Those of you who have followed my blog since the start will know that I have a serious back condition which has resulted in me having three slipped discs in my lower back. This has meant having to wade through a year and a half of trying different medications, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and even an epidural to help deal with the pain. It has also meant having to change my lifestyle to ensure I only do things I can physically manage - I can no longer do any high impact exercise, I can't lift anything remotely heavy, and I haven't been able to use our heavy vacuum cleaner since my back trouble started as it always aggravates my back.
At first, the not hoovering didn't bother me at all - I hated using the vacuum cleaner anyway, it was boring and it hurt. Hubby took over that job and I didn't think any more about it. But, as the weeks passed I realised how much I missed being able to just 'put the hoover round' whenever I felt the house needed a clear up. When I was in charge of hoovering it got done at least once a week, and I was happy that my house looked clean and tidy. However, after hubby took over the role of Chief Vacuum Operator it didn't get done nearly as often as I wanted - I hated having to ask him to vacuum, I sounded like a bore and didn't want to seem like a really nagging wife but it wasn't getting done, and the house was suffering. I felt frustrated, I even had a go at hoovering again on the sly, but it hurt like hell and I regretted it instantly.
Then I saw an advert on the TV for the GTech Air Ram vacuum cleaners, and I thought to myself - is this too good to be true? I wondered whether they would be suitable for me to use, and whether they would be the answer to our vacuum debacle. When I was offered the chance to give them a go, I couldn't believe my luck. I opened the boxes, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best...
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GTECH AIR RAM K9 & GTECH MULTI
REVIEW
The GTech Air Ram K9 cordless vacuum cleaner
The GTech Air Ram K9
This new generation machine is now strengthened by zinc alloy components and so is more resistant to the wear and tear caused by the toughest cleaning jobs. AirRam K9 features upgraded brush bars which help to reduce the build up of stubborn pet hair, and filter fresheners which scent the room while you vacuum.
This machine is so easy to maintain - in order to empty out the dust and debris after hoovering you simply pull off the dirt chamber in one swift motion, take off the lid, and empty the collected dust bales straight into the dustin.
The dirt chamber removed, ready for emptying...
The lid off, revealing the dusty filter (top) and the two dust bales (bottom) ready for the bin!
The GTech Air Ram K9 on charge - simply leave it plugged into the mains for 4 hours and you'll receive enough charge to vacuum your whole house twice.
This machine definitely stacks up against any corded vacuum I've ever used in terms of its strength of suction. It has all the functionality of a standard hoover, but is infinitely easier to use.
GTech Multi
Because the Air Ram K9 is just for upright vacuum cleaning, GTech have developed a small and very light handheld cordless vacuum called the GTech Multi - this clever piece of kit can do all the little things that the K9 can't, and is so small and light that you'll be able to do so much of your general day to day cleaning using this machine alone.
The Multi comes with a small brush attached for vacuuming in hard to reach nooks and crannies, a 36cm extension tube for cleaning skirting boards without bending and cobwebs without climbing.
The GTech Multi with its 36cm extension tube - making it easy to get into the nooks and crannies…clean the skirting boards or suck up all your cobwebs. Genius.
The Multi also comes with a stairs/upholstery tool making cleaning around your home an absolute breeze! Also, when you press the power button on the Multi it shines a bright LED light onto the surface you are cleaning, making it easy to see what you're doing - clever stuff.
Cleaning the stairs is a breeze with the GTech Multi!
I never thought I'd actually enjoy hoovering, but with the GTech products I actually do!
We have been using both products in our home for the past month, and we absolutely love them! In fact we haven't had our old hoover (a Henry) out of the cupboard since the GTech's arrived - there really isn't much chance I'd ever go back to using a corded vacuum cleaner ever again now that I've had the pleasure of using these fab machines.
What do I think makes the GTech Air Ram K9 & Multi so special?
- Both vacuum cleaners were remarkably straight forward to set up - I had both items out of their packaging, put together and working within 15 minutes of the parcel arriving!
- GTech vacuum cleaners have cordless technology. The lithium batteries are rechargeable, plugging into the mains with a small charger, and then are unplugged for use once the battery is charged. This means you can hoover freely throughout your home without tripping over wires, plugging and unplugging in each room etc.
- The GTech Air Ram K9 & Multi take around 4 hours each to fully charge, each charge will give you over 40 minutes of use - enough time to hoover all the carpets in your home twice.
- GTech hoovers are bagless. You do not have to purchase special dust bags, all the dirt and dust is collected up into either tiny bales (GTech Air Ram / K9) , or a dirt chamber (Multi) - both of which are just emptied straight into the dustbin.
- The filters can be washed by hand, and left to dry over night meaning that you don't have to pay to replace filters at any point. The K9 filters now contain lavender scented inserts, which can be replaced - so now you can freshen your rooms while you clean (you can currently send off to get a packet of scented inserts free when you purchase a K9 vacuum)
- The GTech Air Ram K9 weighs just 3.8kg meaning it feels light to push around the house compared to standard vacuum cleaners - this means people with back problems like myself won't find this vacuum cleaner a struggle.
- The GTech Multi weighs just 1.6 kg making it easy to hold for use on stairs, skirting boards and cobwebs.
- The GTech Air Ram K9 and the Multi both have just one button - the power button. Both are so simple and uncomplicated to use.
- The K9 vacuum cleaner is suitable for all floor surfaces (carpet, wood floor, tiles, vinyl) and doesn't need to change settings to go between different surfaces - all you need is an on/off switch.
- Both vacuum cleaners have a clear green/red light bar system to tell you how much charge your machines have, and when they are ready for a recharge.
GTech Air Ram K9 is priced at £249
GTech Multi priced at £149
OR
For a special offer price of £299 you can buy the GTech Air Ram K9 & GTech Multi together - creating GTech's ultimate cordless cleaning system.
For me, these machines are a total revelation, and in my eyes completely worth the money. Vacuum cleaning my home is now finally do-able for me despite my back problems, and running around all day after a very messy toddler has been made infinitely easier by having them in my life.
What I love best is how on hand both products are - I don't store either of them away in the back of a cupboard like I had to with my old vacuum cleaner. Instead, the Multi lives in the study on the bookcase, ready to pick up at any moment my toddler decides to throw his breakfast at me, or crumble a biscuit around the house. Similarly, the Air Ram K9 is so small and unassuming that it usually lives next to the desk in the study, or by the patio doors in our dining room - the fact that I can just pick it up and go means that I now sometimes vacuum my home multiple times in a day - its never looked so tidy!
Before using the K9 and Multi, vacuuming was an event in our house - we planned when to do it, dreaded it, and always felt obliged to do the whole house from top to bottom if we'd bothered to retrieve it from the back of the broom cupboard and untangle the wire etc. Now, with the K9 and Multi we do lots of small maintenance vacuuming sessions of a few minutes here and there, and it no longer feels like a chore. In fact - hubby has miraculously started hoovering far more often that he ever did before (what is it they say about boys and their toys?)
A big thanks to GTech for gifting us these great products, you have truly changed our day to day lives and made keeping the house clean and tidy SO much easier. From the bottom of my tired-mum-of-a-toddler heart, I thank you - and implore any worn our parents out there to get yourselves these awesome bits of kit, you won't regret it.
Mrs B
xxx
Disclaimer: I was sent the GTech Air Ram K9 and GTech Multi for the purpose of this review. All words, opinions and images are my own.