Ultenic U12 Vesla review: a cordless vacuum we can rely on

I was eager to review the Ultenic U12 Vesla cordless vacuum cleaner because, as anyone with kids, pets, or a penchant for Oreos will know, a cordless vacuum always comes in handy.

If you land on the right model, vacuuming chore becomes breezy and dare I say it, borderline enjoyable and even more so with a cordless model and the Ultenic U12 Vesla cordless was a great introduction to the world of reliable cordless vacuums. 

Between my housemates and I, we have two of the best vacuum cleaners: a hypoallergenic Sebo model and a Shark vacuum for pet hair. They both do a good job, but getting them out always feels like an ordeal. Previously, cordless and handheld vacuums have failed to impress in terms of suction and running time but the Ultenic U12 Vesla impressed me and would make a good addition to any busy household. Here's why. 

Ultenic U12 Vesla cordless vacuum cleaner review

What I thought of the Ultenic U12 Vesla

Modern-looking, simple to set up and stow away, the Ultenic U12 Vesla does a great job at refreshing carpets, hard floors, and area rugs. The fact it's so portable, combined with the small crevice and brush tools, makes this cordless vac stand out. 

It is a no-brainer cleaning addition to big and small homes alike. 

It has five easy-to-navigate speed settings, a spotlight to help on gloomy days or to find hidden dust, and it's easy to clean, put back together, and charge. As a cat owner, who has tried many of the best cordless vacuums in the past, I found it super helpful to clean a floor.

Ultenic U12 Vesla specifications

Unboxing and setting up the Ultenic U12 Vesla

Unboxing was easy and the box itself was a neat little package. All of the pieces were wrapped in plastic and there was some bubble wrap in there too around the accessories. 

I'll note at this stage that although I have done some DIY in my rental, on this occasion we decided against installing the storage rack. However, it does come with the fixtures and fastenings you need to keep it discreetly stowed away. 

Using the Ultenic U12 Vesla cordless vacuum cleaner

Setting up the Ultenic U12 Vesla with the manual was simple and quite intuitive. It only takes a few minutes to make sense of all the different parts and accessories. 

All you do is click everything into place, starting with the battery pack that slots into the main body. You'll hear a faint click when it's in position and the release buttons are easy to identify.

Next, you attach the main telescopic tube which then leaves room to connect one of the three attachments. This is where the fun begins. 

This sample came with a little charge (one bar, equal to 25 per cent), but to get a good amount of juice out of it, it is always worth topping up the battery a little before starting. 

With the Ultenic U12, you just plug in the adapter and connect the DC into the charging port. The battery sign starts flashing when in charging mode, and this goes out when it's fully charged.

The main body display is pretty cool. The power button is in the middle then you easily toggle through the five different speeds: 30 (ECO), 60, 90, 120, and 150 (AUTO). 

You can lift most things in ECO mode and auto mode is activated when the vacuum readjusts to remove a blockage, for example. As expected, the noise level increases the higher the suction power but at an average of 78 dB it is not bad at all. 

The other innovative display function is that it will indicate the remaining work time. This is shown in minutes and fluctuates depending on the power and speed you're using. There is also the LED lighting button (a favorite function of mine), to help better visualise dust and debris on the floor.

Using the main floor brush on carpet and hard floors

This is what we came for and I wanted to see how refreshed-looking it would leave our slightly ugly gray carpets. 

You can see from the dust bucket that it manages to suck up a fair amount of hidden cat fur, dust, etc. We were pleased. It wasn't loud and although I found the main body on the heavy side, overall, it was easy to maneuver.

It ran pretty smoothly, although there was a moment using it over a low pile area rug that it did not enjoy being on a higher power mode. This triggered the floor brush stalling warning lamp but all was fine after switching off the power and taking it away from the rug. It went over fine on the lower eco setting. 

As you can see, oatmeal came up fast. I only used the eco setting for this.

To see how well the Ultenic U12 cordless could clean laminate flooring, I spilled dried, green lentils on it.

I toggled between the eco and higher settings and they came up quickly too.

Using the 2-in-1 dusting brush

Onto the next accessory and I actually could not wait to clean the skirting boards and meters of white (often dusty) trim around our home. Once clicked into position, it was a complete breeze tackling nooks and crannies everywhere.

Using the long crevice nozzle

By this point, I was using the vacuum cleaner around the house with sheer glee, as no nook, cranny, or cobweb seemed too awkward for the Ultenic U12 Vesla to reach. I got into the corners of the risers on our staircase, behind radiators, and used the lamp control light to identify cobwebs of months past.

As you can see, this is where the telescopic tube helps too when using the Ultenic U12 Vesla as a handheld vacuum cleaner.

Cleaning and maintaining the Ultenic U12 Vesla cordless

Cleaning your vacuum is relatively easy. To empty the dust bucket, click the button that says push.

It is also wise to do this outside so you don't get dust everywhere, which I learned the hard way with this schoolgirl error vacuum cleaner mistake. Getting it off feels a little fiddly and there is a knack to re-installing it at the right angle. 

To remove the electric floor brush for cleaning, you just need to push the lock button, take it out, and then carefully pull off the hair and any other tangled elements. You can rinse it, along with the HEPA filter (which I did). You have to, of course, ensure everything is completely dry before putting it back. 

The manual also says you can dry the HEPA filter in the sun. The Real Homes team has their own vacuum cleaning hacks for further guidance on how best to clean your appliance.

Is the Ultenic U12 Vesla right for you?

If you have a big house, pets, or kids, but even if you live in a small (accident-prone) apartment, the Ultenic U12 Vesla can make an ideal cordless vacuum. It refreshes carpets and hard floors quickly, is super portable, and can take on bigger loads of debris with the right speed setting in place. 

However, you might also like these three options:

How we test vacuum cleaners

Ultenic sent me the vacuum and I tested it for a fortnight in my house before writing this review. I used the following criteria for the testing process, however, we do have a more comprehensive breakdown of how we test vacuum cleaners:

Unboxing: I considered the condition of the vacuum and the packaging when it arrived. I gave bonus points for packaging that didn’t include Styrofoam and considered how easily I was able to remove and then assemble it. 

Performance: I tested the vacuum on multiple surfaces, and types of flooring, using the various settings. I looked for consistent performance, assessing the vacuum suction power, thoroughness, and battery life. 

Ease of use: I considered my overall experience in using the vac, including factors like its weight, how easy it is to hold and operate, how well the automatic features worked and saved me time, and how well the vacuum performed during my various tests.

Ease of cleaning: I also evaluated the process of cleaning and maintaining the vacuum. I considered how many components needed to be cleaned, and how often, as well as how complicated and time-consuming cleaning this cleaning supply was.

Camille Dubuis-Welch

Camille is the former deputy editor of Real Homes where she covered a broad range of topics, including small space design, and gardens. She lives in a two-story rental in London with two housemates, a cat, and a sea of gray carpet which is prone to all the crumbs, fur, and dust you could imagine.