[PROMO CODE INSIDE] LG CordZero: Free Yourself

This post is written by Justin Teo from our sister site, Asia361.com.

LG’s latest CordZero^TM is a collection of vacuum cleaners that features cutting edge innovation and technologies to make cleaning your home easier and with less hassle.  The CordZero^TM collection features four different cordless vacuum cleaners that are designed to facilitate mobility around the house and enhance the cleaning experience: the recently launched CordZero^TM Canister and CordZero^TM 2-in-1 Handstick, the CordZero^TM Bedding Cleaner and the HOM-BOT SQUARE .

I was loaned a unit of the CordZero^TM Canister vacuum cleaner and the CordZero^TM 2-in-1 Handstick vacuum cleaner for a couple of weeks and the following is my review based on my experiences with them.

CordZero^TM Canister Vacuum

The first impressions as I took the LG CordZero^TM Canister out from the box was that it looked sleek and high-tech, with a similar sense of admiration that comes with looking at a beautiful car. Just like a beautiful car, the LG CordZero^TM Canister certainly looked like LG had spent a lot of time on it with computer-aided design; with its metallic handhold arch, transparent dust collector and see-through wheel gears coming together in a titanium-grey package.  I don’t know why see-through panels always make the inner geek in me excited.

I noticed immediately that there are electrical connectors and buttons on the flexible hose and handle.  The on-off switch is placed ergonomically near where the thumb would normally rests when I hold the handle. The set-up was relatively easy, like all other bagless canister vacuums, I just connect the flexible hose to the main body, the hose to an extension tube, and finally the floor nozzle to the extension tube.  I liked how everything connects together with a positive click, without effort to secure the parts.

That is it.  No pulling out miles of power cord and plugging it in before a vacuum session.  The PowerPack^TM lithium battery is from LG Chemical and is supposed to last for up to 40 minutes in regular mode, and it was ready to go when I turned it on straight from LG’s warehouse.  I doubt any apartment takes more than 40 minutes to vacuum, and I usually clean mine in less than 20 minutes.

Besides being cordless, I think the coolest thing about the CordZero^TM Canister is the Robosense^TM technology – the vacuum cleaner follows me around the apartment as I clean!  I do not have to tug on the hose, or hold on to the canister like other regular vacuum cleaners.  There is a sensor on the handle and three more on the canister, which work together to sense the relative position and to keep the canister within a meter of the handle.

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As cool as the technology is, I should have read the instructions manual first, because the orientation of the handle needs to be aligned with the canister to work properly.  In addition, with two nephews in the house, the apartment is cluttered with stuff (those with kids will understand) and furniture, which did not give the CordZero^TM Canister room to maneuver and sometimes it got caught around a corner.  I usually get around this by holding on to my vacuum, but the Canister is too hefty for that.

A bonus to being cordless means that the Canister can also be used for vacuuming cars! For the review, I volunteered to clean my brother’s car – why else would anyone volunteer to vacuum another person’s car?  The crevice tool and upholstery nozzle came in useful for the nooks and crannies, and given the full power of the Smart Inverter Motor^TM, I could pick up debris that handheld vacuums could not.  However, I wished there was a mode to just turn on the Robosense^TM function on its own, so that I could “walk” the canister down to the car instead of having to carry the quite substantial canister.  I had to turn on the vacuum to get it to move which just seemed kind of strange.

Finally, the CordZero^TM Canister also comes with Kompressor^TM Technology that is designed to compact the filth and dust so that the frequency to empty out the dust collector is decreased.  It does this with a swivel plate inside the dust compartment that is designed to pack the dust into a wedge-shape. I am all thumbs up for this, because that is usually the messiest part of vacuuming if you are usually a collector-type instead of a bag-type canister.  I could not manage to fill up the dust collector during my short review to test how well it works; however, I did notice that the dust did seemed much finer and powder-like when I poured it out.

CordZero 2-in-1 Handstick Vacuum

Just like its bigger sibling, the 2-in-1 Handstick features cordless technology that allows up to 60 minutes of vacuuming.  Although it may lack the raw power of the Canister and nifty Robosense^TM, the CordZero^TM Handstick comes with its own tricks.

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The Handstick features an Anti-Tangle Brush^TM that spins at high spin when the Handstick is turned on to pick up dust and debris, and it is designed to minimize hair and pet fur from being entangled in the floor nozzle.  In addition, a handheld vacuum unit can be detached from the Handstick’s main body to become a portable and convenient handheld vacuum for hard to reach places. It can also be used to vacuum the car!

First out of the box, the unit has a charging base and a handle that requires some simple set-up.  I did an unboxing and set-up video which you can check out here. Each Handstick comes with a spare battery that can be swapped out from the charging base.

I reviewed a sponsored Handstick at my brother’s apartment and over the review period, my mom also enjoyed the convenience of just grabbing the Handstick and cleaning the house.  The Handstick charging base has a relatively small footprint and can be placed inconspicuously in a corner. It seems more convenient than the canister vacuum that we have stowed away in the storeroom.  What it lacks in raw power, the Handstick makes up for by being handy.

I find it more than adequate for the daily cleaning and with the Anti-Tangle Brush^TM, it was able to pick up visible bits and hair from tiled and parquet surfaces.  The front of the floor nozzle is also lit by four LED lights, which were useful when I cleaned in dim conditions such as under the tables.  Additionally, I like how it is designed to stand on its own, without having to rest it on a surface, and the easily detachable hand vacuum also cleans tight corners well, especially window tracks with its built-in brush nozzle.

Endurance was not an issue with two battery packs provided, and the spare is always being charged on the base. Although I cannot imagine why it is necessary to go beyond the 60 minutes of endurance, I should point out that the charging base only charges one battery at a time. Perhaps one disadvantage of the Handstick is the lower capacity of the dust collector compared to the Canister with Kompressor^TM which means having to empty it out more often.

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Summary

Coming from an engineering background, I can appreciate the design and engineering that went into both vacuum cleaners.  Unlike most household appliance, a vacuum cleaner has to be mobile around the house, hence all vacuum cleaners have especially long power cords.  Being cordless, the two CordZero^TM I reviewed really changes the experience of vacuuming, without having to worry about the power cord catching on furnishings, or family members tripping on it.  The design and features also showcased how the LG premium line is pushing boundaries of home appliances.

If you like having the latest and greatest for everything, the CordZero^TM Canister (model number: VR94070NCAQ) and CordZero^TM  2-in-1 Handstick (model number: VS840SCW series) are available in stores now, at S$1,299 and S$599 respectively.  The CordZero^TM Handstick comes in three colours – Lime, Chrome and Red.

To get a free gift of Microwave (worth $119) when you purchase any CordZero Canister (VR94070NCAQ) from now until 31^st Dec 2015, drop an email to marketing.sg@lge.com and quote “Alvinology” for the Letter of Redemption. 

Customers will have to redeem the additional free gift from LG Service Center, with the Letter of Redemption and the purchase invoice to obtain the free gift. Last day of gift redemption from LG Service Center is 31^st January 2016. All other end consumer promotion Terms and Conditions Apply.