Ultenic U11 Pro Stick vacuum – amazing power and budget buster (cleaning review)

The Ultenic U11 Pro Stickvac has an amazing 2700Pa of power (when needed), an easy-to-use swivel motorised multi-purpose head, and at 2.6kg is ideal for arthritis sufferers. It is good for a quick clean or whole-of-home.

We test a lot of robot and stick vacuums with varying levels of intelligence (yes, stickvacs can think). At the top of the tree is the amazing Dyson V15 Detect ($1549) with its laser head and dust counting/categorisation system – see Dyson V15 Detect vacuum – sees dust you can’t (review). Then you have the LG A-9 series and Samsung Jet series.

The true test of a stickvac is whether it has the stamina (battery life) and power (suction) to do the whole of a typical home on one charge. This does!

Where does the Ultenic U11 Pro Stickvac fit?

First, I hate the words ‘Apple killer’ used by many reviewers when talking about smartphones. Similarly, I won’t use Dyson/LG/Samsung ‘killer’ with this.

When trying to position it, you need to look at the competition, so we looked at Godfrey’s Stickvac range to see what it is up against. There is nothing under $500 that comes close to its power, build quality and backing from Robot My Life.

It is a well-made, lower cost ($350), quite powerful stickvac with a degree of intelligence that is excellent value for the price. It may not last as long as a Dyson et al., but you can get nearly five for the price.

Our take – it’s a perfect companion for a robovac to do stairs, edges, longer carpet, dusting and crevices.

Australian review: Ultenic U11 Pro Stickvac

WebsiteManufacturer product page and Robot my Life product page and Manual
Price$350 inc Australia-wide shipping
includes a 30-day money-back guarantee
FromRobot my Life Shop
Warranty12-months ACL from Robot My Life
CompanyUltenic is a China-based company and a fast-emerging brand in Europe and Asia. It has several R&D patents.

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First impression – Well-made and lightweight – Pass+

First, there is a standard U11 version with 260 Air Watts, not with 380 as the Pro version has. Grey market importers sell it and all the hassle that entails.

This is a straight-through design, bagless cyclonic, 380 Air Watt, 4-stage filter (HEPA), stickvac or handheld. Overall, it is well-made, well-designed, looks good, is easy to clean and pretty light in hand at 22 x 25.5 x 125.5 (T) cm x 2.6kg.

The straight-through design is considered the most power efficient and distributes the weight evenly over the hand and wrist. Most others use a vertical barrel design that puts most of the weight on your wrist.

This has an LCD touch-screen showing battery status, power level, and ECO/AUTO/ MAX modes. You activate it by pressing the handle trigger once and stop by pressing it again. Not having to hold the trigger all the time is perfect for arthritis sufferers.

Modes/Battery life – Pass+

It has

  • Low – 8000Pa (up to 50 minutes run-time)
  • Auto 12-22,000Pa (30-45 minutes)
  • Turbo 25000Pa (15 minutes)

Low is perfect for hard floors. Auto is great for mixed surfaces. In our three-week test, Auto ranges from 30 minutes (the first time, it did a lot more work) to 40-45 minutes. Turbo is overkill, but it worked a treat on a long shag pile feature carpet.

It has a Lithium-ion 8-cell, 28.8V/2.2A/57W battery and a 34.2V/1A/34W RCM C-Tick certified charger. It takes about 2.5 hours to fully charge. The battery can be detached for charging, or you can use the wall mount for contact charging.

The battery should last 4-5 years (used weekly), and Ultenic has replacements. Price TBA but well below $100. Being a standard 8-cell, you could have the case repacked if you cannot get a replacement.

Interestingly Ultenic publish the expected life of the stickvac at 8-10 years

Use – Pass+

It comes with

  • LED light (4) motorised swivel steer 180°/ 90° head brush 9.5”
  • Dusting brush
  • Crevice tool 10”
  • Mini motorised tool 5.75”

The LED light is not a laser light on the Dyson, but if you vacuum in dim light, it highlights dust and detritus. The design tilts 90° and swivels 180°, making it very easy to use under furniture. It is low enough to get under overhanging cupboard sills.

This head has an auto carpet boost to increase (or decrease) rotation speed.

The mini-motorised tool is very good for handheld use in the car. The unit is light, well-balanced, and not overly taxing on the wrist.

The metal tube is 600mm (not extendable) and gives an ideal vacuum height for most people.

Noise is typically 65dB on Auto.

Cleaning and maintenance – Pass+

It has a 650ml removable dustbin and a hatch at one end. Unclip, open the hatch, shake out the detritus, and you are good to go. Further cleaning is easy – remove the top HEPA./Foam filter, slide out the cyclone and wash the lot in water.

It comes with a spare HEPA filter (so you can wash one and use the other), and spare HEPA filters are available. Price TBA, but a three-pack should be around $20.

There are no other replaceable parts.

Inbox – Pass+

CyberShack’s view – Ultenic U11 Pro is pretty damned good and a fraction of the cost of name-brands

Now it is no secret that I like the Dyson V15 Detect, and this won’t make me give that up. It does not quite live up to the Dyson performance, but it is damned good for the price. With the Dyson at $1549, I can get nearly five of these!

It has strong suction, decent battery life on Eco or Auto, replaceable battery and does a great job. It is perfect for up to 100-200m2 homes or apartments and as a stickvac accompaniment to a robovac/mop.

Ultenic U11 Pro Stickvac

$350
9.1

Performance

9.0/10

Features

8.5/10

Value

10.0/10

Ease of Use

9.0/10

Design

9.0/10

Pros

  • Powerful suction, but leave it on Auto
  • Good in hand weight and suitable for arthritis sufferers
  • All the tools you need
  • Great value for money
  • LED illuminated head (not like Dyson Laser V15 Detect)

Cons

  • None really for this budget buster
  • Battery drain on Turbo – leave it on Eco (50 Min) or Auto (30-40 min)
  • Wall mount means screwing to a wall