Philips SpeedPro Max review
Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
If you’re looking for a cordless vacuum alternative to Dyson then you’ve found it. You just might be hoping for a cheaper one, which this isn’t. The SpeedPro Max is an excellent rival, though, offering high-end design and build quality. It looks great and works impressively well thanks to its modular system. There’s a lot to like here including the digital display, three speeds, LED headlights and a runtime of over an hour. Really our only complaint is that the main brush head judders when you pull it backwards and we’d like another attachment or two at this price.
Dyson has completely stopped developing vacuum cleaners with a cord and is the market leader with products such as the Cyclone V10, but can anyone challenge its dominance? Well Philips is on hand with the SpeedPro Max which is an excellent alternative, as you’ll find out in our review.
Philips SpeedPro Max: Price and availability
Black Friday deal:As part of its sale, you can get the SpeedPro for£330 direct from Philips. See also the bestBlack Friday vaccum deals.
While theDyson Cyclone V10is available is a somewhat confusing set of three models, you needn’t fret about which Philips to choose.
The SpeedPro Max is a one-box solution and costs£420. That’s a high price but the aim here is that one vacuum can do it all. You can buy it fromPhilipsorAmazon.
The V10 Animal is roughly the equivalent at£399, with more expensive models like the Absolute at £449 creating a premium for additional tools.
If you can’t quite stretch to the SpeedPro then Philips has a more affordable option for a cordless vacuum. ThePowerPro Duois less than half the price at £200.
Check out our round-up of thebest vacuum cleaners.
Philips SpeedPro Max: Design and build
In order to keep pace with Dyson, alternatives need to offer good design and build and we’re impressed with Philips here. It’s a good job too, considering the high price.
The SpeedPro Max comes in a stylish combination of red, black and silver that will fit in with most modern home décor. We particularly like the back section of the main unit which looks akin to a plane jet engine.
Like most cordless vacuums, there’s a wall mount in the box which can have the wireless charger mounted in it. The charger is small and round, looking more appropriate for a smartwatch, snapping in nicely with magnets.
Build quality is excellent and the SpeedPro Max is made from a combination of hard plastic and aluminium. It’s all very solid and feels like it will last a long time.
Weight is an important factor when it comes to a cordless as you will often use the vacuum without the support of the floor. The main unit with the main attachments is 2.73kg – similar to the Dyson and overall we’ve found easy to use, though you will feel the burn if you clean for a whole hour.
Philips SpeedPro Max: Features and Performance
The firm claims ‘unmatched’ airflow thanks to its PowerCyclone 8 technology. It supposedly maintains suction that’s stronger and for longer, resulting in 1,000 litres of air per minute.
That doesn’t mean much to the average consumer but what we can say is that the SpeedPro Max is impressively powerful. The motor lets you choose from three different speeds, which is really useful for different situations. For example, vacuuming a sofa is much easier on a lower setting so the device doesn’t simply get attached to the fabric due to suction.
A handy digital display lets you know what speed you’re on, as well as a battery level indicator. It can also tell you when to clean the filter.
You can, of course, use the main unit alone, but the modular design means there are plenty of modes available. The sections clip together easily but have a solid connection and the quick release buttons mean you can chop and change with no trouble at all.
For starters there’s a long pole you can attach to reach awkward places. This has a built-in brush you can flip out when needed.
Attach the main brush head to the pole and you’ve got a regular style vacuum for cleaning all your floors. A combination of joints mean the SpeedPro Max is really easy to manoeuvre around and under furniture and objects.
It has a set of LED headlights helping you see what you’re doing which we love and it also has a 360 degree design so pulls in dirt from all sides.
We found performance to be excellent without needing to use the fastest speed setting. Our main complaint is that the brush head doesn’t go backwards very well, easily juddering and skipping across carpet.
Another attachment is included in the box. The Turbo Brush is a smaller head with rotating brushes designed for things like pet hair. We found it handy for tackling things like stairs and car seats.
You’ll need to empty the dust bucket fairly regularly as the compact design means a capacity of 0.6L, a lot smaller than a traditional upright, which you may be used to.
The SpeedPro Max has a runtime of up to 65 minutes on a single charge, which is a few minutes longer than Dyson’s V10. It’s impressive and unless you have some serious cleaning to do in one session it will keep running for multiple uses in our experience.
If you’re using on full power, the runtime drops to 21 minutes.
Specs
Philips SpeedPro Max: Specs
Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor, Tech Advisor
Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been at Tech Advisor for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
