Review The Kirby Vacuum
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Kirby Avalir Platinum Vacuum Cleaner
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| 5 star | 55% | |
| 4 star | 6% | |
| 3 star | 16% | |
| 2 star | 10% | |
| 1 star | 13% |
1-5 of 31 reviews
This is a review of a Kirby demonstration done in May, 2025. I do not own a Kirby but if I were younger and especially if I had children and pets and could afford it, I certainly would have considered buying a Kirby after the vacuum and shampoo demonstration done on one of my carpets yesterday.
The Kirby rep who did the demo, Jordan H, did a great job and is a wonderful representative for the Kirby product and company. He was upbeat, polite, respectful, knowledgeable, friendly and not pushy, although he clearly was hoping to ‘sell me’ on what a great product a Kirby is.
I am 76 and have some osteoporosis, so vacuuming/shampooing with a heavy machine is more difficult for me now than it used to be. Although the Kirby was fairly easy to push when put in the right mode, moving it from room to room, out of and back into its storage area, and changing some of the multi -purpose attachments at floor level are simply more than I care to deal with anymore. But for a younger, stronger person the Kirby could be a great help for many household cleaning chores.
Thanks again to Jordan H for the informative demo and for cleaning my carpet. Although I did not buy the product, I hope Jordan has many sales successes in his future!
Interesting comments above. My review is a response the all the low reviews above. Please do not take me as sounding too harsh. I love Kirby vacuums and want people to understand how they work. People do not seem to understand that the Kirby has remained very similar over the years because it has a design that actually works, unlike Hoovers, Eurekas, Dysons, etc. You buy a Kirby because it saves the life of your carpet, not destroys it like a Dyson. An above comment recommends Sebo vacuums. Sebo vacuums only pick up the dirt at the top of the carpet, not the dirt inside the carpet that rips apart your carpet fibers. Thus, with a Sebo your carpet is not getting clean, unlike a Kirby. The same thing goes for Miele and Riccar vacuums, which some people think are as good as a Kirby. And also, those vacuums will have been thrown into the trash long before my Kirby Avalir 2. If you keep buying an expensive Sebo ($300-over $1,000) you will eventually pay way more than if you bought a Kirby only one time (see above review by Casey H.). Remember, if you use the Kirby like it was designed to do be used, you will never have to buy another vacuum. In response to the low review about the Kirby not having a lifetime warranty, I don’t think that a person should give a low review if they had a misunderstanding. Kirby vacuums have never had a lifetime warranty, to my knowledge (call the Kirby Co. to confirm this.) Besides, if you take care of the Kirby, it will definitely not need much repair. In fact, that’s what their Factory Rebuild Program is for. (BTW, Kirby Co. loses money by helping customers through the Rebuild Program.) Other people in comments above are complaining about the Kirby’s weight. That’s why they designed the Avalir Platinum lighter than before! Tech Drive and the spring-loaded handle make up for any effort spent in carrying the Kirby (keep in mind that the Kirby, unlike lighter weight competing vacuums, has two convenient carrying handles that even out the vacuum’s weight when carrying it.) Next, if your Kirby does not turn on after sitting in a closet, the problem probably is not the vacuum’s reliability or quality. The cause is most likely something like a tripped electrical outlet, improper installation of the Kirby’s bag, rug nozzle, or hose (not installing those things properly will stop the motor from turning on), etc. In a review saying that buying a newer Kirby is a waste, consider that Kirby does not come out with a new vacuum except that it is improved from the previous model. Other comments talk about the Kirby’s noise. Yes, the Kirby is louder, but I heard that they are currently working to solve that problem. A bit of extra noise is not a big enough drawback to stop using the best vacuum in the world (maybe you could use earplugs?). Another low review complains about burning rubber smell. Yes, that will happen if you have not installed the belt properly, replaced the belt like you should, or are vacuuming rocks (I’ve done that and burned the belt, but of course I shouldn’t have been vacuuming 1/2-inch rocks!). A comment above talked about the Kirby Co. not having parts to replace a very old Kirby. I heard that a company that manufactured parts for them went out of business and Kirby could not recover the molds for many of their parts. What a shame, but not the Kirby Company’s fault. And to the above comment about the Kirby Carpet Shampooer not dispensing suds, most likely the knob controlling how much suds come out was on the wrong setting. I also have a hard time imagining it taking ten minutes every time you switch attachments. In conclusion, Kirby vacuums are great and any drawbacks they have do not overweigh their benefits. You can also check out the YouTube video: Four Reasons Why You Need a Kirby Vacuum. Thanks!
