Created by two former Dyson staff members, the Lupe Pure Cordless is a cordless vacuum cleaner with futuristic good looks. If Apple made a vac, it might look a bit like this. Built to last and to deliver great performance, this new-to-the-market cleaner is definitely worth your attention, but is it the one for you?
Our review will help you make up your mind. I’ve tested a wide selection of vacuum cleaners on carpet, parquet, tiles, stairs and upholstery, and challenged them with mud, fluff, light debris and pet hair to give you the lowdown on how efficiently they’ll do the job, how easy they are to use, and how much space they’ll take up in your cupboard.
Can’t wait to buy? Use the link below to buy the Lupe Pure Cordless direct from the manufacturer then, check out our best vacuum cleaner guide for more top floor cleaning options.
Lupe Pure Cordless at a glance
Type: cordless upright and handheld
Bag or bagless: bagless
Suction: plenty
Noise: I’ve had quieter vacuuming sessions
Easy storage: neat lines and doesn’t fall over
Lupe Pure Cordless product shot
Lupe Pure Cordless vacuum cleaner specifications:
- Maximum power: 400W
- Cable length: not applicable
- Dimensions: H114.5 x W17.5 x D26cm
- Weight: 4.6kg
- Noise: not available
- Energy rating: no ratings for cordless vacuums
- Dustbag capacity: 1 litre
Who will the Lupe Pure Cordless vacuum cleaner suit?
Homes of all proportions, fans of vacs that stand rather than having to be propped up, and aficionados of modern design.
What is the Lupe Pure Cordless vacuum cleaner like to use?
It doesn’t take long to get set up and cleaning with this vacuum cleaner, and it’s fuss free to operate as an upright or handheld.
Hard flooring, carpet and stairs
I tested the Lupe Pure Cordless on a variety of surfaces in my home, and required it to pick up a range of stuff you don’t want hanging about on floors and furniture including fur, dust, breakfast cereal, hair, and mud. The results were impressive and speedy over all the large surfaces. Stairs were a little trickier. Cleaning them with the attachments wasn’t a problem, but using the cleaning head was a bit awkward as it’s sizeable and proved somewhat unwieldy.
Unlike some vacuum cleaners I’ve tested, the Lupe Pure Cordless didn’t save its best work for either of carpet and hard flooring, but performed equally impressively on both. Moving between the two wasn’t a hassle either. There’s a brush bar switch along with the rest of the controls. Its default setting in on, so all I needed to do was switch it off for long pile carpets or delicate floors. Easy.
I couldn’t claim cleaning with this vacuum cleaner didn’t demand some exertion. Pushing it over the floor did need a bit of effort. This won’t be a problem for many, but it isn’t the best vac if one of your buying criteria is that vacuuming requires as little pushing as possible.
When it came to cleaning under furniture, there was no problem, and the Lupe Pure Cordless got up to the edges of rooms well, making whole-house cleaning a much quicker task.
Lupe Pure Cordless with hose and upholstery tool as a handheld vac
Attachments
When I opened the beautifully designed box (on which more below) in which the Lupe Pure Cordless arrives, I found it came with a crevice tool and upholstery tool. At first glance, I wondered if I’d feel a little short changed compared to other vacuums, as many offer a large collection of attachments. In practice this wasn’t the case as both tools are equipped with a brush that can be slid into place when required. In other words, two tools are really four. There was also an accessory mount included for the pair to avoid the return trip to the cupboard (and the scramble to find what I wanted) as I moved round the house.
The attachments were easy to fit to the cleaner. The hose just had to be detached, and then the required tool fitted on to the end. Using them did prove to be a two-handed job, however. It’s necessary to hold the handle on the main body of the vacuum when you’re cleaning with the hose. If you’re used to another vacuum where you have your non-vacuum hand free to, for example, hold up a cushion, or smooth upholstery, you might find this – as I did – a down side.
The hose isn’t particularly lengthy, so I found it necessary to keep moving the vacuum to get to all the fur-covered areas of the sofa. There was no faulting the fur pick-up itself with the upholstery tool, on the other hand, and the seats were soon ready for the cats to recommence their demanding sleeping schedule.
To use the attachments with the vacuum as a handheld, it was a matter of floorhead off, wand on to the hose, then attachment on to the wand – all very neat. To reach to clean high up, you’ll be lifting a weight of 0.5kg with the main body of the machine in one hand and the wand handle in the other, and I didn’t find this awkward.
Lupe Pure Cordless hose and upholstery brush as an upright vac
Manoeuvrability
The Lupe Pure Cordless went where I wanted it to when I was cleaning the floor. Unlike some other cordless designs, or a plug-in upright, the weight is located in the middle of the machine, so I did find that took a little getting used to, but was fine once I was in the swing of it.
Carrying it around and up and down the stairs was comfortable. Its neat dimensions meant I could keep it close to my body so there was no strain. There is, though, one aspect to be aware of when you’re moving it: you need to pick it up by the main body, and not the handle at the top of the wand, which could well be the way you’re inclined to grab it.
