Nuuk’s Ren Pro offers a unique blend of performance, quality and smart design.
The Nuuk Ren Pro is priced at Rs. 19,999 in India
Nuuk is a new-age direct-to-consumer brand with an eye for design. The brand was founded in 2023 and is focused on younger, Instagram-friendly audiences. Their appliances have attractive designs, often finished in bold colours and adorned with bold branding, appealing mainly to the Gen Z crowd. While I don't really fall in that category of consumers, I love a well-designed product. Having recently purchased a stick vacuum myself (a decision I instantly regret), my search for one has not ended. And when I came across a new brand like Nuuk making bold claims and leaning heavily on influencer marketing, I was mighty curious to test it out. This is because the brand made big claims for an affordably priced cord-free stick vacuum cleaner. They sent me a standard kit for review, and a month later, I'm convinced I don't need anything else! Here's why.
The Indian market is currently flooded with plenty of stick vacuum options at various price points. You can get a corded one for as low as Rs. 8,000, or a high-end, overengineered Dyson for Rs. 65,000. At its affordable asking price of Rs. 19,999 (for a cordless stick vacuum), I was curious to check out the Nuuk Ren Pro's overall quality rather than its advertised features.
The Nuuk Ren Pro vacuum comes in a neatly laid out box
Everything was neatly packaged in the box, and I was surprised to see quite a few attachments, which were far more than what most mainstream big-name manufacturers offer. Also included is a charging adapter and a battery pack to get you going. If you need to stash all your tools and the vacuum in one place, Nuuk also offers an optional KeepSak Storage Bag for an additional Rs. 2,999.
The main body is a bit large, but it weighs the same as an average cord-free stick vacuum
As with most stick vacuum cleaners, the case of the vacuum cleaner is made up of ABS (plastic) to keep its weight in check. Given that I'm used to the compact Bosch Unlimited 7, the Ren Pro's main body did feel a bit intimidating, shaped like a laser blaster with a large barrel (motor and bin) above the handle with the detachable battery pack (like a Dyson) below it. The quality of the ABS (plastic) cladding is solid, and the metallic-grey finish has a slight shine to it. Surprisingly, it did not pick up fingerprints or appear smudgy during the review. Powering up the device simply requires pressing down on the red trigger. It is a bit hard to press down, but this is intentional to prevent accidental presses when gripping the handle.
The large and transparent bin is detachable
I expected the detachable transparent bin to be flimsy, but it seems quite solid in terms of quality, even though I wasn't clumsy enough to drop it even once during the review. What I liked about the detachable bin is the fact that I don't have to dismantle the vacuum cleaner to detach it. There are two release buttons (on the main body) below the bin that let you easily detach the bin from the vacuum if you don't want to carry the vacuum to your bin to empty it via the quick-release hatch.
Buyers will get eight tools in the box, which is plenty for a vacuum that costs under Rs. 20,000. There's an LED motorised rollerhead attachment with a roller specially for carpets and a second for hard flooring. Also included is another motorised MattressCare tool. A simple curtain care tool, an elongated SlimReach tool that can be used for reaching into corners or cramped spaces, and an All-in-One Duster tool, which is basically a universal soft brush for all surfaces. Lastly, a GentleClean brush tool, with soft bristles, is meant for delicate surfaces like TV screens, keyboards, and delicate plastic or wood surfaces that get scratched easily.
Also sold separately is a Ren Pro MopHead wet mop tool that is priced at Rs. 5,999. There's also a Ren Pro DeepFix cleaning kit, which is basically a soft pipe extension to help you reach places you cannot when the brush tools are attached directly to the main body.
Smart labelling is a game-changer
While the selection of tools is quite impressive, what I loved about these tools is their quality and the information that's printed on them. All the tools have a clean press-button snap-on mechanism that flawlessly connects to the main body. Yes! For once, someone had the brains to smartly label each tool, explaining its purpose and where and when it should be used. Also very useful is the simple and easy-to-understand user manual. Both the labelling of tools and the easy-to-understand manual will appeal not only to time-conscious youth but also to the elderly.
