Vorwerk Kobold VB100 Review (UK)

One of the most important criteria when buying a vacuum is its cleaning performance.

That's why we gave the Kobold VB100 quite a challenge under extreme conditions.

We spread different kinds of dirt (lentils, sand and oatmeal) on various floor types (hard floor, short pile carpet and long pile carpet).

Then we removed the dirt at the highest suction level.

Cleaning on Hard Floors

It did a great job when cleaning hard floors and had no troubles with removing dirt.

Whether it was fine dirt like sand or coarser dirt like the lentils, the Vorwerk cordless vacuum cleaner hardly reached its limits. We were impressed.

The Kobold 100 is therefore very well suited for hard floors.

Cleaning on Short Pile Carpets

The cleaning performance was excellent on short pile carpet, too.

94% of the sand made its way back onto the scales, and the Kobold 100 also removed most of the other types of dirt.

This result is still more than decent, but it’s not as good as the performance on hard floors.

Cleaning on Long Pile Carpeting

When cleaning our high carpet, the Vorwerk didn’t really meet our expectations.

The VB 100 didn’t clean up all oat flakes straight away. It took a tad longer to remove everything.

The VB 100 still achieved a great result with an average of 95%.

The Vorwerk Kobold VB100 in everyday use

The cleaning performance of the Vorwerk VB100 is excellent in everyday use. We made good experiences with the device and used it mainly at the medium level. It removes regular dirt and also heavier dirt without any problems.

The Vorwerk reached its limits only on our very, very long-pile carpet in the living room. The brush got blocked from time to time, and the cleaning performance declined.

Conclusion

Overall, the VB100 achieved good to excellent results in our cleaning test. It removed an average of 92% of the dirt under extreme conditions. This puts it in the premium class regarding suction performance.

The accessories are as simple as the design of the Kobold VB100.

It’s an advantage for the design vacuum cleaner’s design, but it’s more of a disadvantage when it comes to the accessories. At least the accessories of the "Basis Plus Set" are limited.

We are used to other standards because most cordless vacuum cleaners come with accessories for every situation.

Vorwerk, on the other hand, supplies only one other attachment, the 2-in-1 accessory nozzle, in addition to the electronic main brush of the EBB 100. That’s also because you can’t convert the VB100 into a hand vacuum, as we described earlier.

If you want more accessories and more flexibility, you can buy many additional accessories on the Vorwerk UK website (www.vorwerk.co.uk). It's expensive, but it's also impressive how creative Vorwerk was.

After a lot of deliberation, we chose the "VB100 cordless vacuum professional set".

The Accessories of the VB100 cordless vacuum professional set

Included in the accessories:

• Kobold VB100 Battery Vacuum Cleaner

• Kobold VB100 Battery

• Kobold VB100 Charger

Attachments and accessories for the VB100:

• Kobold EBB100 Battery Electric Brush

• Kobold SPB100 battery-powered suction mop (incl. cloth plate)

• Kobold SB100 Suction Hose

• Kobold SD15 Soft Nozzle

• Kobold VD15 Vario Nozzle

• Kobold VB100 2-1 Accessory Nozzle

Consumables for the VB100:

• 3 Kobold MF600/601 Universal Cleaning Cloths

• 1 Koboclean Universal (500 ml)

• 5 Kobold FP100 Premium Filter Bags

Let's take a closer look at the accessories:

Since most of the accessories of the VB100 are very special, we took a closer look at the individual parts.

The 2-in-1 Accessory Nozzle

It’s a mix between a small crevice nozzle and a brush tool with which you can vacuum objects. This makes the attachment very suitable for cleaning corners or skirting boards and the like.

Electronic floor brush of the EBB100

Vorwerk gave the EBB100 its own motor. The motor can vary the suction power. You can operate a button on the top of the brush with your foot to adjust the setting.

The Kobold SPB100 battery-powered vacuum-mop (incl. cloth plate)

The SPB100 is an attachment that you can use instead of the standard brush. You can vacuum and mop parquet, stone floors, laminate, tiles and vinyl at the same time. We have tested how this works. Below you can find our review for this function.

The Kobold SB100 Suction Hose

You can’t reach every spot with the VB100. If you want to increase your flexibility when vacuuming, you can simply use the suction hose. Then you can use it just like a conventional vacuum.

The Kobold SD15 Soft Nozzle

You can use the soft nozzle to dust furniture, books and anything else that’s standing around. You can even modify the extension of the soft bristles.

This looks funny at first glance, but it makes sense. This way, you can adjust it to a sensitive surface of objects.

Kobold VD15 Vario Nozzle

Vorwerk got creative here. At first, we thought: Oh no, not another attachment!

But the Vario nozzle proved to be very practical during use. Thanks to the extendable attachment, you can reach even the narrowest spots.

