We also make a note of each models advertised cleaning power, typically displayed in kilopascals (a measurement of suction) or air watts (a blend of suction and airflow), though sometimes the vacuums motor wattage is the only spec available. Currently, no cordless stick vacuums make our recommended list, including those that are top performers in our vacuum lab tests. But its one more chore, and youll probably have to do it more frequently with this vacuum than with most others. You can now buy a great cordless machine thats relatively comfortable to handle, like the Tineco Pure One S11, if thats your priority. Among Dysons best products are its cordless stick vacuums. (Dont forget about robot vacuums, which are even more convenient than cordless sticks and are often in the same price range.). As for the basics, the Lupe Pure Cordless is actually the most powerful bare-floor cleaner weve tested, thanks to very strong suction and an unusual dual-roller head design. Theres even a built-in dust-particle counter, which is a feat of engineering and also kind of a gimmick. But the V8 really stood out in our real-world, around-the-house testing, where it consistently dredged up more hair and dust than its closest competitors. One nitpick is that its almost too good at lighting up the floornot just debris but also un-vacuumable, irritating flaws, like scratches and dents and uneven boards, that you might prefer not to know about. The traditional self-standing design is easy to steer and store. We are cautiously optimistic about this Black+Deckers reliability, at least relative to the sorry standards of other cordless vacuums. We found that its excellent on carpets, as well, though not on the level of the (less expensive) Dyson V15. We like the Roborock H7 vacuum a lot, but were not ready to recommend it because we have no idea how durable it will be: Soft-pack batteries do not have a track record in vacuum cleaners yet. The V15s extra bulk and wide snout also make it unwieldy as a handheld vacuumit cant reach into super-tight spaces very well. And some variants have extras that are also useful, such as a real-time countdown of the remaining battery life. Dyson told us that the V10 Animal is part of the core lineup for 2022, should be consistently available through most retailers, and normally costs $500. We think this is because the S11 is designed with just a single cyclonic dust separator, so the filter has to do a lot of work capturing dust before the stuff flies through the motora lot more than filters do on vacuums with multiple cyclones (such as Dyson models and some others). The Miele Triflex HX1 was an upgrade pick in this guide from late 2020 through late 2021, but we had to demote it because we identified in customer reviews a high rate of battery defects and a pattern of poor customer service. Tacony makes cordless vacuums under its Simplicity and Riccar labels, but none of them are standouts. Right now, Amazons vacuum sale gets you the INSE Cordless 6-in-1 Stick Vacuum for just $94.37. The carpet-cleaning head also has adjustable gates, which give you a little more control over the cleaning performance. On the other hand, the Ryobi One+ EverCharge is one of our least-favorite stick vacuums weve ever used, with terrible top-heavy handling and mediocre cleaning performance. If youre willing to throw down the cash for a machine that cleans better than any cordless (and many plug-in) vacuums from any other brand weve tested, upgrade to a higher-end Dyson model. When you get the urge to clean, you can just pick up the vacuum and go: You dont need to unwrap a cord, find an outlet, and deal with tangles and snags. By the end of a long cleaning session, that combination can be uncomfortable for anyone, and it can be especially painful for people with chronic wrist, hand, or forearm pain. Bare-floor performance is important, too. Specifically, the Motobar's nylon bristles were redesigned to more deeply clean rugs and carpets. Its carpet performance is respectable for a vacuum with such magnet-like prowess on bare floorsa great compromise for people who really need both, in other words. Different variants of the Dyson V8 come with different clip-in tools. However, a lot of popular cordless sticks are top-heavy, with the bulk of the weight resting in your hand rather than near the floor. They're great for moving from room to room with ease and cleaning hard-to-reach areas. We tested the Bissell AirRam a few years ago. (That said, we think the V15 is actually more comfortable than the cheaper Dyson models because its trigger doesnt need to be squeezed so hard and its overall weight distribution is better.) The expensive Bissell ICONpet Pro (now discontinued) was just okay on rugs and not great on bare floors. If youve ever skipped vacuuming (maybe for weeks at a time) because your heavy, bulky, plug-in vacuum feels like a huge burden, a cordless vacuum could be a life-changer. By the fifth year, 45 percent of cordless stick vacs develop a problem. The best cordless vacuums of The laser really does do a better job of illuminating debris in brighter rooms