LG CordZero A9 with an all-in-one Tower stick vacuum (cleaning review updated)

The LG CordZero A9 with an all-in-one Tower comprises the A9 stick vacuum, a storage/charger/dustbin emptying Tower and various accessories. It is pretty well the only tool you need for soft and hard floors, and there is a motorised hard floor mop attachment, too (Max model).

I first reviewed the A9 Master in 2019, and it was so good I awarded it 9.4/10 and ended up buying one for my aged mum. I also reviewed the A9 Kompressor in 2020, and it scored 9.6/10 – it was a little faster, quieter, had longer battery life, and had a handy dust compression lever to squash the dustbin contents.

In 2021 I also reviewed the A9 Kompressor+ with the storage/charger/dustbin emptying Tower Mark 1. My comments were that the storage/charger/dustbin emptying Tower added more bulk than the floor stand/charger, and I was unsure you needed it. I am still not, but the fundamental decision comes down to two things:

1. Do you have a place for it? It is not really for public display, as the marketing material below indicates. You might want to read our guide on Smart homes need a smart design – more power and better connectivity and see if you have an out-of-the-way nook or cupboard with 240V power.
2. Do you need it? Frankly, it does not alter the A9’s performance, and these all come with a floor stand/charger from $799 to $1319, depending on accessories. All have dual batteries and at least the Powerdrive hard floor and carpet heads.

There are two models in the range. The MaX adds the Powerdrive Mini and Mop attachments.

LG CordZero A9 with all-in-one tower

Website	Product range
Price	2-year A9 and Tower 1-year battery 10-years Smart Inverter (extra 8-years parts only)
From	Harvey Norman, Joyce Mayne, Domayne, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Bing Lee, Myer, Retravision. Note warranty is from authorised resellers only – avoid online deals
Warranty	2-years A9 and Tower 1-year battery 10-years Smart Inverter (extra 8-years parts only)
Country of origin	South Korea
LG	LG (formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995) is a South Korean multinational conglomerate. It makes electronics, chemicals, and telecommunications products.
More	Cybershack LG News and reviews

First impression – big

The box is 1083 x 465 x 285mm, so make sure you have a large car boot if you pick one up. But to be fair, that includes the charge station (1010 x 300 x 260mm), the LG CordZero A9, four powerheads and accessories. Keep the box if you have to ship it back for warranty issues.

The A9 is not that heavy – the body only is 1.6kg. With the telescopic wand and Powerdrive, it adds just over another kilogram.

The Tower has two folding front doors opening to reveal accessory storage and access to the empty dustbin container. The outside of each door has a folding hook to hold on a Powerdrive head. This is the ‘big’ part.

It has a 2.5L disposable bag ($18 each or $39 3-pack) and a three Step filtration (Dust Bag, Washable Motor Protection Filter and Washable Fine Dust Filter). The A9 dustbin holds 440ml when compressed, so it will empty about 5-6 times. An indicator shows when it needs replacing.

Why buy an LG stick vac?

Simple. They are just as good, if not better than a traditional canister vac, have excellent cleaning power and run up to 60 minutes on a charge when you can swap the battery for another 60 minutes.

While the current hype is around robot vacuums and mops, you still need a vacuum to complete the edges, for dusting and vertical surfaces, the car, and stairs. This does everything, admittedly, with your manual labour to guide it. And it does a far better job.

In the box (Ultra)

• A9 vacuum
• Powerdrive carpet ‘bristle’ head
• Powerdrive hard floor ‘fluffy’ head
• Mop head
• Powerdrive Mini head
• Combination short bristle brush tool
• Crevice tool
• 2 x batteries 25.2V/2.4A/60.48W
• Charging station with 240V plug

What you really need as well

To use this as a handheld, you need (any A9 series tool works on all models)

• Flexible extendable hose (to reach window blinds and dust surfaces)
• Flexible long crevice tool
• Hard dust tool
• Multi-angle tool
• Mattress punch tool (for dust-mite removal)

I have used them all, so you may need to look online at eBay or contact an LG approved parts reseller.

Getting started

Sorry, but we did not test the ThinQ app this time. Its use is limited to statistics, battery level and some diagnostics. Basically, all you need to do is charge and go.

Battery

Battery life depends on which power level you select, what Powerdrive tool you use and the floor surface.

• Normal (68W suction) with a Power Drive is about 60 minutes (tested 53 minutes)
• Power (120W suction) is 40 minutes (tested 30 minutes)
• Turbo is 6 minutes (tested 6.75 minutes)
• Mop time is considerably longer as the vacuum is switched off (time not tested)
• Wi-Fi connection to the ThinQ app makes little difference to battery life

Charge time is between 3.5 and 4 hours. The battery – replacement not needed for a few years – is around A$150.

