I just tested this cordless vacuum that looks like it’s from the 2000s, but cleans like it’s from the 2100s

The Gtech AirRAM 3 is a vacuum cleaner that has one job, and it does that job exceedingly well. Expect it to clean as if dust is a massive iron anvil and the AirRAM 3 is the world’s strongest magnet.

The AirRAM 3’s cleaning performance is certainly enough to make it one of the best vacuum cleaners money can buy right now. However overpowered its suction power may be, though, it’s still not the best vacuum in terms of design or versatility.

For some people, raw, undiluted cleaning power might be enough. For others, crevice tools, conversion into a handheld, and style are important. If you’re a former, then the Gtech AirRAM 3 could be the ultimate vacuum for you. If, like me, you’re a latter, then to make up your mind, you might want to keep reading this Gtech AirRAM 3 review.

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A vacuum cleaner with no frills and high-octane cleaning
• Who is it for? If you’ve already got a handheld vac — or if you just hate handheld vacs
• What does it do well? Well, it’s a vacuum cleaner that really cleans
• What are its weaknesses? It’s not as versatile as other vacuum cleaners I’ve used

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Specs

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Price & availability

The Gtech AirRAM 3 is available for $299 from Gtech U.S. and £399 from Gtech U.K. This new model (AR50) doesn’t seem to be available on Amazon either side of the pond yet. I’m not sure why there’s such a price difference, especially as Gtech is a British company. You’re getting a much better deal in the U.S.

If you want the ‘voice alert’ model (I tested the standard), it’s an extra $150 or, bizarrely, an extra £20 in the U.K. — I’m absolutely perplexed by these prices; they seem to have been inputted at random.

The best vacuum cleaner I’ve ever used is the Dyson Gen5Detect, but it’s monumentally expensive, at a whopping $949.

While I adore the Gen5Detect’s ability to convert into a handheld, its 6 cleaning attachments, and the little screen that shows me how many particles I’ve cleaned up, I will be the first to admit that $949 is an almost cartoon-head-exploding price.

The Shark Clean & Empty vacuum is $349/£349, so a considerable amount pricier than the Gtech AirRAM 3 in the U.S., but cheaper than the U.K.. The Shark Clean & Empty has three power modes, unlike the AirRAM 3’s one, and transforms into a hand vac for those gnarly corners or upholstery cleaning. I think the Shark option is a much better deal, as you’re effectively getting two vacs in one.

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Design

The Gtech AirRAM 3 can’t convert into a handheld, so if you need to clean stairs, cars, or anything finicky, you’ll need to purchase a separate hand vac. Gtech’s handheld vacuums range from $129 to $199.

The AirRAM 3 is a little confusing to look at. It’s redolent of the chunky, corded vacuums my parents had in the 2000s, but there’s a definite modernity to it. No, it doesn’t look truly sci-fi like Dyson’s range of lightweight and powerful cordless vacuums, but it doesn’t perform as clunkily as you’d expect.

Most of that non-clunkiness is due to the vacuum’s propulsion. This is something Gtech describes as “Forward Inertia Propulsion”. It feels like the vacuum is driving itself. It’s how I imagine self-driving cars behaving, if they actually worked.

With the Dyson Gen5Detect and even the Ultenic U12 (which is super light, so I can barely feel that I’m vacuuming), it’s a little laborious towards the end of the clean.

However with the AirRAM 3, I never experienced this fatigue. The self-propulsion made cleaning a breeze, and I actually enjoyed feeling like I was being dragged around the room. Think of a super-excited dog that won’t yank your arm off.

Now onto the negatives. As I touched upon above, the vacuum looks like something I would have watched my mum use in 2001, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing. Surely there’s a better way to design the cleaning brush than this. The brush does have a headlight at the front which illuminates dirt and also acts as a battery monitor, but, again, it’s just so big.

This size means it’s tricky to get into finicky places, like in between the fridge and the countertop, or under sofas. I wish the AirRAM 3 came with a tube to attach a suction nozzle to for crevice cleaning, or converted into a handheld. In its current form, you need an additional purchase to clean everywhere in your house — my Dyson Gen5Detect can do everything.

I do like the functionality of the vacuum base, though. Instead of a trigger on the handle or a button on the screen, the on/off button is on the bass, so you can activate it with your foot. Adjusting the angle of the vacuum is easy with the handle, which extends from long to short too. Although I’m not too sure why you’d ever use it on the short setting — it’s not like the vacuum is a handheld.

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Cleaning capabilities

Where the Gtech AirRAM 3 really excels isn’t its looks or its battery life — but its cleaning performance. Which, when I think about it, is actually the main thing you’d want in a vacuum cleaner.

To test the Gtech AirRAM 3’s cleaning capabilities, I threw 20g of cat litter, Cheerios, and a big handful of cut-up hair extensions onto both carpet and hard floors. Then I weighed the vacuum’s dustbin before and after cleaning to see how much it managed to pick up.

Carpet cleaning

I completed this testing on a thick pile rug. Although I didn’t weigh the hair, I’ve uploaded some photos of how much hair the vacuum cleaned up.

