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Vax Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car: 5 things we learned during our hands-on trial
The Vax Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car is the latest model in the Blade series of cordless vacuum cleaners. It costs £100 more than the Vax Blade 4 if you buy directly from the manufacturer, but it has some key new updates which could make it worth the extra expense.
It's currently being tested in our lab, and we'll soon tell you precisely how well the Vax Blade 5 cleans carpets and hard floors, how effectively it retains allergens and whether it has a decent battery life and run time.
In the meantime, keep reading to discover the five new standout features, and head to our Vax Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car first look review for even more details.
Read our Vax cordless vacuum cleaner reviews to compare the Vax Blade 4 and seven other Vax vacuums which have been through our tough tests
1. It’s the first Blade with a digital display
LED or digital displays have become a staple of cordless vacuum cleaners, and Vax is joining the likes of Dyson, Miele, Samsung and Shark by including one on the Vax Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car.
Vax's digital colour display shows how much run time you have based on the cleaning mode selected, and it will send maintenance reminders to clean or replace the filter.
It's a very useful upgrade that makes it easier to use, but it's not as advanced as some digital displays, for example the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute, which counts and displays precisely how much dust you're picking up, or the Samsung Bespoke Jet, which can show error messages and a maintenance guide to help you fix any issues.
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2. It has a new floor head
Vax claims its upgraded floor head with two brush bars is designed for optimum dirt removal and can tackle both carpets and hard floors.
It consists of a soft roller that lifts dust and large debris from hard floors, and a bristled brush bar to lift dirt and pet hair from carpets. You can remove the brush bar and the roller for easier cleaning.
We'll have to wait for our full lab test to see how effective it really is, but you can read about our first impressions when using it in the Vax Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car first look review.
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3. It’s part of VAX ONEPWR floorcare range
VAX ONEPWR is the manufacturer's removable battery pack, which is compatible with all the products in this range.
We've reviewed several other models, including:
See the full reviews to find out how the batteries fared in our tests.
Go to our cordless vacuum reviews to compare more than 100 vacuum cleaners costing from £47 up to £949
4. It comes with two batteries and a premium toolkit
Two batteries are included with all Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car cordless vacuum cleaners, which gives you up to 90 minutes of combined run time, according to the manufacturer. This is something we are currently checking in our lab.
The batteries are rechargeable and removable, which is handy for deep cleans as it means you don't have to worry about the battery running out.
This cordless vacuum also comes with a free Blade toolkit, which is worth more than £50 according to Vax, but you have to buy your appliance directly from the manufacturer's website in order to get it. Otherwise you can buy the Blade toolkit separately for £51.94 from the Vax website.
The tools and attachments included in the free toolkit are a flexible nozzle, stretch hose, tough dirt tool and textile tool.
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5. It's very loud in boost mode
This is by no means the quietest cordless vacuum we've come across, but it's especially noisy in boost mode. It might not be the best choice if you live with others and like to use your vacuum cleaner first thing in the morning, or if you have pets that are easily spooked.
We found it was much quieter in both carpet and hard floor modes, but to get the precise decibel reading we'll have to wait for the full test lab results.
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How does it compare with the latest Dyson?
Dyson V12 Detect Slim is one of the cordless vacuums from Dyson's Slim range, which means it weighs less and has a smaller dust bin capacity than other models.
It currently costs £429 at a number of retailers, including Amazon, AO, Currys and John Lewis. The Vax Blade 5 is on offer for £329 at Amazon, but it's £450 at Argos and Currys.
You can see how they compare in terms of tech specs* in the table below, or use the links in the table to click through to our first look reviews of each model.
Both vacuums are currently being tested in the lab, so make sure to check back in November to see the full results.
| Specifications | Vax Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car | Dyson V12 Detect Slim |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Cordless | Cordless |
| Bagged or bagless | Bagless | Bagless |
| Dust capacity (litres) | 0.7 | 0.35 |
| Weight (kg) | 3.85 | 2.2 |
| Charging time | 3 hours | 4 hours |
| Maximum run time | 90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes) | 60 minutes |
| Guarantee length | 3 years | 2 years |
*All specifications are manufacturer's claims (not independently verified by Which?).
