Handheld |
| Bag Type | Bagless | Bagless | Bagless | Bagless | Bagless |
| Dust Capacity (L) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| Weight (kg) | 6.2 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 5 | 1.3 |
| Hose? | |||||
| HEPA Filter? | |||||
| Pet Tool? | |||||
| Overall Rating View Rating Breakdown | |||||
Type: Upright | Bag Type: Bagless | Price Range: ££ | Dust Capacity: 1.5 litres | Weight: 6.2kg | Pet Tool: Yes | HEPA Filter: No
- Decent suction power for a vacuum in this price range
- Detachable canister for easier stair cleaning
- Turbo tool for pet hair is a welcome bonus
- Can't match the best upright vacuums for suction
- Not the easiest to manoeuvre
We found that the Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet provides strong all-round performance for the price – particularly for people with cats or dogs. It’s never going to match the best upright vacuums for cleaning performance, but we think it’s hard to beat in this price range.
Like many bagless uprights, the Air Lift Steerable Pet is built with multi-cyclonic technology, which prevents suction loss as the bag fills up. It provides decent performance on carpets, due to the strong suction and rotating brush bar. The sliding air vent is also a useful extra for when the vacuum becomes hard to push on thick carpets.
We don’t think it’s the most manoeuvrable vacuum on the market, but the steerable design does help when vacuuming around the home. We also like that it has a lightweight cylinder that can be lifted from the main body for easier stair cleaning, which helps solve a common issue for upright vacs.
Other features include a turbo tool, which is great for getting rid of pet hair in upholstery, and a 3-in-1 accessory. It doesn’t come with a HEPA filter though – for that you’ll need the Air Lift Advance model.
These features add up to an excellent vacuum cleaner for a great price. The Air Lift Steerable Pet is one of the most popular Vax models on the market – and for good reason. It’s highly versatile, due to its attachments and removable canister, plus it has powerful suction (especially considering the price). A bonus is that the vacuum is easy to empty, although the open design means we don’t recommend it for allergy sufferers.
In summary, we think the Air Lift Steerable Pet is one of the best Vax vacuum cleaners on the market at the moment. It’s especially good if you have a cat, dog or other pet. The turbo tool is perfect for removing pet hair, but it also excels at almost any other cleaning job and the detachable canister makes vacuuming stairs much easier.
Note: The UCSUSHV1 replaces Vax’s previous U84 model.
2. Vax U85-AS-Pme Air Stretch Pet Max
Type: Upright | Bag Type: Bagless | Price Range: ££ | Dust Capacity: 1.5 litres | Weight: 4.9kg | Pet Tool: Yes | HEPA Filter: Yes
- Powerful suction and hard floor cleaning performance
- Turbo tool for sucking up stubborn dirt and pet hair
- Long 13 metre cord and stretch hose
- Can be frustrating to steer around the home
- Not the best vacuum for cleaning carpets
If you don’t need a lift-out cylinder, then the U85-AS-Pme Air Stretch Pet Max is another Vax upright vacuum cleaner we recommend. It’s cheaper than the Air Lift Steerable Advance, yet comes with a huge cleaning radius and strong hard floor performance.
Like the Air Lift series, the U85-AS-Pme uses multi-cyclonic technology to prevent suction loss as the canister fills up. It’s lightweight at 4.9kg and has a long 13 metre power cord.
Even more impressively, the hose stretches to provide a cleaning radius of 17 metres, so you can clean multiple rooms without changing plug socket. This is one of the largest cleaning areas of any vacuum we’ve reviewed, making the Vax a brilliant choice if you want a corded vacuum that can quickly clean large areas.
Other features include a turbo tool for pet hair and a 1.5L capacity. The U85-AS-Pme also comes with several attachments, such as a crevice tool, mattress nozzle and dusting brush.
Considering how cheap the U85-AS-Pme is compared to models from brands such as Dyson, we found that it provides solid suction power and cleaning performance. It’s not the most stylish or powerful vac on the market, but when it comes to value for money it’s hard to beat. The huge cleaning radius also makes corded cleaning more convenient – although it can’t match a lightweight cordless for mobility.
A drawback is that it’s not the most effective carpet vacuum we’ve reviewed. While it does a decent job on hard floors, we think the Vax Air Lift series is better for carpets.
However, if you’re looking for a vacuum cleaner that’s relatively lightweight, has a long hose, and is simple to use, then the U85-AS-Pme Air Reach Pet Max is an excellent option. It doesn’t have the detachable canister of the Air Lift, but it is one of the best Vax vacuum cleaners – particularly for hard floors.
Full Review: Vax U85-AS-Pme Air Stretch Max
Type: Cordless | Bag Type: Bagless | Price Range: £££ | Dust Capacity: 0.6 litres | Weight: 3.1kg | Pet Tool: Yes | HEPA Filter: No
- Excellent value for a cordless vacuum
- Great on carpets for the price
- Comes with a miniature pet tool
- Not as effective at cleaning hard floors as the top cordless vacuums
- Not the most powerful cordless we've reviewed
Instead of trying to compete with premium cordless vacuum cleaners, most of Vax’s cordless models are at the lower end of the price spectrum. This doesn’t mean they aren’t worth buying though – and the Vax ONEPWR Blade 4 Pet is one of the best examples of Vax’s cordless vacuums that we’ve reviewed so far.
We found that the Blade 4 Pet can’t quite match the power of top vacuums, but it has a motorised brush bar and surprisingly strong performance on carpets. We’re also impressed with the Vax’s ability to pick up pet hair with both the main floorhead and the miniature pet tool.
