Hoover EmPower Upright (U5269900) Vacuum Review

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Avg. consumer rating = 76/100 

The Hoover EmPower is a bagless, upright vacuum cleaner.  It is a good-looking machine and comes in only a silver/green color combination (see image in article).  It has HEPA filtration, a hush mode for quiet vacuuming and a Power Boost that is purported to help with “hard-to-clean-messes”.  This unit gets mixed reviews, with some consumers feeling that vacuum performs well and is an excellent choice for the money (the Hoover EmPower is often priced under 100USD) and other consumers indicating they were not impressed with the machines capabilities.

How are consumers rating this vacuum cleaner?

Consumers typically indicate that they love this vacuum or that they were disappointed.  Comments on the vacuum’s features and capabilities vary widely:  Some folks feel that it is great on bare floors, while other indicate it is poor on bare floors and just blows dirt around – some say the suction is exemplary, while others allude to a loss in suction over time – other feel the canister empties easily and without a mess, while some feel it is very messy to empty – etc.  It should be noted, however  – and this can be seen in the ratings figures – that there are more positive experiences than negative.

Features
The Hoover EmPower upright is powered by a 12 amp motor (reasonably standard for today’s machines) and has a Power Boost button that is touted by Hoover as providing the vacuum with the extra “oomph” necessary to vacuum up hard to clean messes.  It also comes with something called Hush Mode that reduces the power of the vacuum and is supposed to make it quieter – most consumer reviews indicate that this does little to reduce vacuum noise however.

The EmPower comes with a plethora of tools/attachments:

- Powered hand tool (useful for pet hair and stairs)
- Deluxe-stretch hose
- Crevice wand
- Dusting brush
- Upholstery tool
- Extension wand

This vacuum also has HEPA filtration.   HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air and is a filter that removes 99.97% of all airborne particulates of 0.3 microns or larger that pass through it.  When considering a HEPA capable vacuum cleaner it is important that the unit passes ALL intake air through the HEPA filter prior to exhausting it – otherwise particulate matter is bypassing the filter and being introduced back into the surrounding environment (some vacuums like the Miele have a sealed system to ensure this).  HEPA filtration is particularly popular with asthma or allergy sufferers as it helps to remove pollens and allergens from the surrounding air.   The filter used in the EmPower is is not a washable HEPA filter and it will have to be replaced when dirty, however Hoover claim this is a “long-lasting” cartridge filter and that a typical lifetime is 3 years.

The EmPower has 5 different height settings that allow it to transition easily from floor type to floor type.  It also has a motorized brush roll and a 15-inch wide cleaning path.  As mentioned previously this is a bagless vacuum.  There is a lot written about the pros and cons of bagless versus bagged.  In our experience it is simply a matter of consumer preference.  As with most bagless machines there are complaints that emptying the dirt canister is a messy affair.  Many people indicate that this is best done carefully in a plastic bag or outdoors.  These are common comments with bagless units.

Other features of the Hoover EmPower U5269900 include a headlight (a nice feature), a 31 foot power cord (a good length – lengths below 30 feet often cause some consumer frustration), and a fold-down handle for easy storage.  There are a number of comments about the light weight of this vacuum and it weighs in at 15.5 lbs.  The vacuum cleaner dimensions in inches are (L x W x H) 15.0 x 43.0 x 13.0.  It comes with a one-year warranty and requires no assembly.

Pros and Cons
A review of consumer comments from around the web indicates the following likes and dislikes related to the Hoover EmPower U5269900:

PROS
- Lightweight
- Fairly inexpensive
- Good looking machine
- Long power cord
- Effective on pet hair

CONS
- Replacement filter a bit pricey
- Cleaning of dust cup a messy affair (common complaint with bagless machines)
- Some comments about suction slowly diminishing over time
- Vacuum hose is short
- “Quiet mode” is fairly ineffective