This Hoover vacuum has become my ultimate lazy cleaning hack thanks to this clever attachment

As a cordless vacuum convert, I was excited at the prospect of putting Hoover's latest launch to the test, especially given that I've been using their HF9 Cordless Vacuum religiously for the last couple of years. I'm pleased to say that the HFX Cordless Vacuum didn't disappoint me, and it's earned itself a permanent spot in my cleaning cupboard.

In a nutshell

The best cordless vacuums are designed to make vacuuming easier, and the Hoover HFX takes this one step further with the new CORNER GENIE tool, which basically enables you to vacuum your entire house without needing to swap to handheld mode. Thanks to this fancy triangular brush head (that's already attached to the stick), you can clean right up to the edges of a room in one fluid movement. Perfect for the lazy vacuumers amongst us.

However, it does have a few drawbacks including a small bin size and short battery life compared to some of our favourite vacuums from Dyson and Shark. But I think the HFX will make its mark in the cordless vacuum market, primarily because the CORNER GENIE function feels so unique. Keeping reading to find out how I got on with testing the Hoover HFX Cordless Vacuum over the past few weeks, and my thoughts on what makes it a worthy investment.

Hoover HFX cordless vacuum specifications

• Max. run time: up to 30 minutes
• Bin volume: 1.19L
• Weight: 3.65kg
• Dimensions: H112 x D25 x W20 cm
• Modes: hard floor, carpet, turbo
• RRP: £449

Unboxing, assembly, and first impressions

I was really impressed with the lack of plastic in the Hoover HFX packaging. Each component was wrapped in paper, and having tested various household appliances before, I know that this isn't usually the case, so that was a big green tick from me.

Despite there being several components included, I had no problem carrying the box around on my own. Inside the box (aside from the vacuum itself) was: the CORNER GENIE tool, flexible crevice nozzle, 2-in-1 dust & furniture attachment, handheld vacuum container, wall mount with screws, drawstring bag (handy for keeping all the accessories together), and the charger. I also received the Car Detail Kit, though this is usually purchased separately and retails for £40. The kit has a flexible hose and 4 detail attachments, designed for cleaning tight corners in the car (these are compatible with the HF2, HF4, HF9, and HFX).

Once I'd unwrapped the different components, I could immediately get a sense of the quality of the product. The vacuum has been designed to be ergonomic and sleek, and I could tell that it would feel effortless to use around the house.

Putting the vacuum together is pretty easy to figure out. The stick vacuum connects to the Corner Genie tool, which connects to the floor panel. Pop the removable battery pack on charge for a couple of hours, and that's all that's needed to start using the device.

I was a little thrown by the handheld vacuum container (pictured below), and it took me some time to figure out that this component is only needed when using the HFX as a handheld vacuum. This would have been made clear if there was a list explaining the different accessories and components, and I was definitely left wishing for a set of written instructions alongside the picture booklet the vacuum came with.

I was a little disappointed by the bin size at 1.19L, making it one of the smallest we've tested. However, if you're not bothered about emptying it regularly and have a small home this won't be a big issue.

What's it like to use?

Floors

Just as I hoped it would be, the Hoover HFX felt effortless to use. Simply put your foot on the vacuum's panel, pull the stick down, press the on button, and you're good to go. The handle slots easily into my hand, and nothing about it feels lumbersome or clunky.

The control panel also couldn't be clearer. There's a power button, a mode button (which switches between hard floor and carpet mode), and a turbo button (for the ultra-powerful turbo mode). I love how all the buttons are one-touch and don't need to be held down.

I was really pleased with the results after using the vacuum on hard floor. The device glides smoothly across the floor's surface, and picks up dust, debris and hair in the outward motion. As part of our vacuum testing process, I put some lentils on the kitchen floor so I could clearly see how good the HFX's pick up power is. It picked up almost all of the lentils is one seamless stroke. It's also really easy to clean under furniture thanks to the flexible handle, and the LED headlights are bright enough to reveal fine debris which would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

I was particularly intrigued to see how the HFX would perform on carpets. I seem to need to go over my living room and bedroom floors daily to keep on top of the dust, debris, and hair that collects there, and I usually have to run my vacuum over certain areas a few times for it to pick everything up. To my relief, this wasn't the case with the HFX. I was pretty impressed with the pick-up, especially when I switched from hard floor to carpet mode (it would have been nice if this was displayed on the control panel - I have to figure out which mode was which based on the battery life in carpet mode being shorter).

The CORNER GENIE technology is probably my favourite thing about the HFX. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy using my Hoover HF9 Cordless Vacuum, but it struggles with cleaning the edges of a room (unless I attach the crevice tool, which frankly, I couldn't be bothered to do every time I used it). The CORNER GENIE function of the HFX solves this problem.

