Gtech AirRam MK2 - should I buy one?

Gtech AirRam MK2 - should I buy one?
(Image credit: Amazon)

The Gtech AirRam MK2 is a cordless vacuum cleaner that is lightweight and is a popular choice for many due to its maneuverability and its competitive price, but is it one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners around? We’ve taken a closer look at the Gtech AirRam MK2 to give you all the information you need, including the pros, cons, and everything in between. 

This vacuum cleaner offers 40 minutes of run time based on a four-hour charge but it has been designed to be used as a stick vacuum rather than a model that you can use for cleaning your stairs or even your car. 

The Gtech AirRam MK2 was released in 2016 and is therefore quite often available with some fantastic discounts. There is also a newer model, the Gtech Air Ram MK2 K9, which has a more robust design and has been created to tackle pet hair too. 

The bottom line: The Gtech AirRam MK2 comes from a British company and this model is cordless and lightweight. Its battery gives you 40 minutes of cleaning time after a full four-hour charge, and its dust cup is easy to empty. 

Pros: The Gtech AirRam MK2 has a decent battery life with 40 minutes of power per full charge and it’s very light at 3.2kg. Its handle reclines so that you can clean under chairs and beds. 

Cons: This vacuum doesn’t come with any attachments so you won’t be able to use it to clean tight corners or any crevices. Some users found the MK2 too light and ‘flimsy’. 

Gtech AirRam MK2: everything you need to know 

The Gtech AirRam MK2 comes from a British brand that first started selling vacuums in the early noughties, 20 years later and the MK2 is a popular choice from the brand. This vacuum is a cordless stick vacuum but it doesn’t come with any accessories to turn it into a handheld cleaner. 

Design: The Gtech AirRam MK2 has a gray design with accents of green on the handle. It is a stick cordless vacuum with a reclining handle so that you can reach underneath furniture for a more thorough clean. 

Weighing in at 3.2kg, the Gtech AirRam MK2 is a lightweight vacuum that’s slightly heavier than the new Dyson V15 Detect. It’s also suitable for cleaning both hard floors and carpet but this model doesn’t come with any attachments so it’s purely designed for cleaning floor areas, rather than crevices, stairs, or your car. 

The floor head on the Gtech AirRam MK2 has a rotating brush bar which helps to agitate the carpet to ensure as much dirt and dust is picked up as possible. This brush roll has also been designed to reduce the amount of hair that can get caught around a vacuum’s floor head. 

What’s disappointing about the Gtech AirRam MK2 is that it can’t be used as a handheld device unless you buy a separate kit. This means that with the vacuum alone, it’s difficult to clean right into tight corners, and it’s not possible to clean crevices. 

This vacuum uses a signature AirLOC system which sucks up dirt and dust on the swipe forward as you clean and then locks the debris into place when you pull the vacuum back - this makes it easier for the dirt to be sucked up into the vacuum’s dust bin. 

Gtech AirRam MK2 - should I buy one?

(Image credit: Amazon)

Features & maintenance:

The Gtech AirRam MK2 has a good battery life with 40 minutes of cleaning time included after every four-hour charge. That’s more than you can expect from the Hoover H-Free 800, which offers 35 minutes of battery life and retails for a similar price. When it’s time to charge the Gtech, you can simply remove the battery from the vacuum and take it to the power socket with your charger. There’s no need to keep the entire machine out when it’s charging. 

Emptying the vacuum has been well considered on this Gtech vacuum. As you’re cleaning, the AirRam will compress the dirt and dust into a capsule so that when you need to empty it out, the dust won’t fly all over the place leaving a big mess behind. This vacuum uses a dust cup rather than a bag so you won’t need to worry about buying replacement bags. As with all vacuums, the Gtech AirRam MK2 will need regular maintenance and this model has a washable filter.

Another handy feature we like is the charging status indicator on the Gtech. A line of LED lights indicates how much battery you have left so you know when it’s time to put your vacuum on charge. 

If you buy the Gtech AirRam MK2, your purchase will be covered by a two-year warranty which is pretty standard for this type of appliance.

Reviews: The Gtech AirRam MK2 scores an average of 3.9 out of five stars on Amazon. Users praise how lightweight the machine is and another added that they like that this vacuum ‘works on hardwood, tile, and carpet without changing any settings.’ There were other positive reviews that state that the Gtech AirRam holds its charge well and has ‘great suction’.

However, not everyone loved the Gtech AirRam MK2 as much. Because this machine is lightweight, some users found it ‘too flimsy’ and said it felt ‘cheap’. Others were disappointed that this vacuum couldn’t clean right into the corners of a room. 

Conclusion: The Gtech AirRam MK2 is a good option if you need a cordless vacuum to clean all types of flooring in your home. It’s light and easy to use and its run time is normally enough to tackle most rooms in your home. 

There are some downsides to this model though and they include the fact it can’t clean crevices or stairs. This is disappointing when other stick vacuums in this price range, such as the Roidmi S1E, do include attachments and they retail at a similar price. 

The reclining handle to allow you to clean under furniture is a nice feature on this vacuum and the dust cup is nice and easy to empty. If you need a vacuum to clean large floor areas in your home, the Gtech AirRam MK2 is a good choice, but it won’t be able to reach dirt in every corner of your home. 

Sophie Bird

Sophie writes about all things appliance-related and is currently the Home Editor at TechRadar's sister site, Top Ten Reviews. When she's not testing coffee machines and appliances, Sophie is thinking of eating delicious food, and asking people what they're having for dinner.