Which Vacuums Feb 2014 UK

[spiraclean]

Has anyone ever managed to find out definitively what the Which? policy is on product testing? I was always under the impression they didn't accept advertising, freebies or payments from manufacturers in an effort to remain impartial, yet many people seem to feel otherwise.

Either way, there is a subtle bias there which isn't difficult to pick up on. The Which? readership has always been - how can I put this politely - somewhat middle class aspirational. This is reflected in the products they test, and the criteria used in their final judgements. If you're trying to sell a mag to the Waitrose set, they pretty much expect to see Miele and similar brands up on a pedestal. Hypothetically speaking, if Which? concluded that a £40 generic own brand vacuum aced all their tests and proved to be an excellent bang for the buck, they would find themselves in a bit of a quandary. Bestowing best buy status on such a product would alienate a large chunk of their readers, who in turn would be writing in to say how much they disagreed with the findings and would now be reconsidering whether or not to renew their subscription.

FWIW, over the years I have noticed many US members criticising Consumer Reports for the very same reason. In the case of CR, it is often felt that they tend to favour middle of the road products, with higher end brands being dismissed out of hand solely due to their higher price tag. Again, a case of a magazine existing to tell the bulk of its readership what it wants to hear, leaving everyone else scratching their heads.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well, Which don't exactly hide the fact that they have a certain bias - Bosch last year made the "Appliance Brand of the Year," and when you consider that most people are now buying Beko washing machines instead of Bosch, one would assume Which would look at actual sales figures to judge what they should be testing rather than the brand that pays out a certain amount of money to the magazine to have the products "showcased."

Which have since gone on to test "Beko" washers though, so they haven't been ignorant. They have also tested those vacuums that are in the "don't buy" category but to be honest there's very little you can do as a consumer to what you want to see tested as opposed to the infinite details that a collector wants to see.

I think the year before Miele got the award for Best Appliance brand, but when you look at their washing machines and the £800 to £1000 prices, they're not exactly made for "everyone."

Their way of testing is exactly ONE reason to why I never subscribed again. After looking at the various brands for various appliance tests, I realised exactly what you have outlined, Spira.

 

[hi-loswitch98]

Steve, have you talked to Vax about your experience with the Floor2Floor?

 

[oliveoiltinfoil]

I honestly don't know how they rate those miele cylinders so high. I had an S5 cat and dog. UK models don't have power brushes so it was straight suction or air driven turbo brush, none of which deep cleaned my carpets, however as straight suction goes, they are the best I have used. Mieles are very quiet and beautifully made, though not as durable as the K and D model sebos.

I don't rely on review mags to be honest, they are all biased in one way or another. I think Which? don't review them thoroughly enough and skimp on a lot of important aspects, like build quality and ease of maintenance.

The felix wipes the floor with all of the vacuums on that page, followed closely bythe s7. I had that dyson. Certainly doesn't deserve the same score as the felix. Sebo is superior in just about every way.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well, the SEBO turbo brushes (floor head and mini) are both similar to the air driven ones by Miele. The major compromise is that SEBO's main turbo head (non-PN) is much lighter but at the detriment of having to remove two screws to take apart the brush roll. With Miele you have two coin sized screws for cleaning.

Having said that, I find SEBO cylinders are great for quick cleans compared to Miele that kind of teaches me to clean longer with. I think the longer, heavier suction tubes contribute to that feeling, though I've yet to find something that cleans better than both Miele and SEBO when it comes to cylinder vacs.