It was able to clean a massive amount of cereal, hair, and cat litter.
However, it missed out on the top score due to its lack of versatility and customization.
For some people, raw, undiluted cleaning power might be enough.
Before(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Erin Bashford)
For others, crevice tools, conversion into a handheld, and style are important.
If youre a former, then the Gtech AirRAM 3 could be the ultimate vacuum for you.
Im not sure why theres such a price difference, especially as Gtech is a British company.
Youre getting a much better deal in the U.S.
I think the Shark option is a much better deal, as youre effectively getting two vacs in one.
The AirRAM 3 is a little confusing to look at.
Most of that non-clunkiness is due to the vacuums propulsion.
This is something Gtech describes as Forward Inertia Propulsion.
It feels like the vacuum is driving itself.
Its how I imagine self-driving cars behaving, if they actually worked.
However with the AirRAM 3, I never experienced this fatigue.
Think of a super-excited dog thatwontyank your arm off.
Now onto the negatives.
Surely theres a better way to design the cleaning brush than this.
I do like the functionality of the vacuum base, though.
Adjusting the angle of the vacuum is easy with the handle, which extends from long to short too.
Which, when I think about it, is actually the main thing youd want in a vacuum cleaner.
Then I weighed the vacuums dustbin before and after cleaning to see how much it managed to pick up.
Before(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Erin Bashford)
Carpet cleaning
I completed this testing on a thick pile rug.
Although I didnt weigh the hair, Ive uploaded some photos of how much hair the vacuum cleaned up.
Its just too good.
After(Image credit: Tom’s Guide / Erin Bashford)
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.
The Gtech AirRAM 3 cleaned up all of the hair and in just two passes.
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 couldnt.
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.
As a result, the vacuum runs for just 30 minutes.
Gtechs 30 minute claim is based upon the battery life on full power.
Theres a clear winner here, and its not the Dyson.
By this logic, will the AirRAM 3 outlive me?
I guess well have to wait a long ol time to test this theory.
However, I do agree with Gtechs claim that the AirRAM 3 is very easy to maintain.
The filter (not a HEPA filter, but Gtechs own) is self-cleaning.
Gtech does say this filter is self-cleaning, but it doesnt 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 AirRAM 3 review: How does it compare?
It is a great little vacuum that has never let me down, and only costs $149.
Its cleaning performance is second-to-none, and I have no doubt that itll make your house sparkle.
Saying that, its not particularly versatile.
If wereonlytalking about cleaning performance, then yeah, its a 4 12, maybe even a 5.
Itsso goodat 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.
Youll need one of Gtechs handheld vacs for that.
