The Single Cyclone separation system and the additional level of filtration by the pre-motor filter separate and trap even the finest particles of dust inside the bin. EASY BRUSH RELEASE SYSTEM For darker areas, there are three LED lights on the front of the floor-head although, strangely, they only come on in carpet mode. With the growing trend for hard floors like laminates, this seems an odd way of setting up the lights, particularly as we find LEDs most useful for spotting pet hair on hard floors. Sadly, the lights are pretty dull so their function is more decorative than useful anyway.

There’s no doubt that the 3-in-1 tool is convenient, especially since it handily clips onto the machine, but performance-wise it isn’t great. The soft brush was fine, but the short and wide crevice tool wasn’t likely to go in anything you could describe as a crevice, plus the upholstery tool was basic. The tool was also a bit fiddly when it comes to switching nozzles, making it feel rather cheap. If you’re on the look-out for both of these things, then this model may well be worth considering. What is a First Look?No need to tire your hands by constantly squeezing a trigger : just push the button once to keep the power on. There is also a Power Control button which allows you to increase or decrease suction as needed.

A full charge took us just over 6 hours, as the manual suggested. That’s a seriously long time and clearly not going to see multiple cleaning sessions in the same day. Then again, if the Hoover does deliver on its promised 60 minutes run-time, that shouldn’t be a problem. Performance at the highest power level is solid, with very little vibration from that motor and noise levels that are no worse than, say, a beefy hair dryer at full tilt. Suction power is also really good at the top setting, although it does drop away on those other lower settings. These are handy for delicate areas around ornaments and suchlike, but we got most value from the maximum setting. Battery life is around 40 minutes on the Low mode, but just 25 minutes when you use the cleaner on Medium. It drops a lot further on Turbo mode, although you shouldn’t need to use this mode too often.

What is a First Look?

The Hoover certainly looks great, is simple to use and relatively affordable compared to some of the higher priced battery upright cleaners available. However, its performance is a bit of a let-down. The battery lasted only a third of the 60-minute suggested time if you use the most effective full power and carpet mode and, even then, it didn’t deliver the best cleaning results, so you’re better off with something on our Best cordless vacuum cleaner list. The brush bar saves the day with effective carpet cleaning, but low suction power overall and the poorly designed hose and tool system left hard floors, stairs and detail cleaning tasks wanting. Grey in colour and complemented with the deep-red Hoover logo on the front, the H-Free C300 looks neat and compact for an upright cleaner. With hard-floor, carpet and Eco modes, it promises comprehensive floor cleaning around the home and a super-long run-time – up to an hour on the Eco setting. Buttons are located conveniently on the front, below the telescopic handle that doubles as an extension tube for extra reach when using the detail tool. Included are a 2in1 dusting/ crevice tool, to help you to reach tight spaces and to clean above floors, plus a 2in1 large dusting brush/upholstery tool for cleaning bigger surface areas and textiles.

Hoover provides a single battery for this model, which can be charge in-situ, or pulled out and charged separately. The latter is handy to keep your vacuum cleaner topped up if you don’t have power in your storage cupboard.

The verdict: Hoover H-Free 300

Controls are easy to use on this Hoover vacuum cleaner. You squeeze the trigger to turn the vacuum on and squeeze it again to power it off. This kind of design is less tiring to use than models that require you to keep the trigger depressed throughout cleaning. Plug in the wand and there are lights on the motorised floor brush, so you can see clearly where you’ve cleaned and where you need to clean. At the rear, there’s a Power Control touch-sensitive button that you tap to run through the Power mode. With non-powered tools, there are three power modes: Low, Medium and Turbo; add a motorised brush and you just get Medium and Turbo modes. Out of the box, the C300+ looks a little old-fashioned with an unexciting grey and blue design, especially when compared to the slimmer H-Free 700. But, of course, looks aren’t everything.

Convenient touch button allows you to adjust power in one touch to suit different cleaning tasks. DUAL LED DUSTLOCATOR TO FIND HIDDEN DUST At 3.4kg and 60 minutes respectively, it’s one of the lightest vacuums on the market with one of the longest battery lives, which will likely be very attractive to families who need a reliable model with a good battery that's light enough to lug up and down even the steepest of stairs. I didn’t find the Hoover H-Free 300 too loud, either, coming in at 67.9dB on Low, 69.5dB on Medium and 74.9 on Turbo. That makes this one of the quietest cordless vacuum cleaners I’ve tested. Measuring 110 cm at its highest point, the Hoover boasts six adjustable height settings, which means it’s easy to store, and it comes with a more than manageable seven parts in total, including a main vacuum head, removable battery and stretch hose. The Hoover Dual LED DustLocator system finds hidden dust not only on floors but also on bookshelves and behind cushions, as it combines frontal LED floorhead lights and with the AUTO LED light on the handheld.

Hoover has also installed two LEDs to highlight the surface you’re vacuuming. The first one is on the main body and is activated only when the main wand isn’t attached, giving you light when you use handheld tools.