The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is a corded upright vacuum. It offers versatile overall cleaning performance on a wide mix of surface types, a reasonably lightweight construction, and an easy-to-maintain design. That said, its bulky body can make it somewhat tricky to maneuver in tight spaces, and it can incur some recurring costs over time. Still, if you're looking for a relatively affordable yet versatile upright vacuum, this is a good option.
Our Verdict
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is decent for bare floors. It clears away a wide mix of debris types on this surface type with little trouble. However, it isn't the most maneuverable, and its dirtbag is disposable, so recurring costs can add up over time.
-
Easy-to-maintain design.
-
Easily clears bulky and small debris.
-
Bulky design.
-
Moderately high recurring costs.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is decent for low-pile carpet. It does a great job of handling fine debris on this surface type, though it can leave behind a small amount of larger debris. It also has a simple design that's easy to maintain and reconfigure but does incur some recurring costs in the form of its disposable dirtbag.
-
Easy-to-maintain design.
-
Outstanding pet hair cleaning performance.
-
Bulky design.
-
Moderately high recurring costs.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is a decent choice for high-pile carpet. It does a good job of cleaning up pet hair and fine and larger debris, like baking soda or sand. It's quite easy to maintain, too, and the parts that you do need to service regularly are quite easy to access. Unfortunately, its bulky design can be a little tricky to maneuver.
-
Easy-to-maintain design.
-
Outstanding pet hair cleaning performance.
-
Bulky design.
-
Moderately high recurring costs.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is a satisfactory choice for pet owners. It does a good job of dealing with pet hair on carpets, though it struggles a little bit with this kind of debris on bare floors. It's quite easy to maintain and comes with a turbo brush to help clean fur from upholstered surfaces. It also has a HEPA post-motor filter and a HEPA dirtbag, so you won't have to worry too much about the spread of allergens as you clean.
-
Easy-to-maintain design.
-
Equipped with a HEPA filter and HEPA dirtbag.
-
Outstanding pet hair cleaning performance.
-
Bulky design.
-
Moderately high recurring costs.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is mediocre for cleaning stairs. While it can be reconfigured into a semi-handheld vacuum, it's still quite heavy, and its short vacuum hose can make cleaning hard-to-reach areas a little tricky. Still, it offers very good overall cleaning performance on a broad range of surface types, and its integrated carrying handle makes it a little easier to move around.
-
Easy-to-maintain design.
-
Can be easily reconfigured into a semi-handheld vacuum.
-
Bulky design.
-
Short vacuum hose.
-
Moderately high recurring costs.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is an upright vacuum that isn't meant to clean car interiors.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum isn't designed for workshop cleaning. It can't deal with liquid spills and will likely be damaged if you use it to suck up things like metal shavings.
-
Easy-to-maintain design.
-
Bulky design.
-
Moderately high recurring costs.
- 7.3 Bare Floor
- 7.1 Low-Pile Carpet
- 7.3 High-Pile Carpet
- 7.1 Pets
- 6.0 Stairs
- 6.4 Cars
- 5.1 Workshop
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3. We've overhauled our floor performance tests and added new 'Hard Floor Pick-Up,' 'High-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' 'Low-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' and 'Pet-Hair Pick-Up' tests. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Oct 20, 2023: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.0 and Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Oct 20, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update builds on our previous 'Suction' test with a new 'Airflow' test that more accurately measures a vacuum's ability to generate air movement. If you'd like to see an in-depth look at the reasoning and methodology behind this change, you can see our full changelog here..
- Updated Aug 26, 2022: This vacuum's suction force has been retested with a more accurate manometer. The test results for the 'Maximum Suction' and 'Normal Suction' fields have been updated. All relevant scores and text have been updated.
- Updated Aug 05, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated May 03, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Dec 08, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Dec 01, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Nov 24, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Nov 20, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Nov 09, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum, model number BU4022, only comes in one color variant: 'Green.' You can see its label here.
If you encounter a differently-equipped variant, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is a fairly basic upright vacuum. It does a very good overall job of cleaning debris on everything from bare floors to low and high-pile carpet. It's also quite easy to maintain, with a relatively simple design that puts its components within easy reach. Unfortunately, it has a few recurring costs, and its bulky design can be hard to maneuver.