As with most vacuum cleaners, the quality of brushes matters. Buy a cheap one, and you get some really rough and stiff brushes that can scratch the surface you are trying to clean. Even some bigger brands like Bosch offer a basic soft-brush tool, which is quite stiff and can damage or scratch plastic or even soft wood surfaces. So, I was in for a shock when the Nuuk Ren Pro offered three soft brush options right out of the box. There's a round one that's always attached to the vacuum around the suction socket. It needs to be extended for use, but given that the large bin is right above it, it is only useful when vacuuming surfaces that are fully exposed (a dining table) or out in the open, not those that are a bit recessed (bookshelves).
The CleanMaster and GentleClean brushes adapt to the shape of the object or surface they are placed on
The most used tool has to be the basic CleanMaster brush. It has soft bristles that are gentle enough for most household surfaces, but stiff enough to scrub off dry dust. You can also use it with the bendable FlexiStick extension to clean hard-to-reach areas. What I liked about CleanMaster and GentleClean brushes is that their elongated design lets them easily adapt their overall shape to the surface they are placed on. Whether it's a curved edge or a flat surface, the vacuum does not lose suction power because the bristles smartly fill in the gaps perfectly.
The FlexiStick extension sure seems like a copy of Bosch's Bendable Flex Tube. The FlexiStick works on the same principle but is not as well thought out. Simply press the button at the back of the joint to bend the tube extension, allowing you to vacuum the floor under recessed or hard-to-reach spaces like the flooring under a bed or a sofa.
The FloorGlider always tilts to one side when the FlexiStick is bent
The two motorised tools—the FloorGlider and MattressCare— are well designed and compact, so they fit into tight spaces easily. The FloodGlider tool is always slightly tilted to one side (right or left, depending on which side is facing you). I initially assumed this was due to an internal bent flexi pipe, but upon further investigation, I realised that it is in fact the weight of the motor that tilts it to one side. And since it does not have a well-designed (or any restriction in the horizontal axis), it moves in a direction of its choice when you bend the FlexiStick to clean floors under a bed or a sofa. When the FlexiStick wasn't bent, the FloorGlider was well-behaved and moved in the direction that I wanted it to go in (because physics).
The Nuuk Ren Pro MattressCare Tool
The MattressCare tool is pretty impressive, and I am a bit surprised they included it in standard box contents. It has a slightly sharp transparent part, which makes contact with the bedsheet or your mattress cover. While I was a bit worried about the sharper inner cutout (through which the dust gets sucked in), I realised that it did not make direct contact with the mattress fabric because of its design. The tool does a fantastic job because it has a motor inside with a fine brush to lift or scrub off dust and small particles, apart from the suction.
The PowerPod can be charged separately
I simply loved how I could charge the vacuum cleaner's battery in multiple ways. By design, you can charge the battery pack (PowerPod) separately with its blinking LED indicator showing charging state. You can also mount the docking station on the wall, then plug the charging adapter into the pass-through socket in the dock, which uses flat contact pins to charge the stick vacuum when it's slotted into place. And if you have no place to mount the docking station, you can also place it on a table, connect the adapter to a PowerPod, and charge the vacuum right there, using the vacuum's display to check its charging state.
The Docking Station is compact but can only hold two slim tools
The Docking Station wall mount is a compact piece of kit. It's easy to mount with two screws and can handle the weight of the vacuum and two additional attachments that can be snapped on at the bottom. In my case, I had the FlexiStick with the FloorGlider attached, dangling on one side, and the SlimReach extension tool on the other. While this setup is good enough for daily usage, I quickly realised that the dock's two tool mounting slots can only handle these two tools, because it barely has any clearance from the wall. So, it is impossible to use any tool that's thicker than these two on it. And this also includes something as basic as the GentleClean or basic brush tools because of their angular design.
