Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review: powerful suction and automatic emptying impress the most

T3’s Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review in a sentence: Hugely capable stick vacuum complimented by a sizable bin in the docking station.

I’ve tried out numerous stick vacuums over the years and many of them are essentially variations on the same theme. And, while lots of folks gravitate towards the best Dyson vacuum cleaners, possibly due to the strength of the brand name, lots of other options are just as good, if not better. The Morphy Richards MRXStickPro comes from a similarly well-respected brand but the difference is there’s more affordability.

Indeed, the Morphy Richards MRXStickPro is £349.99, which is still quite a high price to pay for a stick vacuum. However, this model comes with some neat features and functions that help to justify the inflated price tag. One of the key highlights is the 3-litre dust bin that is part of the main docking station, which automatically sucks contents of the 0.6-litre on-vacuum bin into itself after use.

Elsewhere, there is much to like about the Morphy Richards MRXStickPro including three suction modes, anti-hair-wrap tech, a multi-filtration system and HEPA filter, plus LED headlights on the cleaning head. While there are endless choices when it comes to the best cordless vacuums and the best robot vacuums, this is a very solid stick option. Let’s take a closer look.

Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review: Price and availability

The Morphy Richards MRXStickPro is available to buy right now and can be purchased direct from Morphy Richards. It currently has a price of £349.99, although interestingly if you’re a first-time customer, a pop-up offers a 15% discount currently. The Morphy Richards MRXStickPro is also available from other online retailers, including Amazon, for the same price.

Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review: What is it?

The Morphy Richards MRXStickPro falls directly into the cordless stick vacuum marketplace, alongside many rival appliances and also MR’s related offerings. These form part of the MRX Floorcare range, of which the Morphy Richards MRXStickPro sits at the top of the tree. This also means that it comes with a reasonably high price tag, but has the distinctive advantage of extra features and functions.

Other MRX models include the Morphy Richards MRXStick 450 and the MRXStick 250, which are cheaper and offer some of the same appeal. This includes up to 60 minutes of runtime as per the Pro model for the 450, while the 250 reduced this down to 45 minutes. However, the 450 has a more powerful 450W motor, compared to the 350W of the MRXStickPro, but the latter has a distinct advantage thanks to a self-emptying bin design.

This works by using the supplied docking station as home for a larger main bin. Once docked, the stick’s bin is emptied into the base, using a bagged arrangement. The downside is that replacement dust bags will inevitably need to be purchased over time. However, the big upside is that the design increases speed and ease of use, with less time needing to be spent decanting dust and detritus from the compact 0.6-litre onboard bin.

Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review: Is it any good?

The Morphy Richards MRXStickPro is a step up from many of the more standard issue stick vacuums out there. The main part of its appeal centres around the 3-litre dust bag that sits in the docking station. All I had to do in order to empty the onboard 0.6-litre bin into the bigger one was to return the unit to the base. The downside is the need to replace the paper bun bag from time to time, but it is a standout feature.

I also like the suite of features and functions that add value. There are a host of accessories included for starters. Best of the bunch is the turbo tool, which is like a smaller edition of the cleaning head and it’s ideal for pet hair and awkward stair carpets. The three modes are impressive too, with Low offering up to 60 minutes of runtime. This uptime ebbs away dramatically on the High setting, while the Middle mode can manage 20 minutes. Not bad at all.

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Morphy Richards describes the design as lightweight. I had to lift the vacuum and the base together then the 7.5kg total weight isn’t exactly that, plus it’s a little awkward unless you split the two apart. The thinking though, is that once the docking station is in a preferred location, it simply stays there. That means the vacuum on its own is just 2.8kg, which is about average though can still feel a little unwieldy if you’re reaching up to high corners or shelves.

However, the flexible tube design is another highlight as it allows easy manipulation of the stick design so it can be pushed under things like chairs and sofas. Adding to the appeal is a multi-filtration cyclone system, plus a HEPA filter, both of which seemed to work well enough in my experience of the unit. Noise levels from the 0.35kW motor aren’t too bad either, at just 80dB on the Eco setting, rising to 82dB for the Max mode.

Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review: Performance

Despite its potential, I think one of the things that might potentially put people off the Morphy Richards MRXStickPro is its overall bulk when mated to the docking station. This isn’t going to be a problem for anyone with space to spare, but in something like a small flat, the bulkiness could be an issue. Aside from that, the package is a generally potent one, with of course the appeal of the automatic emptying.

After a full initial charge, which took up to six hours as per the instructions, the unit was ready to go. I liked the switchgear on this model, with power and mode buttons fulling nicely near my fingertips for easy on and off, or tweaking of modes. Those modes are perfect for any kind of household cleaning scenario, with High naturally being the one that saps battery life the quickest. It’s best used for short bursts where it’s needed most. I found Low to be perfect for my hard floors, however, while Middle did fine on carpets and rugs.

While the stick vacuum itself does feel a little hefty when vacuuming along the corners of ceilings and shelves, it’s nicely balanced when covering floors. The other bonus with this model is the main tube, which can be angled to get the cleaning head under obstacles. This turned out for be more useful than I thought, particularly when navigating a cluttered living room. A definite bonus. Overall, the Morphy Richards MRXStickPro delivers the goods.

Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review: Verdict

Anyone who prefers a cordless stick vacuum will warm to the Morphy Richards MRXStickPro. This is a bit of a bulky package, due to the base station, but this is also one of its main strengths due to the automatic bin emptying. There are replacement bags to buy over time, but that’s not really the dealbreaker I thought it might be.

On top of that, the three cleaning modes are solid and the overall runtime is decent enough if you manage the power sensibly. Cleaning also seemed very effective to me, with the HEPA filter and cyclone system doing their thing, especially in very dusty areas. Add in practical touches like the LED headlights and angled cleaning tube and the Morphy Richards MRXStickPro bundle is a good one. Even more so if it can be bagged at a discount.

Morphy Richards MRXStickPro review: Alternatives to consider

If you simply can't be without a Dyson, the Dyson Gen5Detect is their most powerful cordless vacuum to date. It is a solid alternative and boasts a fifth-generation Hyperdymium motor that delivers up to 280 air watts of suction power. It might well be expensive but is one of the best.

Another more premium alternative is the Shark DetectPro. As the predecessor of the PowerDetect, both models share a lot of features. Alternatively, check out the best cordless vacuum cleaners because many of these can be condensed down into smaller units for cleaning the same kind of areas as I've described above.