We’ve got another vacuum review to share, and this time, it’s for the Kenmore Intuition bagged upright vacuum. It seems like a well-designed, lightweight, and highly versatile vacuum with lots of extras typically not found in vacuums at its price range. So, we bought one and put it through various evaluations to see how it performed. In our Kenmore Intuition review, we’ll cover everything you need to know about this upright vacuum.
The Kenmore Intuition upright vacuum stands out as a versatile and high-performing choice. Its strong suction power delivers impressive cleaning results on both carpets and hard floors, and it includes a switch to toggle the brushroll on or off, adapting to different surfaces as needed. The vacuum is lightweight, enhancing its maneuverability in large areas and on stairs—an essential feature for practical, everyday use. Further adding to its versatility, the “Lift Off” feature allows for easy removal of the pod for cleaning above the floor, while a longer integrated wand helps reach difficult areas. Additionally, its sealed filtration system and high-quality attachments, including a turbo brush, make it a great value within its price range. See additional info
Price as of September 30, 2025
Cleaning Heads: Swivel Head | LED lights | Lift Away
Attachments*: Upholstery Tool | Pet HandiMate | 3-in-1 Combination Tool
Air Filtration: HEPA Bags x6
| Scores | Kenmore Intuition | Average Upright Vacuum Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Vacuum Wars Overall | 4.58 | 2.66 |
| Performance | 3.77 | 2.84 |
| Features | 3.34 | 1.70 |
| Hard Floor | 4.40 | 2.98 |
| Carpet | 4.63 | 3.10 |
| Attachments | 4.70 | 2.96 |
| Specs | Kenmore Intuition | Average Upright Vacuum Tested |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 14 lb | 15.27 lb |
| Dust Bin Capacity | 3.1 l | 2.56 l |
| Cord Length | 30 ft | 30.54 ft |
| In the Box*: Upholstery Tool | Pet HandiMate | 3-in-1 Combination Tool | HEPA Bags x6 | ||
About the Kenmore Intuition upright
When we initially did this review, there were two main models of the Intuition — the BU4020 (see it on Amazon) and the BU4022 (see it on Amazon). Both were and are about the same price today. And aside from color, the differences appear to be primarily related to the type of attachments and the number of bags each comes with. We’ll also talk about a newer third model further along in the review.
We believe the Kenmore Intuition was likely designed as a bagged alternative to the Shark Navigator LiftAway 300 series, specifically the Shark NV352. That Shark model is one of the best Shark upright vacuums available at a budget price. That noted, there are several similarities between the two vacuums, so we will compare them throughout this review.
What we like
Lightweight
The Kenmore Intuition is very light compared to the majority of upright vacuums. This is especially important if you’re vacuuming large areas or have stairs to navigate. The Kenmore was heavier than the Shark, but only by about 10 ounces or so. They’re both much lighter than average vacuums.
Versatility
The Kenmore Intuition is also very versatile. You can remove the pod from the floor nozzle for above-floor cleaning jobs, which they call “Lift Off” instead of “Lift Away”. The Intuition also had an integrated wand for larger debris or getting to hard-to-reach places. On that point, we liked the Intuition’s longer wand. We always thought the Shark wand on the NV352 was just a little bit too short, at least for our preference.
Power and performance
The Intuition’s power and performance were also really good. We measured 87 CFM of airflow at the hose, 72 CFM at the head, and 80 inches of suction at the hose. These numbers are almost exactly the same as what we measured for the Shark NV352, except for the airflow at the head numbers.
RELATED: See our Kenmore DU5092 Bagless Upright review.
For some reason, they were higher on the Kenmore by a pretty good amount. This was confirmed by the crevice pickup evaluation, where the Kenmore Intuition performed significantly better than the Shark.
It was also confirmed by the unsealed suction assessment, where the Kenmore again beat the Shark by about the same margins. So, we think it’s safe to say that the Kenmore Intuition has more power at the head than the Shark and, in fact, the average upright vacuum, which is a good thing.
