Thread Number: 28124  /  Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
Which? artcile - "Should you trust the new vacuum cleaner energy labels"?
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Post# 314297   2/3/2015 at 08:44 (3,340 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Which? has tested 38 vacuum cleaners that carry the newly introduced EU energy label and found that while the label has some benefits, performance ratings on some labels bear little relation to how well one model will clean compared to another when you get it home.

 

Introduced in September 2014, the new vacuum cleaner energy label restricts motor size to less than 1600 Watts and asks manufacturers to score their vacuum cleaners from A-G on four factors including energy use, pick up on hard floors, pick up on carpets and dust emissions. The label also shows how noisy the vacuum is in decibels.

 

In principle this is good news for the consumer as it should make it easier to find the best models, but our independent tests have uncovered inconsistencies between some label ratings. Our results suggest that a model with an A for cleaning performance on its label is not necessarily any better at cleaning than models with lower ratings – and could actually be a lot worse.

 

Don’t miss our full www.which.co.uk/reviews/vacuum-cl...">vacuum cleaner reviews for a full run down of the latest top scoring models from Which? tests.

Vacuum cleaner labels under the microscope

The best vacuum cleaner for dust pick up on carpet in our test has just a C rating for carpet cleaning performance on its energy label, which is some way off the best ‘official’ energy label rating of A.
And there are examples from well-known vacuum cleaner brands that achieve poorer dust pick up scores in our own tests, yet are displaying A ratings on this measure on their energy labels.

At Which? we test vacuum cleaners on the same surfaces with the same procedures that are specified on the energy label, so we're surprised at some of the ratings on a good proportion of the new label-carrying models.

Finding the best vacuum cleaner

If you relied purely on the new energy label, the chances are that you would not look twice at one of the very best vacuum cleaners according to our tests. The best model we've tested excels in nearly all of our tests, including cleaning performance, yet carries an EU energy label with D ratings for carpet and hard floor cleaning performance. We found inferior models to this one that have an A or B for carpet and hard floor cleaning under the new label.

For hard floors it is even more confusing, with our five-star hard floor vacuums being given energy label ratings for cleaning performance anywhere from F through to A.

This apparent lack of consistency in how carpet and hard floor ratings are assigned by manufacturers means consumers could struggle to pick the best vacuum cleaner using the new label.

 

And Which? is not alone in raising concerns. Already one big manufacturer in Europe has challenged another in the courts in Germany to have high rating labels on a certain rival manufacturer's vacuums revoked due to perceived inaccuracies.

 

Vacuum cleaner energy ratings

Our independent lab testing does confirm that the energy consumption aspect of the energy label is accurate. Individual models’ labels rank from A-F in line with what we’d expect based on our own testing.

 

While energy use is an important consideration when choosing a vacuum cleaner and it is good news that these appliances are using less energy, we know that most consumers place carpet and hard floor cleaning well above this.

 

Raising vacuum cleaner standards

It looks like the minimum suction regulations included in the EU label are at least encouraging some brands to up their game overall and the standard of models from previously poorer manufacturers has improved.

Normally in a group test of 38 vacuums we would expect to find several really poor models to which we would assign our Don’t Buy label, however there are no such models in our latest tests. To find out which models were the best of the bunch, take a look at our www.which.co.uk/reviews/vacuum-cl...">vacuum cleaner Best Buys page.

 

Which? says

At Which? we welcome the new energy efficiency requirements for vacuum cleaners and support the inclusion of other minimum performance requirements on the label. But we have identified some big discrepancies which suggest that consumers cannot always rely on the label to choose the best vacuum cleaner.

We can’t put our finger on why this is happening so we are challenging the manufacturers to explain this and are approaching the European Commission to get to the bottom of this. We will also be sharing our findings with the UK government and with the National Measurement Office, which is the UK energy label enforcement authority.

We will continue to rigorously test new vacuum cleaners and we’ll report back on our discussions with official bodies and whether any changes are made.



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Post# 314300 , Reply# 1   2/3/2015 at 09:00 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

So the best Vacuum cleaner on carpet Which has tested achieves a C rating. I think that is 83% of dust removed.Interesting.How long before someone takes Vax to court as a lot of their cleaners have an A rating.
Dyson recently lowered the DC41 down to a C rating, according to Which this is the highest standard achieved at present, not sure if they've tested the Sebo Felix which has a B rating on carpet.

I will wait to see what happens in the coming months with interest.


Post# 314301 , Reply# 2   2/3/2015 at 09:06 (3,340 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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It certainly is interesting. Some of these ratings are laughable. For example, a Vax upright with no brushroll off fuction got an A rating on hard floors, whereas a straight suction Henry only got a C. I think we all know which one is better for hard floors.