Another feature we like is that the ONEPWR comes with a removable battery. Batteries are often the first components to need replacing on cordless vacuums, and the Vax makes it easy. It also provides up to 45-minutes of run-time from a 3-hour charge, which is more than respectable.
In addition to the decent carpet performance, the Vax comes with a removable bin, LED headlights, and a stick/handheld design. It doesn’t have a HEPA filter, however, and we found that it isn’t quite as effective at cleaning hard floors.
Even so, we think this is an excellent Vax cordless vacuum cleaner that’s available for a very reasonable price. It’s definitely worth considering if your home is carpeted.
Type: Upright | Bag Type: Bagless | Price Range: £ | Dust Capacity: 1.5 litres | Weight: 5kg | Pet Tool: No | HEPA Filter: Yes
- Relatively lightweight for an upright vacuum
- Great for removing pet hair
- Comes with a HEPA filter
- Not great for cleaning hard floors
- Short power cord can feel restrictive
The Vax Mach Air Revive UCA2GEV1 is another budget upright vacuum. We’ve included it on this list as it does a great job of removing pet hair and is decent at cleaning carpets, making it a solid choice in this price range.
Cheaper vacuums often struggle with harder cleaning tasks, such as long hairs or larger debris. The Mach Air Revive performs well with these challenges, although the lack of a motorised pet tool means it’s less suitable for pet owners than it appears at first glance.
We like that the vacuum is lightweight and easy to use. At just 5kg, it’s close to being suitable for our lightweight category. It also comes with a HEPA filter, which is useful if anyone in the household suffers from allergies.
As you would expect from a vacuum cleaner in this price range, there are a few downsides to the Vax Mach Air Revive though. While it’s a solid option for cleaning carpets and great for pet hair, it’s less effective on hard floors. We also would have liked a longer power cord, as the seven-metre cord feels restrictive.
Overall, the Vax Mach Air Revive is a solid upright vacuum that provides excellent value for money. It’s particularly effective at removing pet hair and is a decent carpet vacuum, so if there aren’t many hard floors in your home, we think it’s an excellent choice. Don’t expect it to match the best upright vacuums that cost a lot more though.
5. Vax Gator H85-GA-B10
Type: Handheld | Bag Type: Bagless | Price Range: £ | Dust Capacity: 0.3 litres | Weight: 1.3kg | Pet Tool: No | HEPA Filter: No
- Great value for money
- Useful for quick clean-ups
- Can't match the best handhelds when it comes to suction power
- No motorised tool
- Filter clogs easily
If you’re looking for a relatively cheap handheld vacuum, then we think the Vax Gator is excellent value. We’ve tested a lot of handheld vacuums, and while the Vax isn’t the best we’ve reviewed, it’s still convenient for quick cleaning jobs.
During our testing, we found that the Vax Gator is lightweight and convenient for small tasks. It’s useful for jobs such as clearing up spilt rice, removing dried dirt from a mat, or quickly cleaning stairs. The built-in crevice tool is also handy for cleaning corners.
We do have some complaints about this vacuum though, which is why we don’t think it can match the best handheld vacuums currently available. The biggest is probably related to suction power, as the Gator just can’t match the top models regarding raw suction. We also found that the lack of a rotating brush bar greatly reduces the vacuum’s efficiency when cleaning pet hair or stubborn dirt.
Still, if you need a handheld for small jobs, then the Vax Gator is lightweight, easy to use, and convenient for cleaning around the home. It’s also much cheaper than many other handheld vacuums.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vax vacuums have a thermal cut-out system to protect the motor from overheating. This is often activated by reduced airflow due to a blocked filter, blockage in the vacuum, or overfilled canister. Take a look at our guide to Vax vacuums overheating for more information.
Vax produces a range of vacuums in almost every category. This includes upright vacuums, cylinder, handheld, steam cleaners and cordless – although they are best known for their upright models.
Most Vax vacuums are at the lower end of the price scale. This makes them a great choice if you’re on a budget, as many of the company’s vacuums provide excellent value for money.
Editor’s Note: While the company is based in the UK, Vax vacuums are manufactured in China.
Summary
Vax are one of the best manufacturers if you’re looking for an affordable UK vacuum cleaner. While their products can’t match other brands for advanced features and all-round cleaning performance, the best Vax vacuum cleaners provide excellent value for money.
If you’re looking for a pet vacuum, we think the Vax Air Lift Steerable Pet is probably the best option from this brand. It’s powerful, comes with a turbo tool, and features a handy detachable canister
We hope this article has helped you choose a Vax vacuum cleaner. If you have any questions or comments, please use the comments section below.
All Vax Vacuum Reviews
| Name | Overall Rating | Type | Price Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vax Air Stretch Pet Max U85-AS-Pme | Upright | ££ | |
| Vax Gator H85-GA-B10 | Handheld | £ |
Page Update History
11th September 2023
Updated to the new Spotless Vacuum design. Added two new vacuums:
- Vax Mach Air Revive Upright Vacuum (replacing the Vax Blade Pro 32V)
- Vax Gator H85-GA-B10 Handheld Vacuum
I bought a pet vax last week on line.Talk about Tom cats and cellar doors the suction would certainly do that! It is a good design apart from this. I set about my carpets today and could not move it. I opened the vent on handle but not much help.Finally found if I pulled it towards me it would move, not the way to vacuum! Certainly picked up everything including the carpet. At 83 years old with back problem not very good.