The Vax Air Lift 2 Pet CDUP-PLXS is an upright vacuum cleaner designed to handle the everyday mess of busy, pet-owning homes without costing a fortune. With a bagless design, multi-cyclonic filtration and tools for pet hair, it aims to give you modern cleaning convenience in a familiar upright format.
At around £119, it sits in the affordable to mid-range bracket for upright vacuums, yet still offers a 3-year warranty and a decent feature set. A 4.5 out of 5 user rating from a large number of reviews suggests owners are broadly very happy with its performance and reliability.
If you want straightforward, plug-in cleaning with decent reach and the ability to tackle carpets, hard floors and upholstery, this Vax has most of the essentials covered.
The Vax Air Lift 2 Pet is best suited to small to medium-sized UK homes that want an all-round cleaner for both carpets and hard floors. With a 1.5-litre dust capacity and 9-metre cord, it’s well matched to flats, terraces and typical three-bed semis where you want to cover a floor or two without constantly unplugging.
Pet owners are the clear target. The included pet tool and dedicated technology for lifting embedded hair make it a strong option if you share your home with cats or dogs that shed on carpets, rugs and sofas.
If you prefer simple, familiar controls over app connectivity and complex modes, this vacuum will appeal. It uses straightforward button controls, a classic upright layout and a bagless bin that’s easy to see and empty, making it a good choice for first-time buyers or anyone upgrading an older corded model.
Those in larger homes with very heavy shedding pets might eventually want a bigger capacity or more powerful premium option, but for most everyday households wanting a capable, reliable cleaner at a sensible price, this model fits nicely.
Bagless operation means no ongoing spend on dust bags and emptying is quick – just release and tip the 1.5-litre bin straight into the rubbish.
VersaClean technology with two brush bars is a real plus, as it helps to lift both fine dust and larger debris from carpets and hard floors without constant back-and-forth passes.
The included pet tool is designed specifically to pull embedded hair from carpets and upholstery, making it far easier to keep sofas, stairs and pet beds under control.
Multi-cyclonic filtration and a rinsable, washable filter help maintain suction over time and keep running costs low, provided you give the filter an occasional clean.
A 9-metre power cord, 1.65-metre hose and an overall 10-metre operating radius give decent reach for stairs and room-to-room cleaning without constantly changing sockets.
The three-year manufacturer warranty is generous at this price, adding an extra layer of reassurance for long-term ownership.
The 1.5-litre dust capacity is adequate but not generous; larger households or very mucky homes may find themselves emptying the bin more often than they’d like.
At 500W, the motor is relatively modest on paper compared with some chunkier uprights, so while the brush bars work hard, it’s not aiming to be the most powerful cleaner on the market.
This is a corded, non-cordless model, so if you’re used to the freedom of a stick vacuum, having a 9-metre cable to work around may feel a bit restrictive.
The spec lists it as a cylinder type in places, although it’s sold as an upright – while that doesn’t affect performance, it suggests this isn’t a top-tier, bells-and-whistles flagship and the design will be more functional than premium-feeling.
Day to day, the Vax Air Lift 2 Pet aims to make cleaning as straightforward as possible. The upright format with simple button controls is intuitive, so most people will be able to unpack it, assemble a few parts and get going without hunting through the manual.
The 9-metre power cord and 1.65-metre hose give a respectable working radius. In practical terms, that means fewer plug changes when moving between rooms and easier access to stairs and awkward corners when you pair the hose with the crevice or dusting tools.
The bagless dustbin is easy to keep an eye on – you can see when it’s filling up and simply unclip and empty it straight into the bin. Because the filters are removable and washable, a quick rinse now and again helps maintain airflow and suction, though it does mean a little bit of maintenance work from time to time.
Included accessories such as the crevice tool, dusting brush, motorised floorhead and pet tool make it reasonably versatile around the home. Switching between floor cleaning and above-floor jobs like skirting boards, sofas and stairs is straightforward once you’re familiar with the layout of the tools and hose.
Overall, it feels like a practical, no-nonsense cleaner designed to get the job done rather than impress with flashy extras.
For everyday cleaning performance, the Vax Air Lift 2 Pet leans on a combination of a 500W motor and multi-cyclonic technology. While the wattage figure isn’t sky-high, the cyclonic system helps separate dust and debris efficiently, supporting steady suction as the bin fills.
The standout feature is VersaClean technology, which uses two brush bars in the floorhead. This design helps agitate carpet fibres more effectively and capture both fine dust and larger crumbs in fewer passes. It also means you can move between carpets and hard floors with confidence that the brush system can cope with both.
Pet households benefit from the motorised pet tool, purpose-built to grab stubborn pet hair from carpets, rugs, stairs and upholstery. When combined with the upholstery tool and dusting brush, it gives you a complete set of options for fabric surfaces and delicate areas.
Filtration is handled by rinsable, washable filters, which keeps replacement costs down and is kinder on running budgets than disposable filters. Multi-cyclonic technology further helps to keep fine dust contained in the bin rather than circulating back into the room.
You also get sensible usability features such as on-board cord storage, indicator lights, a clear on/off switch and included instruction booklet. There is no mention of advanced digital displays or smart connectivity, but at this price point the focus on dependable core features and useful tools makes sense.
At around £119, the Vax Air Lift 2 Pet sits comfortably in the value to mid-range area for upright vacuum cleaners. For that spend, you’re getting bagless technology, a dual-brush VersaClean floorhead, a pet hair tool, multi-cyclonic filtration and a 3-year warranty, which is a strong package.
The 4.5 out of 5 user rating from a substantial number of reviews backs up the impression that it delivers more than you might expect at this price, particularly for homes with pets. Owners clearly feel it cleans well and stands up to regular use.
You can certainly find cheaper basic uprights, but they often lack dedicated pet tools, multi-cyclonic systems or longer warranties. Equally, premium models can cost significantly more without necessarily offering features that every household needs.
Overall, it offers very good value for money for anyone wanting a capable, pet-friendly upright without straying into premium price territory.
The Vax Air Lift 2 Pet CDUP-PLXS is a well-rounded upright vacuum that hits a sweet spot between price, performance and practicality. It’s particularly appealing for pet owners who want an easy way to tame hair on carpets and upholstery, thanks to its dedicated pet tool and dual-brush VersaClean floorhead.
It’s not the most powerful or feature-laden cleaner on the market, and the 1.5-litre bin will need regular emptying in busier homes. But the combination of bagless convenience, multi-cyclonic filtration, decent reach and a three-year warranty makes it a strong contender in its bracket.
If you’re after a straightforward, plug-in upright that copes well with mixed flooring and pet hair, and you don’t need premium bells and whistles, the Air Lift 2 Pet is an easy model to recommend.
