This flexible stick/hand vacuum can be used to clean up more than just dust and dirt. It also includes a mopping head that is handy for washing tile and hard floors. Everything stores in the base and is kept neatly concealed. The base also can automatically empty the vacuum’s dustbin into a larger bag. The battery is even swappable with one that stores and charges in the base.
Highlights:
* Swappable batteries (2 included) that both charge in the base.
* Good suction.
* Relatively quiet (except when the base is emptying the vac).
* Includes 4 vacuuming tools and 1 mopping tool.
* Extending tube.
* Base stores everything neatly.
* Can disable auto-emptying if not needed every time.
* Easy to replace bags in the base.
* WiFi-connection and app.
* Easy to clean filters.
* Easy to swap tools.
* Easy to clean brush rollers on the tools.
Room for Improvement:
* Auto-emptying doesn’t always get everything.
* Base takes up a considerable about of space to allow for tool doors to open.
* Mopping attachment gets stuck after a while of use.
* App has limited value and can get annoying.
Setup:
This vacuum comes in a HUGE box that is actually a holder for 3 smaller (yet still large) boxes. One box has the auto-empty charging base, one box has mostly the vacuum and main attachments. The last box has mostly smaller bits. Unpack them all and then you can get started setting everything up.
First, set up the auto-emptying base station. Find a suitable spot for it, because it really needs clearance twice its own width so you can swing the doors open on both sides to get to the built-in tool storage. Even though the vacuum docks in the front, there still needs to be room above the stand so you flip up the lid to gain access to the spare battery charging/storage compartment. The base also needs to be near an outlet so you can plug it in, and be aware that when auto-emptying the vacuum bin, it can generate quite a breeze and can be quite loud.
After putting the base in place and plugging it in, next is to store the 3 provided hand-held attachments. The pet brush attachment stores inside the left door. The crevice and combination tools store in the right door. The first dust bag is pre-installed but you need to be able to open both doors fully to get access to it for replacing the bag when it’s full. The mopping head can hang from a flip-out hook on either the left or right door, but it requires a bit of extra clearance when hung on either side.
Two batteries come with the kit. Flip up the lid on the top of the base and put one of the batteries in the cavity to charge it up and store it for future use.
Next up is the vacuum itself. Slide the other provided battery in the base of the vacuum. LG recommends that the vacuum be stored in the base with the extension pipe and the floor nozzle installed. Everything attaches easily and then can be removed by pressing a release button. Slide the extension pipe on the vacuum and then slide the floor nozzle on the pipe.
Dock the vacuum in the base by pushing it straight back in the provided docking hole and then lowering it down. By default the base will automatically empty the bin and start charging the battery that was inserted in to the vacuum itself.
Last step is to set up the app if you want. The app will indicate charging status of the vacuum, provide details like how long and often it was used, and has easy links to help and documentation specific to this model of vacuum. To set it up, download the free LG ThinQ app and choose to add a new product. The app then walks you through turning on the vacuum’s WiFi and adding it to your home and the app.
Usage:
In the simplest terms, it’s a really nice and flexible stick vac that easily converts to a hand vac. Lift it up and out of the base, swap out your attachments of choice, and tap the Power button to turn it on to clean up. When done, tap the Power button to turn it off, then dock it and walk away. The vacuum’s bin will get emptied and its battery charged up for the next use.
The dock itself has a basic display and a few buttons. There are backlit icons that indicate when the base is emptying the dustbin, when it’s charging the spare (Aux) battery and to indicate whether the base will automatically empty the vacuum’s bin every time or not. There are also buttons to turn the automatic emptying on or off, and to start or stop the emptying if done manually. In addition, there is an icon to indicate when the base’s bag is full and needs replacement. This kit includes a total of 3 bags; 1 preinstalled and 2 spares.
The vacuum itself doesn’t use a temporary trigger but rather has a power button to toggle the power on or off. There are separate buttons to increase or decrease the suction power from the default suction. Each button has a few extra functions; for example, when using the provided powered mop head, the Power button starts rotating the mop heads with no suction, and the “+” button sprays fluid rather than increasing the suction as it does when vacuuming.
