Hoover Quiet Performance Canister Vacuum SH30050

 Avg. consumer rating = 69/100 

This is a rather futuristic-looking bagged canister vacuum cleaner designed for both bare floors and carpet.  It is fairly quiet and it has strong suction, a retractable power cord, two cleaning heads, and suction controls.  It is also equipped with HEPA-level filtration.  However, consumer comments and ratings to date are not particularly encouraging.  The ergonomics seem lacking and owners often complain of awkward features and tools that do not perform as well as expected.

 

 

Quick Specs
Type	Canister
Bagged/Bagless	Bagged
Best for...	Carpet, Bare Floors
Pet Hair Features	No
Approx. Weight	14 lbs
HEPA Filter	Yes
Power Cord Length	22 feet
Motor Driven Brushbar	Yes
Warranty	3 Years

 

Consumer Ratings
Consumer ratings for the Hoover SH30050 were found at several popular online retail sites and are provided in the table below.  When averaged these ratings generate an overall score of 68.5 out of 100 (or about 3.4 stars out of 5).  This is not a very high score when compared to other vacuum cleaners on our site.  You can see our table of other canister vacuum ratings or view ratings in our Vacuum Cleaner Finder tool.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	3.7 stars out of 5	73
Abt	2.7 stars out of 5	46
Walmart	3.9 stars out of 5	21
Home Depot	3.6 stars out of 5	16
HSN	4 stars out of 5	1

 

Consumer Insights
Owner comments have provided some insights into the vacuum pros and cons.  These are shown and discussed below:

PROS
- Quiet
- Strong suction
- Retractable power cord
- Comes with several tools
- Easy to assemble
- Hardwood floor tool works well
- Suction controls

CONS
- No height adjustment on powerhead
- Power cord is short
- On/off footswitch awkward to use
- Powerhead jams with hair easily
- Tools easily fall off vacuum
- 3-in-1 tool doesn’t work well

Several folks have pointed out that the on/off footswitch control pedal is a little annoying as it is set at an angle (set into the canister body to match the styling of the vacuum).  As a result, when trying to push the switch with your foot the vacuum can sometime move away from you.  Many people resort to leaning down and using their hands.  The switch would have been more convenient on the handle.

Some owners have reported that the HEPA bags are expensive.  We’ve looked on Amazon for Hoover HEPA Filtration Type S disposable filter bags and found that you can get 6 bags for about $20 which isn’t too bad.  Others have written that they buy Type S Allergen bags because they are less costly than the HEPA bags.

Comments also indicate that almost everyone dislikes the 3-in-1 tool, and that the machine’s edge cleaning is not particularly good.  In addition, while most folks feel that the vacuum is indeed fairly quiet (due to its sound baffling design), some say that on high suction settings it is a bit on the loud side.  

Furthermore, consumer comments highlight a number of issues with vacuum features/tools not working well or things on the vacuum breaking.  This makes one question the build quality of the machine.

We did find, however, that most owners praise the Hard Floor Brush and indicate that it does a very good cleaning job (see image below).  And there are several positive comments about the unit’s futuristic design and the quality assistance from Hoover Customer Support.  

You can see more owner comments on Amazon if you wish.

Details & Specifications
The Hoover Quiet uses WindTunnel 3 technology.  Hoover is somewhat vague about this particular technology but the “3” apparently stands for 3 channels of suction.  The company also indicates that normal WindTunnel technology only has one channel of suction.  However the only details we can find relate to the image below which seems to show blue, pink and yellow suction channels.  Exactly how this is achieved and why this is better is not explained in any detail.

Suction on the vacuum is variable and this is a nice feature.  There are 5 speeds which allow one to limit suction when vacuuming things like drapery or lampshades and increase suction for effective carpet cleaning.  Also, if the vacuum nozzle has a tendency to stick to the floor or area rugs (due to too much suction), the ability to lower suction is very useful.

The vacuum has two filters: secondary and final.  The secondary filter is found at the rear of the filter bag compartment.  This is a rinsable filter and Hoover states that it will last the warranty period of the vacuum if you maintain it properly.  The vacuum has a system check indicator that tells you when the filter needs to be cleaned or checked.  The final filter is a HEPA filter and this filter is cleaned by simply tapping it on the inside of a trash bin in order to remove dust/dirt.  The HEPA filter should also last the warranty period of the vacuum.

Hoover suggests that owners use only Hoover HEPA Filtration Type S (#4010808S) disposable filter bags for this machine.  These bags have a capacity 3.59 litres.  Changing bags is pretty straightforward – you simply open the filter bag door, remove the existing bag, then slide the new bag collar firmly into the frame.  Note that the door will not close if a bag is not in place.

Tools & attachments that come with the Hoover Quiet include the following:
1) Power Nozzle – this is the main floor cleaning tool and can be used for carpet, rugs and also bare floors.  It has a motorized brushroll with brushroll on/off controls on the vacuum handle.  The brushroll is set to ON for carpet and to OFF for bare floors.
2) Hard Floor Tool – this tool is exclusively for hard floors and has no brushroll.  It is good for hardwood floors, tile, laminate and other hard surfaces.
3) 3-in-1 Tool – this is a combination crevice tool / dusting brush / furniture nozzle.
4) Telescopic Extension Wand – this can be extended or retracted via a pushbutton on the wand.

Tools can be attached to the end of the handle or at the end of the telescopic extension wand.

The nozzle width is 11.25 inches which frankly is a little on the narrow side for a full size vacuum – although we haven’t heard any complaints from consumers about this.  A narrow nozzle increases the number of passes needed to clean an area, however it also helps with nozzle maneuverability and allows access into tight areas.

The power cord on the vacuum is 22 feet in length and is fully retractable.  A retractable power cord is always a popular feature.  The cord on the SH30050 is retracted when the cord rewind pedal is depressed.  This pedal is located on the canister body.

Additional vacuum features include a soft bumper to help minimize any scuffing/scraping of walls or furniture, swivel caster wheels on the bottom of the canister body, and a 6 foot hose.  There is also an Auto Reset Thermal Protector which will shut down the suction motor if it starts to overheat.  

The Hoover Quiet weighs in at 13.96 lbs which is fairly light (although there are lighter vacuums on the market).  The vacuum is UL listed and carries a 3 year limited warranty (domestic use).  “Domestic” implies normal household use.  The warranty will not cover the vacuum should it be used in a commercial operation – such as maid, janitorial or equipment rental services.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The manual for the Hoover Quiet Performance canister vacuum is not particularly detailed but it has some useful information.  You can see it here: Hoover Quiet Performance SH30050