Lupe Pure Cordless is the British company’s first vacuum cleaner (Image: LUPE • EXPRESS-ZEITUNGEN)
When it comes to cordless vacuums, Dyson is the biggest brand. Founded in 1991 by entrepreneur James Dyson, the company helped popularize wireless designs and has become synonymous with the form factor. However, there are a growing number of companies out to challenge Sir James’ crown.
One of those new challengers is a brave start-up called Lupe Technology. This UK company may be one of the best companies to replace Dyson as it is founded and run by two former Dyson engineers, Lucas Horne and Pablo Montero.
So can that new kid-on-the-block get shoulder to shoulder with Dyson’s best-selling cordless vacuums? Express.co.uk accepted a Lupe Pure Cordless – the first and currently only vacuum cleaner from Lupe Technology – to find out if it’s as good as its founders say …
Lupe Pure Cordless review
Headquartered in Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire, Lupe Technology was founded in 2015 by a former research manager and engineer from Dyson’s Malmesbury, Wiltshire site. Lupe Pure Cordless is the first vacuum cleaner launched by the new start-up.
Fortunately, there’s little about the Pure Cordless Magnifying Glass that suggests it’s a first-generation consumer product. It arrives nicely packaged and bundled with everything you would expect from a high-end vacuum cleaner, including a detachable wand and upholstery accessories to get into hard-to-reach places around the house.
At £ 569, the Pure Cordless magnifying glass isn’t cheap.
The ex-Dyson team has not shied away from the price one would expect from its previous employer. To justify this cost, the Pure Cordless Magnifier has to be a hell of a good vacuum cleaner. But more than that, it must seem like a good investment.
To allay fears of the latter, Lupe Technology has set up its own online shop for spare parts – so you don’t have to worry about misplaced or defective parts. Vacuum cleaners are subjected to a lot of abuse throughout their lives, but you don’t want to face another £ 569 bill if something goes wrong.
Lupe Technology sells a dual battery configuration – if you are concerned about the longevity of a wireless model (Image: LUPE TECHNOLOGY)
Fortunately, that won’t be the case. With replacement brush sticks for £ 9.99, HEPA filters for £ 18.99, and a spare battery pack on the way soon … there’s no reason this cleaner doesn’t look as good as new after you’ve used it bought. And all without spending a fortune.
Coupled with a two-year guarantee on the vacuum cleaner, the longevity is sorted.
So how is the Lupe Pure Cordless used? In short, pretty great.
Most manufacturers, including Dyson, design their cordless cleaners around a handheld device. This can be used to vacuum carpets and hard floors, yet is light enough to clean hard-to-reach places like stairs, car seats and behind the back of sofa cushions. The only problem with this design is that you have all of the gubbins – battery, motor, dust bin – in hand at all times. This can make the vacuum cleaner feel heavy or, on models with lighter batteries, reduce the cleaning effort between charges.
To solve this, the Pure Cordless magnifying glass opts for an upright design. From a distance, the Pure Cordless sees its wired predecessors closer than competing wireless handheld devices. It also means the vacuum cleaner needs more storage space than the stick-like Dyson cleaners. If you live in a small apartment where space is limited, this could be a reason to switch to the Lupe Pure Cordless.
Aesthetically, the upright design is not quite as futuristic as some other competitors. That’s not a big problem – it’s supposed to be cleaning, not to match the decor in your living room, but it’s worth mentioning as it will put some buyers off.
When it comes to performance, Lupe Pure Cordless is no problem (Image: LUPE TECHNOLOGY)
Lupe Pure Cordless is only available in a single white and black finish (Image: LUPE TECHNOLOGY)
Fortunately, this upright design also has some serious advantages. First off, you don’t have to drill a hole for a specially designed holster to support and charge your cordless vacuum cleaner. Since the Lupe Pure Cordless stands upright on its own, it can be stowed in any cupboard or corner. It also stands out if you have to run to open the door or open the phone while vacuuming – something that doesn’t apply to the Dyson, which needs to be carefully placed on the floor, or (for those who like to live dangerously ) leaning against the wall.