If you're looking for alternatives, look at our list of recommendations for the best upright vacuums, the best multi-surface vacuums, and the best vacuums for carpets.
The BISSELL CleanView and Kenmore Intuition Bagged have different advantages, and you may prefer one over the other, depending on your needs. The BISSELL is a bagless vacuum with slightly lower recurring costs and marginally lighter construction. It also struggles less with cleaning pet hair. However, the bagged Kenmore performs better on bare floors and high-pile carpet, has an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, and is easier to maintain.
The Kenmore Intuition Bagged is slightly more versatile than the Hoover WindTunnel Tempo Bagged. The Kenmore is slightly lighter, has lower recurring costs, and cleans most kinds of debris more effectively on all surface types. It also comes with an allergen-trapping post-motor HEPA filter and dirtbag. That said, the Hoover does a better job of cleaning pet hair on bare floors.
The Kenmore Intuition Bagged is much better overall than the Sanitaire PROFESSIONAL Upright. The Kenmore is better built, has a slightly larger dirtbag, and is more maneuverable. It also does a better job of cleaning all surface types. The Sanitaire, meanwhile, is slightly lighter and has a marginally longer range.
The BISSELL PowerForce Helix and Kenmore Intuition Bagged have different advantages, and one may suit you better, depending on your needs. The bagless BISSELL has lower recurring costs, has a lighter design, and performs better on low- and high-pile carpets. Meanwhile, the Kenmore is better built, is easier to maintain, and performs better on bare floors. It's also a little more maneuverable thanks to its 'Lift-Up' design and pivoting floorhead.
The Miele Dynamic U1 PowerLine and Kenmore Intuition Bagged each have their own advantages. The Miele is much better built, far easier to maintain, and has a much longer overall range. It also has a more powerful motor and is more maneuverable, though it's substantially heavier than the Kenmore. The Kenmore is also slightly easier to store, incurs fewer recurring costs, and comes with an allergen-trapping HEPA filter. It also does a much better job of dealing with larger debris across various surface types.
Test Results
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum's build quality is passable. It's mostly made of plastic, except for its metal wand, rubber wheels, and handle. It feels quite sturdily made overall, but some smaller internal mechanisms, like those inside the bag container door, feel as though they could break over time. Thankfully, it's easy to assemble, as its components clip together intuitively.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is quite easy to maintain.
- Dirtbag: To access the dirtbag, you need to press the release latch for the bag compartment door and then push the bag release button inside. The dirtbag should be replaced once it gets full.
- Pre-motor foam filter: The pre-motor filter is located in the bag compartment. It can be removed after unclipping the filter cover. It can be rinsed under cold water if you notice some debris build-up, but you can also wash it in soapy, warm water if need be.
- Post-motor HEPA filter: The HEPA filter is located near the front of the vacuum, behind the chrome filter cover. It should be cleaned under cold water once a year.
- Brushroll: The brushroll cover can't be removed. Instead, you need to flip the vacuum head over and remove any trapped debris periodically, either by hand or with scissors. The brushroll itself is somewhat tricky to remove, as you have to undo 13 screws.
You must leave any part washed under water to dry for at least 24 hours before using it again.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum has some recurring costs.
- Dirtbag: The dirtbag needs to be replaced once it gets full. It can be purchased from Kenmore's website in packs of six.
- Filters: The pre-motor and HEPA filters are washable and reusable, so no replacement interval is specified. That said, you can replace them if you notice a drop in performance despite regular maintenance. Both filters can be purchased as a single kit from the manufacturer's website.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum has decent storage capabilities. Its power cord can be wound around the right side of its body, and there's onboard storage for two of its three included accessories.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum has a great dirt compartment. It's quite spacious, so it shouldn't need to be replaced too often. Four indicator lights gradually turn green as its dirtbag fills up, and all four turn red once it has reached maximum capacity.
