Known for its best-selling cookware and saucepan sets, Tefal has made headlines after announcing its entrance into the vacuum cleaner industry. Despite the brand already marketing the X-FORCE range throughout Europe, it's the first time Tefal has bought the new models to the UK.
There are four cordless vacuum cleaners in the range altogether, and T3 was lucky enough to receive a unit in advance of the launch date. I've been trialling one of the higher-end model for the past few weeks, the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 Pet & Car, and it's certainly been an interesting experience.
Keep reading to find out my thoughts on the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 and whether it deserves a spot in our best cordless vacuum cleaner list.
Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 review: price and availability
The Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 Pet & Car has an RRP of £429.99 and is available to purchase from today via Tefal's website or Amazon. It's also available to buy from Tefal stores across the UK.
There are three other cordless vacuum cleaners in the X-FORCE range: the X-FORCE Flex 12.60 Pet (RRP £349.99), X-FORCE Flex 12.60 Pet & Car (RRP £379.99) and X-FORCE Flex 15.60 Pet & Car (RRP £479.99).
Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 review: unboxing and set up
I came across a lot of components when unboxing the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60. It arrived in a semi large box, with a cardboard compartment that had a particular space for each part. I first pulled out the removable battery, which proved to be on the heavier side. This was followed by a dust container, charging cable and instruction manual.
After that, I slowly started uncovering all of the attachments. There are four in total, including the main brush roll. The smaller attachments included the crevice tool, sofa brush and motorised animal turbo brush. Out of them all, I was most impressed with the sofa brush, especially as it's thin enough to fit nicely between sofa cushions. You can tell Tefal has put thought into each of the attachments, especially when considering which ones are actually useful or not.
The new X-Force range also brings the launch of a new accessory, the X-FORCE Aqua Head, capable of vacuuming and washing at the same time. This has an RRP of £69.99 but has to be purchased separately.
Unboxing the rest of the vacuum cleaner was a simple process, and I just attached the tube to the main body. Everything clicked into place nicely, and the materials used felt high quality.
Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 review: design and features
As Tefal's first entrance into the vacuum cleaner market, I am impressed with the variety of features showcased by the X-FORCE range. A number of them are also new to the industry, which is particularly great to see.
The first feature that attracted me to the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 was its ‘flex technology’. This allows the main tube to bend in the middle, making it a lot easier for users to access hard-to-reach areas. There's a small clip in the centre of tube that unlocks it, but its functioning is smooth and unproblematic. As you can see below, this also makes it easier to store or transport, especially if it's kept in a cupboard.
Another impressive feature is the floor-dependent automatic speed and power adjustment. We've seen this recently on the Shark Detect Pro, so it's a feature that's being introduced to more and more models. It allows the vacuum cleaner to recognise the surface it's operating on, and adjust the speed and power for an optimal clean.
The main brush roll is also specifically designed to reduce tangling when picking up any pet hairs, and there's a strong LED headlight to highlight undetected dust.
The Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 also features an LED digital screen, allowing users to view the power intensity and battery life remaining. We're seeing this a lot more in vacuum cleaners these days, and it makes it really helpful knowing how much runtime you've got left. It's stated that the battery provides up to one hour and 10 minutes of autonomy, but this depends on what mode the vac is operating in.
The screen also features a boost trigger button (+ / -) which gives the vacuum cleaner a surge of power to help pick up any particularly tough spots. A lot of people often wonder why this feature is necessary if there's automatic speed and power adjustment, but it's actually incredibly useful.
I also like how the main body and tube have built-in cleaning attachments. This makes life a lot easier, as you can quickly remove the tube or main brush roll to clean smaller areas without having to fix a completely separate attachment. If you're blasting out a quick clean before the in-laws arrive, it's perfect.
Lastly, the Tefal X-FORCE range is covered by Tefal’s 15 year repairability guarantee. This ensures that the product can be repaired at a fair price even after the guarantee period.
Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 review: performance
Overall, I found the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 easy to use and effective in its performance, and my favourite features were its flex technology and floor-dependent detection. These two things made vacuuming the house so much easier, especially in comparison to using a regular vacuum cleaner. By bending in the middle, I was able to push the X-FORCE Flex 14.60 right under the sofa and dining table, something that I normally can't do.
I also found its battery life and suction to be effective. As promised, the X-FORCE Flex 14.60 lasted around 60 minutes in auto mode, but this did expectedly reduce when I used the boost trigger. It had a strong suction, and whilst I did have go run over some areas a few times, I was content with how much dust and dirt it picked up. The transparent main body allows you to see what's been collected, something I always find rather satisfying.
The LED headlight was also extremely effective in showing up any leftover dust or crumbs. I love this feature on vacuum cleaners, and probably wouldn't be able to go back to a model that doesn't have it.
However, one of the issues that did let the X-FORCE Flex 14.6 down is how noisy it is. It's a really loud vacuum cleaner, especially when I tested it against some other models. It's even louder on trigger mode, and whilst this isn't a huge problem, I did find myself not wanting to use it for very long.
It's also quite a heavy vacuum cleaner, so I would go for another option if you're looking for something lightweight. This is mostly due to the battery, but the main body weighs a lot also.
That being said, the X-FORCE Flex 14.60 is made of high quality materials, and each of the attachments click into place seamlessly. As mentioned, the different attachments provide a variety of cleaning options, meaning you can multiple uses out of the same model.
Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 review: verdict
Overall, I did find the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 an effective vacuum cleaner to use. It has a variety of innovative features, including flex technology and surface adjustment detection. There's also an appealing amount of attachments, allowing users to access a full range of functions. However, due to its high price point, volume and weight, I believe the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 needs some more work before it can be viewed as a direct competitor to market-leading vacuum cleaners.
Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60 review: alternatives to consider
One alternative to consider would be the Gtech AirRAM Platinum. Not only is it in a similar price bracket, its versatile design and varying suction settings are incredibly alike to the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60. It doesn't come with different attachments, but if you're looking for a simple cordless vacuum cleaner that doesn't mess about, it's a great option. Read our full review of the Gtech AirRAM Platinum to find out more.
Another strong alternative would be the Shark Detect Pro. Just like the Tefal X-FORCE Flex 14.60, it recognises the surface it's vacuuming on and adjusts its deep-cleaning settings. However, it's a lot more lightweight and has a much cheaper price point, coming in at £349.99. Check out our full review for more information.