Post# 314302 , Reply# 3   2/3/2015 at 09:08 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Haha yes so why doesn't someone challenge Vax like Bosch challenged Dyson?

Post# 314303 , Reply# 4   2/3/2015 at 09:14 (3,340 days old) by Sensotronic (Englandshire)        

Could someone with a Which subscription please post the current best buys.
Thanks.


Post# 314304 , Reply# 5   2/3/2015 at 09:16 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

I wonder what rating a Kirby would achieve on carpet. To get an A rating it has to remove 91% of dust.
I dunno if the CRI tests give a percentage of dust pick up?


Post# 314306 , Reply# 6   2/3/2015 at 09:19 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Roger it will be Miele, Miele, Miele,Miele,Miele they might fit a Sebo and Dyson in there somewhere too :-)

Post# 314307 , Reply# 7   2/3/2015 at 09:27 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Miele, Miele, Miele, Miele. Sorry I missed out a few Miele's. :-)

Post# 314312 , Reply# 8   2/3/2015 at 09:38 (3,340 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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There's a reason for that, Marcus.

 

And in all fairness, would you really give a Best Buy award to a current vacuum that isn't a Miele, Sebo or Dyson? I can't see Vax or Hoover achieving the same results as those 3.

 

Not that I'm sticking up for Which?. Some of their test results are ridiculous. But there is usually a certain amount of logic applied to their Best Buy awards.


Post# 314313 , Reply# 9   2/3/2015 at 09:41 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

They are my favourite 3 brands. But there does seem to be a biased view towards Miele. Personally I would have the Felix up there in the top 5 if not higher. But Miele dominate.

Post# 314318 , Reply# 10   2/3/2015 at 10:40 (3,340 days old) by dys0nb0y (Luton)        

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i don't trust which.

Post# 314326 , Reply# 11   2/3/2015 at 11:17 (3,340 days old) by Mike81 ()        

Electrolux UltraOne Quattro (also called powerclean in some countries) has full AAAA rating. It comes with the new full-size powerhead.
This would definitely be my choice.
Canister vacuum cleaner with the full-size powerhead is not common in the Europe.


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Post# 314327 , Reply# 12   2/3/2015 at 11:19 (3,340 days old) by henrydreyfuss (Ohio)        
"i don't trust which."

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But they make a very good point! These tests need to be standardized for consistency.

Post# 314328 , Reply# 13   2/3/2015 at 11:23 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

I think this court case that is in progress will lead to a standardised test.I hope so anyway. It won't be perfect but it will be a lot better than the farce we have now.

Post# 314329 , Reply# 14   2/3/2015 at 11:24 (3,340 days old) by dys0nb0y (Luton)        

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not that i don't trust how thay test the machines cording to them a straight suction vacuum will clean carpet better than a full size upright

Post# 314330 , Reply# 15   2/3/2015 at 11:29 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

The AEG quattro looks nice it's priced at £450 over here so personally I'd go for a Sebo D4 or E3 that should be available any time soon. Not sure about the reliability of AEG. I heard people had issues with them maybe those issues have now been solved.



This post was last edited 02/03/2015 at 12:13
Post# 314341 , Reply# 16   2/3/2015 at 12:15 (3,340 days old) by Mike81 ()        

Yes previous UltraOne had some problems mainly with the electric hose, floor nozzles and the small powerhead. New model should be better made.
I had the first gen UltraOne about 5 years (basic white model) only problem it had was cracked 3 in 1 tool.
I still regret selling it, but I needed the money. By far the best vacuum I have ever had. Very quiet and powerfull. Also S-Bags it uses are very good at filtration and suction stays even when it fills up. Hard to think anything bad to say about it. Reliability may be concern.


Post# 314344 , Reply# 17   2/3/2015 at 12:20 (3,340 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Well if they have sorted out the issues I might be tempted I have looked at them in John Lewis in the past but went for a Miele S8. I shall keep my eye on the new AEG see how they roll :-)

Post# 314379 , Reply# 18   2/3/2015 at 18:24 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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I was wondering when it got around to someone mentioning the Which test report on EU labels.

No fault of Chris, but the online report on Which fails to mention the Miele C1 they speak of that they have labelled a best buy on and questions the EU label it comes with. This is shown in the actual magazine as opposed to the online report only.



Post# 314380 , Reply# 19   2/3/2015 at 18:47 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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As for Best Buys: I have put "page" numbers here to show the ones in order. Which haven't made it easy in terms of actual models listed, probably to prevent people from uploading them freely on the net. Apologies for the scans, if you can't read the info.