Never again. I bought this cause I was told it was low maintenance and tough on messes. It is neither. I constantly have to clean out and cut off hairs from the roller. Every time I use it, I have to clean it out or else it won’t work the next I go to use it. I like to shampoo my carpets every 6 months but had to cut that down or rent a different shampooer cause every I use it it won’t dispense suds or water with out me constantly cleaning things out, refilling water (even though it’s not empty, will only rub with a full tank of water), or readjusting something. No mater how many things I replace, how carefully I read the instructions, or how well I keep the parts cleaned it fails me after a 5×5 area is done. And don’t bother trying to get help from them. Only way to contact them is by phone and it will take hours if you don’t get discontented. And heaven forbid you don’t live near a Kirby repair center, which we don’t. For the amount I paid for this I could have gotten a top of the line vacuum, that I don’t have to deal with bags or cutting hair out of constantly, and a shampooer/rent every time I needed one.
All the attachments are bulky and take at least 10 minutes to install each one. The whole thing is very heavy and does not reach a good 6 inches of the edges unless you take the time to put on the attachment for edges. It cannot fit underneath anything cause it is too tall and I have had to replace multiple parts since buying it in 2019. Honestly the only reason I keep it is out of guilt for how much I paid for it.
If you run a business and you are paid for all this, it is probably a good product cause when it does work, it works great. But for someone with three kids who needs to be able to just pull it out and use it when I get 10 minutes, it sucks and I’m tired of taking up half my day just to vacuum or shampoo one room.
All in all, I will never buy another one and want to grab my younger nieve by the collar for buying one. I never will recommend any of these vacuums to personal use for those I know either.
My parents owned a Kirby, and as a teen, I used it frequently. That was around the seventies, and my dad still has it, and it works perfectly. Throughout my life I’ve bought, and used, way too many vacuum cleaners, of which most have been from “D”. The problem was, they just never did the job, in one way or another, or they just broke (disposable). In most cases, I got collections of vacuum models, as one worked better in one situation, and another in other situations. In 2025 I moved into a new house, and with that, decided to get serious about my vacuum cleaner. Having moved with the collection I have, I realized that having multiple vacuums to do one job, vacuuming, not only was wasteful, but seriously a waste of storage space. Downsizing moving makes you concerned about these things. Not only was I surprised when I found Kirby still in business, but all the models they have had over the years. I came to realize, that over the years, I’ve been comparing that old 70’s Kirby my dad has to ALL the vacuums I’ve owned over those years, and they NEVER lived up to the quality and build of that Kirby.
So, as a non-educated vacuum purchaser, I did the first thing in many years of bad purchases, I scheduled an in-home demo (Yes! They still do this! Back in the day, they went door-to-door). We compared the new Kirby against my “collection” of other vacuums, and they never came close. The demonstration was well done, and I had a list of things the others just never did well, even to go as far as say barely. I was pretty much already sold on the Kirby Avalir Platinum before the demo, but the demo really sealed the deal. From what I know, you pretty much only have two Vacuum Companies, still in business, and still making quality units; Kirby is one of them.
Sure, you can buy cheaper vacuum cleaners, and chances are they will never last. I resolved the investment in a Kirby as my LAST vacuum cleaner I will ever need, or want. It will stand in the closet, waiting diligently for when I need it, and it will always be there when it is needed. I wish I had family, cause this vacuum is going to last for many generations.
For those who want to bicker about the Kirby $$$$, I came to a simple theory, when I add up the cost of my vacuum “collection” over the years, it comes to more than twice the cost of a Kirby, and none of them will ever last, or had lasted, as long as the Kirby. Consider this, Kirby is to Vacuums, as that mixer Company is to mixers. Only difference is, the mixer Company finally went to plastic parts, and no longer lasts as long as the older models. Kirby is what someone who does cleaning for a living uses, and depends on every day.
My final word is, if you just want a vacuum, buy the disposable, cheaper, plastic vacuum, on the other hand, if you are like me, you want a vacuum that is dependable, reliable, and you want to “invest” in a vacuum that will stand the test of time, buy the Kirby.
We bought our first Kirby in 2015 from a Salesman in Hawaii.. We owned it for 10 years and this year the aluminum body frame that attaches the wheel broke off. Can’t repair it properly since it’s cast aluminum, the motor is still going strong, no issues even without being serviced. This year we decided to just get the newest model and hopefully it lasts us another 10 years. Say what you will about the price, noise, etc. but no vacuum in the market will last you 10 years and retain the same suction power and efficiency much like a Kirby. There’s a reason they haven’t changed their design much in the past 10 years, because when you have something that works; you don’t change it.