If you’re looking for a versatile cordless stick vacuum, the Bosch Unlimited 10 (U10) has a very cool feature: its stick can bend 90° to get under furniture more easily. This makes it ideal for those with mobility limitations or joint pain. From condo and apartment dwellers to small- and mid-sized homeowners, this new model is worth considering. I had the chance to try it in my home for the last few weeks.
About the Bosch Unlimited 10
The Bosch Unlimited 10 is a cordless vacuum you can use on a variety of surfaces and in different modes, including Eco, Auto, Turbo, Silent, Car, and Delicate Carpet. Switch among modes using the buttons and colour TFT display that also shows real-time runtime. It can also display interactive tutorials and maintenance tips when needed.
HEPA filtration promises to capture 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns while also delivering clean exhaust air. The MicroClean ring lights up blue to let you know when a surface is fully clean, especially useful when cleaning areas you can’t see, like under the bed or couch. A nozzle foot release and quick stand ensure ergonomic handling.
As it travels both forwards and backwards, the vacuum’s MicroClean brush traps dirt and debris in the easy-to-empty compression slider dust box. What really sets it apart, however, is the 90° flex tube that, with one click, orients the vacuum in an L-shape for easily getting underneath surfaces.
The included fast charger promises a full charge in just a single hour, with a runtime of up to 80 minutes per charge. Along with the handle, motor, and main brush, you also get a short crevice nozzle, furniture brush, XXL upholstery brush, flexible crevice brush, precise brush, manual, quick start guide, and a wall mounting unit.
Bosch Unlimited 10 specs
Let’s run down the key specs of this cordless vacuum before diving into the review.
| Colours | Black, white |
| Tube Type | 90° bendable flex tube |
| Display | Multi-colour dynamic display |
| Modes | Eco, Auto, Turbo, Silent, Car, Delicate Carpet |
| Surfaces | Floors, Tiles, Carpets |
| HEPA Filter | Yes |
| Battery | 4ah |
| Run Time | Up to 80 minutes |
| Accessories | Short crevice nozzle, furniture brush XXL, upholstery brush, flexible crevice nozzle (may vary) |
| Defining Features | Flexible tube, dust box with compression slider, nozzle foot release, MicroClean technology, |
Design and usability
This cordless stick vacuum is a medium-sized unit that comes in black or white with a digital display on the front and swappable accessories.
Flex tube design
The flex tube is the defining design feature, making it super easy to vacuum underneath surfaces that you’d either have to crouch, bend over further, or rely on a robot vacuum to handle. Press the button on the underside of the handle and push down to flex and clean, then lift the tube back up and it clicks back into place. It worked well for getting under my living room couch and chair, the dining room table and buffet, even the bed. I found not only could I more easily get underneath these surfaces, but the vacuum could also reach further than another vacuum while I bend down.
Maneuverability
The vacuum is heavier than you might expect. It can be maneuvered on all types of surfaces, including carpet, hardwood floors, and tiles. My home is mostly flooring, but I do have a thin living room carpet, several front door mats and a carpet runner. I tried it on all these surfaces as well as my basement workout mats.
Adjusting modes
I love how easy it is to toggle among modes, and that the vacuum automatically detects the surface and switches to the relevant one. When I’m on carpet, the on-screen image changes to a carpet and the suction adjusts, and likewise once I move to hardwood floor to ensure a tailored clean. It doesn’t always get it right, but does a pretty good job.
Emptying the dustbin and maintenance
Easily empty the dustbin with a single button push. It fits quite a bit of dirt and debris, but you should empty it after every use if possible. When necessary, remove the cartridge filter to manually clear out dust and debris by tapping it against a garbage can. Clean the lint screen regularly by lightly shaking it over a garbage can and giving it a few taps; use a damp cloth if necessary. As with any vacuum, remove threaded hair from the brush roller as needed.
Swapping attachments
It’s easy to swap out attachments using the push button releases as well as the nozzle foot release. With the latter, you must still flip the vacuum up to pop on a different attachment. But it’s nice to be able to remove the weight of the brush before doing so.
Cleaning modes and effectiveness
The Bosch U10 is a pet-friendly vacuum that can handle pet hair and debris. While I don’t have a pet, my review sample came with a variety of debris samples to try including clumps of pet-like hair, a substance similar in texture to flour or sugar, and bigger pieces of raw oats.
Incredible power
The vacuum is very powerful, but the incredible power is a double-edged sword. You might find it challenging to move on some carpet types given how tight the suction is. I did run into issues running it over my thin living room carpet. It required some force to pass forward and back, especially when vacuuming against the grain. The delicate carpet mode didn’t make a difference, but switching to Eco mode did. I used this mode on my yoga mats as well. The plus side is that you can be confident you’re getting a deep clean.
