Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet Bagless Upright Review

Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet

The Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is considered to be the brand’s top rated vacuum cleaner, as per their website. Over the last few months, I’ve been able to review a wide range of vacuums, especially those that claim to be the best when it comes to removing pet hair. So how does the Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet perform?

Kerb Appeal

The Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is a good-looking machine and a definite plus is that it’s easy to put together. If you’re an instructions person, they’re simple to follow and make sense, and no steps have been missed out, accidentally or otherwise. The different tools are easy to attach and you’re not left feeling frustrated, which is always a bonus.

When it comes to cleaning this vacuum sucks, in the best possible way. After a test run there was so much dog hair I thought I had accidentally vacuumed up Fudge.

Thankfully no pets (or kids) were harmed during this review.

Cleaning Power

If the cleaning power of this vacuum was reflected in the price tag, the Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner would be a high-end product.

Some reviewers have mentioned that the vacuum is on the heavy side, but I found it fine. More weight can add to a vacuums cleaning performance, pushing the vacuum down into the carpet, really getting into the fibers. This vacuum has a 5-level height adjustment which means it can clean everything from rugs and mats to deep pile carpets.

One reviewer ran an experiment using different sized washers, nuts, and bobby pins to test the Hoover WindTunnel 3’s cleaning power and durability. The vacuum sucked these items up without jamming, which is excellent news. However, I think it’s worth mentioning that this was done as a one-off – I would not recommend you trying this at home! No vacuum, regardless of price or quality, will withstand this kind of treatment over an extended period of time.

In our ‘test’ conditions, which include dust, dirt, sand, food and fur, the kind of things you would expect to find in any home that has three pets and two children, the vacuum performed well, especially when it came to removing pet hair.

I felt it struggled a little on the hardwood floors but this shouldn’t be a deterrent. Most of the general purpose vacuums I have reviewed so far seem to find hard floors a bit of a challenge.

Usability

There are so many things to love about the Hoover WindTunnel 3’s usability. From the 27-foot cord and the 10-foot long extension to the different attachments and the height adjustment dial.

The brush roll can be turned off and off with the flip of a switch, depending on the surface of the floor you’re cleaning and as mentioned there are 5 different height levels. There is also an easy-to-use dial that can recline the vacuum or keep it fixed in a vertical position and the on/off button is on the handle.

I found the noise level to be fine, at around 75 decibels, which is average. I’m still able listen to music or hear the children when they call.

There are a few niggles when it comes to the performance of the WindTunnel 3, like the maneuverability. It’s not as easy to move around like some of the other cleaners I’ve reviewed and it doesn’t necessarily get into those hard-to-reach places.

Maintaining the vacuum is relatively simple and there’s a signal light that lets you know when the HEPA filter needs to be replaced. The canister can be removed and is easy to empty, although I strongly suggest you do this outside. I didn’t the first time and was engulfed in what felt like a dust storm. Needless to say, I had to vacuum again.

It’s an upright so it’s not exactly compact. It goes without saying that storing the vacuum can be problematic if space is limited.

Capacity

The Hoover, like all bagless vacuums, has a dirt cup. This one has a capacity of 0.37 gallons, which seems to be about average for a modern bagless upright.

I found it was relatively easy to remove, except for the dust storm incident, but getting it back on was a bit of a challenge for me. You have to rest the base on the vacuum just right and align the top accurately so the latch catches but other people I asked liked that it felt more secure. It’s a case of each to their own I suppose.

Floor Type

Because most houses have different surfaces I tested the vacuum on our loose mats and rugs, mid-pile carpet as well as laminate floors. While some websites simulate an environment with Cheerios, sand, dust, pet and human hair, I don’t have to. I simply don’t clean for a day or two and I’m ready to test. Of course, I also have Lego blocks, cat food, grass, and crumbs from various food types.

On the rugs and mats, the Hoover sucked up about 90% of the sand and dust and all of the pet hair. It battled with the bigger bits, like the cat food, and Lego blocks but I would normally pick these up anyway before vacuuming.

On my mid-pile carpets in the living room and bedrooms, the Hoover managed to clean up about 85% of the sand and dust and all of the pet hair.

The Hoover battled on the laminate floors, but this seems to be a problem with the majority of vacuums. It’s not cause for concern for me however because I only ever use a vacuum on this type of surface when I’m doing a review anyway. I normally clean the bathroom and kitchen floors with a broom and dustpan.

Tools

The Hoover WindTunnel 3 has some awesome tools and attachments that make cleaning an absolute pleasure. These include the telescopic extension wand, the crevice tool for cracks and crevices, the dusting brush for vents, furniture surfaces and shelves and the two pet tools – the upholstery tool and the turbo tool.

The crevice tool is perfect for getting into those hard-to-reach places, like where the carpet and baseboard meet, between the cushions and the sofa and various other nooks and crannies. I used it in the compactum in one of the bedrooms to get rid of any stray pet hair. And I even tested it in the mom-mobile.

All of the tools work well but I was impressed by the pet turbo tool. The rubberized blades catch all of the hairs, no matter how long or short, and the hose sucks everything up into the dust cup. When it came to the furry furniture the Hoover’s pet turbo tool really impressed me, cleaning up a good amount of the pet hair. Moving it side to side over the chair it sucked up even more.

Filtration

A primary filter together with a secondary HEPA filter with a carbon layer ensures effective cleaning. The first filter is reusable and easy to clean but should you need to replace it you can, at around $8 or so. The secondary filter, as mentioned, is an HEPA filter with a carbon layer. It eliminates odor and traps 99.97% of the dust, dirt and other airborne particles, including pollen.

In the past few months I’ve tried out a number of vacuums and the Hoover’s filtration system scores well, in fact it’s on a par with cleaners that cost twice the price

Conclusion

If you have pets and carpets, want an effective HEPA vacuum on a budget then you should seriously consider thisHoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner. The suction power is very good and it sucks up pet hair, airborne particles including pollen and gets rid of pet (and human) smells. Like many general purpose cleaners it doesn’t perform that well on hard wood or bare floors but for anyone with carpets, hairy pets and a desire to keep the allergens in the air to a minimum then this is a great budget option.

Hoover WindTunnel Infomercial