Pros
- Good suction performance
- Efficient filtration
- Reliable battery life indicator
Cons
- Short battery life at maximum power
- Loud noise
The green light on the Proscenic P12 hoover makes it look like the Dyson V15 Detect. However, its single-cyclone filtration and lack of particle counter make it far less sophisticated.
Overview
When it comes to hoovers, it’s hard to ignore Dyson, the behemoth of the sector, especially when the competition is paying him tribute. This is the case of Proscenic with the P12, a stick hoover whose suction head is decorated with a green light (Vertect system) to better spot dust. What a strange resemblance to the V15 Detect (or the V12 Slim) and its Fluffy head! But that’s where it ends. For example, the Proscenic P12 is content with a simple cyclonic filtration system, whereas its inspiration has a multi-cyclonic technology.
There is also no piezo sensor to count particles or the Point&Shoot emptying system. The P12 is much more classic, even though its one-litre dust container is one of the largest on the market.
Proscenic claims a 60-minute battery life thanks to its removable li-ion battery, which was measured at the lowest power level and without the brush connected. The P12 also benefits from a comprehensive control screen, which allows you to select one of four power levels and monitor the remaining charge via a segmented display.
Usage
While not reaching the quality of finish of more prestigious manufacturers such as Electrolux, the Proscenic P12 has been assembled with care. The plastics are of good quality and the whole thing should not fall apart at the slightest impact. The P12 weighs 1.56 kg without a tube (telescopic on this model, which is not so common) or a suction head, as its stick architecture allows. It is, therefore, relatively easy to manipulate in all directions to suck up dust in the smallest corners.
In floor vacuum mode, with the hose and the vacuum head, the Proscenic P12 weighs 2.67 kg. Again, this is light enough not to interfere with handling and should not cause arm pain, even after a long cleaning session. In addition, the hoover is very manoeuvrable thanks to its flexible moving parts. You can take even the sharpest of turns without any risk of skidding.
Like many of its competitors, the P12’s suction head has a LED strip on the front. The difference lies in colour chosen by Proscenic, a beautiful emerald green that inevitably reminds us of the diode on Dyson’s Fluffy Detect brush. However, as the British company has done, the Taiwanese company has changed the light’s shade without changing its lights’ orientation or height. As a result, the shadows are not more visible than with a classic white LED strip. Worse, we had the impression that we couldn’t spot the waste on the dark ground as well with this green light as with a white one. We would gladly do without this “innovation” which is clearly not an innovation.
As is often the case with this type of product, the control panel of the P12 is not challenging to master. You start the suction by pressing the trigger. The suction only stops when the trigger is pressed a second time. It is, therefore, a continuous vacuum cleaner, more comfortable for the wrist but more energy-consuming because the hoover is not necessarily switched off to move furniture. Unlike many other vacuum cleaners, switching to fractional suction is impossible, where the motor stops working as soon as the user releases the trigger. A pity…
The only other button on the control panel allows you to vary the suction power. And the least we can say is that Proscenic does not spare any effort since there are four on the P12. You can easily switch from one to the other by touching the dedicated button.
Good point; the manufacturer is not satisfied with a simple set of diodes to deliver an estimate of the remaining battery life. The P12 has a segmented display indicating the charge status per cent. Dyson indeed does a better job of giving an estimate to the second, but thanks to this information, you can plan a session with peace of mind.
On the other hand, Proscenic is not more generous with accessories. The box contains the hoover and its various essential components (tube and suction head), a charger, a long nozzle, a textile brush and a wall-mounted base – reduced to its simplest form.
Vacuuming
The Proscenic P12 surprised us with its excellent performance on all surfaces.
On shaggy carpets, it sucks up 100% of the waste in 2 minutes, which is not a performance to be taken lightly. You indeed have to use the maximum power, but not so many hoovers achieve such a result. It should be noted that even when using standard power (two out of four), the P12 does very well with an efficiency rate of 99% in 2 minutes.
On fine carpet, the P12 picks up 98% of the waste in 30 seconds in normal mode and 99% at maximum power. In both cases, the floor becomes spotless within one minute of use.
Finally, on a hard floor, you can expect to remove all the debris in 30 seconds at normal or maximum power. Again, not all upright vacuums are as effective as the P12 on this surface.
Maintenance
The Proscenic P12 has an upright waste bin. A button on the front of the container releases the hinged bottom so you can drop the dust into the bin without getting your hands dirty. Dyson’s point & shoot system seems even more hygienic to us, but we didn’t have any problems with Proscenic’s method.
The mono-cyclone filtration system is quite effective here. After swallowing 20g of cocoa, we let the hoover run for a few seconds to ensure that the fine material was well circulated, and then we weighed the different filters. The P12 houses three of them, which is quite unusual. The first, a foam filter, weighed 0.026g. The second, a HEPA filter, has gained 0.024g, and the third filter (also HEPA) at the back of the hoover has not gained any weight. The first two filters must be maintained occasionally to prevent the pores from becoming blocked, eventually reducing the suction capacity.
Disassembling the filtration system does not pose any particular problem. As is often the case, the various elements are located in the waste bin and can be accessed instantly before running them under clear water to remove the dust.
Finally, releasing the rotating brush from the suction head is just as easy as no tools are required. All you have to do is play a plastic latch to release the brush. Once you’ve removed any parts that may have become entangled in it, you replace it in its housing before locking it with a sigh of happiness.
Noise
The noise level emitted by the P12 reaches 64 dB (A) at standard power and climbs to 70 dB (A) when the device is pushed to its limits. While these values are not impressive – many models are much louder – the Proscenic hoover emits a shrill whistle that is quite annoying.
Battery life
The battery life is the main drawback of the P12. You can expect to vacuum for 33 minutes on power 2, but when the maximum level is used, the percentage of charge remaining decreases rapidly. The Proscenic P12 runs out of steam in this configuration in less than 6 minutes.
Recharging is very slow; it takes about 4 hours for the battery to go from 0 to 100%. Fortunately, the battery is removable and can be plugged directly into the charger, which is sometimes the case elsewhere.
Conclusion
The Proscenic P12 hoover works efficiently while containing the dust in its collector. Although not everything is perfect, it stands out as the manufacturer’s best model and a prime contender for the best value medal in our comparison. The Vertect light, a pale copy of an idea much better exploited by Dyson, leaves a more than mixed impression, as does the whistling sound emitted by the machine and its battery life, which is a little too short for our taste.
