Product: The Airider Vacuum
Designer: Mike Rooney
Price: $399
Rating: Recommend*
For cleaning month we had the pleasure of checking out a new concept in vacuuming that is sure to excite your nephew and spark plenty of cocktail conversation. The Airider Vacuum is a patented hovercraft vacuum.
Turning the Airider on is fun. Like an eager pet, it rises up when turned on and tags along behind you with barely any effort. It can also handle carpeting and rug surfaces (it comes with attachments for all surfaces).
And that is not all. The Airider is powerful, with 200 mph of airflow, and clean, with a HEPA filter and a bagless canister that allows you to see how much dirt your picking up.
There is also a nice hose and wand design. The wand is retractable and so is the hose, allowing for very compact storage. The hose design allows one hose to fit inside of another. The inside hose can be extended when you need it, giving you twice as much reach. When you are done, a simple push of a button redistibutes the suction and pulls the extended hose right back inside the other.
Problems? The Airider main weakness is in the design of its bagless canister. We found it awkward to empty the canister and did not revel in the prospect of washing the HEPA filter in our sink when it gets filled up. In this category, Dyson's upright design is yet unbeaten.
In addition, the lack of wheels does mean that the vacuum doesn't move when it is turned off, making it necessary to pick the unit up at the beginning and end of your vacuuming holiday. Due to it's powerful motor, the Airider is not light either. It turns out that wheels ARE useful sometimes.
In summary, the Airider is an eyecatching and powerful addition to the canister vacuum category (in which we wish there were more!). It is a very good compact vacuum with a few rough edges, and it's sure to please many who are looking for a vacuum unlike any in their apartment building.
*Our Ratings:
Strong Recommend
Recommend
Weak Recommend
Don't Recommend
But apparently it's loud and you have to SHOUT above the noise. ;)
"There is also a nice hose and wand design."
I'm sold.
(but we used to have an air-riding vacuum way back when. Worked great on hardwood floors but can't imagine this levitates on carpet... plus, it was REALLY easy to get a huge amount of accidental momentum with the vacuum... and it would go slamming into chairs if you got over zealous with your pull. Oh my.)
I BOUGHT ONE OF THESE VACUUM CLEANERS@AHOME SHOW,AND THIS MACHINE,CUTS DOWN ON MY VACUUMING,EVEN MY KIDS WANT TO VACUUM,AND ITS ALSO A BREESE ,CLEANING AND REMOVING THE FILTER.GREAT FLOATING VACUUM FILTER.I GIVE IT A PLUS 10 RATING.
HI PATRICK
DO YOU OWN ONE?
THE MACHINES NOISE IS FINE JUST LIKE A VACUUM.
THEY TESTED IT IN THE LAB AND NO MENTION OF NOISE.
MY PARENTS ALSO HAD A FLOATING VAC YEARS AGO .
IF YOU HAve ONE YOU CAN SEE IT FLOATS ON CARPETS FINE NOT LIKE THE OLD ONE.
ALSO WHEN I PULL IT IT DOES NOT GO ALL OVER THE PLACE IT STAYS RIGHT BEHIND ME.
I HAVE HAD CANNISTERS BEFORE BUT I WAS ALWAYS TUGGING THEM AROUND.
BUT TO EACH HIS OWN I THINK IT IS A COOL AND EASY TO USE PRODUCT.
I DONT LIKE TO VACUUM BUT THIS DOES MAKE IT EASY AND THE KIDS WERE AMAZED BY IT WHEN I TURNED IT ON FOR THE FIRST TIME.
Hi Caroline, Patrick was being sarcastic. All capital letters are considered SHOUTING on the web...
Hi
oops thanks for the advise Greg.
Caroline
I have owned this vacuum for six months, within three months the latch that holds the dustbin closed broke, shortly thereafter the belt drive on the carpet head gave out. I have contacted the manufacture on 12/6/06, 12/29/06, 1/28/07, and again on 2/23/07. I have even called Glasgow Scotland asking for help!
Each time the company has been courteous promising replacement however nothing has been forthcoming. If you check their website I am the guy from LA that gave them a glowing review (note: they removed the last paragraph from my letter which suggested they make the machine sturdier).
Machine is great; customer service is the worst I have ever seen! Personally they have lost me as a customer, I would not buy this vacuum again, ever!