REVIEW – Vacuums are a necessity. They are usually heavily function-based, designed to clean, clunky, and cumbersome to use. The Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum is part of the new design of vacuums that deliver on being lightweight, easy to use, and maybe even enjoyable to use. How well did this newer design and functionality affect my vacuuming experience? Well, it didn’t suck.
What is it?
The Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum is battery-operated. One of the unique features of this vacuum is the flexible wand that can bend mid-height to allow for easier cleaning under objects such as tables, furniture, etc.
What’s included?
- Ultenic U16 Flex Vacuum
- Charging rack
- Charger
- Crevice tool
- Extra Hepa filter
- Cleaning brush
- User manual / Warranty card
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Brand: Ultenic
- Model: U16 Flex
- Dimensions: 121.5 x 14.2 x 21.5 cm
- Power Source: Battery powered
- Weight: 1.7 kg
- Runtime: 60 min
Design and features
Like many, I was used to having a vacuum that needed to be plugged in. There were cordless vacuums but generally, they were not very powerful and kind of gimmicky. My previous vacuum was the first cordless vacuum I’ve used and liked it…until it broke. A plastic fitting snapped and the vacuum could no longer be connected, but I was sold on the convenience of cordless vacuuming. The Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum came up for review just in time!
Compared to my broken vacuum, the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum had a few features that I wanted to try. One was the longer run time, 60 minutes on a full charge in ECO mode. Standard mode yields 40 minutes and Turbo lasts about 20 minutes. My previous vacuum only ran for about 20-25 minutes. Realistically, it only takes 15-20 minutes to vacuum our home, but having that extra battery comes in handy when I forget to plug it in. The power can be adjusted by pressing the Gear Adjustment Button on the back of the filter.
Our home has mostly hardwood floors, carpet in the bedrooms, and tile in the bathrooms. The Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum had no problem cleaning regardless of flooring. The “GreenEye” technology seemed like a stretch in marketing material, but it made the dust and debris on the floor easier to see and easier to see when the surface was clean.
Some vacuums include a smaller attachment to clean beds and upholstery. It is not included but is available as a separate purchase. My wife and I are torn on the placement of the mini brush. On one hand, it can stay conveniently attached. When needed, just remove the wand and use the vacuum in mini mode. But the downside is that this is the only way the mini brush can be attached. It cannot be attached at the end of the wand.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Assembly was straightforward. Each part snaps into its corresponding connector. My previous cordless vacuum’s battery had to be charged when inserted into the vacuum. This meant that even with a spare battery, the vacuum would be tied to charging instead of being used. And I would need to have the charging cord next to the entire unit. The Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum has a battery that can be charged separately. I can discreetly charge the battery without having the cord running along the wall to the vacuum.
What I like about the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum
- Cordless, not having to deal with a power cord is awesome
- Charging, unlike other cordless vacuums, the battery can be charged separately – great for spares
- The green light makes dust and dirty easy to spot
What needs to be improved?
- The flexible wand is a little unruly when bent, and harder to control
- Only basic attachments were included (crevice tool and mini brush)
- There is no selector for different types of flooring
- Although the manual refers to the wand as a “telescoping tube”, it only flexes to bend, not to extend
Final thoughts
To clarify my leading statement from above, using the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum was a good experience. I enjoyed how light it was, how convenient it was not to drag a cable through the house, and how powerful it was across different types of flooring. Little things like being able to recharge the battery off the vacuum, and having the mini brush attached at all times, helped make living with the vacuum easier.
The flexible wand was not as big of a feature as I thought it would be for me, but if you have lots of furniture that you would otherwise need to bend over to get under, this could be a valuable function. The green light took some time getting used to, but no complaints. Something that I wish it could do would be to have the wand extend to reach higher places.
Overall, I would recommend the Ultenic U16 Flex Cordless Vacuum. It works great and is easy to use.
Price: $199.99 (coupons available)
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Ultenic. Ultenic did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
