Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Original, elegant design
- Easy to use
- Well priced
Cons
- You’ll only get a few minutes of use on the highest power setting, which you’ll need for carpet cleaning
- Battery detachable but unclear if you can buy a spare
- Packaging is heavy on plastic
Our Verdict
If you’re looking for a vacuum for hard flooring, the AK10 is a great option. It’s simple to use, comes with a host of accessories and will be powerful enough for most users. It’s a real challenger to the Dyson V10 and it costs far less.
Price When Reviewed
Not currently available in the US
Eureka is no newcomer to the market, with over 100 years of experience in domestic cleaning appliances. For a time, it was part of the Electrolux group, before being acquired by the Midea group in 2016.
We had the opportunity to test its AK10 cordless vacuum, which the brand reckons is a worthy rival to the Dyson V10. Is the hype justified? Find out in our review.
Design and build
- LED headlights
- Digital screen
- Tasteful colour scheme
The AK10 vacuum impressed us straight out of the box. We got the blue anodised version, but it’s also available in purple – although colour options may vary depending on where you buy. The AK10 is well designed and lightweight, making it easy to carry and use.
Its build and accessories will look mighty familiar to anyone who’s ever seen a Dyson. The accessories come in a gunmetal grey, which complements the anodised blue of the wand. There’s an accessory for any cleaning job you might have.
The parts in the box include the main brush (with LED headlights), the metal wand, the vacuum cleaner main body – which has a monochrome screen and dust bin, the battery, a 2-in-1 dusting brush, a mini power brush, a crevice tool, a telescopic hose, a wall bracket with two screws, an adapter and a mains socket for charging.
The unpleasant surprise, however, is that absolutely everything comes in its own plastic packaging. Eureka could improve the consumer experience and everyone’s life by choosing paper or cardboard packaging which can easily be recycled, rather than plastic that will end up in landfill.
The AK10 is well designed and lightweight, making it easy to carry and use
Performance and features
- Versatile
- 3 power settings
- Effective hair suction
All the accessories clip together very easily, so in less than two minutes you’re ready for action. Then all you have to do is press the trigger once to start the appliance – there’s no need to hold it down all the time, like you do with older Dyson models. What’s more, the grip is comfortable, with enough room for larger hands and space enough so that you won’t accidentally hit the power button.
Using your thumb, you can switch easily from one suction setting to another via the touch controls; the mini monochrome screen in front displays the battery level as well as the power settings.
Foundry
I tested the AK10 on all the surfaces available, which in my case was hard flooring and carpets. I appreciated its versatility on these two flooring types, as well as its soft ‘foam’ main brush, which effectively removed dust, crumbs and other grime.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that it was also very effective at collecting hair, which ended up in the dustbin rather than wound around the brush bar. As a result, the vacuum required less maintenance.
Don’t forget that you can use the AK10 to easily clean the inside of your car or down the back of your sofa, and it will fit underneath most pieces of furniture thanks to its slim wheels, main head and handle.
The LED headlights are are nice plus for cleaning visibility. They’ll help you highlight and detect anything that’s invisible to the naked eye or hidden in a dark place, like under furniture.
Eureka really has designed a vacuum that’s quick and easy to use, so even those who hate cleaning will have no excuses
The AK10 has a maximum power of 26,000 Pa and three suction levels (Eco, Standard and Boost) which are controlled by the touch button.
However, Dyson doesn’t use Pa (Pascals, a unit of pressure) to measure its suction. It uses AW (air watts). So, from specs alone, we can’t directly compare the AK10 and the V10.
What I can say is that the AK10 is powerful enough to effectively remove the everyday dirt on your floors and surfaces. For cleaner air, there’s a 5-stage filtration system based on cyclonic technology with HEPA filtration. Eureka claims “99.9% capture of particles as small as 0.3 microns” – just like the Dyson V10.
The lowest level of suction is only suitable for lightly soiled floors, so I preferred and would recommend the medium level for better everyday hard floor cleaning. The higher level is better suited to carpets or rugs. However, you can only use it for a short time, as it’s energy-hungry and you’ll run out of power fairly quickly.
The airflow is strong and comes from the front of the vacuum, but it’s not an annoying noise. The AK10 is not a particularly loud vacuum in use.
The brush, dustbin and filter are easy to clean; Eureka really has designed a vacuum that’s quick and easy to use, so even those who hate cleaning have no excuses.
Battery
The AK10’s running time varies according to the power used. Using the standard mode, we had a battery life of over 45 minutes (according to the brand, it’s 60 minutes). However, with the Boost mode engaged, the battery will drain very quickly.
In our opinion, the AK10 is best suited to homes of less than 100m2 or should be used as a quick and easy kitchen and bathroom vacuum, otherwise you’ll have to charge it constantly. The battery is detachable but it’s not clear if you can buy a spare or what it costs.
As for full recharging, allow around two hours to go from completely empty to a full battery.
Foundry
Price and availability
The Eureka AK10 cordless vacuum is available from Amazon in the UK for £259. At this stage at least, it’s not available in the US.
It is a very well-priced vacuum cleaner. If we compare its price to that of its would-be rival, the Dyson V10, it’s around £150 less. It’s not as easy to get hold of the V10 now but Argos has the Absolute model in stock for £430. We think that overall the V10 is the better machine but the AK10 is well made and very attractively priced.
But if neither vacuum is the perfect one for you, have a look at our round-up of the best vacuum cleaners we’ve tested for more options.
Verdict
With the AK10, Eureka has succeeded in offering a lightweight, efficient, multi-purpose stick vacuum that’s easy to maintain, all at an affordable price. It’s undoubtedly a superb value-for-money machine that’s ideal for apartment living, with a cleaning accessory for every nook and cranny of your home or vehicle.
This review was originally published on Tech Advisor’s French edition and has been translated to appear here.
Technical specifications
- Suction: 26,000 Pa (Pascals)
- Wattage: 145W
- Battery: 2,500 mAh
- Running time (on the lowest setting): 60 minutes
- Charging time: +2 hours
- Weight: 1.4kg
- Dust container capacity: 0.65L
- 20 cm x 20 cm x 1.10m