The biggest advantage of this upright construction is that the ex-Dyson engineers managed to find space for a liter, since you don’t always have to carry the weight of all the important components in your hand dust container. That means you don’t have to keep running to the trash can to dump your Grimm in the middle of the cleaning. For comparison, the £ 599 Dyson V11 Absolute contains a 0.7 liter dust container. And that is the greatest advantage in our time with the Lupe Pure Cordless. This clever cleaner can just go on and on.
Meanwhile, Dyson counterparts must be cleaned frequently before vacuuming can be done. It’s not a huge problem, but it’s a frustration that magnifying glass owners don’t come across them nearly as often.
The upright design of the Pure Cordless of course also allows a larger battery, which according to Lupe will suck for 60 minutes between charges. In our tests, Lupe’s estimates of battery life are spot on. Since there is no charging holster à la Dyson, the Lupe Pure Cordless does not always charge when it is back in the closet. So it’s great that it can do multiple cleanings around the house before digging up the charger.
He also managed to zip through our house from top to bottom without running out of juice … something that isn’t guaranteed with some of Lupe Pure Cordless’ handheld competitors. And believe us, this isn’t a brag about the size of our two-bed apartment, just a comment on the terrible battery life of some of the battery cleaners currently on the market.
Lupe Technology has equipped the vacuum cleaner with a spacious 1 liter dust container (Image: LUPE TECHNOLOGY)
The Lupe Technology team clearly learned from their time at Dyson and didn’t skimp on suction to achieve this impressive battery life. According to the UK firm, its new vacuum can provide “up to 10x” more useful suction compared to competing designs.
It’s a little difficult to quantify the exact suction power in the real world, but we have no complaints about the amount of swing that the Pure Cordless Magnifier provides. Like a Dyson, this vacuum cleaner has the ability to somehow fill its dust bin to the brim when it hits a carpet that looks flawless to the naked eye (or has already been cleaned with a budget vacuum cleaner). As far as suction power is concerned, the Lupe Pure Cordless is incredibly powerful and can compete with competitors in its price range.
The Pure Cordless is also equipped with a HEPA filter which, according to Lupe, catches 99.99 percent of the fine dust and allergens in your home when cleaning. If you’re struggling with hay fever, this is a great little bonus. Helpful? You don’t need to replace this filter either, as it can be washed with cold water and put back in the vacuum cleaner between cleanings. Here, too, Lupe Technology has a nice touch – it does involve a fairly high initial effort, but shouldn’t turn into a monthly expense with replacement filters, dust bags, etc.
The Pure Cordless magnifying glass does not require a charging cradle as its design allows it to stand upright (Image: LUPE TECHNOLOGY)
Lupe Pure Cordless Test: Final Verdict
- Advantages: Incredible suction power, 1 liter dust container saves trips to empty the vacuum cleaner during deep cleaning, 2 year guarantee, cordless, so that you never have to trip over power cables again
- Disadvantage: Upright design is bulky compared to handheld models, not quite the variety of the competition’s attachments, a few more color options would be nice
The Lupe Technology team has cleverly selected the best features of wired and cordless vacuum cleaners. The result is an upright vacuum cleaner that doesn’t need to be plugged in, but doesn’t sacrifice battery life, performance or capacity.
Above all, the 1 liter dust container and the battery life are incredibly generous – so you can clean every room in the house without interruption.
However, it’s not a perfect formula from the ex-Dyson engineers. The upright design means that the Pure Cordless magnifying glass takes up a lot more closet space than a portable Dyson, for example. The white plastic used throughout the design looks sleek and futuristic in photos, but doesn’t have the same sheen in the flesh.
With a two-year guarantee, affordable spare parts and a reusable HEPA filter, the Lupe Pure Cordless is designed for years to come. This should help allay concerns about the high price. While Lupe Pure Cordless may be the UK start-up’s first vacuum cleaner, the years of experience behind this project become apparent as soon as you turn on this dust buster. We can’t wait to see what’s next.
