Gtech Multi MK2 K9 review: a standout handheld vacuum

Many corded appliances have fallen out of favour with a lot of people. In this wireless world perhaps cords just feel unacceptably old fashioned just like estate cars in this jacked up world of SUVs.

Gtech’s Multi MK2 K9 is one of many vacuum cleaners to capitalise on the desire for cordless appliances. And given that one of its main areas of expertise is car cleaning, we figured it was ripe for a CAR test.

How we tested the Gtech Multi MK2 K9

We’re primarily focused on the car cleaning abilities of this vacuum, and we tested it on a grubby car interior to find out how well it performs, what the run time really is, what the ergonomics are like, and how well the Gtech is made.

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Design

Vacuum cleaners are one of the appliances subject to heavy sci-fi styling and the Gtech is no exception, though in a subtler way than some. With its futuristic yet restrained grey body with touches of neon green and surprisingly high price, the Gtech ought to be an official accessory for the Peugeot 508 Sport Engineered. In terms of size, it’s about the same as a stick vacuum cleaner without a floor tool attached.

Price is not something to get hung up on. Products that ask for a higher price in return for high quality and great functionality are well worth it. What we want to find out here is if you get the dividends you expect with the Gtech.

This K9 version is £20 more than the standard Multi MK2. The difference is that this is a hardened, tougher model with certain bits of plastic replaced with aluminium to deal with pet mess. But everything else is the same as the regular Multi MK2. The Multi MK2 K9 comes with an excellent range of attachments: a 0.4-litre bin with a filter (spare included) and scent cartridge (extras included); and a 2200mAh lithium-ion battery.

Performance

In a strange twist of fate, the multi MK2 K9 shares some characteristics with the aforementioned 508 PSE. The Gtech is a reasonably effective vacuum in the same way the 508 PSE is a reasonably effective sports saloon. However, where the Peugeot is a bit of a hippo, the Gtech is nice and light. For the duration of its roughly 20-minute battery life, the Gtech is easy to grasp. It’s also nicely put together. Compared to the lightweight stick-shaped handheld vacuums, the Gtech feels solid and dependable.

Compared to other lightweight handheld vacuums, the Gtech is quite powerful, the 0.4-litre bin is also much larger than what you'll typically find on competitors, and it can deal with more stubborn dirt or hair embedded in upholstery or carpet. But the Gtech's restricted battery life means it can’t deal with much of it. You can complete a full car vacuum with the Gtech but it’s a light one. The Gtech is a vacuum cleaner for naturally tidy people. But if you’re a catalyst for in-car storms, then the mess you leave is beyond the ability of the Gtech purely due to a lack of stamina.

The range of attachments that come as standard is much better than those of competitors. What normally comes as standard is a crevice tool and a brush of some kind. With the Gtech you get those, but another brush on an extended tube and the power head attachment. With the crevice tool attached you get about 20 centimetres of reach, which was enough to reach down beside seats; the longer brush gave access to the far reaches of the dashboard; and the power head attachment was great for seats and carpets.

The only area where vacuuming was tricky was the footwells. The power head attachment could cover most of it but wasn’t able to run right up to the edges because the body of the vacuum would encounter a seat or door sill. Then tackling the edges of the footwell with the crevice tool would take ages because it’s a small nozzle.

There was certainly more than one occasion during testing where we longed for a more powerful corded vacuum.

We also tried the optional Car Accessory Kit. It consists of a longer, flexible crevice tool, a softer brush, and an attachment for upholstery. However, we couldn’t find its worth. With the longer crevice tool we noticed suction power dropped off a bit and the standard brushes were already fine for anything except a delicate screen. Similarly, the power head attachment was more useful for upholstery because it was bigger. And then there’s the question of cost. The Car Accessory Kit is £50 and that’s five times more than it should be.

Value

The question of value is certainly an interesting one. Something like the Dyson Micro, which has a similar weight and run time, is almost double the price of the Gtech. It comes with a floor tool for around the house use and is more powerful but is nevertheless almost twice the price. So the Gtech stands up well there.

The Gtech is also superior to the lightweight cordless vacuums, such as the Shark and Eufy models featured in our group test. Though heavier, the Gtech is more powerful, has a longer run time, and an all-round better piece of equipment.

But if one looks at corded options, such as home-use wet/dry models, the Gtech is outclassed in terms of power and robustness. Not only that, but models like the tried and tested Draper Wet/Dy Vacuum and Karcher WD 2 Plus are less than half the price of the Gtech. And that makes you think.

Verdict

If a small handheld vacuum is absolutely what you want, then the Gtech Multi MK2 K9 is the one you should go for. It’s better in every respect than the sub-one kilogram models and less expensive than the models with floor tools.

But it’s not our pick for car cleaning. You would be much better served by a domestic wet/dry vacuum such as the Draper and Karcher models we mentioned. Their powerful suction and robust design allow you to give your car interior a deep clean without worrying about run time or damaging the vacuum.

Read next:

The best fabric sprays to freshen up your car’s interior

The best biodegradable and waterless car cleaning products

The best car pressure washers

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