I tested vacuum cleaner that looks like Star Wars robot and has gadgets I've longed for

I shy away from vacuuming at all costs and admit it’s one of the household chores I hate the most. Set the task of testing out the Tefal X Force wasn’t my idea of fun, until I put it together and got a surprise.

First of all, it’s quirky look reminded me of something out of Star Wars. It’s got a rounded area that glows at the top along with LED headlights that made this handy home appliance more like R2-D2. Maybe this was going to be fun after all.

Then I looked at its shape and gadgets and realised it was just what I’d been longing for.

There’s two models available of this gadget, which have both been approved by the Institute of Good Housekeeping UK. The new X Force Flex 15.60, which I looked at, which is very similar but an update to the 12.60 model and has a more powerful suction power of 230AW compared to 150AW. Reviewing the X Force Flex 15.60 has came at a useful time as the brand is now the focus of many money-saving offers. There’s a special X Force Flex 15.60 bundle with aqua head with 40% off on the Tefal website here when using code XFORTY. It takes the price from £549.99 to £329.99.

The best price I could find online was the latest X Force Flex 15.60 for £299.99, down from £479, on Amazon here. It also had a deal on the X Force Flex 12.60 for £161 while stocks last.

What makes the X Force Flex different is that it’s shape allows it to bend and flatten, making it easier to suck up debris from those hard to reach places, like the far corner under the sofa or cupboards. It can get into all sorts of angles because a button flexes the vacuum pipe.

It also goes right up to the edges well, in nooks and crannies, picking up plenty of dust and dirt with its auto floor detection tool - the level of cleaning for minimal effort really impressed me. What’s more, the size of the vacuum head fits well on stairs as my previous vacuum cleaners have been clunky and bit too large for each step.

Most of all, the battery - that clicks into the Star Wars looking show-stopping top section - has an impressive lasting time. The 15.60 version has a run time of 1 hour 20 minutes so I didn’t need to worry about it dying while half way round the house. The cheaper 12.60 version has a battery life of a decent 45 minutes.

On the practical side, the X Force Flex changes size very easily so is handy for reducing it down to the bare minimum to clean the car or go over the sofa seats. It comes with extra gadgets like a motorized pet tool to help clean up dog and cat hairs.

I was testing out the 15.60 along with the Aqua Head, which attaches to the end of all the X Force Flex range. The Aqua head transforms the vacuum cleaner into something of a super mop for deeper cleaning and won me over.

The water goes into the bulk head and is less messy than a mop and bucket and makes it easier to clean around the whole house in one go between kitchen tiles and living room carpets. The Aqua Head costs £69.99 on the Tefal website or £57 on Amazon here.

Verdict on the Tefal X-Force Flex

The new X Force Flex made me realise that vacuuming my home can feel effortless. It looks stylish and a little bit sci-fi and cleaned up my home as though the force was with me. It’s even changed my opinion that maybe vacuuming can be more fun that I realised.

This article was updated on October 14 to reflect new pricing and product availability.