Vax Air Stretch vacuum cleaner is a must have for pet owners - but it's missing one thing

This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

Having pets is great as it means you're never alone and you have unconditional love, however, it also means that your floors are going to be covered with fur. My old Shark vacuum had a good run, but as something I bought years ago before I had a dog that sheds like there is no tomorrow, it just couldn't cope with the pet hair.

After weeks of searching for a new vacuum that was up to the task I decided on the Vax Air Stretch Pet Max Vacuum Cleaner, and it's close to perfect. The vacuum cleaner is extremely powerful and has a cord length of 17m so I can take it all over my home without having to regularly change plug sockets.

Although there is still a debate ongoing between the cordless and corded options, I strongly feel that the more powerful ones are corded even though the other ones might be easier to get around the house and up and down the stairs.

I waited until the vacuum went on sale, with Amazon reducing the price from £119.99 to £79 in its Black Friday Sale. Thanks to the joy of Prime Delivery I had it with me the next morning and couldn't wait to rediscover my carpets.

The product has nearly 10,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.3 out of five-star rating, so I was confident in my purchase and it has not disappointed. This vacuum is so light, easy to use and manoeuvre around furniture, and it comes with all sorts of attachments.

One thing that surprised me is that the handheld hose is not permanently in action, you have to manually move the tube between the base of the vacuum when you are using it for the ground and then want to switch to the tube to use attachments and reach those hard to get to places.

This was a bit weird at first but I've got used to it know and I actually think this helps keep the suction strength powerful as its not being divided. Plus you can change the ventilation for whether you are cleaning carpets or hard floors, and turn the rotating bristles on and off depending on the surface.

The only thing that frustrates me a little about this vacuum is it has a smaller compartment to collect all the mess and pet hair than my old one, and if you let it get quite full it can be hard to empty as it only opens at the bottom of the compartment rather than the top and bottom.

However, I can overlook this one thing because other than that it is perfect, and it feels great to be able to clean my house properly instead of worrying I'm just moving dirt from one side to another. I also can't believe how much pet hair it got out of my carpet, and it has definitely made me question whether my last vacuum even worked at the end.

Another happy customer on Amazon wrote: "I’ve tried every other hoover that gets pet hair out the carpet and this is the best one so far. "Brings a bunch of accessories for the hoover and does its job perfectly well."

A second shared: "For this price this is the best hoover you can get, no doubt. Great suction power for all kind of carpets, even ones with a long and thick pile. Not really anything downside to it except its quite heavy and the cable is very annoying; it won't stay routed round the clips so it ends up getting in the way all the time."

Although some customers have experienced issues with the suction being lost or the brush getting caught. One review states: "At first, for the price I thought this was a decent product, did a great job and good suction.

"However, the suction quickly dropped despite cleaning it all out and good maintenance. The roller in the head has now stopped turning as well, we have cleared it all and followed all steps shown but still cannot get it going again. So now pretty much doesn’t pick up at all. I miss my Shark!"

Whilst another said: "When it briefly works has very good suction, however every 5 minutes if you're lucky, you have to turn it off unwrap tiniest bits of hair (honestly takes very little) for the brush at the front to start spinning again."

Meanwhile, Argos has the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Corded Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner reduced to £129 from £230. This is a great option if you don't mind spending a little more, as this vacuum is suitable for all surfaces and a power boost option for adjustable suction power.

Or you can't stand the idea of having a corded vacuum than it might be better to look at this HOOVER HF1 Plus Pets Cordless Vacuum Cleaner at Currys instead. The retailer usually charges £139 but currently has reduced the price by £39.01 to £99.99.

This vacuum has a motorised mini turbo brush to lift pet hair from carpets, sofas and cushion, and the anti-twist floorhead stops hair from wrapping as it untangles as you go.