Oreck has recently introduced the Elevate line of upright vacuums, which include the Control, the Command and the Conquer, the latter of which we’ll be discussing. All offer a post-modern design, but more importantly, they’ve been engineered to better remove and trap dust and dirt with the reintroduction of bags. They’re also extremely light and deliver supreme performance.
Oreck Elevate Conquer Design & Features
The Conquer is the flagship model in the Oreck elevate line, and it’s a beut. It’s about half the weight of its upright competitors, and offers a stylistic design that appears somewhat space-age. The Conquer has five LED headlights, which illuminates a large path while you’re vacuuming, even in dim light.
It also has an extra-large capacity filtration technology that can hold up to 4-times the amount of a typical bagless vacuum, which is extra nice because it obviously means you don’t have to empty it near as much. It far outweighs the Dyson in this category. With the Dyson, you have to empty the canister literally every other time you vacuum your home. Not with the Oreck. It can hold a lot, and it keeps the dirt and grime well contained without any spillage or dust leakage, thanks to the filtration bags, which we’ll get into in a bit.
The Conquer has SlimSwivel steering, which makes maneuvering under and around furniture and other obstacles very simple. It also has a 35-foot cord, and two speeds, which helps when cleaning different floor types. Finally, Oreck includes EnduroLIFE belt and premium edge brushes. The name says it all. Suffice it to say, with the EnduroLife components, your vacuum stays running without repairs much longer.
Oreck Filtration
While everyone in the vacuum industry has converted to bagless technology, Oreck goes old-school by using filtration bags vs. dirt cups. Why? Because filtration bags keep your vacuum and your home environment much fresher. The filtration bags are also a breeze to change. Simply snap one in, and your done. No more filthy bag changing or dealing with nasty filters. The replaceable bags eliminate all of that.
Additionally, Oreck offers something called SaniSeal, a sanitary system that automatically closes each filter bag upon disposal, helping to seal in dirt and allergens from your home. And the filtration bags can last for up to 3 months or longer, so it’s not like your changing bags after each cleaning. These suckers actually last a long time.
The Oreck Elevate Conquer delivers the highest level of filtration with HEPA filters, trapping 99.97 percent of particles at 0.3 microns or greater, many of which are not visible, including some allergens, mold spores, pollen, dander, dust & smoke.
No Tools
One noticeable void with the Oreck Elevate Conquer is the absence of onboard tools. But Oreck has a reason and a solution behind this, which actually makes really good sense. It’s been documented that people only use the onboard vacuum tools 1-2 times a month. Additionally, tools can add another 5lbs to the overall weight of the vacuum. This added weight actually makes a big difference when handling the vacuum.
So instead of tools, Oreck offers a separate handheld device, enabling you to only use what you need at any given time, and avoid carrying all that additional unneeded weight. The Conquer weighs just under 10 lbs, and the handheld weighs under 5.
Testing
We ran the Conquer for about 2 weeks, and we’re happy to report that it worked like a beast. Not only does it offer cleaning performance literally better than any vacuum we’ve ever tested, but the fact that it was so light and maneuverable made vacuuming almost a joy.
The filtration bags are the real secret sauce here. While at first we were pessimistic about going back to bags, in the end, we can definitely see why Oreck chose to leap back into bagged vacuums. It’s just so much cleaner. All of your dirt and grime are contained within the bag, so changing the bags are no longer a nightmare. Additionally, these bags keep the mechanics of your vacuum dirt-free, which many times cause competing bagless vacuums to get clogged and dirty, which dramatically affect the integrity of a vacuums performance.
Finally, we really like the LED lights on the vacuum. Even in good light, the lights really seem to illuminate additional dirt and grime that you might have otherwise missed. It also helps to light up those darker corners and crevices, areas that are always the dirtiest.
Bottom Line
With the new Oreck Elevate Conquer, the company has provided a solution that makes cleaning easier and helps promote a healthier environment at home. The unit is super lightweight, clean and so easy to use.
The filtration bags, while an additional expense, are worth it. They keep dirt, debrees and allergens at bay, a huge benefit if you have allergies. The 2-speeds really deliver power and the Conquer’s maneuverability makes this vacuum the easiest vacuum to use on the market. We highly recommend this vacuum.
You can buy the Oreck Elevate Conquer here for $599