The following models from Which from 2015 consist of:





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Post# 314381 , Reply# 20   2/3/2015 at 18:48 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Post# 314382 , Reply# 21   2/3/2015 at 18:50 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Page 3



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Post# 314383 , Reply# 22   2/3/2015 at 18:52 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Post# 314384 , Reply# 23   2/3/2015 at 18:53 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Post# 314385 , Reply# 24   2/3/2015 at 18:54 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Finally page 6

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Post# 314387 , Reply# 25   2/3/2015 at 19:09 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Now for the Which don't buys....

Page 1


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Post# 314389 , Reply# 26   2/3/2015 at 19:16 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Sadly I don't trust Which either. They have also released reliability charts for vacuums ,which have not yet been published online to my knowledge but certainly do appear in the January 2015 magazine.

They haven't been able to explain how Miele have managed to get a number 1 spot for upright vacuums based on their amount of vacs tested in the chart, let alone the fact that the Miele S7 was only released in the UK 2008/9 compared to SEBO who have been around a lot longer and where some other models have been best buys. Which only claim they have had "one best buy" in a SEBO upright category.

Clearly they still favour Miele over most other brands. Nothing has changed in the last two years where Miele favouritism and Which are concerned.

I have a couple of Miele vacs any way! None of them are the uprights though!


Post# 314390 , Reply# 27   2/3/2015 at 19:20 (3,340 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Whoops forgot about page 2 don't buys from Which.

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Post# 314406 , Reply# 28   2/3/2015 at 21:23 (3,340 days old) by Sensotronic (Englandshire)        

Thanks for that Nar. I don't think I'll be subscribing to Which? any time soon. I know the Sebo X1 had a best buy, but it was a long time ago.

Post# 314451 , Reply# 29   2/4/2015 at 11:47 (3,339 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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I signed up again/re-joined to get info on other things other than vacuums; they have also tested a few washing machines and dryers as well as a few other things.

Post# 314479 , Reply# 30   2/4/2015 at 17:01 (3,339 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)        

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How on earth does a DC25 have a higher rating than a Felix ? Also, how can they give best buys to straight suction cylinders? I have no doubt that for attachments and hardfloor use they are good but for carpets medium pile upwards with pet hair and dust, how can that be better than a motorised powerhead?

Anyway, I will be sticking with my Felix Vogue eco as my daily driver. Love my Sebo. Hop to get an E series in the near future though !

I would give Good house keeping institute more merit as they also measure the quality of products as well as their functionality, and most SEBO are GHI approved.


Post# 314487 , Reply# 31   2/4/2015 at 18:07 (3,339 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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It takes all sorts to get a Best Buy, Oli. Whilst collectors sometimes know better, not all homes have medium short pile or quality wool. Whilst I agree with Which mainly that Miele do know how to make vacuum cleaners, I don't agree with a lot of their findings.

In 2011 they slated a lot of Miele cylinder vacs because of a difference of filtration quality. It was too confusing and not fairly judged.

But at the same time, the SEBO K and D are not exactly available everywhere, until possibly this year with Argos and John Lewis re-stocking the brand. Same with the Felix - only a fair selected number of sellers have the Felix on their books, compared to the more widespread availability of Miele and other brands.


Post# 314565 , Reply# 32   2/5/2015 at 04:12 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Haha totally agree Oliver and yes they take different aspects into account but personally I think Miele must be paying them an awful lot of money!Yes Miele are very good but straight suction on carpet is top of the list? I don't get that one.

Post# 314566 , Reply# 33   2/5/2015 at 04:23 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Miele cylinders are excellent if you have mostly hard floors but if your home is mostly carpets then Sebo and Dyson uprights will be much better suited.

Post# 314567 , Reply# 34   2/5/2015 at 04:39 (3,338 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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I've been using the Miele with the air driven turbobrush pretty much exclusively for the past month, and I have to say, it's far more convenient to use than an upright and the carpets are just as clean.

 

Having said that, we have quite hard wearing carpets. There are far too many variables to take into account when rating vacuums, because no one house has the same type of flooring all the way through, so every house is suited to different machines.

 

The awards given by Which? are probably spot on for their test carpets, but that's not an accurate representation of performance in someone's home.


Post# 314569 , Reply# 35   2/5/2015 at 04:51 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Hmmmm I'd much prefer an upright and I find the noise of a turbo brush very annoying. I do have a miele S5 and S8 and a turbo brush and accu nova battery powered but for me on carpet it's an upright. :-)

Post# 314570 , Reply# 36   2/5/2015 at 05:02 (3,338 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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There are more bagged cylinders sold around the world than any other type of vacuum. The UK is the only country that I know of that uprighs dominate. From what I know, the US and Australia are pretty 50/50 on uprights vs. cylinders, although powernozzle cylidners are far more popular in both than in the UK.


