Bosch Athlet

We purchased the Bosch Athlet Runtime Plus for our apartment which is predominantly carpet and have been extremely impressed with its power and usability. The alert light for cleaning the filter is also really helpful. Also works well on tiles and applying different components for cleaning skirting boards and hard to reach places. Compact and durable.

For me the athlete cordless vacuum cleaner has a rating of “5” it’s brilliant and so easy to use and clean with. The vacuum has 3 power settings level 1 isn’t that good! Yet level 2 is very good for the carpet and tiles.

Okay, so I have a great normal vacuum cleaner which cleans all my carpets and tiles but for those days I just want to run over a vacuum on every day pet hair on floors or for those unexpected spills of crumbs etc this is the machine.

I cannot fault this machine. It is just brillant and so easy to use and clean.

The vacuum has 3 power settings and obviously if you use the higher setting for everything you will run out of power sooner. I find for cleaning my tiles, Setting 1 is efficient at picking up dog hairs but for my carpet, I tend to use Setting 2 or 3 depending on what I might be trying to pick up. It's not often that when I clean all my areas that I need to power up the machine if it runs out of battery. If I am using full power and the light starts flashing, I just plug in and recharge the battery up ready for next time I need it which would probably be the next day, thanks to our dog's fur.

Remember this is not a vacuum that is going to just pick up everything and off you go. You do have to check the container to make sure it's not full. Obviously with pet fur, I have to change this all the time but it's very simple to do but it can be messy especially if you are allergic to pet hair or dust. I tend to take it outside and put into a bag. Every few weeks, I also take the container and sponge and filter out to give it a good clean. The filter only needs a cloth to wipe over it but the sponge, I have to wash in water to remove all the dust and dirt. Just make sure it is completely dry before putting it all back together again.

Cleaning the brush is easy as as there is a release button down the bottom and the brush just comes out so you can use scissors to cut off the hair and then pull all the hair off the brush. I wish my main vacuum did that.

The handle of the machine is comfortable to hold.

When using Setting turbo on your carpet you fill find the machine feels heavier to push but I only use that for if the carpet is heavily soiled so Setting 2 is not as heavy.

I am impressed with the results of this machine which are so fantastic. I actually find myself using this every day and then once a month or if someone is coming for dinner the big vaccum sees the light.

When we bought our machine it did have a price tag of $499 which I thought, no way but I was given a price of $298 and that suited me. I have had my machine since October, 2017 and not had any problems with it at all and I use it all the time.

This would have to be the best hand held stick cordless vacuum cleaner on the market. I have seen others in action and this one is the winner.

I have a small apartment, mostly carpet some tile.
I’ve used this vacuum for a few months now on at least a weekly basis.
The battery lasts for the whole use in my apartment. The turbo head is great. And is strong suction.

Seems basically well designed, the container is small, but that is the normal for stick vacuums.
3 speeds is an interesting feature, but the lowest speed seems pointless and turns the power head off. I would much rather just have a switch to turn the power head on and off. Unfortunately the quoted run time is based on using the unit on the lowest speed. On its highest speed, this vacuum will only run for 10 to 15 minutes, with the expectation that this run time will reduce as the vacuum/battery ages.
The extra weight of this vacuum (compared to other stick vacuums) may also be an issue for some users, especially on stairs.

First impressions definitely did last. The vacuum was easy to assemble, I was able to do so prior to reading the instruction manual. The first charge was completed overnight. I first used the vacuum up stairs using Turbo (level 3) on the carpet and Level 1 on the tiles in the bathroom, it was used for a total of 15 minutes before needing to be charged again. I was very impressed with the suction of the vacuum, I was amazed at how much this vacuum did pick up (human hair, dust and sewing threads) and was very easy to maneuver around furniture. The vacuum was very quiet on level 1 and louder on Turbo, not any louder than a regular vacuum. The second time the vacuum was used was downstairs, it was much lighter than our regular vacuum and easily carried downstairs, the vacuum was used on tiled floors and a shaggy rug, the vacuum was used on Turbo (level 3) on the rug and 1 on the tiles, the rug came up excellent, once again impressed with the suction picking up (pet hair, play doh, dust), the vacuum very easily cleaned the tiles on level 1. The dust bin did need to be emptied twice upstairs and once down stairs during use, where our regular vacuum may have only needed to be emptied once, in saying this it was very easy to remove and empty, I do suggest having the canister in the bin when removing the filter prior to emptying as this part can be quite a messy job. All in all a great vacuum and highly recommended.

