Our Verdict: The Hoover H-Upright 500 isn’t one of our top recommendations. It’s hard to use, inconvenient, and only provides average cleaning performance – particularly on hard floors. It does have some redeeming qualities, such as the wide cleaning radius and HEPA filter, but there are better options available for a similar price.
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach
Pros:
- Wide cleaning radius due to the long cord and stretch hose
- Decent performance on carpets
- HEPA filter helps improve allergen retention
Cons:
- Difficult to use and bulky
- Poor cleaning performance on hard floors
- Inconvenient hose system
Thinking of buying the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach? Read our in-depth review of this vacuum cleaner to learn more about its strengths and weaknesses.
The Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach is a bagless upright vacuum cleaner that’s at the lower end of the price spectrum. As the “Reach” name suggests, it has a wide cleaning radius compared to many uprights. Other features include a swivel nozzle floorhead and HEPA filter for enhanced filtration.
Unfortunately, we think this vacuum cleaner has some major flaws that make it difficult to recommend. While it provides decent performance on carpets, it struggles on hard floors and is inconvenient to use. With that said, it’s available for a great price and could still be an option to consider if you have carpeted floors.
So, how does this Hoover compare to other upright vacuums on the market? Does the extra reach make cleaning easier? Read our Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach review for all the details.
Overview of the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach’s Features
- Bagless upright vacuum cleaner
- Uses a HEPA filter for cleaner air
- Average 1.5 litre dust capacity
- Long 10m power cord and 4.5m stretch hose for extra reach
- Option to turn the rotating brush bar on/off to suit the floor type
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Appearance and Design
At first glance, we couldn’t help but notice how busy the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach looks. There are all sorts of accessories and design features, making it a far cry from the slimline design of modern cordless vacs.
But while it looks big and sturdy, we think it has a plasticky and flimsy feel when in use. The lower price of this cleaner is certainly reflected in its design quality.
Still, there’s an on/off switch that’s easy to reach at the base of the handle, along with a button for operating the rotating brush bar. We like this feature of the Hoover vacuum, as a powered brush bar can cause issues on hard floors.
At 6.1kg, the H-Upright 500 Reach is an average weight for an upright. But it’s heavier than models like the Shark NV702UK, which weighs 5.25kg. Similarly, the 1.5 litre capacity is fairly standard for an upright vacuum cleaner.
Cleaning radius is where we think this vacuum excels. The 10m power cord and 4.5m stretch hose allow you to cover large areas without swapping plug sockets. So, if you need to clean large areas of floor efficiently, then the H-Upright 500 Reach is one of the more convenient corded vacuum cleaners.
Manoeuvrability and Ease of Use
Aside from its wide cleaning radius and option to turn off the brush bar, we don’t think the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach is a user-friendly vacuum cleaner.
The swivel floor nozzle is meant to make it easier to move around furniture, but it actually makes the weight harder to balance. It feels lopsided and would benefit from an option to lock it into place.
The bagless design also puts more weight on the top of the vacuum cleaner, adding to the overall strain to keep it in a straight line. Even the long 10m power cord has a tedious manual rewind, although we probably wouldn’t expect an automatic rewind function from such a budget vacuum.
On the upside, Hoover has included a useful sliding vent for adapting suction. Lowering the suction makes it easier to push the vac around, but reduces the cleaning power (and the vacuum still requires some effort to push on thick carpets.)
Our biggest issue is the hose attachment. Every time you want to use it, you have to detach it from where it’s stored, clip it to the airflow, and then add the tool you want. It’s frustratingly inconvenient and inefficient.
Filtration
The HEPA filter on the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach is a pleasant surprise for a vac in this price range. HEPA filters are effective for trapping particles, so are a good option for allergy sufferers.
It also has multi-cyclonic technology that separates dust and pushes it away from the filters, helping to extend their lifespan.
Emptying and Cleaning
The 1.5 litre capacity of the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach is around average, but still larger than the Shark NZ801UKT. It’s enough dust bin capacity to cover a good amount of ground without frequent emptying.
The buttons for the bin release and emptying systems are clearly labelled and easy to use. Just remove the bin and press the button to empty it. There isn’t a collar to push the dirt out as you get on some Dyson models, however, so you may have to get your hands in to pull out clumps.
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Tools and Accessories
Floorhead
The Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach has a swivelling low profile floorhead without any headlights. The rotating brush bar is the best feature, as you can turn it on or off depending on the floor type you’re cleaning.
It’s better to have the brush bar turned on for carpets, so the bristles can agitate fibres and pull dirt out. Then you can switch them off for hard floors, so you don’t scratch delicate surfaces or flick debris around.
However, you need a screwdriver to remove the brush bar for cleaning, which isn’t the easiest method. Many vacuums we’ve reviewed have much simpler methods for removing the bar. And the belt for the rotating brush bar is a real weak point that’s prone to snapping.
