Household chores didn't use to come much more tedious than vacuum cleaning, which is why there are so many models on the market.

We’d have liked to have seen a larger bin capacity and a less bulky vacuum head, but the runtime and lightweight design do well to outweigh any negatives. As we opened the box, one of the first things we noticed about this vacuum is just how lightweight it is. It has a drop down lid on the underside which makes it easy to move collected dirt straight into the bin and the entire thing can be removed should you wish to give the filter a thorough clean. Owning a pet, whether it’s a loving Labrador or rambunctious Ragdoll, has so many benefits; from helping to ease stress to encouraging playfulness and keeping you fit and active. MultiReach Active Cordless Vacuum Cleaner delivers effective and versatile cordless cleaning, with no hair wrap – thanks to the unique motorised tangle–free brush roll!

Naturally though, it’s worth considering that the life of the battery is affected depending which setting you use – while you’ll get a full 40 minutes of cleaning time in auto mode, use it on turbo and you’re looking at something closer to 15 minutes max. Hoover claims that the C300+ holds enough power to tackle an average-sized three-bedroom house more than once and, while we didn’t try this out ourselves, we can certainly believe it. So when we spotted this model, that’s not only affordable but claims to banish all that pesky pet hair with ease, our interest piqued. A definite plus to this vacuum I found was the transition from smooth flooring (we have vinyl and ceramic in our house) to carpet and rugs.

While there are plenty of pet vacuums around, they are often expensive and not always better at sucking up fur and fluff than non-pet models. With H-Free C300 you can optimise the cleaning performance to suit the different types of flooring in your home. Next, I spread an ‘X’ of flour on the carpet up to the skirting board to see how good the Hoover performed for edge pick-up. That means you’ve got illumination at your disposal to cover all scenarios, from darkened room corners through to those hard to reach shelf and cupboard innards.They provide an early glimpse of new products, showcasing releases from both exciting new startups and well-loved brands. With powerful cleaning and even more manoeuvrability, our cordless vacuum cleaners allow you to access difficult-to-reach spots of the home, tackling dust and debris with ease. Rather, our First Look features are informed previews, providing a basic overview and getting a feel for the products most exciting features.

It has a decent number of settings, a small selection of useful tools and volume levels that aren’t deafening, particularly in eco mode. Granted, we haven't had it for long enough to tell you how that battery pack fares over time, but aside from that the Hoover H-Free 300 is an excellent stick vacuum that’s perfect for pulling out when you just need a quick refresh and dust down, rather than a full-on spring cleaning session. While we didn’t vacuum pet hair during testing, we did try the upholstery tool out on our small office sofa and it seemed to work well.Our test model came with a red anodized finish on the aluminium main tube, while the colour scheme overall is a blend of red, dark grey and silver, topped with the iconic Hoover logo on the main body. Steering is effortless, with a swivelling floor nozzle, and a handle that reclines for cleaning under furniture. Hoover knows that operating a vacuum cleaner shouldn’t be rocket science and I was pleasantly surprised the main instructions for using each part to the vacuum were in a simple image-by-image guide - for someone who dreads reading pages of instructions, this was a refreshing and more than adequate change!

Credit is provided by Hitachi Personal Finance, a division of Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.While other cordless vacuums, such as the Vax Blade 2 Max, seem a little top-heavy, which means they can feel cumbersome to use over time, the C300+ works in the opposite way – the majority of its weight is concentrated at the bottom. Whilst I was a bit nervous about the battery life (12-40 mins depending on the task at hand), it was more than adequate at giving the house (3-bed semi) a good vacuum and spruce, when using a combination of the stick and attachments on the standard power setting. Switch between 90º and 180º cleaning angles with a flick of the wrist to clean around objects and into corners, easily reaching narrow spaces. Unless you’ve got a decent machine, which is why we’ve got a best vacuum cleaner guide to help you find the pick of the bunch. Boasting a runtime of around 60 minutes (yes, you read correctly) and a weight of just over 3kg, the C300+’s specs certainly sound impressive.