I was nervous about inserting the 25.5volts lithium-ion battery. I should not have worried. You just slide it into the handle of the vacuum cleaner and it locks into place with a satisfying click. Then place your vacuum cleaner on the stand. When three little lights show on the vacuum cleaner handle, it’s fully charged and ready to use. Charging takes about three hours.

When you look inside the cleaner you can see (and hear) dust and rubbish particles whirling around! It’s because the LG’s patented Brushless Smart Inverter Motor rotates at high speed, creating a mini cyclone of suction inside the cleaner. Little whirlwinds of air inside suck out the dust and return clean air out of the side of the cleaner –  hot air doesn’t blow up into your face.

I was eager to test this vacuum cleaner because I have a bad dust allergy. I must wear a mask and take antihistamines before I clean a room or I’ll spend the rest of the day sneezing, itching and rubbing my eyes. To make this review a challenge I vacuumed without wearing my usual anti-dust face mask. And guess what? I didn’t sneeze once. The air smelt clean, not dusty.

The secret is five-step filtration which traps 99.999 per cent of dust particles as small as 0.5 microns in size. (A human hair is about 70 microns.) As well as air filters in the dustbin and body, there are also three washable filters inside the handle. LG advises you to wash them every month or so, under running water.

It’s easy to do, but it took me a few tries to screw the front section back into place –  you must make ensure two white dots line up. I got it after I read the instruction booklet, which is what I should have done in the first place, right? *rolls eyes.

Just press a button with a thumb and the attachments slide on and off. They also store neatly on special holders on the charging stand, which makes them easy to find. 

The LG manual says the pointy Crevice Tool is handy to get under furniture and into corners. I found it good for removing pet hair, and getting into small spaces on shelves.

But the Combination Tool/brush attachment was the star of the show for me! It has a brush that can be used snapped down, to firmly brush upholstery, or snapped up so the brush strands become more delicate and soft. The manual warns that using the Combination Tool for too long can strain the motor – it’s a good thing they warn you because the brush works so well you will be tempted to keep using it.

Fluted glass lampshades, blinds, curtains, wood carvings, lacquer furniture – I vacuumed everything, including an intricately carved Chinese screen. 

Different models of vacuum cleaner in the  LG CordZero A9  range have different attachments. You can get models with a wet and dry mop attachment and water tank, so you can vacuum and wet mop.

Up to 50 minutes on Normal mode, 11 minutes in Power mode, and 6 minutes in Turbo. I didn’t time myself, but I vacuumed our two-bedroom apartment, including two toilets, the kitchen, and living room, and still had power. I even Power vacuumed an upholstered chair and Turbo vacuumed four rugs. Because I could.

If you want to extend the time you vacuum, you can get two batteries so you can charge one battery while you use the other. 

The LG CordZero is also quieter than many other vacuum cleaners. My cat is usually afraid of the noise of vacuum cleaners but he was pretty calm this time and wandered around while I was cleaning.

Most upright vacuums average 180-200 W of power. This one is 480W on Turbo, 250W on Power, and 80 on Normal. So this vacuum really sucks – in a good way.

The controls are really comfortable to use. Because the control buttons are set into the handle. It takes just one press of your thumb to switch the vacuum on and adjust power levels up or down. There’s no trigger you need to pull.

The body of the vacuum cleaner has been ergonomically weighted to make it easy to push around. I found it glided effortlessly over carpets and tiled floors, with no scratching sounds.  I had to push it slightly over some rugs and while I was using the Crevice Tool – but I was using Turbo mode at the time  – and that suction is strong! 

The vacuum head is very maneuverable under furniture – you don’t have to move the furniture or bend down. The main vacuuming head – called the Slim Power Drive Nozzle – flexes almost flat. And LG’s Direct Drive Motor inside the nozzle rotates the roller inside, to pick up every little crumb. I liked that the roller is soft, so it doesn’t scratch your floors.  

At 2.7 kg it’s not the lightest handstick vacuum cleaner, but it’s not heavy either. I was able to lift it with one arm to vacuum along the top of pictures and up and down curtains.

I found the vacuum easier to lift when the pipe is in its shortest setting. The pipe is telescopic, so you can slide it out to reach up to 45-inch from handle to tip (if you use the crevice tool). I used maximum length to remove that annoying chik-chak lizard poop that gets on the walls and ceilings in Singapore.

You can also attach the tools to the body of the vacuum cleaner, to accurately clean things like computer keyboards or mattresses.

Dust Bin Capacity is 0.44 Litres – that’s about 1.5 to 2.5 cups of dust and dirt. The suction is so strong that it collects a surprising amount of dust. You’ll probably need to empty the vacuum almost every time you use it. You can empty the clear bin without dirtying your hands by holding it over a rubbish bag and pressing a release button.

The LG CordZero™️ Cordless Handstick A9-LITE is around S$599 at time of writing. Find out more about the LG vacuum range here

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