Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum review: Deceptively powerful and adaptable too

Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum review in a sentence: An innovative new take on a familiar theme with lots of cool features and a very decent level of cleaning on tap.

I hadn’t expected Hoover to refresh its already impressive vacuum cleaner range quite so soon, but the company has added another new appliance to the roster. The Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum is a compact modular cleaner that’s going interest anyone who wants to make frequent forays around the house to quickly pick up dust without the need to lug a big cleaner out of the closet.

I’ve been keen to try it thanks to having wooden floors downstairs that seem to get dust and fluff collections in certain places on a daily basis. The Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum is even more useful for tackling jobs like that if you get it as the Pets Edition. It costs slightly more, but the appliance is tailored more towards people with pooches and cats that can tend to add to the fluff count thanks to hair drop around the home.

You’re already spoilt for choice with the likes of the Hoover H-Upright 300 Pets model and even more recent Hoover HF9 Cordless Vacuum, so it’s interesting to gauge just how useful this new addition is. If the Hoover brand doesn’t appeal the good news is that our best cordless vacuum cleaner packs in a host of alternatives and is well worth a look. Here’s my take on the Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum.

Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum: Price and availability

The Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum is available now and can be purchased directly from Hoover as well as via many of the usual online outlets. This model comes with a RRP of £269.99 but can also frequently be found discounted. Even Hoover Direct has £20 off the asking price currently, which makes it even more of a solid purchase. My review unit is the ‘Pets Edition’ model, but there’s a Home Edition variant for slightly less at £249. Again, Hoover Direct currently has this discounted to £179.

Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum: What is it?

The Hoover HF4 is another in the brand’s already chunky vacuum cleaner portfolio with a design that’s aimed at helping homeowners get to those hard-to-get-at areas that harbour dust and detritus. It’s therefore lightweight and is modular in construction, which means it’s quick and easy to set up. There’s also the benefit of different cleaning heads that makes it even more handy for multiple cleaning jobs.

In the case of the Pets Edition that I’ve been testing, you get the benefit of a turbo brush attachment that’s great for hitting those area favoured by your pet such as a preferred seat that might get covered in hair more often than you’d like. The other bonus is the HF4 features an anti-twist brushbar, which reduces the likelihood of it becoming clogged to the point of destruction thanks to the natty brush design.

The model I’ve got is fully cordless and comes finished in a combination of black and Ocean Blue plastic. It’s light too, so at just 2.63kg the vacuum is easily handled by any kind of user. The other benefit with that is it can be lifted up to reach shelves, lights and other normally hard to get at places around the home. The bin is just 0.7 litres, so it’s not the biggest but it’s also another reason why the appliance is so compact and easy to use. Assembled dimensions are 25.8cm wide, 16.5cm deep and 111cm high.

Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum: Is it any good?

I know some people can be a little reticent about cordless vacuums due to their limited run time and that’s something which could put you off the Hoover HF4. It’s got an official runtime of around 30 minutes, but Hoover reckons that’s enough for you to cover up to 120 square metres of your home before a recharge is needed. That’s more than enough for most everyday dust-up needs, with a supplementary vacuum once a week with a corded model being the way I tend to work. In that respect, the Hoover HF4 is ideal.

What I also like about the Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum is the way it can be easily maintained. Cleaners are always good to begin with but over time tiny dust particles can really take the edge off performance. This model has an easily accessible HEPA filter that can be removed and cleaned – ironically with another vacuum if you have one, which will prolong its life. Similarly, it’s easy to get to the small bin and give that a wipe out from time to time.

The other really good aspect of this model is the way that you can take it apart and rebuild it easily and attach the various accessories. It’s also possible to flip up the top of the brushbar too, which lets you get into the component and remove any dirt build up. The other key positive about this appliance is its ease of use, with a control panel that sits right at the top of the cleaner unit. It lets you power up and toggle the Turbo function as needed, while remaining charge level is displayed via green LEDs.

Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum: Performance

I’ve been impressed by the potency of the Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum thanks to its brushless motor that’s reasonably quiet even when it’s set to Turbo mode. The appliance works perfectly on hard wood floors, catching all those fluff balls with ease. However, the swivelling brush head is great at getting into tight spots too, while the stick design lets you slip it under raised furniture without fuss too.

I’m also keen on the way the Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum can be transformed into a dinky little handheld vacuum in seconds too. This lets you attach the various cleaning attachments to tackle different areas. I’ve found this aspect of the appliance makes it ideally suited to anyone who likes to vacuum their car interior from time to time, with attachments that can reach right into the folds and tight corners of seats and headlining. The lightnesss of the Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum means you can do all that without breaking into a sweat too.

Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum: Verdict

The Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum is a complete cleaning package and I really like the inclusion of the pet tool, which completes the cleaning arsenal of crevice tool and the 2-in1 dusting and upholstery tool. You also get a removable battery pack, a charging plug and cable, a cleaning tool, wall mount and a decent user manual. It’s easy enough to figure out anyway, as is putting the appliance together for the first time.

Since I’ve had it the Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum has also proved quick and easy to charge. It takes about 3.5 hours to get back to full battery strength, which is fine if you’ve used it for the day and want to return it to its cradle. Overall then, the Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum is impressive and will be ideally suited to anyone seeking a versatile cleaning solution that doesn’t take up too much space.

Hoover HF4 Anti-Twist Cordless Vacuum: Also consider

If you’re quite keen on the Hoover brand then I’ve enjoyed a lot of time using the H-Upright 300 Pets model, although it’s getting on a bit now. Alternatively, there’s the more recent Hoover HF9 Cordless Vacuum, which I’ve reviewed not so long ago and that too is an excellent compact and portable solution, without a cord obviously and can be had for a decent price.

Of the other brands I’m keen on, the Tower VL100 Optimum Cordless 3-in-1 vacuum cleaner is a very good and so is the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute if you’re a fan. Lookout too for the Gtech AirRAM Platinum, which is another premium stick solution.

Elsewhere, the Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ202UK is another well-respected brand that demands your attention if you're not convinced by either of the other two models mentioned above, especially as it comes with Anti Hair Wrap tech. This uses a series of prongs to prevent long hair and threads from wrapping around the cleaning roller.