and on lighter-colored floors than the LED headlights weve used. (Owners are much more likely to comment on a vacuums carpet-cleaning performance, we found.) We think any variant of the Pure One S11, including the standard set, the Spartan, or the Tango, has the best balance of performance and features for the price within the Tineco lineup. Weve found that a headlight really helps with the flour pickup in this test, as well as with other dusty debris and hair in general, simply because we can see it, so were less likely to accidentally skip over it. Well spend more time testing the V12 and comparing it to other Dyson models, and cordless stick vacuums from other companies, so stay tuned. The Pure One X Tango variant does come with a second cleaning head thats better suited for bare floors, thanks to a brush covered in microfiber. Tineco sticks all have a Dyson-esque, trigger-style power switch, though there's also a locking switch that can keep the trigger pressured so you don't have to squeeze it constantly. Dyson sticks arent particularly durable, long-lasting, or affordable to repair. *At the time of publishing, the price was $179. It performed better on its lower-suction, battery-preserving setting than many (though not all) other vacuums did on their maximum-suction, battery-draining settings. But its not elegant, either, since you need to store both heads separately, remember where you keep them, and crouch and fumble to switch them out. The S11s best trait is how comfortable it is to handle even during long cleaning sessions (you can realistically get about 30 minutes on a fully charged battery pack), as it feels lighter and easier to steer than any of its close competitors. All weve really learned is that you cant count on any of these figures to tell you how effective a vacuum will be. Dyson V-Series has been for years one of the finest cordless vacuums on the market, and for such good reasons to back that up. Its not complicated: You just press a big red button to release one and then slide the new head in until it clicks (just like switching attachments). (No, I havent used it to test how well other vacuum cleaners workyet.). The main weakness is that it snowplows more types of big debris on bare floorseven cat litter, to some extentthan most stick vacuums. In addition to our own testing, weve talked with dozens of real-life cordless-vacuum owners who live in all kinds of homes; read feedback from our readers about our picks; analyzed thousands of customer reviews on Amazon using an artificial-intelligence-driven tool called FindOurView; compared our findings with those of other reviews from sources such as CNET, Consumer Reports, Vacuum Wars (video), and Good Housekeeping; and talked with representatives from several notable cordless-vacuum brands, including Hoover, LG, Miele, and Roborock. The soft-bristle brush (bottom right) comes with Absolute variants and is useful for dusting. After testing dozens of robot vacuums, he is neither worried about AI nor holding his breath for self-driving cars. Most recently, the company released the V12 Detect Slim, a slimmer and lighter version than its predecessors. Its a sub-brand of EcoVacs, the biggest vacuum manufacturer in China (and therefore probably the world) and best known in the US for making some decent robot vacuums. I cant un-know how convenient sticks can be, so Im doomed to feel like plug-ins are a pain. Wirecutters battery specialist, staff writer Sarah Witman, recommends storing it (as with any lithium-ion battery) in a cool, dry place, and if you dont plan to use it for a while, you should leave the pack half-charged. Its also hit-or-miss as to whether a model will reliably clean up powdery debris, particularly when the stuff is stuck in gaps between floorboards. (Contrary to popular belief, built-in packs are usually replaceable with the help of a screwdriver.). WebBestViewsReviews Ranking and Score for INSE S6P Cordless Vacuum Cleaner This product received a total score of 7.66 out of 10, based on review sentiments and user opinions related to 10 features: Battery life Build quality Customer support Easy to use Efficiency Maneuverability Overall performance Size Suction power Value for money But theres no guarantee that theyre easier to replace than built-in packs; weve found plenty of instances where spare click-in packs become unavailable within a year. On big messes, the S11 automatically bumps up the suction, too. It was also the worst snowplower we tested on bare floorsit pushed around more types of debris without sucking the stuff up than the other models we tested. Top 6 Best INSE Vacuum Hoover makes a bunch of other vacuums in the OnePwr series that we may test in the future, though nothing jumps off the page as an obvious challenger for any of our picks. A robot vacuum can keep your home free from debris, pet hair, and dust, with little effort on your part (some even empty themselves). Like the S11, the S12 comes in a few variants, with different sets of accessories. Try to wait for a sale, when it costs less than $400. Here are the best stick vacuums from Brands like