Selecting a power mode is as simple as tapping on the circular capacitive button at the bottom of the display area
As indicated in the key specifications above, the vacuum produces sufficient suction to pick up coins, grains, and other slightly heavy debris. There are four power modes in all—Adaptive, Eco, Max and Turbo—with the last mode consuming the most power and draining the battery the quickest. For daily room dusting, I ended up sticking to the default Adaptive mode, which automatically increases suction when it detects heavy debris. In most cases, even when cleaning really heavy dust, the vacuum was smart enough to ramp up the power to the required level. Selecting a power mode is as simple as tapping on the capacitive button inside the circular display area. Annoyingly, the vacuum does not remember the last used state, so it powers up to Adaptive mode by default every time. The only time I really needed to fidget with the power cycling button was when I was nearly out of power and required to use every last watt to complete the job.
As for noise, the Nuuk Ren Pro maintains the same level of noise as most big-name cordless stick vacuums, priced both above and below its price point.
Similar to the setup process, which is clearly explained in the user manual, there are a ton of simple and easy-to-understand how-to videos on Nuuk's official website. These videos explain everything from installation and basic operation to component cleaning and regular maintenance to keep your vacuum performing smoothly at all times.
Cleaning the bin with stick vacuums is usually a messy affair, primarily because of the filter that usually gets choked up after a week of use, reducing performance. The Ren Pro has three filters, but surprisingly, even a month later, I did not feel the need to replace or wash them. This is mainly down to the Nuuk Ren Pro's design, which has a fantastic primary metal filter that keeps most of the larger and finer particles out and only lets the smallest particles reach the primary HEPA filter. Post this, there is a secondary filter (under the display) to prevent you from breathing any of the dust you are sucking up, but given that the metal filter does most of the heavy lifting, the HEPA filters have barely gotten messy or dirty even after a month of regular everyday room dusting in a big and fairly polluted city.
The MattressCare tool disassembled
Cleaning the two motorised tools was quite easy. The FloorGlider has a dedicated red switch which, upon pulling, releases one side of the tool, giving you easy access to pull out and clean the roller. The same applies to the MattressCare tool, which requires a coin to twist and pull out the roller for cleaning or hair removal.
Battery life or consumption depends on the power mode you choose and the tools you attach. In Adaptive mode you can get around 45 minutes of usage without any motorised tool attached. Attaching a motorised tool obviously drains the battery pack a bit faster, giving about 30 minutes of usage before the vacuum shuts down. The eco mode is sufficient for light everyday cleaning, and I managed to get about 60 minutes of usage without any motorised tool attached. Charging takes a while. The DC pinned 18W Nuuk charging adapter takes about 4 hours to fully charge the PowerPod, so you will have to wait at least an hour (after draining the battery completely) before you can quickly use the machine again. Overall, the battery life and charging stats are average when compared to most other products available both above and below this price point.
The Nuuk Ren Pro offers plenty of value for money
Unlike most big-name brands that conveniently sell you a vacuum cleaner without any replacement tools in stock, or make you jump through hoops or call customer care to find a spare part or replacement tool. It's nice to see that Nuuk's website lists a bunch of tools and spares in stock, ready for purchase. Like its design, Nuuk's overall theme seems to be about transparency. This kind of lets its target audience of younger (and possibly even middle-aged) users take a leap of faith with a new brand, versus reaching out for a tried and tested option in the market. The overall quality of the Nuuk Ren Pro and the number of accessories that come with it are actually the cherry on the icing.
I'm not saying that the Nuuk Ren Pro is flawless. I have mentioned a few of them in the sections above, but there is no glaring issue with the price that one pays for this product. It's definitely not going to defeat a high-end Dyson, which costs a lot more and offers some fantastically designed cleaning tools. But it does offer excellent quality, smartly designed components and tools, and enough everyday performance for its asking price, making it high on value.
Rating (Overall): 9/10
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