Kica Jet Fan tested: Is the car vacuum cleaner that also pumps air convincing?

I'm still looking for a small vacuum cleaner to vacuum away crumbs and dust in the car. An appliance that is so compact that I can ideally store it directly in the door storage compartment.

The first time I tested it, it quickly ran out of steam: The Hermes cordless hoover I bought myself disappointed on all counts: poor workmanship, short battery life, unstable construction, disappointing suction power. I sent it back to our shop - and got my money back.

At the IFA tech fair in Berlin, an importer recommended the Chinese manufacturer Kica to me. They not only make massage guns, but also the Jet Fan. The device is an air pump that also turns into a mini vacuum cleaner with the included accessories - exactly what I was looking for.

High quality, but heavy

What strikes me immediately: The quality of the materials and workmanship is first class. The battery and motor are in an aluminium housing, only the buttons and attachments are made of plastic. It looks high-quality, almost classy.

But the Kica Jet Fan 2 is also a real heavyweight: without attachments, it weighs just over 300 grams. This is not only due to the metal, but also the 1100 mAh battery, which is charged via USB-C.

The motor was originally designed for drones. It achieves a maximum of just over 100,000 revolutions per minute, which should generate an airflow of 4 to 20 metres per minute.

Suction so good that it doesn't even need the compressed air

There's already enough crumbs and dirt in the car - ideal for the vacuum cleaner test. I screw on the attachment designed for this purpose. It has an integrated washable filter so that the dirt doesn't get into the engine.

But I turn it up straight away: On the lowest setting, it is too weak to effectively pick up crumbs. The suction power is much stronger at the medium or highest level. I'm thrilled: dirt of every calibre is sucked up in the very first pass.

Even the pieces stuck in grooves or gaps come loose immediately. I don't need the compressed air function here at all. I could turn the vacuum cleaner into a blower by screwing another attachment onto the back. I can then use the compressed air to blow out certain areas. This is not necessary in the car, as the suction power is more than sufficient.

Of course, the Kica Jet Fan 2 is not intended for large areas. I wouldn't use it to vacuum the entire footwell as it would take too long. However, it is powerful enough to remove particles from coarse carpet without any problems. What is also noticeable: The dirt container is quite small and had to be emptied after just a few minutes when I tested it. Or I just have too much dirt in the car ...

The vacuum cleaner is so small that it fits easily in a storage compartment in the car and is to hand when a few crumbs need to be vacuumed up.

Actually also an air pump?

The Kica is not just a hoover, but also a blower and an air pump. Three of the four attachments are designed for this purpose. However, after my first experiences with the inexpensive appliances, I am sceptical about overly big promises from the manufacturer.

I don't own a SUP, but I do own various air mattresses. The two attachments, each of which increases in size like a cone, adapt well to different valves. I start off on the low setting, but then soon turn up the power. And indeed, it works wonderfully. I can inflate the buoyancy aids without much effort.

But I don't need them now in winter, so I let the air out again immediately after testing to store them in the cupboard. Surprisingly, the Kica can also help here. Squeezing the air out of the plastic cover with its own weight is very tedious, especially towards the end, when I have to fold the air mattress seven times to generate enough pressure.

As an alternative, I use the Kica's suction function. I screw the attachment onto the other side and can suck out the air. This works so well that the air mattress is almost vacuumised and really only takes up a minimum of space when stowed away. However, this does not always work, as some valves prevent this suction.

Air pumps

Kica Jet Fan 2 Vacuum Kit

4

Air pumps

Kica Jet Fan 2 Vacuum Kit

4

Question marks for buttons and battery performance

I do find one weak point with the Kica Jet Fan 2: the operation via the power button and the slider for the intensity. Both react far too slowly. For example, I can hardly switch the vacuum cleaner on and off with just one hand because I can hardly feel the small button in the housing. The slider is also stiff, so I can't regulate the strength precisely. In everyday life, I usually used the minimum or maximum suction or blowing force.

The manufacturer promises a battery life of 3.5 hours on the lowest setting. I measured this: The battery only gives up the ghost after just under four hours. So Kica hasn't promised too much.

I can also run the Jet Fan from a power socket or a power bank, but only on the lowest setting. If I need more revolutions, the device requires more energy than is supplied. This is also due to the fact that it only charges at five to six watts.

If I use the full power, this drastically reduces the battery life. It ends after just under 13 minutes. That's surprisingly little.