I wanted a vacuum cleaner that will do the job of cleaning tiled floors. This vacuum certainly does it with a minimum of fuss. There is a downside to when using this cleaner on carpet, it is very hard to push when on power setting 3, so I tend to use power setting 2. This does a good job of cleaning the whole house within the 30 minute time limit. I noticed that to clean the filter you need to wear a face mask as the dust can be very bad if inhaled by people who are asthmatics. I tend to leave my vacuum cleaner on charge during the day and switch it off at night. The one other point that left a sore point with me and I had a go at Bosch was the registration of the warranty, they didn't want to know anything about me and the product that I bought. I said to the Bosch customer service fellow that when this vacuum cleaner dies it will end up at the tip and I will not be bothering with the repairs.

This stick vacuum cleaner is as poweful as my conventional Miele vacuum cleaner.
Since I was going to use this cleaner just to clean under the dining table where my baby drops lots of food,my expectation was not very high when I purchased. However, because this is so powerful and easy to use,I can almost replace my other cleaner.I wish I can get one more for upstairs use.
I paid $299 at Harvey Norman. Original price was $500.I was deciding between Bosch 2 in 1 ready'yy model but as Athlet is so powerful,I am happy that I paid extra $100 to get this model.

I am using this model for around 8 months now. When it comes to pick up the dirt or small bits of paper from a concrete floor or carpet, this thing shows it's value. It cleans like a charm and you can tell that from amount of stuff that is inside it after vacuuming.
On a concrete floor, really don't need to go full setting, the minimum does the trick, so that's good. But with the full power setting, a fully charged stick will not last for more than 20 minutes, I do not know if this is a norm, but I expected better.

Pros -
1. Vacuums great.
2. A low setting cleans concrete floor good, saving battery.
3. Cleaning the hair stuck on the brush roll at the bottom is easy.
4. Good dirt/rubbish holding capacity.

Cons -
1. Expected more battery power.
2. Heavier than Dyson's comparable model.
3. Cleaning the filter is not an easy task.

We have had this vacuum for 2 years now and the handle has broken 3 times. It is not made for thick carpet!! Great vacuum for the quick clean. They tell me I have broken the handle twice there is no replacement.The handle needs the be made of stronger material.

EDIT:

Thanks to Bosch Social Media team who has responded to my review and then arranged an exchange.

Original Post:
This works very well for the initial months. I have used it mainly on carpet. A bit heavier than Dyson Stick vacuums but easy to manage. However, after a couple of years, just as stated in the previous few reviews I have found the charge does not last long. In fact after 2 years and 4 months it has stopped charging and working.

I have taken the vacuum to a couple of retailers to see whether it's a problem with charger or not. But even with their charger it's not charging. So much marketing gimmick with long life battery!!!

It's not very cheap as a cordless vacuum (costed me $349). Better to buy a vacuum which lasts more than 2.5 years at this price.

I contacted the Bosch Helpline before posting this review and after taking all my details, the customer service representative just said there will be a call out charge, When I have enquired the amount and how the process works, the representative had no clue. I was kept on hold for 15-20 minutes, and then was told that someone will contact me. It's been more than two days nobody contacted me. I have never expected such a terrible customer service from a reputable company like Bosch.

I've had this for a few months. Got some new 'wood' vinyl flooring in my town house. I wanted something to do quick cleans as now I need to vacuum several times a week. I have a long hair cat and a dog. This has become my go to cleaner. My Meile is 10 years old and I was using this for the big cleans, however the power head recently broke so I've had to use the Bosch. I don't even need the Meile anymore! The Bosch cleans my two story, two bed in one charge. I use the medium setting on the vinyl, the wood stairs, the tiled areas, the velvet foot stool, the sheepskin rug, the wool rug, the lounges.... EVERYWHERE. This machine sucks up so much fluff it makes my head spin. Tips - even though it still sucks, when I see the canister stop spinning I empty it. Need to do this about three times when I do the entire house. The rollers are so easy to clean and I've done this twice since I bought it. It's not too heavy and agile enough to zip around and get under furniture and up the stairs. I love this machine and I would definitely purchase again.

This vacuum cleaner is light, quick and easy to use, I have owned it for around 8 months now. I have really long hair and when I first purchased this machine I was horrified at just how much hair it picked up that my Dyson hadn't been able to. Judging by the dirt that the cleaner picked up in the first few uses, I can say with confidence that it does a better job than my dyson barrel.

I vacuum carpets and hard floor most days and it is great for spot cleaning too. Battery life has been really good, I get at least an hour of use per charge.

The empty sensor on mine doesn't work correctly, it is permanently indicating that the cleaner needs to be emptied, but I empty it each time that I use it so that's not a concern for me.