Lupe Pure Cordless manoeuvrability on flooring
Power and debris removal
Full marks to the Lupe Pure Cordless for its vacuuming power. It lifted all sorts of dirt well, on all sorts of surfaces. What’s more, it scattered very little, meaning one pass was enough even when it had a pile of Rice Krispies to deal with or lots of muck to get rid of. As discussed above, the Lupe Pure Cordless does the job efficiently whatever the floorcovering, so it doesn’t matter if your home is mostly carpet, almost all hard flooring, or mixes the two. And when you move to a new flat or house, you won’t get caught out with a vacuum that’s not top notch for whatever you inherit flooring wise.
You’ll get up to 60 minutes to vacuum when the battery of this vacuum cleaner is fully charged. To get the most out of one charge, you’ll need to keep the machine on its eco setting or normal – par for the course with cordless cleaners. The Lupe Pure Cordless does have a third setting of max which is for particularly dirty areas, but I found this wasn’t a must-use either with normal household dirt, or the tough cleaning up I challenged the machine with.
When it comes to charging up the battery in the first place, this takes three and half hours. If you’re drawing up a short list and this is one of the criteria, it’s worth noting that this charge time gives the Lupe Pure Cordless an advantage over some rivals, and puts it on level pegging with others.
To switch between power settings, as well as turn the vacuum on and off, and turn the brush bar on and off, you do need to bend down to around the middle of the machine. I didn’t find this to be the easiest arrangement, although the buttons themselves are clear and comfortable to operate. The plus point, though, was that I didn’t find I ever switched the vacuum on merely by picking it up, which I have found an issue when an on button is located on the handle.
Lupe Pure Cordless dust bag removal into the bin
Dustbag removal
Who wants to struggle with a bin full of grot? No, me neither, and the Lupe Pure didn’t let me down on this score. The process of emptying was simple. The bin has a generous capacity, too, of a whole 1 litre, and I appreciated the fact that this meant longer between trips to the bin.
Handy features
You only get the unpacking and assembling experience with a new vacuum once, but it’s worth knowing that it’s a good one with this model. The Lupe Pure Cordless arrived in a box of modest proportions, into which it was tidily packed. Taking each part out, identifying it, and putting it together to make up the vacuum was a piece of cake.
The battery can be charged either on or off the vacuum, and I preferred to put the vacuum away and just have the battery out and on charge. Having the option of either when you’re charging means this vacuum suits all storage situations and plug positions, which is a plus.
As you’d expect from a vacuum cleaner that’s been designed for long-term ownership, when the battery reaches the end of its life – as these types of batteries inevitably do – it is replaceable. This isn’t the case with all cordless vacuums.
In fact, it’s not just the battery that can be swapped when the time comes. Lupe says that all key parts are replaceable as the company supports long-term ownership. It also says that as technology moves on it will make upgrades available for key components.
Allergy sufferers in the household?
The Lupe Pure Cordless has a HEPA filter to deal with fine dust and allergens. It promises to capture 99.99 per cent of all microscopic dust particles. It also has washable lifetime filters.
Storing
At H114.5 x W17.5 x D26cm, the Lupe Pure Cordless isn’t a cupboard hog. Credit, too, for the fact that as an upright, it stays, er, upright, and doesn’t have to be propped up to store (or when you pause while vacuuming), nor need a stand for attachment to the wall.
How does it rate online?
The Lupe Pure Cordless is a brand new vacuum cleaner, so as you’d expect, it hasn’t garnered a whole lot of reviews yet. Nonetheless, those who have invested are delighted with their purchase and on the Lupe site it gets an average score of 4.78 out of five.
The vacuum’s users acclaim its long cleaning time before it needs recharging, its suction power and hence cleaning results, and find the waste bin easy to empty. The niggles from these customers are very small: some would like a motorised stair tool while a couple mention that it comes at a premium price point (the company does point out in response that it has been ‘built for long-term ownership using the best components and latest technology’).
And how does it rate against similar vacuum cleaners?
The cost of the Lupe Pure Cordless puts it among the most expensive vacuums you can buy. Comparing like for like, its running time exceeds some of the competition, and is just a little less than some others, while it boasts a quicker charge time. In terms of dust bin capacity, it stands out and will cut down on how often you have to perform this chore. Rivals in this part of the vacuum market come with more features and extras, but if you don’t mind sacrificing some of these in the service of sustainability, its cleaning results should definitely recommend it to you.
About our review – and our reviewer:
Sarah Warwick has specialised in homes and interiors for over 20 years. She was Executive Editor of Ideal Home magazine, and has written for nationals, magazines and websites including Real Homes, Homebuilding & Renovating, Grand Designs, Homes & Gardens, Houzz, The Guardian, House Beautiful and Country Homes & Interiors. She put the vacuums through their paces all round the house, on all sorts of dirt and debris, and a variety of flooring and surfaces.
More on vacuum cleaners:
- Want a Dyson vac after all? Read our Dyson V7 Absolute cordless vacuum cleaner review
- Best handheld vacuum cleaners
- Looking for a bargain? Browse our vacuum cleaner sale page which is regularly updated with the best deals around