Kenmore Intuition 31140 review

A sleek, stylish upright vacuum

Kenmore Intuition 31140
(Image: © Future)

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

This powerful vacuum has versatile features and solid performance, though its recurring maintenance costs can add up.

Pros

  • +

    This upright vacuum earned top marks in our cleaning and suction tests.

Cons

  • -

    There are high annual costs for new filters and bags for this model.

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The Kenmore Intuition is a sleek, stylish contender for the best vacuum cleaner that comes with several specialized accessories for cleaning up pet hair and hard-to-reach soil. In our hands-on testing, this vacuum cleaner had very respectable cleaning and suction performance.

With 12 amps of motor power and HEPA filtration, this vacuum is a powerhouse. The Kenmore Intuition sucked up cereal, pet hair, and flour in only a few passes. This upright vacuum has several accessories to clean nooks and crannies in your home effectively.

The Intuition earned a score of 95 percent in our cleaning and suction tests. It performed best against common messes like cereal and pet hair. The most challenging test for the Kenmore was loose flour. However, this was troublesome for all the upright vacuums we tested.

Operational costs for this machine are slightly above average for upright vacuums. The Kenmore Intuition costs about $25 per year in filters. As technology advances, bagless vacuums are becoming more common. Sometimes, the bagged models are worth the extra investment, though, especially if you have allergies. However, the dust cloud while emptying was decidedly smaller with this one than any of the bagless options. If you prefer a bagless model, though, check out the Eureka Brushroll.

Weighing 19 pounds and standing 2.92 feet tall, the Intuition is one of the heaviest upright vacuums on our lineup, which made it less maneuverable than some others. The power cord reaches up to 30 feet, though, allowing you to cover some serious territory in a hurry. In addition, the hose extends an extra 10 feet. This vacuum has a wide cleaning path of 14.5 inches across, the second widest in our lineup. It didn’t take us long to put all of its parts together – six minutes total from unpacking to complete assembly.

The Intuition can make some noise, but its 85 dB level is surprisingly quiet for a vacuum this size. You'll still need headphones to hear music while the Intuition is working, but the vacuum isn't noisy enough to be disruptive.

The power switch is located on the handle, as are the settings for carpet and hard floors. When trying to get pet fur out of the carpet, Intuition has a pet brush that comes with plastic "paws" to gather hair.

On-board this upright vacuum, you'll find a full bag indicator to prevent the vacuum bag from overfilling. In addition, this model has a QR code, or a barcode, inside so you can use your smartphone to scan it and reorder the correct kind of vacuum bag, which helps you avoid confusion at the store.

This upright vacuum cleaner comes with several accessories and onboard housing to keep tools organized. You'll find an extension wand, upholstery tool, dusting brush, and crevice tool. The upholstery brush is soft and has short bristles with a wide cleaning path and a tight hold for the hose.

This model is under warranty for a year, which is not great. Other units had more coverage.

The Kenmore Intuition costs more annually than most upright vacuums because you have to buy bags, and it is pretty heavy and hard to maneuver. However, this vacuum cleaner has many powerful features to get the job done. In our tests, Intuition excelled with loose materials like cereal and kitty litter. It also has on-board housing for the specialized attachments.

Angie Parkinson

A contracted writer for TTR, Angie has been reviewing vacuum cleaners, countertop appliances and other home goods for more than eight years. Her spare time often goes to planning improvements for her quirky 103-year-old home or hiking in the gorgeous Utah mountains. In her past role, she was a newspaper journalist and she has a bachelor's degree in Technical Writing.