Other Tools and Accessories
You get a couple of accessories with the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach. The long crevice tool is good to see, as most recent vacuums have a shorter version that’s much less useful.
There’s also a 2-in-1 dusting brush/crevice tool combo, which is effectively a crevice tool with some brushes on the end. You can extend it, but it tends to collapse back on itself. Finally, there’s an extension tube to further increase the reach.
Hoover has included onboard storage for all the accessories, so they’re easy to access mid-clean. They can also be used with the hose, but they don’t fit very well and can fall off. It’s generally a fiddly and time-consuming job to swap the attachments around, which we think is disappointing.
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Suction Power and Cleaning Performance
The Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach offers average cleaning performance. It’s decent enough on carpets, but struggles on hard floors and loses suction power as the canister fills up.
We like that Hoover has included a couple of options for adapting the vacuum to different surfaces. The sliding vent to adapt suction is helpful on thick carpets. The carpet and hard floor settings that control the brush roll are also a welcome addition.
To protect your floors further, the 500 Reach has “Intellicare Technology”. This stops the brushes from spinning when the vac is stationary, which prevents scuffs.
The extra reach does make this Hoover good for cleaning higher areas and cobwebs. It also handles larger debris well and makes light work of getting fibres off your upholstery. But overall, it’s not the best cleaning performance and the fiddly attachments don’t help its case.
Carpets
Carpets are the best surface for the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach. The rotating bristles pick up a lot of dust and dirt from the fibres, plus the strong suction is capable of pulling out pet hair.
A downside is that it can be hard to push on thick carpets, so you’ll need to use the suction vent. And watch out for bits dropping back out when you switch the cleaner off.
Hard Floors
Hard floors aren’t a strong point for the 500 Reach. It struggles on most hard surfaces and is close to useless at getting dust out of gaps between floorboards.
The only good point is how simple it is to transition to hard floors from carpets by flicking the switch. Still, we think it’s probably a vacuum cleaner to avoid if you’ve got lots of hard floors in your home.
Stairs
The long reach of this Hoover is enough to cover a whole flight of stairs, so you won’t need to balance the vac on a step. But you will need the hose at its full stretch, which can cause some strange whistling sounds.
The accessories are your best bet for stairs as the main floorhead is too wide. The 2-in-1 brush is good for the edges, but the angle of the brush means it’s not overly ergonomic.
Even so, there are far worse vacuums out there for cleaning stairs.
Pet Hair
The Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach isn’t a pet model, but it handles pet hair surprisingly well. It makes light work of picking up shorter hair in particular. The HEPA filter is also a bonus for all things animal-based, as it traps allergens rather than releasing them back into the air.
That said, you don’t get a pet attachment included, so it’s not as versatile for clearing up after your furry friends in other areas. There is a pet model available that includes the tool and is a better option if you have animals.
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Price and Value for Money
The Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach is one of the cheaper upright vacuum cleaners. But does it offer value for money?
Unfortunately, we can’t say it does. The suction power isn’t great, and hard floors are a real struggle. You don’t get many attachments, and the ones you do get aren’t the best quality.
The reach element is the strongest feature of this cleaner. But we’d rather swap plug sockets more often and get a better all-round clean.
Comparison With Other Vacuums
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Vs Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Pets
In essence, these are the same vac, but the pet model has an extra turbo brush attachment.
This pet brush has a motorised bristle bar, which is far more effective at lifting embedded pet hair from sofas, stairs and car interiors.
It’s a worthwhile tool if you have pets, but you can still expect to untangle hair from the bristles to keep it in good nick.
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Vs Hoover H-Upright 500 Sensor Plus
Again, these are similar cleaners, but with different floorheads.
The 500 Sensor Plus automatically adapts the speed of the brush roller to suit the floor type. It will slow the brushes down for hard floors to minimise the risk of damaging them or scattering debris, then the speed picks up on carpets for deeper cleaning.
There are also LED headlights on the 500 Sensor Plus, which are useful for dim corners.
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Specification
| Ninja Column 1 | Ninja Column 2 |
|---|---|
| Type | Upright |
| Bag | Bagless |
| Filter | HEPA |
| Price Range | ££ |
| Power (W) | 700 |
| Cord Length (m) | 10 |
| Weight (kg) | 6.1 |
| Capacity (Litres) | 1.5 |
| Motorised Tool | No |
| Hose | Yes |
| Hose Length (m) | 4.5 |
Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach Review Verdict
The low price point is the best thing about the Hoover H-Upright 500 Reach. It feels heavy and awkward to use, and changing the hose around is inconvenient. The overall cleaning performance isn’t anything to write home about, either.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The long reach and 1.5-litre capacity do come in useful and will save you extra trips to the bin and plug sockets.
It’s not one for your wish list if you’ve got hard floors. The vac just can’t handle them. But we think it could still be worth buying if you’re on a tight budget, have lots of carpeted floors, and really don’t like swapping plugs.