Hoover React Cordless Vacuum

Avg. consumer rating = 80/100 

The Hoover React cordless vacuum cleaner is another in a long line of lightweight stick vacuums brought to market in the wake of the very popular Dyson V6/V7/V8 models.  Many of the big manufacturers are trying their hand at similar machines.  The react cordless gets average consumer ratings but it is a very attractive 2-in-1 vacuum (stick vac and handheld).  It’s also great for doing stairs and is quite maneuverable.  Battery run time is fairly good and recharge time is fast.  However, suction by many accounts, is mediocre and the vacuum has no high power mode for dealing with tougher cleaning jobs.

Quick Specs
Type	Stick Vacuum
Bagged/Bagless	Bagless
Best for...	Bare Floors & Carpet
Pet Hair Features	Some Models
Approx. Weight	7.3 lbs
HEPA Filter	No
Power Cord Length	Cordless
Motor Driven Brushbar	Yes
Warranty	3 Years

 

Consumer Ratings
Many vacuum manufacturers provide free samples to consumers through large retail outlets in exchange for a review.  Such consumers should not let this bias their ratings, but to be on the safe side we remove these from our ratings calculation.  Following are the figures for verified, non-free-sample ratings:

Source	Consumer Rating	#Ratings
Amazon	4.4 stars out of 5 (model 210)	21
Amazon	4.3 stars out of 5 (model 220)	12
Walmart	3.4 stars out of 5 (model 200)	14
Best Buy	1 star out of 5 (model 220)	1

 

When the above figures are averaged (we do a weighted average) we get a score of 80.4 out of a possible 100.  This score is middle-of-the-road for uprights on our website.  It is not a bad score but it is not exemplary either.  You may wish to check out our other stick vacuum scores or see the scores for all vacuums. 

React Cordless Models
There appears to be 4 popular models of Hoover React cordless vacuums.  We have seen other models listed in the manual (see pg 7), but only seen the models below online.  The differences between the models below, with the exception of color, appears to be predominantly in the tool set.  Although the BH53220, which is designed for homes with pets, also includes an odor management filter.  The models and additional tools/attachments/etc are shown in the following chart:

	BH53200	BH53210	BH53220	BH53230PC
Crevice Tool
Deluxe Crevice Tool
Dusting Brush
Upholstery Tool
Pet Upholstery Tool
Pivoting Extension Tool
Powered Stair Tool
Odor Management Filter
Reach Wand Tool Storage Clip
Charger
Wall Mount

 

What Are Owners Saying?
We’ve scoured the Internet for React vacuum owner comments and we’ve created the following information related to likes and dislikes. 

Pros
- 2-in-1 vacuum (stick vac and handheld)
- Not too loud
- Compact and easy to store
- Great for doing stairs
- Sleek, futuristic looking machine
- Power trigger can be locked in place
- Swivel head makes it quite maneuverable
- Battery is easy to attach/remove/recharge
- Washable filter

Cons
- Has no high power mode
- Have to remove battery to charge it
- Not as light as the Dyson stick vacs
- Only one battery
- Suction power is average
- Will not stand on its own
- Some units have squeaky wheels

Those who like their React highlight that it is a good fit for the small home or apartment.  They also point out that the unit is very lightweight, maneuverable and convenient – and especially great for cleaning stairs. 

The wall mount is also popular as the unit will not stand on its own and the wall mount makes for easy storage.  A tool holder (provided) can be attached to the wall mount and this holder has space for 2 tools.  Another tool holder (also provided) can be attached to the wand via a c-clip – if you want.

Many folks have commented on the visual design of the vacuum.  It has been called “futuristic”, “beautiful”, “sleek” and a host of other adjectives that describe the unit’s good looks.  There are three different color schemes (depends on model) and, in our opinion, they all look quite tasteful with lots of black and white.  This short 30 second video (below) from Hoover shows how elegant looking this vacuum is.

 
Hoover seems to have been paying attention to some of the complaints related to the Dyson DC59/V6/V7/V8.  For several years Dyson stick vac owners have pleaded with the company for a feature that enables them to lock the power trigger in place so they don’t have to continually press it down.  Dyson has never acted on this.  However the Hoover Reach Cordless has this feature.  Depressing the trigger once applies power and depressing the trigger twice locks it in place.  Several owners have reported that they like this “locking” feature.

However, it is difficult to nail down the general consumer sentiment regarding the Hoover React cordless vacuum.  There are many pleased owners but there are also quite a few who are not that happy.  The run time is an area that divides many owners.  Some feel it provides sufficient time to do their cleaning while others feel it is simply too short (we would like to point out here that in our experience with cordless units to date the run time for this vacuum is reasonable).

Also the level of suction is an area of some contention.  Many report it is strong, but there are just as many if not more who report it is too weak.  This may have something to do with the surface being cleaned.  The vacuum reportedly performs better on bare floors than carpet, especially deeper pile carpet.  It is possible (a guess on our part) that folks dealing with more carpet feel the suction is less effective than those using the vacuum on bare floors.

There is more agreement between owners when discussing the vacuum’s fit for the home.  Most feel that it probably isn’t a replacement for a full size vacuum. If you have a larger home and if you really want to deep clean your carpet then the React cordless may fall short. 

Some folks also report that the dust canister can be hard to clear of debris and that you end up having to stick your hand in and dig out stuck-in dust/hair/dirt/etc.  This is fairly common with bagless machines but some do “clear” better than others. 

