GTech AirRam MK2 review 

To fully evaluate the GTech AirRam MK2, we put it through various tests at our Saga Exceptional testing centre, including seeing how it did on different types of floors and picking up a variety of debris, including hair, dust and cereal.  

For a week, the vacuum cleaner was also run every day across a three-bedroom house to see how long a single charge would last. In addition to vacuuming floor spaces, we also assessed its performance on upholstery and stairs. 

Lastly, we looked at the bin capacity to see how much we could vacuum before having to empty it.  

It’s neither a traditional upright nor a regular cordless, but we like the design of this particular model. It’s modern, and the grey with green accents is stylish.

Unlike its white AirRam Platinum counterpart, we feel that the grey also helps hide the dirt somewhat. While it is lightweight, it’s also sturdy and definitely doesn’t feel cheap.  

GTech states on the website that the AirRam MK2 weighs 3.2kg (7lb 1oz), but it came nearer to 3.3kg (7lb 4oz) when weighed in our testing centre.

While it isn’t the lightest cordless vacuum we’ve tested, it’s really easy to move between floors. As it doesn’t come with any attachments, you don’t have the effort of carrying those around either. The extra handle is a nice addition, which makes carrying the vacuum much easier.  

We particularly liked that the height of this vacuum can be adjusted from 111.5cm (44in) to 85cm (33in) to help with storage.

Being an upright cordless, you also don’t have any of those issues that come with regular cordless stick vacuums, such as trying to prop it up in a cupboard or having to mount it to the wall. It does have a rather large floor head to consider, but we managed to squeeze it easily into our small cupboard space.

The AirRam MK2 is probably one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners if you like things nice and simple, especially when it comes to operating it.  Turning on the floor head is as simple as stepping on the large power button. When you want to begin cleaning, just place your foot on the floor head and gently pull back the handle. And that’s all you need to know to start vacuuming. 

It also couldn’t be easier to put together. Two pieces of a handle click into each other and are then added to the floor head. We had a bit of a struggle at first getting it to click in, but the manual is easy to follow, and we were soon ready to go.

With the handle added, an easy push of a button allows it to be raised or lowered for storage. The only addition we would have liked is a way of extending the handle to different heights as we found it a little on the short side for us. 

Cleaning the filter is straightforward as well. The washable foam filter is located within the bin and can be removed with a tug (you may need to pull it firmly to remove it).

A simple rinse through is all that’s needed to clean the filter. GTech recommends cleaning the filter monthly (more if you vacuum more often). Additional filters can be bought on Amazon for £7.99 for a pack of two. 

Due to its patented ‘AirLOC’ technology, the strength of the suction is noticeable when pulling back on the vacuum. Even though this might be a bit too strong for some users, it was fine for us and overall, we really enjoyed using this to vacuum the house.

It does make a funny, loud noise though, especially on hard floors, which meant no vacuuming while anyone slept. 

This technology also means the performance is often better when you pull the vacuum back towards you, as it creates a seal.

This was particularly noticeable when testing its suction capacity on coffee granules in the testing centre. While the forward run left much of the coffee granules virtually untouched, the reverse stroke picked up all the remaining granules with ease.

When it was tested on a carpet with regular dirt and debris, it picked up 99% of it. There was also no issue with debris falling out of the bin, as with some other cordless machines we’ve tested, even when the bin was pretty full.

The joy of this vacuum cleaner is that there’s no need to press buttons or switches between floor types – you literally just press the power button and go. This is great if you want something simple to use but that can still deal with all floor types. 

The big downside for us is that AirRam MK2 doesn’t come with any attachments. If you’re after a vacuum that you can use to clean the car or upholstery, this might not be for you.

You can purchase the handheld cleaning kit (£20 on the official site), which comes with a duster and a handle that attaches directly to the floor head, so you can use it on mattresses and larger upholstery items. It would also work on some stairs, but we found ours too narrow to make them effective for cleaning them well this way. 

GTech does sell handheld vacuum cleaners separately – and they do special bundle deals for both (from £349.98) – so if you want to tackle those hard-to-reach places, this is your best option.

While it doesn’t have attachments, the AirRam MK2 does come with a ‘low profile’ handle. This basically means you can reach easily under sofas, beds and tables without having to bend down. It reached easily under our large sofa and also our wide TV unit. 

The bin capacity is a decent size of 0.8l (one and a half pints), especially compared to some other cordless models we tested. What we really liked here is the addition of a slider, which means you don’t have to get your hand in to remove any dirt. You literally push the slider to one side, and it pushes out all the dirt and debris neatly into the bin.  

One of the great things about this vacuum is how intuitive it is to use. We didn’t check the manual once, but there are also instructions on the bin telling you how to empty it, which is handy.  

GTech states that the AirRam MK2 has up to 40 minutes of run time and our testing labs found this to be pretty accurate.

In real terms, we managed five complete vacuums of a three-bedroom house before we got down to the final battery light on the indicator, meaning another vacuum might have been possible. Unlike many cordless vacuum cleaners, it doesn’t come with a ‘boost’ mode, but this is one of the reasons why it has such long battery life.  

The beauty of the Air Ram MK2 is that the battery can be charged while on the vacuum cleaner or separately. This means you don’t necessarily have to store your vacuum cleaner near a power point.

The battery is fully removable and comes out just by squeezing the bottom of the battery. It’s a simple case of plugging the charger into the wall and then putting the other end into the battery. 

In our testing centre, it took just over four hours to charge the battery (which is pretty on par with what GTech says it takes). If you want to have a longer run time you can buy an additional battery for £69.99 and make sure you have one charged ready to go at all times.  

While the battery indicator is simple – no fancy LCD screens there – it’s incredibly effective. It’s a green circular light split into four quarters and as the battery life reduces, each quarter goes out, alerting you to how much battery is remaining.

The one thing it could do with is being a bit brighter, though, as it does tend to feel a bit hidden among the grey of the casing and isn’t always easy to see in brighter light. 

At just £229, the AirRam MK2 is good value for money. While it’s not as versatile as some other cordless cleaners, it’s a great option if you want a super simple vacuum or need a second one for a caravan or holiday home.

We also love how easy it is to store, meaning you don’t have to mess around with wall mounting. 

GTech also offers a two-year warranty that covers faulty manufacturing and, unlike many vacuums, you can buy lots of spares such as wheels, bins and even the chassis, which means they can be repaired easily and not at great expense. 

The home of the Henry Hoover, Numatic has now created its own cordless versions – the Henry or Hetty Quick. With a decent cylinder size of one litre, it uses pods, instead of a bagless cylinder, which pop out effortlessly straight into the bin.

It also has a run time of 70 minutes, but at nearly £300 is slightly pricier than the AirRam MK2. 

Featuring Shark’s signature ‘Anti Hair Wrap’ technology, this cordless vacuum cleaner is great if you have pets. This cleaner converts easily into a handheld as well and comes with various attachments, such as a crevice and upholstery tool.

It also uses ‘flexology’, which, at the touch of a button, allows you to bend the wand and clean easily under sofas and beds. This also enables you to fold it down for compact, freestanding storage, rather than having to prop it up or wall mount it.

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In a world where it seems everything has a minicomputer attached to it, the AirRam MK2 is a refreshing change, which uses simple, yet effective design and technology to produce a vacuum cleaner that is easy to use. 

While the lack of attachments does mean it’s not the most versatile cordless vacuum out there, it’s a pleasure to use and does a really good job on both carpets and hard floors, thanks to its ‘AirLOC’ technology.