There are backlit indications on the top of the vacuum for power level of the installed battery, whether WiFi is on, if the filter needs cleaning, and if the tube is plugged up and needs to be cleared.
I really like how I don’t need to hold a trigger to vacuum since most of the time I’m using it for more than a quick clean. It also has a soft start that kinda ramps up and down rather than just turning on or off.
The “Dual Floor Max Nozzle” is easy to maneuver around to suck up floor-level dirt. It has LED lights on the front that not only illuminate the floor so you can see where you’re vacuuming, but they also do a great job of highlighting the dirt that needs to be cleaned up. It is easy to disassemble if anything gets tangled or caught up. This tool is meant to attach at the end of the Extension Pipe and works for people of various heights. The Pipe can also be used with the other tools as necessary and is easily adjusted to various lengths.
The “Pet Nozzle” is designed for cleaning up pet hair and has a rubber beater bar that is easily removed if it gets tangled. The “Combination tool” is easily converted between a wide nozzle and a soft brush.
For anyone interested, the vacuum vents out of the top and that area is easily disassembled to access and wash the handheld’s filter. Keep in mind there are two filters; one in the vacuum and one in the auto-empty charging base.
The handle is rubberized which at first seems nice as it’s a bit more comfortable to hold, but be aware that rubberized plastics like this tend to get sticky as they age, so this part may not be so nice in a few years.
The mopping attachment is a bit odd. it essentially is just a rotating mopping pad with a manual spray that happens to use the vacuum as the power supply. It attaches to the end of the Extension Pipe and has two counter-rotating motorized spinning mopping pads. The kit includes 4 pads so you can use 2 which 2 are being cleaned themselves. There is a removable water reservoir on the top of the mopping head. Fill that up with your choice of diluted floor cleaner or just water, then mount it back on the mopping head. Once the head is attached to the Extension Pipe which is attached to the vacuum body, turn on the power and the heads start spinning. The vacuum does not provide any suction so it’s quieter than when vacuuming. You’re supposed to moisten the mopping pads before attaching them so they’re wet to start off with. As you slide the mopping head over your hard flooring, you can manually spray more fluid ahead of the mop.
One difficulty I had while cleaning my tile floors was that the more I sprayed fluid, the more the mopping pads got saturated. After a short while, they started sticking to the floor and refused to rotate any more. I don’t know if this is a design flaw or not, but I could only clean about 1 room at a time before I had to remove the pads, wring them out, and start again.
Battery life it really impressive on a single charge, but remember that you essentially have double that because you can swap out the dead battery in the handle for the charged one in the base if you need more cleaning time.
The “Kompressor" is basically a manually actuated squeegee to both wipe the metal mesh filter and force all sucked debris down to the bottom of the dirt bin, so that the auto-empty station has a better chance of removing everything. It works but is not a completely smooth experience. It’s mostly optional which is better than having to use it, but perhaps an improvement in design could make it smoother and easier to use.
While I appreciate being able to store all of the tools and accessories in the base unit, doing so does mean that the already large base needs even more room around it to open the doors. And even if you don’t like storing the stuff in the doors, you still need to open them periodically to change the base’s vacuum bag.
The app is completely optional in that it really doesn’t provide a ton of benefit. It can send you push notifications when the battery in the vacuum is charged or when the filter needs cleaning. It has links to the manuals and helpful tips. It has a log of how often the vacuum was used and when. Otherwise, it’s unnecessary. In fact, I turned off the “battery charged” notification because it was just annoying to get that every time I used and re-docked the vacuum. It was easy to set up and use, however.
Overall:
Great suction with convenient tools that attach easily and store out of sight in the base. Great battery life with swappable removable batteries (2 included). A convenient docking station that charges both batteries and empties the dustbin. The mopping attachment is useful but not amazing. The app is easy to set up and use but unnecessary. Overall, a versatile and impressive stick/handheld vacuum.