Philips FC6149 MiniVac review
A very suitable choice as a car vacuum cleaner
The Philips FC6149 is regarded by many as an interesting hand vacuum cleaner for vacuuming your car. It comes with a car plug and a special storage bag to store it in the car.
To find out how well this Philips Minivac FC6149 scores, I decided to buy the FC6149 and test it extensively. I tested the hand vacuum cleaner on different floor types and looked at the included accessories, among other things.
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Unboxing: Philips FC6149 Minivac and accessories
When unpacking the Philips FC6149, I immediately understand why you get a storage bag with it: what an incredible number of different accessories you get. I have everything set up in the photo below.
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- Philips FC6149 Minivac: the handheld vacuum itself
- Stubborn dirt brush: a suction brush with hard bristles
- Soft dusting brush: a small suction brush with soft bristles
- Short crevice tool: a crevice tool for hard-to-reach places
- Long crevice tool: it can be inserted into the flexible hose (7)
- Car charging cable: a charger for the car
- Vacuum cleaner hose: a flexible extension hose
- Charging stand with cable: for storage and charging at the same time
Suction performance: how well does the Philips MiniVac perform?
An important part of my vacuum cleaner reviews is the suction performance. How well does a vacuum cleaner suck? To answer this, I test this Philips hand vacuum cleaner, just like canister vacuums, on various floor types. I also test the suitability for removing animal hair and, among other things, how high the suction power is in kilopascals.
Suction performance wooden floors, carpet and pet hair
The Philips MiniVac has no problem with small and large dirt on hard floors. Thanks to the soft dusting brush and the stubborn dirt brush, this hand vacuum cleaner is suitable for sensitive wooden floors. The bristles ensure that vulnerable surfaces remain protected. Also think of cabinets or wooden furniture. In the car you can think of plastic surfaces – for example the dashboard – that are sensitive to scratches.
Thanks to the soft dusting brush and the stubborn dirt brush, this hand vacuum cleaner is suitable for sensitive wooden floors
The vacuum cleaner also scores well on low-pile carpet. Vacuuming small and large dirt is easy and without any problems. I don't experience any problems with long-pile carpet. This means that the vacuum cleaner can also be used for vacuuming car mats and upholstery in the car.
When it comes to pet hair, this Philips FC6149 scores a little less: I don't get a turbo brush with it.
- Hardwood floors: 7.5/10
- Carpet: 7/10
- Pet Hair: 4/10
Philips FC6149 Suction and Airflow
In addition to the suction performance on various floor types, I also always measure the suction power and the airflow. I measure the suction power using my custom-made vacuum tester. Because the Philips FC6149 does not have a round tube, I made the connection on my measuring instrument airtight with duct tape.
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The Philips FC6149 has a suction power of 5 kilopascals. In addition to the suction power, I also measure the airflow. I do this with an airspeed meter. Here too I have ensured the most reliable result possible by making a good connection with duct tape.
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I measure the airspeed at about 19.5 meters per second. This is quite high for a hand vacuum cleaner, even if I compare it with stick vacuums, for example.
User-friendliness of this hand vacuum cleaner
How user-friendly is this Philips MiniVac FC6149? The user-friendliness of a vacuum cleaner is a broad concept. There are many factors that play a role in this. With a hand vacuum cleaner I look at the following points in particular:
- Versatility
- Weight
- Noise level
- Charging: battery life and charging time
Versatility: suitable for the car and on vacation
The Philips FC6149 is an incredibly versatile handheld vacuum cleaner. This is mainly due to the many accessories that you get. This compact vacuum cleaner scores particularly well as a car vacuum cleaner.
Thanks to the long car charging cable, you can always vacuum the car, even if the battery is empty. This can be very useful if your car is not parked near an outlet.
Thanks to the long car charging cable, you can always vacuum the car, even if the battery is empty.
The flexible vacuum cleaner hose is unique: this makes it actually a wireless mini vacuum cleaner. You can then slide various accessories onto this extension hose, including a crevice tool.
Weight and noise level
A handheld vacuum cleaner is often cordless and bagless. A disadvantage of a bagless vacuum cleaner is often the weight. And because it is wireless, there is a built-in battery: this can be detrimental to the weight of the vacuum cleaner.
The Philips MiniVac FC6149 weighs 4.8 lbs. This is not really a lightweight choice. There are stick vacuums that are even lighter: this was apparent in my Dyson Micro 1.5kg review.
In terms of noise level, the Philips MiniVac scores well for a hand vacuum cleaner: the decibel meter gives a noise level of 75.6 decibels.
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Charging: battery life and charging time
You need to charge a hand vacuum cleaner. Although I already mentioned that the Philips FC6149 comes with a car charger, this hand vacuum cleaner can of course also be used wirelessly.
The FC6149 will last approximately 11 minutes. This is fine for a cordless handheld vacuum, since it is a vacuum cleaner for small jobs. In terms of charging time, I am less happy: it takes about 16 hours (955 minutes) to be fully charged.
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Philips FC6149 Minivac maintenance
You need to maintain a hand vacuum cleaner well. This often goes further than just emptying the dust container: you also have to wash or even replace the filters regularly.
Dust container and filters
The dust container has a volume of 0.5 liters. This is quite large for a vacuum cleaner of this size. You should empty it after about three vacuums. Speaking of emptying: this is very easy and can be done in two ways: by clicking the bottom off or by clicking the dust container out and removing the filter.
Under the hood I discover an exhaust filter and a motor filter: you can easily remove these from the dust container. You can simply keep the filter cap under the tap: the fabric filter unfortunately does not. You will have to buy a new filter every now and then.
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Conclusion Philips FC6149 review
The Philips FC6149 is a hand-held vacuum cleaner that you can use for many different situations. If you are looking for a car vacuum cleaner, this could be the best choice. Thanks to the car plug, you can always use it in the car, without having to charge the battery. There are enough attachments to thoroughly vacuum your entire car.
This hand vacuum cleaner is not suitable for removing pet hair: you don't get a turbo brush with it. At more than 2 kilograms, this vacuum cleaner also feels heavy while vacuuming. However, we are dealing here with a handheld vacuum cleaner that you never have to hold in your hand for very long.
Specifications: Philips FC6149 MiniVac review
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