Carpet deep clean evaluation
In the deep clean assessment, where we test how well a vacuum can pick up sand that has been embedded into medium-pile carpet, the Kenmore Intuition scored a perfect 100, as did the Shark.
Debris pickup
Another pro was the Intuition’s performance with debris on the surface of hard floors and carpet. It features a fixed-height gate system, similar to the Shark, but the Kenmore’s gates are slightly larger, allowing for better handling of larger debris on hard floors and carpet compared to the Shark’s.
Hard floor performance
The extra power on the Kenmore also helped with picking up both heavy and fine debris on hard flooring. It did have its limits, just like the Shark, but that’s where the wand on both models earns its keep. It also features a switch that allows you to turn the brushroll on or off for use on hard floors or carpet.
We didn’t have the Kenmore Intuition when we last compiled our list of the best vacuums for tile floors, but it might have made the cut.
Filtration
The Kenmore Intuition has a sealed system, which we’re a big fan of. It features two filtration systems: the bag itself, made of high-quality HEPA material, and a post-motor filter, which is likely also a HEPA filter, although its composition is unclear.
Bag release
It also has a patented bag release button that even further reduces your contact with dust. So, it’s well above average if filtration is a big concern of yours, especially in this price range. Its bag has a fairly big capacity at 3.1 liters, and the green one comes with a year’s supply of bags.
Kenmore Intuition LED Lights and attachments
It features LED lights, which we believe make a significant difference. And, it has some well-built attachments, including the suction-powered turbo brush on the green version.
Additional pros
Some final pros:
- It has a 30-foot cord instead of the 25-foot one on the Shark.
- It has a bag level indicator, which is a nice touch.
- It has a 5-year warranty.
- It’s sold at a pretty reasonable price.
What could be improved?
Hair tangles
As for the negative stuff we found during our Kenmore Intuition vacuum review, one of the main things was hair tangles. The Intuition was about the exact same amount of bad as the Shark at this assessment. And most upright vacuums aren’t great with hair tangles either.
One thing we would have preferred is an easier way to clean the brushroll. It doesn’t pop out like many other uprights. It was nice that we could at least remove the floor head to work on it, though.
Another Intuition Model
After this review, a third Kenmore Intuition model, the BU4050 was released (see it on Amazon). We have not tested this model yet, but wanted to note that it is marketed as having a ‘HAIR ELIMINATOR’ brushroll.
Difficulty on thick carpet
While most online reviews that mentioned weight noted the Kenmore Intuition was light, some people online complained about how hard it was to push on thick carpet or shag rugs.
This is because, like the Shark Navigator, the Kenmore Intuition doesn’t have a height adjustment. That’s meant to simplify things, but it does cause this issue with very thick carpet or rugs. This is why both the Shark and the Kenmore have a suction release valve, which reduces suction and makes it easier to push through thick carpet or rugs.
Minor issues
Most of the other cons are just nitpicky details. We found that the wand required some getting used to in order to replace it correctly. The same thing with the little bag mechanism; it took us a minute to figure it all out. Also, the cord hook was really hard to turn at first.
Kenmore Intuition review: conclusion and recommendation
There wasn’t much to dislike about the Kenmore Intuition. We think it’s a choice that people who prefer bagged vacuums will be glad to have. And at this price, it may cause a lot of bagless fans to try a bagged vacuum for the first time.
Kenmore Intuition specs
| Manufacturer | Kenmore |
| Model | Intuition BU4020, BU4022 |
| Vacuum type | Corded Upright |
| Bagged/bagless | Bagged |
| Bag capacity | 3.1 L |
| Motor | 10 amps |
| Cord length | 30 ft. |
| Height adjustment | No |
| Swivel head | Yes |
| Brushroll on/off | Yes |
| Headlights | Yes |
| Weight | < 14 lbs. |
| Cleaning Path Width | 11” |
