ANALYSIS: FLOORCARE Home Appliances


investment with Homewizard to provide a reliable and secure in-house solution.” Mr Johnson adds to this, saying that battery life


is another interesting debate in this sector. Most manufacturers use the same core Li-Ion technology, but as he explains, the best brands balance weight, power and runtime with various modes or power levels: “Once you have made the vacuum design as efficient as possible, it comes down to how many batteries you build-in and how powerful you make each setting. It’s a numbers game. “You could make a battery cleaner last all day


For David Foulstone, Marketing Director at 18


Swan, it’s all about doing more with less. “There are so many products now with one


specific role. People don’t really have the space for three or four items all doing a similar job. So reducing this to one great product that covers many bases could be really beneficial.” Mr Foulstone says that Swan is a “throughout-


the-house” brand, with products that are on trend and reflective of what consumers want in their homes, like the PowerPlush Turbo Cordless 3-in- 1 Vacuum – the soft Power Plush head with tangle free technology is great for pet hair, while the Turbo floor head is meant for hard floors.” When it comes to everyday cleaning, the


Supervac Gold 3-in-1 cordless vacuum from Morphy Richards (pictured above) is another contender. It’s a cordless upright with extended reach mode plus a handheld cleaner. It has a crevice tool, dusting brush and


upholstery brush which, when attached to the extension tube on the handheld, gives extra-long reach for those hard to reach areas. The accessories and motorised brush bar can also be attached directly onto the handheld for close up cleaning of stairs and similar areas.


“A jungle of different brands” Elsewhere, while convenience and quick solutions are getting more important for consumers – such as vacuuming and mopping at once – noise level is also a crucial feature and out-dated loud devices are being replaced. We are seeing a large increase of multi-


functional, cordless stick vacuum cleaners thanks to improvements in battery performance and construction (air flow). However, according to Graham Speake, UK and Ireland Country Manager at Smartwares Group, robotic vacuuming still only accounts for a modest share of the overall floorcare market, and traditional vacuum cleaning is still important. “It is a jungle of different robotic brands and a


lot of price competition,” he says. “App control is getting more familiar for consumers, but the fear of non-invited online ‘guests’ is still a concern with smart appliances, hence our


but it wouldn’t suck much up. Or make it more powerful but it would only last a minute or two at best. “ROIDMI cleaners are famed for their light


weight,” Mr Johnson continues, “so packing in hundreds of cells to increase run time is not an option. We use extensive finite element analysis to create the most efficient air-flow through the cleaner to ensure all of the power is turned into suction and cleaning efficiency.” Reliability is also a hot topic as many end


users are blissfully unaware that battery packs have a finite life. Witt uses Samsung cells in its ROIDMI vacuum battery packs which guarantee to deliver 90 per cent of their rated capacity after 500 cycles. In fact, the brand is so confident in its battery pack’s reliability that it is one of the only manufacturers to offer a full two-year warranty on batteries alongside five years on the cleaner itself.


And the winner is… Over at Miele, there’s been a lot of investment in consumer insight to ensure its latest products for this market meet exacting requirements. The German giant’s first ever cordless


handstick vacuum cleaner – the Triflex HX1 – was introduced in February last year; it’s three- in-one design offers a choice of configurations from upright Comfort Mode, Reach Mode for ceilings and bookcases, and Compact for quick clean ups and upholstery. In addition, the removable battery offers


uninterrupted cleaning for up to 60 minutes (entry and ‘Cat & Dog’ models) and 120 minutes with the top-of-the-range Pro model, which comes with two batteries. At the ERT Awards 2020, the Triflex HX1 3-in-


1 was voted by UK electrical retailers as the Best New Product in the Small Domestic Appliances category. Miele’s Mr McCormick believes it has delivered


value to the handstick market, opening up completely new price segments. “Consumers love it,” he says. “The key for us was to combine the stability and ease of an upright, with the flexibility of a handstick, and the power of a corded vacuum.” He also reveals there will be three exciting new launches within the highest growth


February 2021 ertonline.co.uk


segments during 2021… so watch this space! Mr Foulstone also chips in that Swan has got two


big product launches planned for the year ahead, but the brand isn’t able to dish the dirt (… or should that be ‘clean it up’?) just yet. It is hoping to tell us more at the Exclusively Shows 2021.


The height of hygiene Elsewhere, Morphy Richards has been tackling the steam cleaner market with its recent 1,600w 12-in-1 Steam Cleaner – yes that is 12 in one! At first glance it looks like a traditional steam mop, but it has a pull-out handheld unit to swap from an upright on the floor to tackling muck that is higher up. The brand says in handheld mode it can be used for all sorts, including ovens, BBQs, windows, shower doors, sinks and more. The 12-in-1 has already been named by The


Independent newspaper as one of the best steam cleaners on the market and has received fantastic reviews from consumers. Sticking with steam, and in these times when


hygiene is a big concern for consumers, solutions that keep our homes clean and sanitary – as well as dirt and dust-free – are top of the wish list. >>


Miele’s ERT Award-


winning Triflex HX1 handstick vacuum


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