Dyson, Hoover, and Shark. If youre still interested in the Triflex, three versions are available: The basic model comes with one battery and no headlight, the Cat & Dog model comes with a mini turbo brush for upholstery and special odor-reducing filters, and the Pro model comes with two battery packs and extra tools. We tested cordless stick vacuums from top brands like Dyson, Shark, Hoover, Bissell, and The good news is that as of 2021 plenty of models have better weight distribution and standard toggle-type power switches. The Tineco Pure One S11 is our top pick because its pretty good (not great) at the important stuff, and it doesnt have any major flaws. The V15 Detect is particularly excellent. The other feature that makes it a true pleasure to use the V15 and a few other high-end variants is the LCD screen. We wrote in 2020 that it didnt feel like a life-changing feature, but it has actually grown on us over time. Our rule of thumb for cordless vacuum battery life: Take the square footage of your home and divide it by 50. In our tests, we always struggled to reattach it because it offered no tactile cues for where to line it up and no audible click when it slotted into place. It did well in most of our carpet-cleaning tests when it was running at maximum battery-draining suction, picking up a similar amount of sand and baking soda as the Dyson V8. The first time I personally used the V15, I was astounded to learn from this vacuum that my bedroom, which a Roomba had cleaned the day before, could contain 300,000,000 of anything, especially since the dustbin appeared to be mostly empty when I was finished. Dyson sticks are fine on bare floors but nothing special. The V12 has many of the features we liked in the V15, but at a lower price. If you can find the top-of-the-line S12 for $350, thats worth it. A representative of Dysons US-based Reliability & Engineering Team told us that some items are immediately disqualified if they are too old or in poor condition, while others are passed on to the refurbishment line. The comb is nothing fancy, but it seems to do a great job of shredding any hair that gets wrapped around the brush, so you dont have to manually cut the hair away later. If you want a long-lasting vacuum thats likely to give you more years of service for your money, your safest bet is to get a plug-in model. Engineered for whole-home, deep cleans- now in a lightweight, compact format. She reached out to Dysons customer service, and they sent her a new battery with detailed instructions on how to replace it, as well as with the recommendation to empty out the dust bin after every use to avoid this problem happening again. Here are six we recommend. Another time, the brush jammed on a small rug about halfway through my session (it can happen with any vacuum), and the particle count got reset, all of my work erased, youve got to be kidding me. But theres little evidence that other brands cordless vacs are much better. Here are six cordless vacuums on Amazon that are comparable to Dyson: Wowgo Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, $92.99 Toppin Tangle-Free Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, $99.99 (orig. And in general, if you have serious allergies or asthma, the conventional wisdom is that youre better off with a vacuum that collects debris in a self-sealing, disposable bag (or that uses water filtration). It makes the V15 excellent on bare floors, rather than merely very good, as it would be with the default carpet-cleaning head. Its especially handy if you need to carry your vacuum between different levels (and to clean the stairs in between), or if you have a tight floor plan with a lot of walls and furniture (as many small apartments do). Like most cordless vacuums now, the S11 works with extra battery packs that you can buy to extend the run time (though theyre $90 each), and it can function as a handheld vacuum, too. Another flaw that doesnt get mentioned in many customer reviews, but that we think is important, is that the S11s foam pre-filter (tucked into the bottom of the dustbin door) gets dirty fast. But plenty of great models have click-in packs now, so you can opt for one of those (such as our top pick, the Tineco S11) if youd like. Suction specs dont mean much when youre comparing the numbers across brands, but weve found that the figures are meaningful within a brandso although we havent tested the X, we have to imagine that considering the S11s solid but not excellent performance, the Pure One X would noticeably struggle to pick up more types of common debris. Despite its modest suction and short battery life by the standards of the past few years, it was unusually sturdy for a battery-powered appliance. A Dyson representative also told us that since lasers are more compact than LEDs, that allowed its engineers to fit this type of light into the Fluffys low-profile chassis, as well as to situate it very low to the ground, at a shallow angle, diffused widely, so the light glistens off more fine debris. At $700, the Dyson V11 stick vacuum is the most expensive model in our ratings. It also