As you can see from these results, not only did the AirRAM 3 clean up its target, it also cleaned 0.2-0.4g of extra debris. I think this is because it’s such a supreme vacuum cleaner that it just couldn’t resist cleaning the general area. It’s just too good.

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Spot the hair, difficulty level: impossible. There is literally no hair left, and I really ground it into the carpet with my shoe. This is a very impressive cleaning performance.

Hard floor cleaning

This table below is the result of our cleaning tests repeated on hard floors rather than a thick pile carpet.

As you can see, the AirRAM 3 was able to clean all of the cat litter and Cheerios and then some. The reason why it cleaned up more than what was necessary was because it’s so good — it sucked up excess dust from not just the target area, but the surrounding area, too.

The Gtech AirRAM 3 cleaned up all of the hair — and in just two passes. I actually had to use the AirRAM 3 to clean a clump of hair that the Dreame H12 Pro missed (twice).

After all these tests, I then vacuumed the entire photo studio in the office, which was supremely easy and only took a couple of minutes. I was able to get into the crevices of the baseboards, despite not having a crevice tool. However, when I wanted to clean in between units or around narrow furniture, I couldn’t.

Volume

During cleaning, I measured an average of around 80.1dB using Decibel X. This is a particularly noisy vacuum cleaner. The Dyson Gen5Detect maxed at 85dB, but averaged 66dB. Even so, given the AirRAM 3’s supreme suction power, I never needed to run it for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Battery life

The Gtech AirRAM 3 has just one suction power level: Max. As a result, the vacuum runs for just 30 minutes.

Initially, this seems like a pretty pathetic battery life, as other vacuum brands boast that their products run for upwards of 70 minutes. However, these battery life claims are often based on ‘Eco’ mode performance, which often isn’t powerful enough to clean anything other than vinyl floors.

Gtech’s ‘30 minute’ claim is based upon the battery life on full power. Comparatively, the Dyson Gen5Detect runs for just 15 minutes on max power, as did the Shark Clean & Empty vacuum.

Whereas the Dyson Gen5Detect takes 4 ½ hours to charge and lasts 15 mins on max, the AirRAM 3 takes 3 hours to charge and lasts 30 mins. There’s a clear winner here, and it’s not the Dyson.

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Storage & maintenance

A direct quote from Gtech’s marketing: “[The AirRAM 3] never needs maintenance”. Never is a long time, and a bold claim. By this logic, will the AirRAM 3 outlive me? Who’s to know. I guess we’ll have to wait a long ol’ time to test this theory.

However, I do agree with Gtech’s claim that the AirRAM 3 is very easy to maintain. The filter (not a HEPA filter, but Gtech’s own) is self-cleaning. In practice, this means that after each clean (assuming it’s longer than two minutes), the filter cleans itself. If you clean for under two minutes, you can manually activate self-cleaning by holding down the power button for three seconds.

Unlike other stick vacuums I’ve tested in the past, the AirRAM 3 can stand up by itself, so it’s possible to forgo the old vacuum mount situation.

It’s easy to get into the filter: all you have to do is take off the top of the base (which has a handle) and remove the inside. Gtech does say this filter is self-cleaning, but it doesn’t seem to sell replacements. Maybe this will change — the AirRAM 3 is still relatively new.

Although I criticized the AirRAM 3 for looking dated, it might be a conscious choice. Gtech claims all its products are made to last 20 years, so, hey, maybe in two decades the new generation will say the AirRAM 2045 looks like the one their mom used to use.

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: How does it compare?

If you need a very maneuverable, very compact vacuum to get into tight spaces and that converts into a handheld, I don’t think the AirRAM 3 is the one for you. I would recommend the Dyson Gen5Detect if you want the best of the best and you’re not afraid to pay for it, but for most people (with small-ish homes), I would recommend the uber-budget Ultenic U12.

I used the Ultenic U12 for months and months, and the only reason I no longer use it is because I have a Dyson — not because it’s broken, or I don’t like it. It is a great little vacuum that has never let me down, and only costs $149.

However, if you’re in need of a super-powered vacuum and you don’t particularly like the feel of stick vacuums, then the AirRAM 3 will serve you well. Its cleaning performance is second-to-none, and I have no doubt that it’ll make your house sparkle.

Saying that, it’s not particularly versatile. It physically does not convert into a handheld, so you’d need to make a secondary purchase to clean a car interior, or hard-to-reach spots.

Gtech AirRAM 3 review: Verdict

I wanted to give this vacuum a 4 ½ star rating so badly, and it’s so close. If we’re only talking about cleaning performance, then yeah, it’s a 4 ½, maybe even a 5. It’s so good at cleaning that in testing it even picked up the slack left by other vacuums.

Despite this incredible suction power, it lacks a couple of the most important features that other vacuums have. First, is versatility. Yes, the stick is pretty malleable and can stretch under sofas and beds. However, there are no crevice tools, so if you’ve got really dusty baseboards or want to clean in between counters, then you’ll need a secondary vacuum.

Basically, the AirRAM 3 is excellent for cleaning large areas in no time, but it won’t perform amazingly well for deep crevice cleaning. You’ll need one of Gtech’s handheld vacs for that.