- Vacuum body
- Vacuum head/nozzle
- Hose with handle
- Wand
- Bag compartment door
- Pre-motor foam filter
- Pre-motor foam filter cover
- Post-motor HEPA filter
- Post-motor HEPA filter cover plate
- 6x Dirtbag
- Pet HandiMate attachment
- Dusting brush
- 3-in-1 combination tool
- User guide
This vacuum has a sub-par range. Its power cord is reasonably long, allowing you to clean large spaces without swapping outlets, but its very short vacuum hose can make cleaning hard-to-reach spots quite difficult.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum is adequately portable. It's a little on the heavy side overall, but it feels fairly lightweight in your hand. Its integrated carrying handle makes it easier to carry from room to room or up and down stairs.
The Kenmore Intuition doesn't have a battery.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum has a couple of quality of life features. There's a readily-accessible power button as well as a brushroll on/off switch to prevent you from scratching up bare floors on top of the vacuum's main body. A suction control vent is farther up, near the handle, allowing you to decrease its suction if you find it too difficult to push around on carpets. Its head also swivels to improve its maneuverability in tight spaces and is equipped with a headlight to illuminate dark areas.
The Kenmore Intuition Vacuum has a couple of tools and brushes. There's its Pet HandiMate turbo brush to remove stuck-on pet hair from fabric surfaces, a hard bristle brush to dislodge stubborn debris, and an extension wand to help you get to hard-to-reach areas. Its 3-in-1 combination tool serves as an all-in-one upholstery cleaner, crevice tool, and dusting brush for gentle surfaces.
You can use the Kenmore Intuition in a semi-handheld configuration thanks to its 'Lift-Up' feature, which allows you to unlatch its body from its upright portion.
This vacuum does a great job of handling debris on hard floors. While a small amount of material might get caught in its floorhead only to fall back out again once the vacuum is shut off, it does a great job of clearing away a wide mix of debris types.
This vacuum delivers impressive performance on high-pile carpet. It clears away most large debris like cereal and medium-sized debris like rice within a single back-and-forth pass. However, you might need to go over the area again to fully clear away any finer debris embedded deep within carpet fibers.
This vacuum performs well on low-pile carpet. Its floorhead's bristled roller provides good surface agitation, so it's quite effective in dealing with finer debris like sand on this surface type. That said, a small amount of larger debris can be left behind.
Pet hair pickup performance is good. It clears away most hair embedded on low-pile carpet within a single pass, but a small portion might remain at the center of its head.
This vacuum's suction performance at its floorhead is poor. Its cleaning head sits somewhat high above the ground and doesn't form all that tight a seal, so it can have a harder time dealing with debris wedged in deeper crevices. That said, suction through its hose is quite strong, so you should have no trouble dealing with stubborn debris when cleaning in its semi-handheld configuration.
This vacuum has excellent airflow. It won't have much trouble lifting away heavier debris and sucking it into its dirtbag. On that note, its strong airflow indicates that its dirtbag doesn't impose too much penalty on performance in this regard.
This vacuum is a little noisy, though the sound it emits isn't all that high-pitched, and it won't be overly disruptive if you're cleaning a room with the door completely or even partially closed.
This vacuum has mediocre maneuverability. It rolls well on uneven surfaces, and its rotating head makes it a little easier to maneuver in tight spaces. While you can turn its brushroll on and off, there's no surface height adjustment, so it can occasionally have trouble climbing over electrical cords and rugs. Its bulky body can make it difficult to clean under low-lying furniture like couches and tables. Thankfully, it's 'Lift-Up' feature and on-board tool storage allows you to clean on top of furniture effectively, in spite of its very short vacuum hose.
This vacuum does an excellent job of picking up pet hair on fabric furniture when used with its Pet HandiMate tool. It clears all but the smallest of strands within a pass or two. That said, its handle and hose are a little bulky.
This vacuum does a great job of sealing in fine allergens, thanks to its HEPA-rated dirtbags and HEPA post-motor filter, making it a great option if you suffer from allergies.
The Kenmore Intuition Bagged does a good job of cleaning crevices. It can clear away debris in shallow and medium-depth crevices, like grout lines on a tile floor, without much of a hassle, but if you want to clean deeper cracks more thoroughly, it's best to use the vacuum hose instead.
This vacuum isn't designed to deal with liquid spills.