Before Christmas I was sent the brand new GTech Multi to review. It was a very opportune time to put a new vacuum cleaner through its paces considering the amount of glitter, tinsel, artificial Christmas tree needles (yes, they still drop them like a real one does), food crumbs and tiny pieces of wrapping paper (which seem to multiply) there was around the house. And we really did test it very well, there was a lot of glitter in this house.

We've continued to give it a rigorous testing ever since, mainly because The Boy really likes glitter!

GTech are a relatively young brand when it comes to carpet cleaning, but the expression 'new brooms sweeping clean' really does speak volumes in their case. I have previously reviewed the GTech AirRAM and couldn't have praised it any more than I did for the ease of use, in fact I did a video review where I poured two bowls of 50g of blue sand into my cream carpet, rubbed it in, and then compared the power of my Electrolux vacuum against the AirRAM's suction. As the GTech cleaner actually sucked up all of the 50g, plus another 3g of dirt in my (previously vacuumed) carpet. That wasn't embarrassing at all!

At the time when I reviewed the AirRAM, my only criticism of it was that it didn't have a hose and therefore any attachments to clean the edges or the stairs.

GTech have solved that problem by creating the Multi.

See there's no cord? That's because it's one of the few cordless and powerful handheld vacuum cleaners around of this quality. With a run time of 30 minutes from charging, the Multi is perfect for cleaning stairs, the car, and all those awkward to reach places around cupboards and piano legs (or is that just my house?). It weighs 1.6kg so it very lightweight and not at all too heavy to use or manoeuvre. It also has a selection of attachments and devices on board to make it easier to clean all areas; long length crevice tool, upholstery tool, dusting brush, extendable hose and an extension tube (available free when ordering directly from GTech).

But the best bit about the GTech are the headlights!

Yes, they have installed headlights on a vacuum cleaner! However silly that initially sounds, the two small LED lights either side of the attachment area make hoovering in crevices, cars and stairs so much easier! They really help to highlight all the dirt and dust which would otherwise be missed.

As the 50g blue sand was such an effective review technique, I decided to repeat it with the GTech Multi. I don't have another cleaner to compare it against, however I wanted to see how much of the sand it could suck up. I actually had doubts that it would manage to be as effective as the AirRAM, purely because of the trigger button feature and the crevice nozzle.

I set to the task with my trusty digital weighing scales and blue sand!

While it didn't suck up all 50g of blue sand, I can certainly forgive it for missing the 1g (or less) of blue sand that it didn't suck up. Considering how much I rubbed it into the carpet, I felt it was very effective at vacuuming it.

Cleaning the Multi is not quite as straightforward as the AirRAM, but at the same time it's hardly onerous. The clear barrel pulls away from the main machine, the lid unclips and the filter in the middle can be removed very easily to wash out. There is a filter on the lid which should be unclipped and the dust removed from, as this is where quite a lot of fluff can collect. However, the whole cleaning process is quick and simple to do. And, if like my husband, you put it back together the wrong way up, then a red light flashes on the Multi to tell you that the filter is blocked.

We have used it to clean the car, and my husband commented that it made life so much easier that he didn't need to feed the extension cable through the porch window and position the car as close as possible to the house.

Priced at only £149.00 then I think the GTech Multi is an incredibly effective cordless and handheld cleaner.

UPDATE 06/09/14: I have noticed a decline in the power and therefore suction of the GTech Multi I'm sorry to say. I do clean the filter regularly but it doesn't seem to make much difference. It still works for light dirt around the edges of carpets and for cobwebs, but it is now struggling to suck up sand from the carpet in the car. The lights have also stopped working. A real shame for a machine with big promise.

I was sent this product for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.