By detaching the floor panel, a soft brush with a triangular shape is revealed, which cleans edges and corners really effectively. It's so much easier than having to use a separate attachment, and I was really impressed with how close the vacuum gets to the sides.

The HFX also works really well as a handheld vacuum. The soft brush attachment did a good job of refreshing my sofa and other upholstery, and the crevice tool was perfect for getting in hard-to-reach places. I like how this tool is flexible, so can be shortened or extended depending on how it's being used.

Battery

I found the HFX's battery life more than suitable for my needs, but I will note that it is on the short side compared to competitors at the same price point. It takes 3.5 hours to fully charge, and lasts for 30 minutes when running on normal mode (this drops to 10 minutes in turbo mode). I live in a two-bedroom flat, and given that all the rooms I need to vacuum are on a single floor, 30 minutes is more than enough time for me to cover all bases. But for larger homes, you may find the vacuum dies before you get chance to finish, if it isn't fully charged to begin with.

Battery life and charging times vary when it comes to cordless vacuums, and the HFX does have a shorter battery life than some of the other cordless vacuums we've tested, but the charge time is also shorter. For example, the Dyson V8 and V8 Absolute both have a charging time of 5 hours, but you get up to 40 minutes of run time on full charge. If battery life is important to you you might be better off looking at something like the Gtech AirRAM Platinum Anti Hair Wrap which takes 3 hours to fully charge but boasts an impressive run time of up to 1 hour.

The wall mount provides a good solution to hide your vacuum and leave it on charge at the same time, so it's always fully charged and ready to go.

Handily, you can track the battery life via the LED display on the control panel. This shows the difference in modes as well, with turbo mode taking up the most battery life, and carpet mode using slightly more than hard floor mode.

Portability and storage

The HFX is really easy to move around. The ergonomic handle makes for easy carrying as well as manoeuvring, and the vacuum itself is lightweight and sleek in design, so it doesn't feel heavy in the slightest.

In terms of storage, the vacuum fits nicely in my cleaning cupboard. I was pretty worried that I might have trouble storing the vacuum (my cupboard didn't have a spare inch of space), but it slotted in nicely. As mentioned, there is a wall mount for storage if this is preferred.

Cleaning and maintenance

Thankfully, the Hoover HFX has a hands-free emptying system, which is easy enough to figure out. Simply press the two latches either side of the dustbin and slide these down, and the lid will open automatically. The majority of the contents are thrown straight into the bin, a feature that has definitely helped me keep on top of emptying the vacuum more than I usually would. There's usually a little bit of dust leftover, but this is easily removed with a small brush.

It's also recommended to clean the roller brush frequently, which is easy to do. Again, I used a small brush for this, which was actually an accessory that came with the Hoover HF9 - it would have been good for one of these to be included with the HFX too (if you don't already have one, I'd recommend using an old toothbrush).

How does it compare to similar vacuums?

The patented CORNER GENIE technology is what makes the Hoover HFX stand out from other cordless vacuums on the market. It's the only one we've come across which can clean right up to the sides without having to attach a separate tool.

The Dyson Gen5detect Absolute is currently residing in the top spot of our cordless vacuum buying guide. The Hoover HFX is almost half the price of Dyson's model, but the latter does have a more impressive run time (up to 70 minutes), as well as a Fluffy Optic cleaner that finds hidden dust. I'd say the HFX is a great budget-friendly alternative to Dyson's somewhat fancier model. For example, you don't get to see how many microscopic dust particles the vacuum has picked up with the HFX (a feature our reviewer loved with the Gen5detect) - but then, is this worth paying almost £400 more for?

The pick-up on the Hoover HFX is almost perfect; there can just be a couple of stubborn pieces of fluff that I have to go over a couple of times on carpet (though the Turbo mode usually gets everything first time). So, it doesn't quite match the pick-up of the Shark Stratos IZ420UKT, which our reviewer found to be spot on. So though there may be better cordless vacuums out there, you won't get the CORNER GENIE tool with any other model.

Should you buy the Hoover HFX?

If being able to clean right up to the edges of a room without having to attach a crevice tool is a dealbreaker, then the Hoover HFX is probably the cordless vacuum for you. Sure, I love how lightweight and sleek this vacuum is to use, but you can get that with other models. What is unique to the HFX is the CORNER GENIE tool, which made my vacuuming routine feel a whole lot easier.

So as you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of this vacuum. That being said, there are other models on the market that may perform slightly better, for a cheaper price. Hoover do tend to discount their products frequently though, so if you can get the HFX on sale, then I'd definitely recommend investing.