Kompressor – it is not what you think

The term is usually associated with high powered engines. No, it is a simple red lever that compresses the contents on the .44 litre dustbin to about half that. It enables longer vacuuming without emptying.

Use

It weighs 2.7kg, including the telescopic wand (which extends to a total length of 1.12m) and a power drive head. Overall, it’s pretty well balanced, but all the weight is on the wrist.

That is fine unless you have arthritis in the wrist, elbow, or fingers. How do I know this? My aged mum has one, and it is just a bit much for her. However, her cleaner loves it, saying it is the best vacuum she has ever used (and she uses many).

Swapping the batteries is easy for most, but it isn’t if you have lost any finger dexterity.

Detritus/Cleaning efficiency

We vacuum four times over four weeks. Our standard testbed is a 300m2 three-bedroom home comprising 20% long and dense shag pile carpet, 40% bamboo hardwood floor, 30% sisal ribbed carpet and 10% ceramic tiled bathrooms.

Our standard test mix is 100g each of rice, Uncle Toby Cheerios, sand, fines/hair. The percentage is recovery weight.

Mode	Shag pile Power Bristle Cheerios not used	Hardwood Fluffy	Sisal carpet Bristle	Tiles Fluffy
Normal	45%	75%	65%	75%
Power	65%	85%	75%	85%
Normalised without Cheerios	75%	99%	95%	97%

Cheerios are a round Lifesaver sized breakfast cereal. They tend to push aside as the cleaning head is quite flush to the surface. We repeated the test with rolled oats (flatter), and the figures reflect the normalised segment above.

It removes hair and fines completely – just remember to clean the Powerdive head. It has excellent edge cleaning, and a low profile head fits under most cupboard overhangs.

Our only issue is that it does not have an automatic power level adjustment like the Dyson V15 Detect. The Dyson is superior on longer carpets, resulting in longer battery life.

Summary: as good as it gets, although the Dyson V15 Gen5 Detect vacuum – the evolution continues (review) does a better job on the shag pile, recovering 95%.

As a handheld

Sorry, but it is almost unusable as a handheld as it needs the flexible extension hose tube attachment and brushes for proper dusting and in-car use.

Noise dB

• Normal 62
• Power 72
• Turbo 79

The Power mop head

You cannot vacuum and mop at the same time. It has two pairs of round soft frilly edge pads.

• Wet a pair, wring out excess water, place/centre on the Velcro mop head rotating disks
• Detach the water container and fill it with water – it takes 200ml and appears quite drip-proof, and it is enough for 150-200m2.
• Set it for either a Low/High (8/6-second spray delay) or turn it off for a light polish
• Adjust the A9 telescopic wand to avoid stooping

The mop is excellent with a few caveats:

• You must vacuum first, or the rotating pads could pick up detritus and scratch the floors
• Make sure that the floor surface can stand up to wet mopping
• Rinse and clean the mop pads every 25-30m2, or you will just be rotating dirty water
• If you hear a sound like grit scratching, stop immediately and clean the pads
• It won’t remove heavy stains like dried milk or coffee
• Don’t use any liquid cleaners in the tank – only water – as it voids the mop’s warranty
• The mop will likely leave a narrow gap between the rotating pads, so vary the strokes to cover this

If you have an A9, the Mop head sells for about $220, and spare pads are $22 a pair.

Our recommendation for the perfect motorised mop is the Kärcher FC 7 cordless mop for a super effortless clean (review), but at $799, it is not for everyone.

Maintenance – a strength

This is so easy to clean – you can wash the cyclone metal filter inside the dustbin, the yellow/green pre-filer and the HEPA filter cap.

The power drives are removable but not submersible, but you can wipe them over with a damp cloth. Hint: Keep these heads clean, especially the microfibre pads around the edges.

Batteries should last 4-5 years, all other items are pretty much lifetime, and replacements are available.

CyberShack’s view – LG CordZero A9 with all-in-one Tower is pretty well perfect

Apart from the huge Tower (which just means you need a place to put it), the A9 Kompressor is pretty well perfect. No more lugging a heavy vacuum and negotiating the power cord.

My advice – buy the A9 Kompressor and as many accessories as you can get. It is up to you if you want to spend more on the tower model.

PS: The Tower is compatible with any A9 Kompressor model, but we have not seen it as an accessory here.

Competition

We refer to Dyson, but it is quite unfair to make the comparison. The Dyson Gen5 Detect is a technological marvel with a laser head to see the dust on hard floors, a colour screen to show the types and quantity of detritus and more tech that sent a man to the moon. It is 449 for the vacuum alone, and admittedly the LG Max does a lot more.

The competition is more the Samsung Bespoke Jet 2022 vacuum cleaner – a clean sweep (review). We suspect it is lower-tech than the LG.