Post# 314571 , Reply# 37   2/5/2015 at 05:07 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Well I think in British homes with wall to wall carpeting uprights are best suited. Cylinders are great on hard floors and above floor cleaning. Yes in America power heads are very popular but in this country they don't sell in numbers because they are too expensive and an upright will do the job perfectly.

Post# 314572 , Reply# 38   2/5/2015 at 05:12 (3,338 days old) by Mike81 ()        

Yes! If a straight suction canister can get A rating on carpets is what makes those ratings look useless to me. For my experience it just doesn't make any sense.
I have been using a lot turbo brushes and those are okay and definitely big improvement over the straight suction. Noise is quite awful indeed and on thick carpets turbo brushes tend to struggle.
I went for the extreme length to get powerhead work in my vacs. I have done this to 3 vacuums :D





Post# 314573 , Reply# 39   2/5/2015 at 05:28 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

And if you're getting a power head cylinder make sure it has a good warranty. Mieles C3 PN model is priced at £600 and only 2 year warranty! They won't sell over here!

Post# 314574 , Reply# 40   2/5/2015 at 05:36 (3,338 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        
They won't sell over here!

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The Miele Revolution used to retail for around £250-£300, if Miele dropped the price a bit, I suspect they'd sell more.

 

I have noticed that nowhere seems to be stocking the powernozzle C3, so Miele could be making them to order hence the higher price.


Post# 314575 , Reply# 41   2/5/2015 at 05:39 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

I have seen them for £550 in Freenet. The reason they stopped the Miele revolution which I like a lot is because the didn't sell in numbers. Saw Mieles in Tesco today. Didn't realise they stocked them and Bosch :-)

Post# 314577 , Reply# 42   2/5/2015 at 05:48 (3,338 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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The Revolution used to sell quite well. I've seen for more Revolution 500's than 5000's. One of the catalogues stocked them for a few years in the mid-late 90's. Possibly GUS. But they really marketed the powernozzle on it. They were still pricey though and after the S5 Revolution came out, the price went up even more. Your average customer couldn't justify the price difference between the Revolution and the Cat & Dog/Solution.

 

I'd absolutely love to get a powernozzle C3, but it's going to have to be something to save for. We're off on holiday for 2 weeks in October and that hasn't cost as much as one of those does! :P


Post# 314578 , Reply# 43   2/5/2015 at 05:52 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

I just don't see how they justify the price. I'd love to see what the mark up is. Plus you can't change the brushroll as far as i'm aware so what happens when it wears? And if you need repairs outside the warranty that's gonna cost a fortune too!
I'd go for the Sebo D4 premium or new E3 over Miele far better value.

I so need a holiday!!!! :-(


Post# 314579 , Reply# 44   2/5/2015 at 05:56 (3,338 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

turbo500's profile picture

Oh, absolutely agree - the Sebo is far better value. Only problem with the D4 is that it's huge. I mean, it really is a tank of a vacuum. The powerhead is big too. So if you're wanting a compact cleaner but with a powernozzle, you're screwed.

 

The K series with the powernozzle would be a good choice though. Or the E series when it arrives.

 

Tell me about it, I haven't been on holiday in years! Check out teletext holidays online, they had some really good value deals when I last looked.


Post# 314580 , Reply# 45   2/5/2015 at 05:58 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

I will do or have a word with daddy who is manager of Thomas Cook :-)

Post# 314585 , Reply# 46   2/5/2015 at 06:21 (3,338 days old) by Sensotronic (Englandshire)        

I take it by "daddy" you mean your father as daddy has another connotation in certain circles👬

Post# 314586 , Reply# 47   2/5/2015 at 06:24 (3,338 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        
I take it by "daddy" you mean your father

turbo500's profile picture

Baaahahaha. I did think exactly the same thing.

 

DILF! SUGAR DADDY!!


Post# 314589 , Reply# 48   2/5/2015 at 06:46 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Hahahaha!:-) Just googled it.

Post# 314590 , Reply# 49   2/5/2015 at 06:52 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

I'm told there's a few daddies on here :-)

Post# 314591 , Reply# 50   2/5/2015 at 06:59 (3,338 days old) by Sensotronic (Englandshire)        

So that's why you joined Vacuumland!

Post# 314593 , Reply# 51   2/5/2015 at 07:09 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        

Hahahaha no I was told after I joined. :-)

Post# 314594 , Reply# 52   2/5/2015 at 07:10 (3,338 days old) by Sensotronic (Englandshire)        

How fortunate!

Post# 314598 , Reply# 53   2/5/2015 at 07:22 (3,338 days old) by marcusprit ()        



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