has a built-in display with the remaining battery percentage and a few indicators that can help you troubleshoot problems such as a clog or tangle. All that said, now that weve done a thorough analysis of customer reviews, it sure looks like the Dyson V8 has a higher rate of premature battery failure than the average cordless vacuum. Dysons entry-level sticks, including any variants from the V8 series, are the most affordable cordless vacuums with enough power to dig clingy dust and hair out of most rugs. Cordless WebThe Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute Cord-Free Vacuum has a 40% bigger bin than our previous Dyson V8 Absolute Vacuum for the big cleans. It's our most powerful cleaner head yet. A Fluffy comes packaged with some V7 and V8 models, and it will work with the V10 and V11 if you purchase the head separately. In one of our carpet-cleaning tests, we smushed a pre-weighed mixture of red sand and baking soda (its still un-smushed in this photo, for demo purposes) into a couple of types of rugs and measured how much each vacuum was able to collect at different suction settings. WebINSE cordless stick vacuum cleaner features 23KPa powerful suction with 265W advanced digital motor and upgraded filtration system. Dyson V11 vs. Shark Rocket Pet Pro: Two powerful cordless vacuums compared See how the impressive Dyson V11 stacks up against one of its closest cordless vacuum competitors, the Shark Rocket Pet Pro. We tested six new models for this late-2021 update alone, on top of nearly two dozen others that wed previously tested and that are still widely available. Dyson reps told us that the engineers tested other colors but found that green did the best job of highlighting debris. Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Cordless Pet Stick Vac Kit with Dual-Roller Bar, Cordless vs. corded vacuums: The downsides of going cord-free, Budget pick: Black+Decker Powerseries Extreme. Does the Fluffys headlight really need to be a laser? The Dyson V11 Torque Drive has two major features that set it apart from all other cordless vacuum cleaners: an LCD screen on its back and automatic suction adjustment. You can convert it between two different body styles by rearranging the order in which the parts fit together (no tools needed). The torque drive cleaner head removes 25% more dust from carpets than our previous Dyson V8 Absolute Vacuum. The S11s color-coded dust sensor, unique at this price, makes the most out of the vacuums cleaning ability and battery life by helping you focus your attention and effort on the parts of your floor that are actually dirty. A number of Wirecutter staffers own the Dyson V8. Dyson Best Overall: INSE Cordless 6-in-1 12 KPA Vacuum Cleaner. We try to look at owner ratings on Amazon and at other retailers to try to figure out if there are any obvious design flaws or quality-control issuesand weve even used a service called FindOurView to run an AI-assisted analysis of those customer reviews for some popular modelsthough its hard to spot obvious patterns until a vacuum has been out for a couple of years. At best, the particle counter is more information for the kind of people who like to count and track everything. We found that using the bag chokes the suction a bit but otherwise seems to work wellyoull just have to replace the tiny bags pretty frequently. That, combined with the top-heaviness, can make the vacuum pretty uncomfortable to use over longer cleaning sessions, especially if you have nagging wrist or hand pain anyway. ,We havent put the V12 through extensive tests yet, but it seemed promising during its first, eight-hour test run. We had hoped that Mieles generally excellent reputation for appliance reliability would mean that the Triflex would be one of the most reliable cordless vacuums out there. Theres a growing body of evidence that a notable percentage of battery packs in vacuums (and other small appliances) go bad after just a few years, if not sooner. The Vertex is also noticeably heavier than the Tineco or Dyson models we recommend, and the mechanism that locks the vacuum into the upright position didnt always click into place for us, giving the vacuum a bit of a cheap feel. While it wont pull as much dust or hair out of rugs as some other models near this price (including the Dyson V8 series, one of our runner-up picks), the S11 is strong enough that were comfortable recommending it considering its other advantages over its competitors. You might be reasonably happy with one when its brand-new, but were confident that none of them will last, so weve decided not to waste any more of anybodys time trying to figure out which $100 Dyson knockoff might pick up a few extra grains of sand before it heads to the landfill in a year. Theyre almost all bagless, and they typically come with filters and brush belts that are meant to last the life of the vacuum. One of the most common complaints about Dyson stick vacuums, including the V8, concerns the trigger-style power switch. Writer Sarah Bogdan devised and performed some of our tests for this guide. We dont recommend it for a wide