Since its founding in 1886, Bosch has become a well-known household name, recognised as a multinational engineering and technology company. In the 136 years since, Bosch has consistently been touted as producing high-quality power tools and home appliances, including vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, refrigerators, and washing machines. So how does the Bosch Unlimited 7 compare, and is it worth the rrp of £299?
In this review, we take a closer look at the features of the Bosch Unlimited 7, including battery life, usability, handling, and performance.
Features & handling
Straight off the bat, there are a couple of features that set this vacuum apart from others on the market, and that’s the 90-degree flexible tube, and the swappable battery.
It’s unsurprising then, that manoeuvrability is a big selling point for this vacuum. It’s intuitive, so a slight move of your hand will see the vacuum nipping around chair legs, dogs, and obstacles with ease. The motorised brush nozzle has a flexible head that responds well to small motions; you don’t need to pivot the entire device to change direction. A slight lean one way and you can scoot round a corner; a very useful feature if you don’t fancy the cardio workout that often comes with vacuuming.
The 90-degree nozzle is rigid until released with a one-click mechanism; a large, easy-to-use button. Straighten the tube, and it clicks back into place when done.
The dust container is quite small, with just a 0.3l capacity, which could feel a bit restrictive especially if you’re cleaning a large house. But if you get into the habit of emptying it after every vacuuming session, this shouldn’t bother you too much – and you’ll benefit from the lighter weight by having the smaller container.
And being lightweight, it’s particularly useful for hoisting up into awkward corners to reach stubborn cobwebs and accumulated dust. Even when held vertically upwards, motion is intuitive.
However, if you’re not used to cordless vacuums, you should be aware that – unlike with corded vacuums where you lift only the nozzle – you will need to lift the entire vacuum into that dusty corner. And while 2.8kg isn’t that much, if you have arthritic hands or dexterity issues, it does require a fairly firm ‘grip’, to maintain control of the vacuum if you’re doing a more thorough clean of the ceiling. However, it is well-balanced, which helps to counteract this weight to a certain degree.
Battery
Battery life of the Bosch Unlimited 7 varies depending on which setting you’re using – and that depends on the surface you are vacuuming. While it’s not really sufficient to clean a large house from top to bottom, buying a couple of spare batteries would solve this problem. On eco mode, I got an easy half-an-hour from the vacuum, with juice to spare. Turbo mode is more power-hungry, and on a full charge it only managed around 12 minutes before running out of steam.
Having swappable batteries is a huge bonus, especially as they can be used with an ever-increasing range of other appliances. And they’re not limited to Bosch either. It’s one of the largest cross-brand 18V battery systems, compatible with other 18V power tools and gardening gadgets from a range of brands – over 70 different appliances, in fact!
So, if you’re already noticing a number of compatible products creeping into your house – either by design or coincidence – it might be worth picking up a spare battery and charger to streamline routines.
Performance
You may not think that your carpet is that dusty, especially if it looks clean. True, a lot of dust is carpet fluff, but it’s loose dust none-the-less. And that can play havoc for allergy sufferers. But the Bosch Unlimited 7 pulls the dust out of the carpet well, and you’ll be impressed (or not) with the amount it picks up, especially when you come to clean the cartridge filter.
The dust container itself is easy to remove and empty, and there’s a rather nifty system that allows you to shake extra dust from the filter. Twist the ‘clicker’, and it flicks the folds in the dust cartridge, loosening stubborn dust from the filter. Just be sure to do this outside or halfway into a bin – as the dust will get everywhere… and you’ll have to vacuum it up again.
There are two ‘finger holes’ that facilitate turning the clicker, although it’s somewhat difficult to get a suitable grip as they are quite shallow. This is, however, a minor gripe as this feature makes cleaning your vacuum considerably easier.
Suction is excellent, whether you’re vacuuming the carpet or the ceiling. Likewise, there doesn’t appear to be any loss of suction when the flexible tube is bent at 90 degrees, and while having a choice of different modes (eco, turbo and auto) is nothing new, of course, it’s good to know you don’t have to run it at full blast all the time. I like the intelligent ‘Auto’ mode, as gives adaptive power across multiple surfaces – so you don’t actually need to change the settings, if you don’t want to.
Ordinary day-to-day detritus is vacuumed up with ease, and with just one pass; although pet hair does need ‘going over’ several times. The six LED headlamps are a nice touch and are useful for searching out dusty corners – they illuminate around 30cm in front – not to mention they make vacuuming more fun.
It does, however, struggle with thicker carpets, and stubborn, trodden-in dirt. So you'll need to opt for several blasts in turbo mode, or grab that old wire brush to loosen the dirt first before tackling something as dirty as my car...
It's also worth noting that the main head – the motorised brush with the LED lights – picks up hair and string no worse than most other vacuums, but a quick release mechanism would make cleaning and detangling the brush roll a lot easier. As it is, I’m still having to cut the more fibrous detritus off the roller with a pair of scissors.
As for storage, it has a neat, space-saving design, similar to most stick vacuums these days, in the form of wall mounting unit. But there’s also a rather handy ‘hook’ on the back of the vacuum itself – so if you don’t want to commit to permanently fixing the housing unit to the wall, you can suspend it from a suitable shelf or rail instead. This hook is made of plastic, however, so time will tell if it’s strong enough.
Verdict
The Bosch Unlimited 7 is ideal for hard floor apartment living, with lots of under-furniture areas prone to collecting crumbs and dust. If you have a few thick-pile rugs and carpets – even on ‘turbo’ setting, it struggles with reaching all the way down into the fibres of the carpet. On short-pile carpets, or ‘firm’ carpets however, the Bosch Unlimited 7 is great, and the headlamps are a fun feature. Manoeuvrability is excellent, and it’s great for getting round obstacles.
Suction on pet hair is adequate, but you’ll need to ‘go over’ an area several times to get the best results. Battery life is fairly decent for a cordless vacuum, and comparable to other brands; around 40 minutes on eco setting, 12 on turbo. But if you still want more juice, just like you’d have several batteries for your DSLR, you can buy extra swappable batteries – which you can also use with a variety of power and gardening tools.
It’s a sightly pricier option than alternative stick vacuums, but you’re compensated with a vacuum that has brilliant suction, is super flexible, portable, and lightweight. Just don’t forget to clean the dust filter.
Alternatives
Miele Triflex HX2
With its maintenance-free HEPA lifetime filter system, the Miele Triflex HX2 captures an impressive 99.99 per cent of fine dust, allergens, and even viruses. It has a generous 60-minute battery life, so you can cover a lot more ground on one charge than you can with the Bosch Unlimited 7 – ideal if you have a larger property– but with this comes with a price tag to match. It’s Miele’s most powerful vacuum cleaner designed for long-lasting performance, and, according to them: “you might change your flooring before you change your Miele.”
Shark IZ202UK
The Shark IZ202UK is comparable to the Bosch Unlimited 7, both in terms of price and features. It too, has a 40-minute run time, can bend in the middle to reach under furniture, and has a removeable battery pack. It’s got a larger dust box capacity than the Bosch (0.7l), and is anti-hair wrap, but it’s heavier, too, coming in at 4.7kg.
Gtech Multi Mk2
If you’re after a smaller, handheld vacuum, then the Gtech Multi MK2 is a solid option. You save on price, and if you want something that can tackle random bits of detritus, or for a five-minute job on the car, then it’s a reliable alternative. And once you’ve done with the car carpets, the dusting brush is useful for upholstery and car seats. It’s super lightweight, too, at just 1.5kg.
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