Hoover MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel Review

Welcome to another Vacuum Wars upright vacuum review. It’s been a while since we reviewed a Hoover upright vacuum, so today we are looking at a really popular option from Hoover, the MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel.

The Hoover MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel upright is not to be confused with the Hoover MAXLife Pet Max Complete. They sound the same, but they are actually quite different, with the MAXLife Pet Max Complete being a cheaper option that lacks the swiveling head and HEPA filtration of the MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel.

What we like

Floorhead

Starting with the pros, the floorhead has a good swivel, which is where it gets its name. The swivel steering makes it easier to clean hard-to-reach spots on any floor type and makes it easier to use in general.

The cleaner head does not have a height adjustment. Hoover’s website says height adjustment is automatic. Many older-style upright vacuums have adjustable heights, but newer ones have been avoiding this, making them easier to use. All-in-all, the floorhead is essentially an upgraded and well-designed floorhead from Hoover. 

The Hoover MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel scored a perfect 100 in our Carpet Deep Clean Test. In this test, we embed sand in medium pile carpet and weigh the bin before and after a set amount of cleaning passes.

HEPA filtration

Filtration is another pro for the MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel. It captures 99% of dust and allergens using HEPA media filtration. This is extremely rare for upright vacuums in this price range.

We tested it in our filtration tests, and while it didn’t perform perfectly, it was good enough, meaning it was much better than most of its competitors.

Wand and hose

It has a nice wand that’s easy to take out and use for picking up large debris and above-floor cleaning. This is a huge upgrade from previous budget vacuums, which tend to have cheaper hoses and wands.

You can easily take the metal wand off and just use the handle, which is reminiscent of many Shark upright vacuums, such as the Shark Stratos Upright (see our review). That vacuum carries a premium price tag, however.

Cleaning performance on carpet and rugs

Another tick in the positive column is the MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel’s great pickup capability on carpet and rugs. It picked up all of the debris we threw at it, from fine to extra large, with no issues. The debris included fine sand, coffee grounds, kitty litter, and a variety of cereal sizes and shapes.

In our Carpet Deep Clean Test, where we embed sand in medium pile carpet and weigh the bin before and after a set amount of cleaning passes, the Hoover MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel scored a perfect 100.

Vacuuming hard floors

On hard floors, it also picked up fine and medium debris well.

The MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel has an on-off switch for its brushroll. The brushroll is normally intended to be turned off when vacuuming hard floors, but because it has a felt squeegee on the floorhead just after the main brushroll, you can leave the brushroll turned on when cleaning hard floors too. 

We actually found that it performed much better when we kept the brushroll on while vacuuming hard floors, especially when vacuuming large debris. We like that Hoover included both the felt squeegee as well as the option to turn the brushroll on and off.

Price and value

It goes without saying that the MaxLife Pro Pet Swivel’s price is a big positive for this vacuum. It’s much more affordable than the average upright vacuum and held up well in our testing.

Suction power

We tested suction and airflow, and though its airflow was nothing special, its sealed suction was above average. This translates to it being a high performer when it comes to above-floor cleaning tasks. 

The vacuum has manual suction adjustment, which is particularly helpful when vacuuming thick carpet. It allows backing off the suction so the floorhead can move more easily. We have experienced other uprights being hard to move, some even getting essentially stuck in place, when cleaning high pile carpet.

During our tests, we didn’t notice any issues with this upright, but for homes with thicker or higher pile carpets, this feature will be appreciated. 

Attachments and headlights

Bissell included a decent tool set with the MaxLife Pro Pet Swivel, including a Pet Upholstery Tool, a Crevice Tool, and a Dusting Tool. We really like the Dusting Tool for dusting.

We appreciate the LED lights on the upright’s floorhead. It really allows you to see things that may have otherwise been missed when cleaning. 

What could be improved?

So, what would we like to see improved with the MaxLife Pro Pet Swivel?

Handling large debris on hard floors

First, we do wish it performed better on hard floors. It did perform much better than previous Hoover uprights we have tested, but it still wasn’t perfect. 

It mostly struggled with larger debris. In all fairness, in the real world that’s where the wand comes in. You can easily pull it out, use it to pick up the larger debris that may have been pushed around, and then return the wand. 

Weight

It was also heavier than average at 17 pounds, whereas the average upright vacuum weighs closer to 15 pounds. But the handle was easy to use, and it felt lighter than it actually is.

Should you buy it?

Overall, we think the Hoover MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel is punching well above its weight. It performed well and has features that we haven’t seen on a Hoover upright vacuum in this price range in a long time.

It’s certainly an upgrade from Hoover’s previous budget uprights too. Taking everything into consideration, the MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel offers great value for the price.

Hoover MAXLife Pro Pet Swivel Specs

Manufacturer	Hoover
Model	MAXLife Pet Pro Swivel
Vacuum type	Corded Upright
Bagged/bagless	Bagless
Motor	1320W / 11 amps
Dust bin capacity	1.5L / 1.59 qts.
Cord length	30 ft.
Hose length	9 ft.
Height adjustment	Automatic
Swivel head	Yes
Brushroll on/off	Yes
Powered accessories	No
Headlights	Yes
Weight	17 lbs.
Dimensions (L x W x H)	11.5” x 12.5” x 45”
Warranty	5 yrs.

The Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet is available online, including at the retailer(s) below.