Avg. consumer rating = 79/100
This is a lightweight and maneuverable canister vacuum with a motorized brushbar making it capable on both carpet and bare floors. Owners like that it is quiet, powerful and even has multiple suction settings. However some consumers wish the UltraActive Deepclean EL4300A had more on-board storage for attachments.
A review of owner ratings on several well-respected sites provides the following statistics (see table below). Like many vacuums, ratings started high when the machine was first released but have dropped over the years. We updated the ratings for this vacuum on February 2016.
| Source | Consumer Ratings | #Ratings |
| Amazon | 3.9 stars out of 5 | 356 |
| Sears | 4.5 stars out of 5 | 5 |
| Overstock | 4.4 stars out of 5 | 32 |
| Abt | 4 stars out of 5 | 1 |
Consumer comments were scanned to find common Electrolux EL4300A likes and dislikes. It is apparent from the list below that there are far more positive comments than negative.
PROS
- Quiet
- Powered carpet attachment works very well
- Good at picking up pet hair
- Lightweight
- Easy to Maneuver
- Customer service appears to be fairly good
- Dirt canister is easy to empty and can be washed
- Retractable power cord
- Fairly compact
- Capable on both carpet and bare floors
- Brushbar can be turned on and off
- Nozzle easily gets under low furniture
CONS
- Some of the key attachments do not store on-board
- Some controls are located on the canister not on the handle
First lets start by minimizing any confusion. Electrolux has 2 UltraActive canister vacuums. The one we are reviewing here is the UltraActive DeepClean EL4300A. The other one is called the UltraActive Turbo 4325A. The vacuums are similar but there are a few key differences. The DeepClean is powered by a 12 amp motor while the Turbo uses a 10 amp motor. The DeepClean is also designed for both carpet and bare surfaces because it has a motor-powered brushbar in the nozzle the Turbo uses an air-driven brushbar and while this works well on bare surfaces it will not deep clean on carpets.
The Electrolux UltraActive Deepclean is powered by a 12 amp motor and it uses cyclonic suction. Cyclonic suction is commonly used in bagless vacuum cleaners (like Dysons) and it involves spinning air at very high speeds causing dirt and debris to be drawn out of the air and into the dirt canister. This approach is said to help maintain strong suction while vacuuming (as the dirt canister is filling) and also to help filters stay cleaner longer.
Suction on the DeepClean can also be set via controls on the canister. Settings include Minimum, Medium and Maximum and this level of control allows one to vacuum effectively on bare floors or carpet as well as on delicate surfaces like curtains or drapery. There are comments from owners who would have preferred the suctions controls on the handle and not on the canister as it is much more convenient to make changes from the handle.
Many owners have commented on how easy it is to store the vacuum and also how easy it is to carry. It comes with a convenient carrying handle but it also only weighs 12.5 lbs. This is really very light for a full size canister vacuum and it is often favourably commented upon. The vacuum is also relatively compact.
This canister vacuum has two motors. One produces the vacuum suction and the other drives the brushbar in the DeepClean Power Head. The brushbar can be turned on or off accommodating both carpet and bare floor cleaning. On/off controls are located conveniently on the vacuum handle. Also if the brushbar gets stuck or obstructed a safety cut-off will engage.
Power head height settings make changing from one surface to another easier. The EL4300A has High, Medium and Low height settings which are set via an adjustment pedal. The DeepClean Power Head also sports a headlight.
Tools that come with the vacuum include:
- DeepClean powerhead
- Crevice tool
- Dusting brush
- Upholstery tool
- Bare floor brush
- Telescopic wand
HEPA filtration is fairly common on full size vacuums these days and it is present on the EL4300A. HEPA filtration removes 99.97% of airborne particulates with a diameter of 0.3 microns or larger. It has been used in the biomedical industry for years to help inhibit the spread of airborne bacteria and viruses. HEPA filtration is particularly popular with allergy or asthma sufferers as it will remove dust, pet dander, dust mite feces, pollens and other allergens from the air.
Consumers indicate that the dirt canister is easy to empty. It releases the dirt and debris at the push of a button and has a capacity of about 1.2 quarts. 1.2 quarts is about 0.3 gallons and this is actually quite small. The Dyson DC25 has about the same size dirt canister and it has received comments that it needs to be emptied frequently.
The Electrolux EL4300A is ETL certified (similar to CSA or UL certification). ETL is a group that performs electrical and reliability tests on products to ensure they meet US product safety standards. They also audit the manufacturing site and require that the applicant agrees to future factory inspections to ensure continued adherence to the standards. ETL operates nationally recognized testing laboratories.
Other vacuum cleaner features include a 21 foot power cord (which is a little short in our opinion) with automatic rewind, a bumper on the canister which helps prevent scrapes/bumps on furniture and walls (also prevents the vacuum from getting scratched), and a low profile cleaning nozzle that makes it easy to get under furniture. The Electrolux UltraActive EL4300A carries a lengthy 5-year warranty and uses recyclable packaging. It is available in tangerine orange.
Vacuum Cleaner Manual
You can find the Electrolux UltraActive Deepclean EL4300A Canister Vacuum Manual here if you wish to learn more about the machine.
Hello!
Comments
Another problem with this vacuum is that the attachments don\'t release easily. I\'m a pretty physically fit gal, and it\'s HARD for me to pull them off. My old vacuum had a pop-in-pop-out button for attachments. Makes a lot more sense and much easier to get off.
I\'m trying various static sprays to keep the dusty dirt from collecting on the vacuum. (I think this is a problem with all modern plastic appliances. Even my new clothes dryer creates static which was never a problem with my old enamel bin dryer (sigh - progress).
I still love the suction power of the canister and the carpet cleaning is beyond my wildest dreams! Clean up with a bagless vac is an extra step, but it\'s really easy with this model and I like knowing that I have a nice clean chamber every time I use it.
As I recall, when I bought this vac there were none out there that had a 9\" floor attachment, they were all a foot plus. So, considering what\'s out there, I\'d say that I\'m happy with this vacuum (after my modifications). Just trying to keep cleaning house easy.
I\'m not a clean freak, just like practicality and efficiency, as it seems, you do too! Yes, the cord is shorter than my old vacuum, but, like you, I\'ve adjusted. I\'ve even adjusted to the stiffness of the hose and the largeness of the handgrip. Like I said, after my modifications, I, too, am a \"vacuuming machine\". Ha!
Cons: My biggest disappointment with the EL4300A is the bare-floor attachment. I use this attachment all the time along with the upholstry wand, but, unfortunately, neither is one of the \"on-board\" attachments. Also, the EL4300A hand grip is rather large and I find that my hand gets tired of maneuvering the rather stiff hose around. The bare floor attachment is very wide which makes it difficult/ impossible to get to those tight spots. The bare floor attachment does not have space in the brush area to allow \"stuff\" to get sucked in. So you have to tilt the attachment to open up a space to allow things to go in. (I cut out openings in the brush area to allow for this.)
Other things: I\'d like to have the on/off switch on the handle. The 2 on-board items, a crevice wand and duster, are inconveniently located in the handle grip. The cord could be a tad bit longer.