Sebo Airbelt K2 Canister Vacuum Review

Introduction

Design & Usability

Easy to use, lightweight and quiet.

The Airbelt K2 is a traditional-style canister vacuum. We tested the Kombi trim, which costs less than the Turbo but features only a straight-suction brush. In other words, this vacuum won't agitate dirt and debris out of high-pile rugs with a spinning brush. Among other drawbacks, that makes it a bit hard to push on higher carpets.

The canister itself sits low to the floor, which helps make it maneuverable. Any hose or tool connections are easy to engage and disengage, and the whole thing weighs only 16.5 lbs., which isn't bad for a canister. Outside, a mesh bumper that Sebo calls an Airbelt wraps around the cleaner to protect furniture from dings and dents. Inside, a cloth bag is impossible to install incorrectly, and seals off dirt when pulled out of the cleaner.

{{photo_gallery "sebo"}}

The wand extends a full four feet for behind-the-couch cleaning and cobweb removal, while the hose gives a full 8.75 feet of freedom around the canister. A retractable cord winds itself back into the vacuum after a short tug, much like a roll-up windowshade. Noise-wise, this is one of the quietest vacuums we've ever tested, with a soft "whoosh" that fades in after you've turned the cleaner on. If you're trying to vacuum after dark, you can turn down the motor so it's even more quiet.

Features & Performance

All floors bow to the Sebo Airbelt K2

The K2 lacks a powered brush, so we were quite surprised at how well it cleaned high-pile carpet. It picked up more than 50 percent of the dirt we put down, on average, which is better than many vacuums we've tested that do have powered brushes. This Sebo also did a great job on hardwood floors, and a good job on low-pile carpets.

We weren't as impressed with how the K2 tackled pet hair, as much of it got caught on the soft padding that's designed to keep the bottom of the brush from damaging hardwood floors. The K2 also had some trouble with larger debris, sucking up all the rice grains and macaroni elbows we put down, but leaving behind heavier items.

Conclusion

The Good German

If you're shopping for a upscale canister vacuum, you should try out both the Miele Olympus and the Sebo Airbelt K2. The Miele is a bit less expensive and does a better job with pet hair, but doesn't clean as well on high-pile carpets. The Sebo's MSRP is $100 more, but wins at carpet cleaning. Which vacuum is right for you depends on your needs, but either one is a good choice.

Introduction

Because carpets tend to hide dirt quite well, you never really know how much dirt your vacuum picks up unless you control how much is put down. While James Brown could likely have written lyrics around that fact, we use it as the basis of our vacuum testing, explained in more detail below.

Cleaning Performance

We put down a 100g mix of standardized dirt types on two kinds of carpet: long and short. The dirt mix is formulated to match what's tracked around an average household.

On long carpet, the Airbelt K2 picked up 55 percent of the dirt we put down. It doesn't sound like much, but few vacuums we've tested do as well. On shorter carpet, where dirt has fewer places to hide, the Airbelt got 86.1 percent of dirt. We also do a hardwood floor test, putting down 12g of 40 micron sand. The Airbelt cleaned up 97.7 percent of that dirt.

Noise & Efficiency

The Airbelt K2 put out 68 dBa of noise — much less than what we see from most other vacuums we've tested, and about equivalent to filling a tub or a soft conversation. It also drew just over 1140 watts of power, meaning it's relatively efficient. We wouldn't plug another high-wattage appliance into the same outlet, however, as it may risk blowing a fuse.