Overall I really recommend this product, my only regret is that I did not purchase it sooner.

I loved this little vacuum cleaner on my tiled floors, but after a couple of years I have noticed the charge doesn’t last the stated 75 minutes, more like 8-10 minutes after a full charge of 10 hours. A have now googled this problem and see it is common place. The initial reviews were when purchased new and now the bad reviews after two years are surfacing. What a bloody shame, but what would one expect - another throw away item. Might pay to purchase the extended warranty when purchasing this machine.

I really find my Bosch cordless vacuum very effective and a great cleaner for the money. But it is heavy and difficult to use on stairs. I already had a Dyson and just wanted an extra cleaner for upstairs so this fitted the bill nicely. The price was the clincher but the lighter Dyson (or similar stick cleaners) are preferable for stairs so if you have them I wouldn’t recommend as your sole cordless vacuum. But Bosch is definitely a better performer in other ways.

It has plenty of power but not easy to push on carpet, although suction great, and its a bit heavy.
Disappointed overall but it does work well. Probably would look elsewhere if I have to buy again.
The locking mechanism for the dust capsule is tricky and doesnt always lock into place.

I use this on wooden floors, rugs, tiles. This is handy to keep in my bedroom to quickly tidy up after pets and have a clean floor in my home office, ensuite. I don't have to worry about the power cord, and am happy to empty the small canister after each use as I have little pet birds that like to shred paper. The suction is much better than any other stick vacuum I have tried.

Chose this model as it got rave reviews on the choice web site. Initially fantastic on our tiled floors, not so good on carpet. Battery longevity never lived up to product description, I think the longest it ever lasted was 20 minutes. Now we are lucky if we get two minutes. Lots of turning on & off & manoeuvres of handle to keep it going. Took it to a battery shop to get it replaced & were told it would cost more than the vacuum is worth. Worst $400 I ever spent! Would not purchase again.

I bought this to replace my Vax Barrel cleaner and my Freejet 9 volt (which is use for quck cleanups only and which is now not sucking properly).

I have a 3 bedroom unit and it does the whole thing well under one charge! It takes me about 20 minutes and that is going behind everything and under everything. I did all this on setting 2 and without needing to empty the dust compartment. EXCELLENT!!! It was pretty full but it compresses the dust as it collects it - so I think this makes much better use of the small dust compartements of stick vacs.

I have used this now for almost 2 months. I am really really happy with it. It is light enough to pick up with one hand which I like. It is able to scooch under couches and beds really well. I have found it excellent on both short pile carpet, long pile rugs and tiles.
What really surprised and impressed me is how well it does edges - whether you are running it alongside a wall edge or pushing the head directly into an edge such as in tight spaces in a kitchen - it picks up any debris really well.

This model does not have a verical stand to slot into to charge, which I thought was a minus, but it has ended up being something I really like about it. It is actually much easier to simply pull out or push in the charging cord and wander off with the stick vac than to fiddle around lining it up with a stand.

It is not the lightest to push around BUT you get tactile proof that it is sucking up stuff and not just skimming the surface. Setting 1 is lighter to push around because it is not sucking so hard and I use on this setting for light spills cleanups.

Conclusion: I really love this machine. I hope it lasts well. It does not have attahchments or crevice tools so if you have anohter stick vac you are replacing because you bought the Bosch to be able to do a whole house deep clearn, then keep it for doing window tracks etc - that is what I use my freejet 19v for. (read my review on this site).

I first bought this after many many hours of research, to pick up crumbs, quick once over between serious cleans each week. Despite having a relatively small dust holder, it does a great job, and I was really happy with it, except for one thing. It does not want to stay standing upright on a wooden floor. Over and over again it would slide to the floor with a crash, usually if someone walked past it, sometimes a few minutes after I had re-parked it. Because of this, I rarely ever used it. It ended up being set to charge in an out of the way spot, and pretty much forgotten. At this stage I would say it had been use 10-12 times.

Then we got a dog, and I started using it again, but she would wag her (soft fluffy) tail anywhere near it, and bang, down it went. Well, eventually this happened and it landed on the cable, and broke where the cable connected to the vacuum. I rang Bosch, and tbf it was a week or two past the 2yr warranty, but I had only used it a matter of 25-30 times all up. In this time another fault came up, so that’s why I bothered to call them. But that can happen to any machine, it was the sliding that caused the most angst.

They sent a whole new machine, and it behaves just the same way.

I’m done. I can’t in all good conscience put this on gumtree as I don’t want to palm it off on to someone else. I guess it will go on council pick up, but I’m really hacked off. Pity, because the actually vacuuming was great.