Kobold VK200 Upright Vacuum Cleaner feedback thread - NON testers - chance to win a handheld vac NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the 10 Mumsnetters trying the Kobold VK200 Upright Vacuum Cleaner.

Non testers - we also have 5 handheld vacuums to be won - simply share on this thread what your least favourite room or place to vac is and you will be entered into a prize draw where 5 non testers will each win their very own Kobold VC100 handheld vacuum cleaner (RRP £129.00)

Back to the test, the team at Kobold say “compact, unbeatably handy and extremely powerful, the Kobold VK200 Upright Vacuum Cleaner is the ideal addition to your household, making life easier and cleaner.
Designed by global German household appliance manufacturer Vorwerk, the Kobold VK200, in combination with two different attachments, takes care of all your floor cleaning needs. Whether it’s carpets or hard floors – the VK200 Homecare System has it covered.
The unique SP530 DuoClean head allows you to mop and vacuum at the same time – a world first! It uses just 100ml of water to cover up to 20 m² of hard floor. And the best part? Simply remove the cleaning cloths when you’ve finished and pop them in the washing machine ready for next time.

“The EB400 brush head meanwhile ensures vacuuming is thorough, gentle and hygienic – driven by its own motor, a special rotating brush scans the floor 16 times per second and removes dirt and dust completely. Even the finest dirt particles do not stand a chance!

“Visit kobold.vorwerk.co.uk to find out more about the Kobold VK200 vacuum cleaner and discover the array of clever additional accessories that turn this machine into the Ultimate Homecare System! Simply click and swap to the attachment you need to expertly deal with upholstery, furniture, mattresses, textiles and anything else you need cleaned. Built to last, the Kobold VK200 is the only vacuum cleaner you’ll ever need”.

Testers - please share below your first impressions (we will add more Qs later on)

~ how did the demo from the Vorwerk rep go? What were you the most keen to try out?
~ how were the instructions in the box?
~ what did the demo cassette bag show after the first use - are you surprised by how much has been picked up?
~ please share a photo!

Testers thanks for sharing your first impressions - after you have used it a few times, please now share the below:

~ Do you think the Kobold VK200 will save you time?
~ Did you think that the vacuum was powerful?
~ Did you think the vacuum was easy to manoeuvre?
~ And do please share a photo!

Finally, testers - now please share the below

~ What are you overall views on the vacuum cleaner?
~ Would you recommend it to other people with similar floors to you?
~ please share a photo and add a review here

Thanks
MNHQ
Standard Insight T&Cs apply

The Living Room as I have cats and their fur sticks to the carpet, the sofa and the curtains :0

Non tester - Son's bedroom. It takes me longer to pick everything up from the floor than it does to vacuum!

Non tester - the stairs never looks clean however hard i try

the stairs

The worst place is around the back and sides of the cooker. My fiance is such a messy cook and spills food everywhere. I'm always finding random bits of pasta where they shouldn't be.

Non tester - my least favourite place to vacuum is the stairs, the lead doesn't reach all the way up so have to go down and unplug then take upstairs to do the top of the stairs. Have also had a few near misses - almost fell down the stairs a few times while vacuuming.

I am a non tester

The bedrooms - dragging the machine round the bed is a chore

I hate hoovering the kitchen because we have tiles and the noises it makes as it scrapes goes right through me!!!

The utility room, as it's so fiddly and down two flights of stairs!

Non - tester around and under the dining table - what a chore

The kids rooms, so many bits and pieces on the floor!!

My least favourite room has to be my sons room- he largely seems to spend his time throwing 4.2 million toys all over the carpet and can find glitter/craft rubbish from god knows where. Hoovering his room requires an age of moving everything out and starting again!

Non Tester here :) I HATE vacuuming the stairs!! They are directly to the left as you come in through the front door so are prime for grubby shoes & feet. To be vacuumed effectively, I have to use a nozzle & really give it some welly!! My wrists always ache after & I loathe lugging the vacuum up & down the stairs - argh!

Landing and stairs :/

My sons room is the room i hate to vacuum the most. I spend more time picking toys and rubbish up off the floor than i would vacuuming. Its just a mission!

Overall views are that it is really, really good. Because it sucks up so much crap (Charlie was very, very right when he said the first bag would fill up quickly), I have found that - hairy cat notwithstanding - the carpets stay looking cleaner for longer. I love the way it does the edges of the room, and the sort of sideways suck. And the hoover/mop is just genius. As it's so quick to use, I'm much more inclined to get it out and give the kitchen and bathroom floors a quick once over before work, and keep the place looking cleaner, rather than the weekly faff with the mop and bucket and wiping up spills in between times. It is also very good at getting dried on cat food off the floor (cat is a spectacularly messy eater).

I would really recommend this vacuum cleaner to anyone with either carpets (which we have) or hard floors. We're in the process of renovating our house and will eventually replace the carpets. As another tester commented, this really sucks the dirt out of the carpet, and rejuvenates the pile as well, so it makes even old carpets like ours, look a lot better.

I told a friend of mine I had this vacuum cleaner and she told me she has had one for 22 years, and it is still going strong (although she is contemplating a new one, now I have raved about this new model!), so they obviously last a long time as well!

the hall

I hate vaccuming the kitchen as I tend to pull everything out to get nehind them. Takes me hours

Er, all of them - I hate vacuuming!

Non-tester - fave place to vacuum is the kitchen, getting up all the crumbs is v satisfying.

Non tester here:

My least favourite place to vacuum is under the dining room table and around our youngest child's highchair. It's such a faff with crumbs everywhere and never looks properly clean A handheld one that I could whip out quickly would change my life!

Tester here.
Overall views: I think it's an amazing piece of kit and dare I say it, worth the heavy initial investment as they do last a very long time. Check out the Good Housekeeping review as well if you're interested in your own Kobold as they conducted a very thorough, independent review and scored it exceptionally highly. Unlike some other reviewers I'm nowhere near to filling up my first bag! I would love to think it's because I'm exceptionally clean but more likely that the previous owners employed a housekeeper who vacuumed every day :)

Would I recommend: 100% yes, if you can afford it. We have a mix of carpets and hard floors and like another tester on this thread will have the whole lot replaced as part of a major renovation next year. I'm going to safely tuck the Kobold away and bring it out again once the house is sparkly and new, so that I can mop and vacuum with gay abandon and know that I'll be keeping everything showroom quality!

Non Tester ~ I hate vacuuming my hallway and landing. The stairs are a pain too, nothing unusual about them, just normal stairs but I hate doing it.