Hoover Savvy Bagless Upright U8174-900

*Est. $160

Despite a large number of durability complaints, some owners and experts say the Hoover Savvy does a fine job picking up dirt from carpeting and hard floors. It also has useful features like a full-bag indicator and dirt sensor.

We found a large number of complaints for the Hoover Savvy on opinion websites, where owners complain of breaking parts or total breakdowns. We found far better reviews for other upright vacuums in this price range.

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Professional reviewers are upbeat about the Hoover Savvy, praising its cleaning ability, full-bag indicator and dirt signal (which tells users when there's no more dirt to be found in a given area). However, owners posting to consumer-opinion sites tell a different story. Many posters at Amazon.com and Epinions say the Hoover Savvy is unreliable, with easily broken parts and sub-par construction.

We found the most thorough review of the Hoover Savvy (*est. $200) at Consumer Reports, which includes one popular Savvy model, the U8181-900, in its roundup of 65 vacuums. An earlier version of the Savvy is reviewed by Good Housekeeping (in an article that's nearly three years old), and owners weigh in on various Hoover Savvy vacuums at Amazon.com and Epinions.

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Our Sources

1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe

In its most recent roundup, Consumer Reports includes the Hoover Savvy U8181-900 in its testing. The Hoover Savvy receives ratings in several performance areas, plus an overall score.

Review: Vacuums: Top Picks for Pet Hair, Editors of Consumer Reports, Mar. 2007

2. Good HousekeepingDetails/Subscribe

The Good Housekeeping Institute tests eleven uprights, and the Hoover Savvy U8145-900 receives the highest scores in carpet-cleaning tests. Unfortunately, this review is outdated.

Review: The Best New Upright Vacuums, Editors of Good Housekeeping, Oct. 2004

3. Amazon.com

Both the Hoover Savvy U8174-900 and a similar model, the U8181-900, earn mixed reviews from about two dozen owners posting about each. Some users are very pleased with the Hoover Savvy vacuum cleaners, but many more complain about broken parts and faulty power switches. Overall, both Savvys receive very low average grades.

Review: Hoover Savvy U8174-900 Bagless Upright Vacuum, Contributors to Amazon.com

4. Epinions.com

As at Amazon.com, the dozen or so owners posting here have wildly mixed opinions of the various models in the Hoover Savvy line. Some praise their Savvys, but others complain of broken parts and build-quality issues.

Review: Hoover Savvy Bagless Upright Vacuums, Contributors to Epinions