Aircraft Powerglide review: left my hard floors sparkling, with zero elbow grease

RRP: £199 | Buy now from Aircraft

How I tested

I tested the AirCraft PowerGlide over six weeks, using it once a week in my own home. During that time I cleaned terracotta floor tiles in my kitchen, parquet flooring downstairs, wooden floorboards upstairs and cork flooring in the bathroom.

Before every cleaning session, I used my vacuum cleaner on the floors so the PowerGlide could focus on cleaning and polishing, and didn't get loose dirt stuck to the pads. I used it on everyday spills, dried-on food, larger open areas, awkward edges, corners, around furniture and underneath tables. I tested it using water in the tank with wood polish sprayed separately onto the parquet.

I looked at how much effort it took to clean, how quickly the floors dried, how well it dealt with stubborn marks, how easy the pads were to remove and wash, how practical it was to charge and store, and whether it justified the cupboard space it takes up.

Related: Best hard floor cleaners

My verdict

The AirCraft PowerGlide is a powered floor cleaner and polisher rather than a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. It won't pick up debris, so you'll need to vacuum or sweep before you start. Once the floor is clear, though, it takes much of the effort out of cleaning hard floors.

Its biggest advantage is how much floor you can clean with very little effort. The pads oscillate underneath while water sprays in front, rather like a powered spray mop. There's no need to press down, scrub or put your back into it. You simply guide it across the floor while the pads do the work. Cleaning a large tiled kitchen and plenty of downstairs parquet felt much quicker than reaching for a mop and bucket - or worse, getting on my hands and knees with a cloth and polish.

It's especially useful on wooden floors that need a little extra care. I filled the tank with water to clean, and for polishing I sprayed Method wood polish directly in front of the PowerGlide on my parquet. It cleaned, buffed and polished the floor without me having to get down on my hands and knees, leaving the wood gleaming. The 300ml tank can be filled with water or diluted floor cleaner, while the pads are removable and washable. The user guide also recommends rinsing the tank and spray system regularly to prevent detergent build-up.

There are a few drawbacks. It doesn't clean right into corners due to the circular shape of the pads, and the water tank is more fiddly than it needs to be. The handle does tilt back like a cordless vacuum cleaner, though, so it reaches under tables and chairs without having to move everything first. If you've got plenty of hard flooring, especially parquet or wood that benefits from polishing as well as cleaning, it's a worthwhile step up from a traditional mop.

AirCraft PowerGlide: what's in the box?

The AirCraft PowerGlide comes with the main floor cleaner and everything you need to clean and polish hard floors. The pads attach underneath and peel off afterwards for washing.

• AirCraft PowerGlide hard floor cleaner

• removable battery pack

• AC charging adaptor

• top-up cup

• cleaning pads

• polishing or waxing pads

• AAA batteries for the handle controls

Read next: Best carpet cleaner

What's the AirCraft PowerGlide like to set up?

Set-up took a little longer than I expected. The PowerGlide didn't click together as neatly as I'd hoped, and the initial assembly felt slightly fiddly. Once it was built, though, everything was straightforward. It's not designed to be taken apart after the initial set-up.

The controls took a bit of getting used to. There are power buttons on the handle and another on the floor head, and I instinctively reached for the handle first. In practice, I found I needed to press the floor-head button before anything happened. The upside is that it's easy to spot when you want to switch the cleaner off.

The handle controls aren't especially intuitive. Two flat buttons look very similar if you're not looking directly at them, making it easy to press the wrong one. It's only a small annoyance, but it does make the PowerGlide feel less obvious to use than a standard mop or steam cleaner.

Charging is also worth mentioning. The removable battery is a real plus because you can charge it away from the machine, which makes storage easier if your cupboard doesn't have a nearby socket. You do need to use the supplied charger, though. I tried another lead and the battery wouldn't hold its charge. The manual also says you should use the original AirCraft battery pack and supplied adaptor, or an official replacement.

What's the AirCraft PowerGlide like to use day-to-day?

Once it's charged, the PowerGlide is very straightforward to use. Water sprays in front of the head while the pads move underneath, and you simply guide it across the floor. There's no need to scrub or put any weight behind it. The moving pads give it a slight pull of their own, but as long as the floor is clear it's easy to steer wherever you want it to go.

It works best across open floor space, although it's more versatile than I first expected. The handle tilts back much like a cordless vacuum cleaner, making it easy to reach under tables and chairs without dragging every piece of furniture out of the way. That makes a noticeable difference if you're cleaning a kitchen-diner or an open-plan downstairs.