The React comes with 1 battery.  That means when the battery is run down it takes several hours to recharge before it can be used again.  If you have a large area to clean you may end up waiting hours in-between cleaning sessions to finish the job.  Some other stick vacuums come with 2 batteries in order to address this particular issue but not the React. 

There is also no high power mode.  Many stick vacuums provide low and high power modes and while high power drains the battery more quickly it does provide that extra “punch” you need to tackle tougher cleaning jobs.  Many wish this feature was provided.

In addition, we have seen a few complaints about weight.  All Reach cordless models weigh the same but some people feel they are too heavy for a stick vacuum.  Indeed they are heavier than the Dyson stick vacuums but not much heavier than many other similarly sized machines on the market today.  Weight is discussed further below in the article.

There are also complaints that the vacuum will not stand on its own. This has been a constant complaint with the Shark Rocket and Shark IonFlex stick vacs and there does not seem to be an easy solution.  The Dyson stick vacs also do not stand on their own.  For us this has never been much of an issue – we just lay the machine on the floor or lean it on a wall, however we can see how it would be more convenient to be able to leave it standing, especially when stopping only momentarily.

You can read React owner reviews on Amazon if you wish.

Dust Canister
The React has a largish dust canister for a stick vacuum.  It has a capacity of 0.62 liters.  By comparison the Dyson V8 has a capacity of 0.54 liters, the V6 0.4 liters and the Shark IONFlex 0.33 liters.  The larger canister is nice as stick vacs usually have to be emptied often and any additional capacity bolsters the cleaning time between stops.

Battery
The power source for the React is a 24 volt lithium ion battery pack.  Both battery and battery charger come with the vacuum.  Note that you have to remove the battery pack from the vacuum before it can be charged.  Some, but not all, stick vacuums allow you to charge the battery while it is still attached to the vacuum.  A fully depleted battery takes about 3 hours to recharge which is a decent time – we usually see 3 to 5 hour recharging times with today’s machines.

Many manufacturers are coy about the run times for their cordless units.  In the case of Hoover we’re not sure if they are being coy or if they just haven’t got their facts straight.  Their website and marketing materials can’t seem to decide on exact figures.  However, it appears, through a combination of user comments, company literature and retailer figures, that the run time is somewhere between 27 and 30 minutes (although we have also seen 21 minutes when used with the cleaner head on carpet and 30 minutes if only using the hand vac.)

Hoover Technology
This vacuum also has “WindTunnel Surge”.  What is “WindTunnel Surge”?  According to Hoover – “WindTunnel Surge captures dirt, dust and pet hair”.  Not too descriptive.  This is something you expect any good vacuum to do.  In our opinion this kind of thing is mostly marketing noise.

The React does have something Hoover call “FloorSense Technology” and this actually does something.  It detects when you move from carpet to bare floors or vice versa, and it modifies the brushroll speed accordingly.  The brushroll moves slower on bare surfaces.  This system works well.  There are a few reports that it can sometimes be slow to react to a surface change but these are in the minority.  A button on the vacuum will allow you to turn this technology on/off.  If you are so inclined you can also use a Hoover Phone App to decide whether the brushroll should spin at all on bare floors (this App can be downloaded and connects to the vacuum via bluetooth).
 
Weight
The React cordless weighs in at 7.3 lbs which is neither lightweight nor heavy for a stick vacuum.  Some owners gush about how lightweight the unit is (they are probably used to a full size upright) while others complain it is too heavy (they may have previously used a lighter stick vac).  The weights of other popular stick vacuums are shown below:

Dyson V8 Absolute - 5.8 lbs
Hoover Linx - 7.3 lbs
Shark Rocket Complete HV382 - 9.4 lbs

Maintenance
There is a single filter on the cordless React and it is rinsable.  This is a nice feature as you don’t have to purchase another filter when this one is dirty.  Simply clean it, allow it to dry (has to be completely dry) and reinsert it.  The filter on the 533220 (a model which comes with some features for homes with pets) is also impregnated with carbon so that it helps remove odors.  The React filter is not HEPA level nor does the vacuum have a sealed system.  You can read about why you might want these in our article on HEPA filtration if you like.

While some folks seem annoyed at the difficulty in getting all dust & debris out of the dust canister, removing and cleaning the separator is very easy on this machine.  It is much easier than doing so on the Dyson stick vacuums.  It does have to be done occasionally so this is no small thing.  Also, the ability to quickly and easily “pop-out” the brushroll is an asset.  Brushrolls get all sorts of things tangled in them (especially in homes with pets) and inevitably they need to be cleaned.  Being able to remove the brushroll, clean it, then easily pop it back in is a great feature.

Additional Features
Other React features include swivel steering (the vacuum turns quickly and easily), a cleaning path width of 10.9 inches (fairly wide for a stick vacuum), and 2 headlights on the front of the cleaner head (nice for vacuuming in dimly lit areas).  The Hoover React cordless vacuums are UL listed and carry a limited 3-year warranty for domestic use.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The manual is provided in English, French and Spanish and covers basic vacuum features, assembly, mounting the wall bracket, FloorSense Technology, using the Hoover App, battery maintenance, dust canister / brushroll / filter maintenance, and service & warranty information.  You can view a copy of the manual here: Hoover React Cordless Vacuum Manual.