LG Kompressor Pet Care Upright Vacuum LuV200R

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Avg. consumer rating = 65/100 

This is the first LG vacuum cleaner we have reviewed but we had been noticing that the LG Kompressor Pet Care Upright Vacuum was selling well and getting some decent reviews.  It uses Kompressor technology which is an interesting approach to storing and disposing of vacuum waste, and one which many consumers appear to like.  Consumers like the long power cord, the washable filters and the Kompressor technology.  On the downside some consider it a bit heavy.

LG is a Korean electronics company and it has been around since the 1950’s.  They created the first radios, televisions, refrigerators, and washing machines in Korea.  They have been very busy since then and are now the second largest LCD TV manufacturer in the world, and the third largest global provider of mobile handsets.  LG are now producing vacuum cleaners and consumers appear mostly pleased with the results.

The LG Kompressor Pet Care is a bagless upright vacuum that uses a motorized compression system to compact the dust/dirt in the dust canister.  This approach reduces the frequency one has to empty the dust canister and it also helps eliminate the dust and debris cloud that can occur during canister emptying.  The technology, which uses a rotating wiper-like blade in the canister to compact the debris, allows the dust canister to hold about three times that of a normal dust canister.  The compression system appears to work quite well and many consumers indicate they are pleased with the technology.
 
When we first found consumer ratings for this machine back in 2010 they were quite good (43 ratings that averaged 89/100) however over the years, like many vacuum cleaners, they have slipped.  We are revisiting ratings for this vacuum in 2016 and have now found 450 ratings which average a much lower 65/100.  See table below:

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Highest Scoring Vacuums

#1 CORDLESS VACUUM:   Dyson V8 Absolute (94/100)

#1 UPRIGHT VACUUM:      Shark NV752 TruePet (94/100)     Also see Shark NV801 (94/100)

#1 CANISTER VACUUM:    Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor (93/100)

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A review of consumer comments also yielded some common Kompressor vacuum likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Easy to assemble
- Brushbar can be turned on and off from the handle
- Powerful suction
- Long power cord, and retractable
- Easy to empty dust canister
- Filters are washable
- Fairly quiet
- Kompressor concept works – less dust and less emptying
- Long warranty
- Pet vacuum tool works well

CONS
- Heavy unit
- Some plastic parts don’t appear too sturdy
- Could use a better dusting brush

The Kompressor is a bagless machine powered by a 12 amp motor (fairly typical these days) that uses cyclone technology to spin the dirt and dust out of the air and into the dust canister.  It also uses something LG call “DualForce” suction.  This is marketing speak for distributed suction across the entire length of the suction nozzle.  Essentially there are three suction channels across the nozzle – one on each side and one in the middle.  This approach allows for effective edge cleaning and helps in sucking up dust across the entire width of the nozzle.   The nozzle itself is quite wide on the LG Kompressor Pet Care, at 14.5 inches.

The brushbar on the Kompressor can be turned on and off.  This is an important feature when transitioning from bare floors to carpet or vice-versa.  Typically one does not have the brushbar on when vacuuming bare floors (especially delicate flooring).  The unit also has 4 different adjustable height settings which cater to different floor surfaces.  The height settings are foot operated and include high, medium, medium-low, and low.

For those suffering from asthma or allergies, the LG Kompressor utilizes HEPA filtration.  This is a fairly high level of filtration and it removes 99.97% of all particles of a 0.3 micron diameter or larger (from the air passed through the filter).  This removes dust mites, pollen and other allergens.  The HEPA filter on the Kompressor is also washable so expensive replacement filters do not have to be purchased.

This machine has many additional features including a number of tools and attachments:
- Telescoping Extension Wand (aluminum),
- Stretch Hose,
- 2-in-1 Crevice Tool and Brush Tool,
- Pet TurboBrush (This pet hair tool uses an air drive turbine and is good for cleaning stairs and for picking up pet hair)

The LG Kompressor comes with a lengthy 30 foot power cord that has an auto-rewind function.  This is a decent length for a power cord (a minimum of 30 feet is always best) and the auto-rewind function is often quite important to many consumers.   The vacuum does weigh a hefty 22 lbs however and a number of consumers have commented that they find the machine hard to lug up and down stairs.  22 lbs is a little heavier than many uprights but not unheard of.

The Kompressor Pet Care comes with a rather nice looking wild cherry red finish and also has a switch that will shut down the vacuum protecting the motor from damage should it be overloaded.  In addition, it carries a fairly lengthy 5-year parts and labor warranty (longer than most uprights in this price range – but a few Hoovers and the Shark Navigator have similarly long warranties).