Various types of dust and debris
I littered piles of all three sample messes on the carpet and floor to see how well the vacuum handled them. It grabbed every piece with ease in a pass or two, both while pushing forward and back. It works equally well on both surface types, the aforementioned deep suction ensuring it gets into the crevices of carpet fibres to remove even the tiniest crumbs.
Larger pieces of debris
I wanted to really put it through its paces so I tossed larger, thicker pieces of cereal onto the kitchen tiles to see how it would handle those. Most cordless stick vacuums I have reviewed, with a few exceptions, have a tough time picking up larger debris, pushing it back and forth instead of actually picking it up. How did this one do?
It pushed them around or sucked them up then spit them back out once I turned the vacuum off as expected. If I lift the brush roller right over them, it works after a few passes and the process of spitting out crushed cereal before finally picking it all up. Your best bet is to crush larger pieces before passing the vacuum over a spill. Once you do that, the floor will be crumb-free after a few passes.
Flex tube cleaning
I love that, using the flex tube, I was able to pass the vacuum under both sides and the foot of the bed to get dust bunnies, even pulling out rogue socks and tissues. While you could bend down and get under furniture with any stick vacuum, to get as deep, you’d have to lie down on the floor and pass the vacuum back and forth in a Superman flying motion; not to mention you’d need the space to spread out if you were even willing to do that.
Knowing I was getting all the way to the back wall behind the bed by activating the flex tube and angling the vacuum on either side was a game-changer. It’s especially worthwhile for those who don’t have a robot vacuum.
I was impressed with the suction power on hardwood flooring, which is powerful even when the tube is flexed. It was so powerful in turbo mode, in fact, that it didn’t just suction up a rogue tissue under the bed, it spat it out after chopping it to bits, then picked up the pieces it left behind like it was a robotic monster devouring its victim in a movie. This is a powerhouse of a vacuum: I wouldn’t want to get on its bad side!
Using other attachments
Moving on to other surfaces and attachments, the main brush works well on stairs, though the ball joint doesn’t allow for as much rotation and thus doesn’t angle as nicely around corners as some other stick vacuums I have tried. Given the heft of this vacuum, you might prefer cleaning stairs with the motor and a smaller nozzle attachment anyway.
The upholstery brush is gentle enough to use on my car’s leather interior as well as leather living room couches. The crevice nozzle does a fine job grabbing dust from areas like baseboards, the same suction power cleaning better than some other vacuums I’ve tried in the same price range.
Battery life
The Bosch U10 is rated to run for up to 80 minutes per charge, long enough for a quick clean of an average-sized home. I love that the screen shows the estimated remaining battery life for each mode when you select it, so you can plan accordingly.
The battery seems to deplete faster than the stated time, especially when using turbo mode. Once ready to recharge, it also took longer to get to 100% than the stated one-hour recharge time. When I used an extension cord, which may have resulted in slower charging, it was only at about 35% after an hour and took about three hours to 93%, 3.5 hours to get to a full 100%, Plugging directly into a wall outlet, it went from 35% to 72% in just over an hour.
Who should get the Bosch U10 cordless vacuum?
If you have pets or allergies, the Bosch U10 cordless vacuum is a good choice. It picked up the hair samples I used easily without tangling around the brush head and, as mentioned, absolutely obliterated a Kleenex under my bed.
The HEPA filtration helps remove more than 99.99% of dust particles, including allergens, which is a huge benefit. The fact that these are filtered and not released back into the room is a huge deal. As someone who suffers from seasonal allergies, this is something I appreciate.
A few things to note about the vacuum, is that it’s quite heavy and, as noted, might be tough to push on some surfaces unless you use Eco mode as a trade-off. If your home has mostly or all flooring, though, you need not worry about that at all.
The biggest selling point is the flex tube design that can help you more comfortably get further under furniture without physically moving the furniture, using a robot vacuum or doing your best “tummy time” Superman impression on the floor. The flex tube is one of those clever “why didn’t I think of that” features that just makes sense.
The Bosch U10 is an incredibly powerful vacuum that works well on all surfaces, picking up all types of dust and debris, and letting you know when the area is clean and you can move on. It’s suitable for smaller homes and, if you have time between recharges, larger homes, too. I love that you can use it for so many different surfaces, even take it out to the car. It’s worth considering especially for homes with pets, kids, and family members with allergies.
Get the Bosch U10 cordless vacuum cleaner at Best Buy Canada.
 cordless vacuum cleaner is a powerhouse of a machine with a unique flex tube to get further under furniture.){kind=link}