Hoover Cruise BH52210PC Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Avg. consumer rating = 85/100 

Is the new Cruise cordless vacuum Hoover’s answer to the Dyson V8?  Judging from the design and features it certainly looks like this is what Hoover intends.  But is it a good alternative to the popular Dyson stick vac?  Well, yes and no.  Consumers are very pleased with the vacuum’s light weight, long run time and affordability (it is a fraction of the cost of a Dyson).  It is also a 2-in-1 vacuum and the ability to quickly convert to a handheld unit is an asset.  However there are reports that the suction is not very strong and that the cleaning head isn’t that easy to control.

Quick Specs
Type	Stick Vac
Bagged/Bagless	Bagless
Best for...	Bare Floors & Carpet
Pet Hair Features	No
Approx. Weight	4.7 lbs
HEPA Filter	No
Power Cord Length	Cordless
Motor Driven Brushbar	Yes
Warranty	2 Years

 

Consumer Ratings
225 consumer ratings were found at a number of good online retail outlets.  These are provided in the table below.  When averaged the ratings result in an overall vacuum score of 84.5 out of 100.  This is a respectable score and is perhaps about the average we have seen for cordless units.  Although we have reviewed other cordless vacuums that have fared better – see our cordless vacuum reviews & ratings.

Source	Consumer Rating	#Ratings
Amazon	4.1 stars out of 5	89
Target	4.4 stars out of 5	47
Home Depot	4.1 stars out of 5	46
Walmart	4.7 stars out of 5	24
Best Buy	4.1 stars out of 5	18

Consumer Sentiment
A thorough analysis of owner comments has provided several common Hoover Cruise likes and dislikes and these are highlighted in the Pros & Cons list below:

PROS
- Long run time on a single charge
- Not near as costly as a Dyson stick vacuum
- Very lightweight
- Includes detachable handheld vacuum
- Handy for doing stairs
- Tools and accessories are useful

CONS
- A number of owners feel the suction is inadequate
- Not designed for deeper pile carpet
- Not built for heavy duty cleaning
- Nozzle head is not always easy to keep straight

What are Owners Saying?
The most common positive comment about the Hoover Cruise Cordless is how pleased owners are with the run time.  We are used to seeing consumers complain about cordless vacuum run times but that is not the case with this unit.  Several new cordless vacuums are reporting respectably long run times and it seems we may have turned the corner in terms of consumer tolerance.  We have noticed that run times of 20 minutes or less result in complaints but with run times of 25, 30 and even 40 minutes this is vastly diminished.

Owners are getting 30 minutes and sometimes more out of their Cruise.  Given that this is a stick vacuum and designed for smaller homes (or smaller area cleaning) this is generally enough time to clean the area you want.  

Probably the second most common comment about the BH52210PC is that it is much more reasonably priced than a Dyson stick vacuum (the V6 and the V8).  Given the similarities between the vacuums comparisons are understandable.  From a cost perspective the Cruise wins hands down:

Hoover Cruise - $180
Dyson V6 - $300
Dyson V6 Absolute - $430
Dyson V8 Absolute - $540

The vacuum is also well-liked for its light weight.  At under 5 lbs it is indeed lightweight, even for a stick vacuum. Both the Dyson V6 and the Dyson V8 weigh over 5 lbs.

Hoover Cruise – 4.7 lbs
Dyson V6 Absolute – 5.1 lbs
Dyson V8 Absolute – 5.75 lbs

As a result the Cruise is nimble and very easy to move from room to room or up and down stairs.  The machine also has a fairly low profile that allows it to get under low furniture.

Another popular feature on the Cruise is the lockable trigger.  This is interesting as the Dyson DC59/V6/V8 owners have complained for years that none of these machines have a trigger lock.  The Dyson machines require that the trigger must be constantly depressed by the finger for the vacuum to work and some owners report that over time it can be tiring.  Even as the Dyson stick vacs evolved they never came with this feature. But it looks like Hoover did its homework and added this feature to their stick vacuum.  It is a well liked feature so perhaps Dyson should take note.  

This is also a 2-in-1 vacuum (something Hoover doesn’t really make a big fuss about for some reason).  The Cruise is a stick vacuum with a detachable unit that becomes a handheld.  This is a great feature and it makes the vacuum much more versatile, allowing it to be used for all sorts of cleaning only a handheld can do.  It also saves money as one does not have to buy a handheld unit.

Other popular features and aspects of the vacuum include:
- Brushroll on/off control
- Useful accessories and tools
- Good machine for doing stairs

From a cleaning performance perspective things are more of a mixed bag. While many folks report that the vacuum has respectable suction and that dust/debris/pet-hair pickup is good on both bare floors and carpet, there are quite a few complaints about the unit’s poor suction and poor pickup.  We were surprised at how many owners have written that they returned the vacuum due to issues related to low suction.  This is a tricky area as there are many consumers pleased with the suction and many displeased with the suction – but the fact that there is such a divide here is worrying.

