'I tested an cheaper vacuum cleaner on years of hair build-up - the results were wild'

Vacuuming might be an essential household chore, but that doesn't mean it has to be tedious. Recently, I retired my old corded Henry vacuum (faithful, but bulky) in favour of something sleeker, lighter and (hopefully) a little smarter: the Beldray Airfinity Cordless Vacuum Cleaner.

Beldray's latest model promises powerful suction, clever tangle-free tech and cordless convenience - all for a much more affordable price than its big-brand rivals. At £159.99, it's significantly cheaper than the likes of Shark and Dyson, whose cordless vacuums usually cost around £250-£400, depending on the model.

So, could this Beldray vacuummake cleaning quicker, easier and less frustrating? I put it to the test - here's what I found.

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My honest review of Beldray Airfinity Vacuum Cleaner

Straight out of the box, the Airfinity is light, compact, and easy to assemble (it's split into three parts). It looks modern without feeling too plasticky, and it's not overly bulky to store - a big plus if you're short on cupboard space like me.

It also comes with several handy attachments, including a built-in brush tool and a crevice tool, making it a solid all-rounder for everything from carpets to stairs. An integrated LED light in the brush bar also makes it easy to see hidden dust in dark corners, ensuring no crumbs escape detection.

The Airfinity has three power modes - Eco, Normal, and Turbo - that can be controlled via a touchscreen on the top of the vacuum. On Eco, it handled my carpets quite well, cleaning fluff without much fuss (see photo below). Normal mode handles everyday dust, crumbs, and pet hair with ease, while Turbo mode boosts power for deeper cleans, albeit at the expense of draining the battery faster.

To really put the vacuum through its paces, I decided to try it out in my communal hallway, which, let's just say, has been a bit neglected. My downstairs neighbour has a dog that sheds a lot, and the fur was deeply embedded in the carpet.

Armed with the built-in brush tool, I was curious to see how it would cope. If I'm honest, the brush didn't overly impress me; it managed to lift the more obvious bits of fluff, but it didn't dig deep enough to tackle the worst of it.

What did make a notable difference was the crevice tool, which I used along the skirting boards and in the corners where the fur was at its worst. It performed far better than expected, pulling up clumps I hadn't even spotted at first glance.

Another of its standout features is its tangle-free brush bar, designed to stop long hairs and pet fur from wrapping around the roller. As someone with long hair who's had their fair share of detangling vacuum heads, this was a significant selling point.

And yes, it works. After a week of use, I noticed far less hair build-up than usual - the photo below shows no sign of hair at all around the brush. It's not 100% immune to the occasional strand, but it's significantly better than any other vacuum cleaner I've used (including my old Dyson V8).

If I have one major gripe, it's the bin capacity. It's on the small side and I found it got full after just one or two rooms. That could partly be down to the years of dust my Henry clearly wasn't picking up on, but still, it's worth noting if you have a larger home or lots of carpeted space.

For vacuums with a larger dust bin, Shark's Classic Anti Hair Wrap Upright Pet Vacuum NZ801UKT (£199) has a 0.83L capacity, which is reasonably good for a vacuum cleaner. It should offer enough room for multiple cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied, even when faced with a lot of dirt and debris.

I also struggled to figure out how to empty the Airfinity's dust canister, but once I realised it detached easily, it was much more straightforward. That also makes it simple to swap out and clean the filter when needed.

That said, the bin itself is quite narrow, so getting all the muck out wasn't the most pleasant experience. I had to reach in with my fingers to scoop out some of the compacted dust and fur - not the most glamorous task around.

The final verdict

For anyone looking to upgrade their vacuum without spending a fortune, the Beldray Airfinity is a genuinely impressive option. It's easy to use, lightweight, and tackles the most annoying part of vacuuming (tangled hair) with its smart design.

It's not perfect - the brush tool wasn't as tough as I hoped on deep pet fur, and the bin capacity is disappointing - but its other features more than make up for it. And for the reasonable £159.99 price tag, it's hard to beat.