10-Year Review of Sharp's 'RACTIVE Air' Stick Vacuum Cleaner! New and Old Models Compared After Repurchase

Table of Contents

• Introduction to RACTIVE Air
  • Battery and Operating Time
  • Temporary Hook
  • Dust Disposal and Disassembly Cleaning
• Comparison of New and Old Models

Introduction to RACTIVE Air

Now, let's take a look at the 2026 model "EC-FR11-B".
I'll also share my perspective as someone who replaced their vacuum cleaner after 10 years.

Click to enlarge

Here's what's included in the set.
The main unit, two types of nozzles, a battery, and a charger.

It's not in the photo, but of course, there's also an instruction manual.

The vacuum cleaner can be detached into the main unit, pipe, and head.

It can also be used in a short configuration like this.

The nozzle can also be used in this state.

This is the suction port (head).
It's quite ordinary, and while it claims to be tangle-free for hair, it still requires regular maintenance about once a year.

By the way, the first-generation RACTIVE Air I used before had a self-propelled power head function, which was a bit fun as it pulled itself along, but the current model doesn't seem to have it.
Well, it's not a problem. (In fact, the battery life will be better, and with fewer parts, it will be easier to maintain.)

This is the control panel.
Pressing the bottom button switches "On/Off", and pressing the top button switches between "Standard/Strong" modes.

You can also turn it on by pressing the top button, and since I always want to use it on "Strong" mode, I press the top button twice to start it.

The actual measured weight of the main unit, including the battery (and a little dust, by the way) , was "1.198kg".
The catalog states 1.2kg, so it's almost exactly as per the catalog specifications.

If this article was helpful, I'd be encouraged if you purchased through the links in this article.

Comparison of New and Old Models

From here, I will compare the first-generation RACTIVE Air "EC-A1R", released in 2016, with the 2026 model "EC-FR11-B".

What state is the RACTIVE Air in after 10 years of use? What improvements have been made? I hope you'll take a look.

The black one on the left is the 2026 model "EC-FR11-B",
and the yellow-green one on the right is the 2016 model "EC-A1R".

First, the main unit has a sharp design and has become quite compact.

Regarding the control panel, the first generation had rubbery buttons that required a bit of force, but the new model has shallow buttons. I think this is an improvement.

Also, the buttons on the first generation became less responsive in the latter half of its life, so I'm looking forward to seeing how this change performs.

About the grip part.
The first generation had a rubber-like material that started to crumble and peel off after 10 years.
The new model has completely replaced it with plastic, so this can also be considered an improvement.

This is the suction port (head). The new model gives the impression of being a size smaller.

The first-generation RACTIVE Air had a self-propelled power head function, which was a bit fun as it pulled itself along, but the new model doesn't have it.
Well, it's not a problem; in fact, the battery life will be better, and with fewer parts, it will be easier to maintain.

Back side

It's a bit hard to see, but the first generation had a structure where a lot of dust would get clogged in a mysterious gap on the pipe side (handle side), but this mysterious gap is gone in the new model.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs in the future.

With the "self-propelled power head function" gone, the structure feels simpler and better.

The pipe is also subtly different.

It's hard to see, but the first generation had structural irregularities like bumps on the inside, where dust would get caught.

The new model has only one bump for a claw, but it seems much better.

This is the dust cup.
The basic structure and disposal method are almost the same.

When disassembled, it looks like this.
The number of parts seems to have decreased by one, but it's almost the same.

The filter seems to have changed quite a bit.
The first generation had an uneven filter shape, but the new model has a sponge filter.

The structure of the back of the main unit is also almost the same, and both come with a cleaning brush.

The "temporary hook" is slightly smaller.

This is the battery.
The model number is different, but the capacity and other specifications seem to be the same.

The charger is also almost the same.

The weight including the battery (and a little dust, by the way) is 1.525kg for the first generation and 1.198kg for the new model.
It has been significantly lightened.

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