Owners also complain that the cleaning head (nozzle) is awkward and difficult to move in the direction you want.  Several people have said that just trying to get it to go in a straight line can be a bit of a chore – you have to make a real effort to keep your wrist steady otherwise it has a tendency to move to one side or the other.

Another issue with the nozzle is that there are reports of it scratching some hardwood surfaces.  Even though you can turn the brushroll off (for bare floor cleaning) it would appear that it is the underside of the nozzle itself that may be the culprit.  It has no cloth or felt strips to ensure it glides smoothly over the floor surface and as a result the hard nozzle plastic may sometimes make direct contact with the floor.  In contrast the Dyson nozzles have rows of very fine, delicate bristles on 3 of the 4 sides of the nozzle (not the front for obvious reasons).

Cruise charging time is a difficult statistic to find.  The manual suggests 5 hours.  The charge time for the Cruise is perhaps at the upper end of the range we are seeing with some of the newer cordless vacuums today.  To compare:

Dyson V6 – 3.5 hours
Dyson V8 – 5 hours
Bissell AirRam – 4 to 5 hours
Electrolux EL2055B – 4 hours
Bissell 1534 – 2 to 4 hours

You can read more Cruise owner comments on Amazon if you wish.

Details & Specifications
The Hoover Cruise BH52210PC is a cordless vacuum cleaner.  It has a 22 Volt lithium-ion battery which provides what the industry is calling “fade-free” power.  This essentially means it provides full power up to the point that the battery is fully discharged, the power doesn’t wane as the battery is drawn down.

A battery charger is also provided with the vacuum.  Recharging the battery after it has been fully drawn down can take about 5 hours.  Hoover states that it should take 8 hours the first time and 5 hours thereafter.  The charging light on top of the handheld unit will tell you if the battery is charging.  A red light indicates that the battery is charging and a green light indicates that the battery is fully charged.

This has a washable, reusable filter so consumable costs are minimized, although the washable filter may still need replacing once a year or so.  The filter on the vacuum is not a HEPA filter.  The Cruise is also a bagless vacuum.  Most stick vacs on the market today are bagless with a few exceptions like the Miele Quick Step.

This is a 2-in-1 machine and the extension tube (or what Hoover calls a “reach wand”) can be removed thereby creating a handheld vacuum.

The Cruise comes with 3 tools:
•    Upholstery Tool
•    Crevice Tool
•    Dusting Brush

There are few complaints about the tool set and most owners find them to be useful.  Tools fit on the end of the extension tube (for overhead cleaning or getting into hard to reach areas) or directly onto the end of the handheld unit.  The tools can be stored on the vacuum wall mount bracket that comes in the box.  We note that the wall mount bracket also includes two mounting screws – that’s nice as we found the Dyson V6/V8 wall mount bracket did not (it’s a small thing but a little annoying).

The vacuum also has brushroll on/off capability for easy transition between carpet and bare floors.  This control resides on top of the handheld unit.  Typically one will vacuum carpet with the brushroll ON and bare surfaces with the brushroll OFF, although we are now seeing some units that come with a single “multi-surface” brushroll for use on both carpet and bare floors (Bissell Air Ram), and even some machines with two cleaning heads – one for carpet and another for bare floors (Dyson V6 Absolute, Dyson V8 Absolute).  The brushroll in the Cruise is designed to be easily removed for cleaning.

The Cruise comes with a trigger lock.  This is a latch called the “Continuous power latch” that you pull towards the trigger and it will keep the vacuum power “ON” without you having to constantly depress the trigger.  The trigger lock is easily released by simply pushing the “Continuous power latch”.

The dust canister is bottom empty and it has a capacity of 0.4 liters.  Some feel it is on the small side, but remember that this is a stick vac and these are not known for having large dust canisters.  By comparison the dust canister on the Dyson V6 has a capacity of 0.4 liters and the V8 has a capacity of 0.53 liters.

When you purchase the Cruise you get the following in the box:
•    Crevice Tool
•    Dusting Brush
•    Upholstery Tool
•    Charger
•    Reusable Filter
•    22V Lithium Ion Battery
•    Wall Mount (with 2 screws)

The Hoover BH52210PC Cruise cordless vacuum cleaner carries a 2-year manufacturer's warranty.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The owner’s manual is in English, French and Spanish and it covers the basics such as assembly, features, tools, operating procedures, maintenance, service & warranty.  You can find a copy of it here: Hoover Cruise Manual.