Corners remain its weakest point. The round pads clean large areas brilliantly but can't reach tight corners or sharp edges alongside skirting boards and cupboards. If you like a really thorough finish, you'll still need to deal with those separately.

The water tank is built into the floor head, so you can't simply fill it under the tap. The opening is quite small, so you'll need the supplied top-up cup or another jug with a spout. It's also difficult to judge when it's full. I usually realised only when it started to overflow slightly. It's a small frustration rather than a major one.

One of the things I liked most was how quickly the floors dried compared with using a standard mop. I tested it on terracotta tiles, parquet and cork bathroom flooring, and it felt gentle enough for all three. I'd still be cautious with older floorboards that have gaps where water could seep between the boards.

It makes more of a soft whirring sound than a vacuum cleaner because there's no suction. You can still hear it, but it's quiet enough to hold a conversation or hear the doorbell without any trouble.

Related: Best robot vacuums

How well does the AirCraft PowerGlide perform on tiles and cork flooring?

On my terracotta tiled kitchen floor, the PowerGlide made light work of a large area. It dealt well with the usual mix of spills, dried-on food and everyday grime, although stubborn marks sometimes needed a little more water and another pass.

Holding it over one stubborn mark takes a bit of practice because the oscillating pads naturally keep it moving. It's easy enough to guide it back over the same spot, though, and dried-on food came away without much effort. That's the biggest difference compared with mopping. You're guiding the cleaner rather than scrubbing, wringing out a mop or putting your back into it.

I also used it on cork bathroom flooring, where it cleaned well and felt gentle enough for the surface. One thing became clear quite quickly. You do need to vacuum or sweep first. If crumbs, grit or hair are left behind, the PowerGlide won't collect them. Instead they gather on the pads or clump together on the damp floor.

For a standard tiled or lino kitchen, I'm not convinced this would be my first choice. If that's the only hard floor you have, a steam cleaner may offer better value. If you've got a larger kitchen or several hard floors throughout the house, the PowerGlide becomes much easier to recommend.

How well does the AirCraft PowerGlide perform on parquet and wooden floors?

This is where I found the PowerGlide most useful. Much of my downstairs is parquet, so regular cleaning isn't enough. It also benefits from polishing to keep it looking its best.

Rather than adding polish to the tank, I sprayed wood polish directly onto the floor in front of the cleaner. That worked extremely well. The PowerGlide buffed and polished the parquet with very little effort, saving me from kneeling down to do it by hand.

The long microfibre pads worked best for everyday cleaning. I couldn't see much difference between the two shorter-fibre pads during normal use, although the flooring may well have benefited. All the pads looked satisfyingly dirty afterwards, and they peeled off easily for washing. They can be machine washed at 30 degrees without fabric conditioner, or washed by hand.

I'd still take extra care with older wooden floors that have wide gaps between the boards. The PowerGlide feels gentle in use, but anything that sprays water needs sensible use where moisture could work its way into the gaps. On sealed parquet, though, I found it much more practical than using a mop.

Related: Best robot vacuum and mop

Is the AirCraft PowerGlide good value for money?

Whether it's good value depends on the type of flooring you have. In a home with plenty of hard floors, particularly wooden flooring that benefits from regular polishing, it feels like something you'll use often rather than leave in a cupboard. It covers large areas quickly, leaves the floor much drier than a mop and takes care of the buffing too.

For one small kitchen, I'd be less convinced. Although the body is fairly slim, the cleaning head takes up quite a bit of floor space. It stores away easily in a full-height cupboard, but the handle doesn't hook neatly out of the way like many mops or steam cleaners, so it won't hang flat against a wall.

The removable battery is another plus because it can be charged away from the main unit. One full charge comfortably cleaned my tiled kitchen and all the parquet downstairs.

If your home has large hard-floor areas or several hard floors, it's well worth considering. For a smaller home with only a tiled or lino kitchen, I'd probably choose a steam cleaner instead. If you've got parquet, cork or extensive hard flooring, I'd happily swap my mop for the PowerGlide.

About the author

Poppy O'Neill is a Content Editor at Mumsnet and a mother of two. She researches and reviews the products Mumsnetters swear by, with a particular focus on home essentials like steam irons, vacuum cleaners and heated throws.

From a highly recommended retractable washing line to the best quiet fans money can buy, and Mumsnet's favourite dehumidifier to the steam generator iron that'll cut your ironing time in half, she loves to deep-dive into research and find the very best products on the market.