A relative newcomer to the floorcare market, Lupe Technology was founded by two former Dyson engineers, and is now squaring up to that company, and other premium brands such as Miele, with its first cordless vacuum, which it claims gives those rivals’ machines a run for their money when it comes to suction power.
The Pure Cordless Vacuum Cleaner has a 400W motor, and according to the British brand offers better suction than its rivals thanks to its “patented suction intensifier”. The vacuum also has a 3-in-1 design, so it can be used either as an upright cordless vacuum, or in hose mode, with a one-meter extension hose for cleaning hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, or in handheld mode, with the main body detaching from the main tube and floor head assembly to offer a lighter and more easily portable device for cleaning stairs or up-high.
There’s no floor-sensing cleaner head, as you’ll find on some rival models, but the Lupe Pure Cordless does offer three levels of suction power, although you’ll have to manually switch between them. It’s also possible to switch the rotating brush bar on and off – it’s recommended that you switch it off when cleaning deep pile carpets and rugs to ensure that the cleaner moves smoothly across the floor.
Lupe says the battery will last up to 60 minutes between charges, and it’s removable – the company plans to offer additional batteries for sale from mid-April. The Lupe Pure Cordless vacuum is expensive, priced at $799 / £599 / AU$1,092, so can it really rival Dyson when it comes to cleaning power? We put it to the test to find out.
Lupe Pure Cordless Vacuum cleaner price and availability
- List price $799 / £599 / AU$1,092
The Lupe Pure Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is priced at $799 / £599 / AU$1,092, and is available worldwide from Lupe’s website; it’s also available through Amazon in the UK.
As mentioned, the Lupe Pure cordless vacuum has a removable battery, and Lupe says additional batteries will be available by mid-April and will cost $200 / £149.99 / AU$235. The company also plans to offer the vacuum cleaner bundled with two batteries for $1,066 / £699 / AU$1,267, although it hasn’t confirmed when this package will be available.
Design
- 0.2-gallon / 1-litre dust bin
- Comes with two tools
- Modular design enables easy conversion to handheld or hose mode
Like other cordless vacuums on the market, the Lupe Pure Cordless can be converted into a handheld vacuum cleaner, although as it’s not a stick cleaner, the main unit with hose is removed from the floor cleaning head and tube assembly entirely, rather than being disconnected from the lower tube and floor head
In upright mode it works like a regular upright vacuum, while you can also use it in hose mode – when you attach either of the two bundled tools to the 3.9ft (1.2m) hose, the vacuum will direct the suction away from the cleaner head and to the hose – handy if you want to clean under furniture, or in tight corners that the cleaning head can’t reach.
The vacuum cleaner offers three levels of suction power, which you can switch between using the buttons on the front of the main unit. As we’ve mentioned, the removable battery lasts up to 60 minutes when used on the lowest power setting; that drops to around 30 minutes on medium power, and 15 minutes on full power.
That 0.2 gallon / 1-liter dust canister is one of the biggest on the market, so you won’t need to interrupt your cleaning sessions with regular trips to the bin. The vacuum also comes with two accessories: a crevice tool and an upholstery tool, as well as a storage clip to hold them, which can be attached to the main wand.
The Lupe Pure Cordless Vacuum Cleaner weighs 10.1lb (4.6kg), making it one of the heaviest vacuums we’ve tested, although the lift-out main unit weighs 1.1lb (0.5kg) in handheld mode, which is manageable. However, it is bulky compared to other cordless vacuums on the market and it’s all-white plastic design won’t win any awards for style.
Performance
- Extremely powerful suction
- Handheld mode requires both hands
- Loud when used on most powerful setting
The Lupe Pure Cordless Vacuum Cleaner can certainly hold its own when it comes to suction power. On the most powerful setting, fine dust, biscuit crumbs, cereal and the like were sucked up in seconds, although the suction was so strong on this setting that the vacuum became a little more difficult to manovre on hard floors, even though the powered brush bar was turned on. It glided more smoothly when used on the lower power settings, both when used as a cordless vacuum and in hose mode.
There was a clear difference in suction on the lower power settings, with several sweeps required to suck up all of the large debris. While the vacuum was pleasingly quiet when used on lower power settings, averaging around 72db, when we switched to the most power setting, our decibel meter hit 84db, which is similar to a diesel truck travelling down the road at 40mph. The sound was also high-pitched, which we found quite irritating.
The buttons on the front of the vacuum makes it simple to boost or reduce the suction power, although the only indicator as to which power setting you’re using is a small LED on the button, and we found that we had to glance down any time we wanted to check; there’s also no way of gauging how much runtime is left in the battery.
On the whole, we found that converting the vacuum between the different modes was simple and fuss-free, thanks to the click-in design of the different components. We did find that we needed both hands to use the cleaner in handheld mode – one to hold the unit, and one to direct the hose, whereas most other cordless vacuums can be used one-handed in handheld mode.
You can neatly stow the two accessories when you’re not using them by clipping them to the mount that attaches to the main tube, but the design wasn’t particularly secure, and we did end up knocking the tools off on occasion. We also found the dust canister was fiddly to empty – once you’ve removed it from the main unit, you need to press the button at the bottom and remove the cover yourself; it’s not automated, as it is on rival cleaners from Dyson.
Battery life
- Battery life ranges from 15 to 60 minutes depending on the power setting
- The battery takes 3.5 hours to fully recharge
- Extra batteries will be available to purchase soon
As mentioned, Lupe claims the battery will last up to 60 minutes on the lowest power setting, and on test we managed 58 minutes before the vacuum needed recharging. The swappable batteries will mean that if one charge isn’t enough for you to clean your whole home, you can purchase an additional battery if you want to keep cleaning without interruption.
It took around 3.5 hours to fully recharge the battery using the bundled battery charger.
Should I buy the Lupe Pure Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Buy it if…
You want a cordless vacuum with a hose
If you want a cordless vacuum that’s good for tight corners, and nooks and crannies, this is a good option. The Flexible hose can be used with a crevice attachment to reach places where other cordless vacuums can’t.
You want powerful suction
On its most powerful setting, the Lupe Pure cordless vacuum cleaner has no problems sucking up fine dust and larger debris such as a cereal – this vacuum certainly holds its own against the likes of Dyson and Miele for suction power.
You have a large home
The dust canister can hold up to 0.2-gallon / 1-liter of debris, making it one of the largest on the market, and if you have a big home this will ensure minimal interruptions to your cleaning schedule while you empty the canister.
Don’t buy it if…
You can’t deal with loud vacuums
If loud appliances bother you, avoid this vacuum cleaner. The Lupe Pure Cordless can be as loud as a diesel track travelling at 40mph, and on its most powerful setting it emits a high-pitched noise that’s irritating to say the least.
You’re on a budget
The Lupe Pure Cordless doesn’t come cheap at $799 / £599 / AU$1,092, so those on a budget would be better off with more affordable options from brands such as Shark or Hoover.
You want automated suction adjustment
Unlike Dyson and Miele’s similarly priced rivals, this vacuum cleaner won’t automatically adjust the suction based on the type of floor you’re cleaning, which can help to conserve battery power. You’ll need to do this yourself, as well as turning the brush bar on and off.