This compact and light vacuum cleaner reduces to a cupboard-friendly height of 69cm for easy storage, while its free-standing position makes it easy to pause in the middle of cleaning. After testing out the HF500 Anti Twist Pets in my bedroom (where most of my hair accumulates) I can confirm that the amount of hair in the floorhead was much, much less than when using my corded vacuum! What’s the battery life like? The anti-hair tangling floorhead works on all floor surfaces as it has a mix of soft and hard bristles to clean all types of hard floors and carpets.

The new model boasts an anti twist floorhead which is meant to stop hairs getting tangled in the brush. As someone who has super long hair (and seems to lose an awful lot of it!) this is a game changer. Two colour coded indicators are featured on the front of the cleaner, one to keep you informed of the batteries charge level and the other to alert you when maintenance of the filters are required. The flour test is just as problematic for some vacuums, but the Hoover HF500 performed well here, too. On hard floors, it collected 98% of the flour I spilled in a single pass, leaving only a very light but still visible dusting behind. Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the cleaning, so to speak. We tested the HF500 with our usual suite of challenging tests, spilling both flour and Cheerios on both carpet and hard floor, then measuring how much the vacuum collects on a single pass. It has 4 modes: standard, carpet, turbo and auto. Auto is basically a lower power mode it switches to when the brush bar isn’t attached. In standard mode the brush bar doesn’t rotate, you can clean hard flooring in this mode which uses less power. The turbo mode steps the power up a gear for areas that particularly need it. The memory feature means it will restart in whichever mode was last used.

And then this picture was taken just today after two weeks of daily use which included the vacuuming of my bedroom which was the real test as that is where I dry my (very long) hair. As you can see there is only a few strands of hair wrapped around the centre where there is a break in the roller strip. This was easily snipped off in a couple of seconds and compared to my hair getting wrapped up in vacuums in the past this is absolutely nothing! I was dubious about the anti hair wrap working at all and it really exceeded my expectations. I can also see how much it’s working when I empty the dust canister as it’s visibly full of hair. Just like the previous model, the HF500 PLUS can be used upright or as a handheld device which is perfect for families like ours who are constantly having to clean up all the crumbs the kids drop over the dining table, sofas, carpets and rugs! The lithium battery gives you a runtime of up to 45 minutes in Auto mode with non-motorised tools. When using HF500 in Standard mode to clean floors it runs for 25 minutes, or you can use Turbo mode for 10 minutes of maximum power. Overall, this is a brilliant vacuum cleaner that has great suction, great maneuverability and is nice and lightweight with plenty of attachment for all your vacuum cleaning needs. THE DISCOUNT

As I previously mentioned, I particularly like using the dusting tool around the home and the crevice tool is perfect for those hard to reach spots where cobwebs and dust gather. It can be charged anywhere Above the buttons is a simple screen with icons showing what mode you’re in (carpet or hard-floor) and whether Turbo is engaged. The rest of the display shows the number of minutes of cleaning left on the device before the battery runs out. If the vacuum is plugged in, it will display the percentage of charge the battery has available instead. For me this is a really important feature as we have a large space and I really don’t want to have to stop to charge halfway through my vacuuming. As an experiment I charged it once and waited to see how long the battery would last. I managed to vacuum up the entire downstairs (porch, hallway, living room, dining room, kitchen, utility and shower room) three times before I needed to charge again. On another test I was also able to vacuum all three floors on one charge! Anti-Twist floor head What I’m sure you all want to know is does the anti-twist floor head really work. Well I’m going to let the picture above speak for itself. This was taken after using the HF500 multiple times!

Run time

The HF500 Anti-Twist charges 58% faster than the standard H-FREE 500. This means less waiting around to be able to use it again. Lightweight and compact Need to clean up a dropped bag of crisps in the car? No problem! Dust gathering on the stairs? Easily solved with the crevice or dust and furniture tool. Plenty of accessories that get the job done When my HF500 Anti Twistarrived, I was pleased to see that the compact box that had contained the previous model was pretty much the same. The HF500 Anti Twist continues to be one of the most compact cordless vacuums in their range.

In addition to ALL that though, you get BETTER performance and suction power, a new “anti twist” floorhead which prevents hairs from wrapping around the brush, faster charging and a longer run time. PUTTING THE HF500 PLUS TO THE TEST For better all-round cleaning performance, the Shark IZ300UKT proved stronger in our tests. This has a soft roller for hard floors and can fold up for compact storage. It also comes with a greater number of tools and attachments, although it’s usually a bit more expensive, too. Note that this model can’t stand unsupported when extended, though, so you’ll always need to find somewhere to prop it up mid-clean.With a large LED light strip on the front and compact parking position this vacuum has all the features you need including a 2in1 furniture and dusting tool along with a mini power nozzle which is ideal for pet owners when cleaning upholstery. Throughout I've been comparing the Hoover HF9 to the Shark Stratos, as I think these two vacuums are close competitors. While I would say that the performance of the Shark Stratos may slightly tip the scales, the affordability and lightweight design of the HF9 makes it an option that I would tell anyone on a budget to go for, especially if you can find it at a discounted price. Keeping the floor head clean is a cinch thanks to the Anti Twist Technology which helps to prevent those hairs from wrapping around the floor head, if you do feel like giving it a periodic clean then easy instant access is achieved via the pop-up cover. I didn’t have particularly high hopes for the hard floor Cheerio test. The HF9 doesn’t have a soft roller, which is the usual path to performing well in this test. However, to its credit, Hoover’s floor head designers have built two funnels into the front of the head, which allowed the suction to capture some of the Cheerios and let them pass underneath.