The "drill attachment" is also interesting. You can hold this under the drill hole while drilling, and it directly collects the dirt.

You can attach the small brush, too, which works excellent when vacuuming the skirting boards, e.g. after drilling.

Conclusion on Accessories

In summary, Vorwerk has come up with a whole bunch of useful accessories here.

They are also of very high-quality and fit perfectly into the design. You get a well-rounded product that’s got a lot to offer.

The only thing you have to consider is whether you have enough space to store all the accessories properly.

More and more manufacturers are trying to add a wiping function to their cordless vacuums.

The advantages are obvious: vacuuming and mopping in one go saves valuable time. We bet most people prefer spending time with their family or do their favourite hobby instead of cleaning.

Unfortunately, in our experience, most manufacturers didn’t get the hang of combining these functions well yet.

But how did the master engineers at Vorwerk do? We put it to the test.

Vorwerk has developed its own suction head for the vacuum mop function: The SPB100.

And there’s a reason why we say developed: The master engineers found a new approach and redesigned the entire thing.

Scope of delivery of the vacuum mop package

Included in the delivery scope of the vacuum mop package are:

• The SPB100

• 5 reusable mops

• The cleaning agent

Advantages and disadvantages of the SPB 100 battery-powered vacuum cleaner at a glance

The SPB 100 Review

There is a water tank on the side of the SPB 100. You have to remove it and fill it with water.

Then add 3 ml of the included cleaning agent (or use a similar one).

Lastly, you have to attach the mop to the underside of the brush.

When you re-attach the water tank, the reusable mop is slowly supplied with water, and you are ready to go. Thanks to this system, you save a lot of water.

You can wash the mop after use.

When it starts, you feel the oscillating wiping motion, similar to a (weak) vibrating plate, the device pushes itself across the floor and leaves a clean, damp trace.

It sucks up loose dirt at the same time through the front suction slots.

The SPB100 is twice as big and twice as heavy as the EBB100 (with which you can "only" vacuum). However, thanks to the two wheels and the rhythmic movement, it effortlessly glides over the floor.

Conclusion and Cleaning Result of the Vorwerk Kobold SPB100

Of all the vacuum mops we have tested so far, the system of Vorwerk is the most powerful.

The cleaning was good, but it’s still cleaner with a conventional mop because you can simply put more pressure on the floor and the dirt.

A small drawback of the cleaning performance is its manoeuvrability in the corners.

The mop can’t reach the corners and edges due to the suction nozzles and the rollers’ arrangement. It’s always a distance of approx. 5 cm (2 inches) to the wall.

Well, the suction nozzles have to go somewhere.

On the other hand, there is also a huge advantage that we can’t dismiss: You don't have to carry water buckets and wring out the dirty mop again and again. It’s enough to mop once after vacuuming.

The test showed that wiping after vacuuming is particularly suitable for getting rid of fine dust and light dirt.

Therefore, we can recommend the SPB 100 especially for allergy sufferers and for households with pets.

The review of the VB100 showed that the maintenance is also very user-friendly.

The maintenance tasks for the Kobold cordless vacuum cleaner are more than manageable. It comes down to:

• Changing the vacuum bag

• Cleaning the filter

• Battery replacement

• Cleaning the brush

How to empty the Vorwerk VB100

You simply have to remove the flap at the back with the push of a button. It falls into your hand, including the full dust bag.

The flap of the dust bag is automatically closed so that no dust can escape.

Now you can simply remove the bag, throw it in the trash and replace it with a new bag.

Close the lid, and you’re good to go.

You can also remove and tap out the small filter underneath. You can also replace it this way if necessary.

Is it possible to replace the battery?

If you take off the cover at the back, you can simply pull out the battery of the Kobold VB100 and replace it with a new one.

That does not only extend the runtime. If the battery ever breaks, you can replace it in just a few steps.

That’s a huge plus regarding sustainability.

The charging time of the VB100

The charging time of the Vorwerk Kobold VB100 is approx. 3 hours.

Three hours is a great value compared to the competition. Thanks to the exchangeable battery, you can vacuum for a long time.

Can you remove the brush of the EBB100?

The EBB100 has a removable lid at the front on both sides.

You can easily remove one of the brushes on each side and clean it.

You should do this from time to time, as sometimes hair gets wrapped around the brush, leading to a decrease in cleaning performance.

The small openings on the bottom side of the brush are another practical feature of the EBB100.

Here you can take a look if the vacuum is clogged and remove some dirt if necessary.

Customer Service: To contact Vorwerk UK directly, please call their customer Care service 03300 6600 834 or write an email to: info(at)vorwerk.co.uk The Customer Care Service is available Monday to Friday (9 am - 5 pm).

Registered office:

Vorwerk UK Limited - Ashurst Manor, Church Lane, Sunninghill, Berkshire, SL5 7DD, UK