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Philips SpeedPro Max Aqua is a cordless vacuum cleaner that comes with an integrated mop function which is a market-first.

It retails for S$799 at most retail stores, and there is an ongoing promotion if you buy it online from Philips E-Shop.

As a disclaimer, I am not paid for this review. I only get to keep the Philips SpeedPro Max Aqua after reviewing it.

Promotions
For the first ten readers who apply the promotion code of PHILIPSLESTER100 when purchasing the Philips SpeedPro Max Aqua from the Philips E-Shop, he or she is entitled to receive a cleaning kit, free delivery and S$100 worth of shopping vouchers.

This promotion is valid from now till 27th June 2019 and of course, while stocks last.

How do you know if you are the first ten readers? As long as Philips E-Shop accepts the promotion code, PHILIPSLESTER100, you are eligible.

Philips will contact you directly with regards to the collection of the shopping vouchers as those are physical shopping vouchers for use at leading supermarkets.

Unboxing

Design
There is only one design available for SpeedPro Max Aqua, and Philips called it Electric Aqua.

The weight of SpeedPro Max Aqua with the standard vacuum and mop nozzle is about 2.8 kg, which is the same as my Dyson V8. However, the weight distribution of the SpeedPro Max Aqua seems to be more evenly spread out.

SpeedPro Max Aqua is a bagless vacuum cleaner, so you can easily remove the dust container to empty the dust.

The filter is located at the bottom of the dust container, and it is recommended to wash it every month.

Battery/Charging
SpeedPro Max Aqua has a 25.2V Li-Ion battery that gives you up to 75 minutes at the lowest power (eco mode) or 25 minutes at the highest power (turbo mode).

Despite using wireless charging to charge the SpeedPro Max Aqua, the charging time did not differ that much from most Dyson’s cordless vacuum cleaners. A full charge of the SpeedPro Max Aqua takes about 5 hours.

I am not a fan of the wall mounted base provided by SpeedPro Max Aqua. The base feels light, and the wireless charger tends to come off easily from the base as it is just slid in.

Instead of mounting the base to the wall, I tried to lean the base against the wall. However, it will not charge because the charging contact point was just slightly off.

If you are like me and don’t like to mount things on the wall, you are better off just using the wireless charging without the base. It will still attach itself well on the SpeedPro Max Aqua since it is magnetic.

Motor
Powering the SpeedPro Max Aqua is Philips’s PowerBlade digital motor that creates more than 1,000 liters of airflow per minute.

At lowest power, the SpeedPro Max Aqua might not produce strong enough suction, so I always use the next level (two), which gives me about 45 minutes of vacuuming.

If you register your 2-year warranty within three months of purchase, you will get to enjoy a 5-year motor warranty as well

In terms of noise level, the SpeedPro Max Aqua produces up to 84 dB of noise, which is equivalent to the sound of a passing truck. My wife said it is quieter than our current Dyson V8.

Vacuum And Mop
In total, there are three nozzles included in the packaging, Vacuum And Mop, 360° Suction, and TurboPet.

The standard nozzle is the vacuum and mop. There are two components in this nozzle, the mop component, and the vacuum component.

The mop component has a 0.28L water tank on top of it and that allows you to clean up to 60 sqm in one refill.

And below it is two tracks of velcro for you to stick the reusable microfiber pad.

The vacuum component attaches its wheels to the mop component, and that locks it into place.

Despite the specs mentioned that you could use clear detergent or just water for the mop, I would recommend only using water.

The microfiber pads are reusable, and they can be washed by hand or by washing machine.

Inside the packaging, you will get an additional microfiber pad.

There is no power being passed to the mop component. The water that is sipped into the microfiber pad happens by pressure (when the nozzle is on the floor). If you need more water, you can step on the left side of the mop component.

Do remember to face the nozzle upside down if you need to leave it on the floor. If not as time passes, all the water in the tank will sip out, creating a puddle of water around the nozzle.

Using The Vacuum And Mop Nozzle
Apart from my mid-weekly automatic vacuuming by iRobot Roomba 980, I also do one more vacuuming either on Saturday or Sunday.

I am using the Philips PowerPro FC8764 Bagless Vacuum Cleaner to do the first round of vacuuming before mopping.

And when I do the mopping, my cordless Dyson V8 is always within reach because there are still hairs which I missed when doing the initial round of vacuuming.

The whole process takes up about 90 minutes of my weekend as my house is around 110 sqm. With the SpeedPro Max Aqua, I just compressed both vacuuming and mopping into one, and that only takes 45 minutes. It still complements my mid-weekly automatic vacuuming.

You need to take note of two things that will cause “blind spot” when using this nozzle.

The first thing is the mop component is slightly bigger than the vacuum component, and that causes a small gap between the edges of the wall and the vacuum component. On the lowest power settings, it might not be powerful enough to vacuum the dirt from the small gap. This can be solved by increasing the power.

The second thing involves the spot which the vacuum component occupies as the spot can never be mopped without changing the cleaning direction. Especially at corners, changing the cleaning direction might be awkward.

Despite these two, the SpeedPro Max Aqua is still suitable for the general or once-a-week type of cleaning as it saves a lot of time. So instead of mopping every week, you probably have to mop once a month and pay special attention to corners.

I would recommend the bottom-up cleaning motion when using this nozzle and follow the same path when going back down. This ensures that dirt and hairs are vacuumed first followed by mopping. The procedure has to be systematic as if you do the reverse, the hairs and dirt might be wet, and that makes it harder for it to be vacuumed.

Despite best efforts, sometimes the inevitable happens, the hair and dirt are stuck to the wet floor. Even at full power, the SpeedPro Max Aqua is unable to vacuum it up. So you have no choice but to use your fingers to pick it up.

360° Suction
If you only want to do the vacuuming, you will need the 360° suction nozzle. It is called 360° because there are gaps on all sides of the nozzle so that air can flow through from all directions.

A unique feature which I have not seen before in other vacuum cleaners is the inclusion of three LEDs at the front of the nozzle. This makes dust, hair, and crumbs easier to spot.

I have never expected by just including something so simple like LEDs; it would help so much when vacuuming especially under the sofa when you are just blindly vacuuming and hoping you caught all the dust and dirt.

Another neat feature is the integrated crevice tool and brush alongside the tube, so they are always within reach in case you need to switch to handheld mode.

Using The 360° Suction Nozzle
This is the standard vacuuming nozzle. I can tell that air is coming from all sides of the nozzle due to the 360° suction design. This design works best for corners as I am not sure whether it helps that much on floors since you will be doing multiple passes when vacuuming.

Unlike my corded Philips vacuum cleaner, you do not need to switch to a different mode when you are vacuuming carpets. SpeedPro Max Aqua will automatically detect and increase the intensity of the vacuuming when it is on carpets.

The brush inside this nozzle can be removed easily for washing.

Summary
If you find it a chore to vacuum first followed by mopping, the SpeedPro Max Aqua is definitely for you. The time saved means you can have more time to do other things.

We have to be realistic, this will not replace the manual mopping that you will still need to do, but at least the frequency can be reduced to once a month (you can also compliment your manual monthly mopping with this).

The SpeedPro Max Aqua might be slightly pricey at S$799, but you are paying for the top of the line cordless vacuum cleaner from Philips. Also, the purchase comes with one year of warranty on the device itself, five years on the motor.

Pros

• Integrated vacuum and mop nozzle is time saving
• Vacuum suction power is good for a cordless vacuum cleaner
• LEDs in front of the 360° suction nozzle is a nice touch

Cons

• You cannot leave the vacuum and mop nozzle at rest if there are water in it.
• Slightly pricey