audience because our analysis of customer reviews suggests that very few people really want this kind of floor-carpet balance in their vacuums cleaning performance. A Tineco representative told us that the company is working on a refurbishment effort, but that its limited right now. These cordless, compact, lightweight vacuums might make you actually enjoy cleaning the house. Whether its finding great products or discovering helpful advice, well help you get it right (the first time). Dyson Weve even interviewed Sir James Dyson himself. Owners love the auto-adjusting suction. INSE The lightest cordless sticks weigh just a few pounds, and even the beefiest models weigh only about as much as small plug-in uprights. If you have hard floors, you know that mopping and vacuuming are often a two-step process. The main tests we run measure performance on both a loose, low-pile rug and a dense, plush, medium-pile rug by weighing how much of a 45-gram mixed batch of sand and baking soda each vacuum can pick up. The lasers shade of cyberpunk green might look odd or uninviting to some people, too. We had written off the CordZero in previous versions of this guide as an overpriced Dyson wannabe. The screen is useful mostly because it provides a real-time battery-life countdown, which eases the range anxiety of worrying about how much time you have left to clean, as well as the rushed feeling that accompanies that uncertainty. The most impressive is the Simplicity Cordless Freedom, at $700. Lupe is making big promises and charging a lot of money for this vacuum, but if you want to support the mission, go for itinnovation sometimes requires early adopters to take a gamble on an unproven product. (Thats a change from previous Dyson models.) If you like the idea of buying an entire battery-powered system of household tools and appliances, maybe this is an attractive feature. Senior editor Erica Ogg has owned hers for three years and uses it daily to clear out Cheerios from under the kitchen table, as well as several times weekly to clean hardwood and carpet. As a bonus, most modern cordless stick vacuums can also transform into handheld vacuums, for super-convenient above-floor cleaning (upholstery or ceiling cobwebs, for example) and car cleaning. Most people will probably ignore it most of the time once the novelty has worn off. The company has done a better job in 2021 than in previous years of keeping spare parts in stock, but thats a low bar. The low-end CordZero A9 is an in-betweener option, and a great fit for some people. If thats the role you still want your cordless vacuum to fill, you can choose nearly any cordless vacuum, and itll work fine. If you want to spend as little as possible on a cordless vacuum thats good at cleaning rugs, and youre willing to tolerate an inconvenient design, check out the Black+Decker Powerseries Extreme 20V Max. The S11 can be a decent cleaner, but its not a standout. Companies also tend to recommend that you avoid overusing the maximum suction setting on your vacuum, as well as to let the battery pack cool off for a few minutes after use before you plug it in to recharge. Any Dyson model from the V8 line, including the Dyson V8 Absolute, the V8, and the V8 Animal, will work well on rugs. The difference was especially noticeable on thicker rugs, where it completely outclassed other sticks at this price (and many beyond it). And if you want, you can swap out the H7s cyclonic filter and pop in a vacuum bag instead for easier dirt disposal. The main differences between the models are the combination of clip-in tools, accessories, and cleaning heads they come packaged with, including the Fluffy cleaning head for bare floors. This model doesnt clean quite as well as the V15, nor does it have Auto mode, but its still a stronger vacuum than anything else at its price. So with all that in mind, we dont think there are any diamonds in the rough to be found at this price. Were not confident enough in any of these cheaper vacuums to make one an official Wirecutter pick, but we can point you toward a couple that might work. The Dyson V8 is better than nearly all other cordless vacuums (besides other Dysons) at deep-cleaning rugs. He enjoys visiting factories and learning about regulatory loopholes, and has flooded our testing area only three times. At worst, it could be a source of disgust or stress for people who dont want to know how many hundreds of thousands of dust mite eggs theyve just collected or who might drive themselves batty hunting down the last 10,000 pollen spores that may be hiding on a bookshelf. But even if its not, who cares? Spare packs are a whopping $160 each.). The new Motobar head also features detangling vanes designed to clear snarled hair. Dyson has made a version of the Fluffy head for a half decade (and plenty of other brands have copied it). This catch-all term includes day-to-day reliability, long-term durability, repairability, ease of maintenance, warranty coverage, and customer service. Expect to pay about three times as much for comparable cleaning power: A $30 plug-in stick vacuum should work about as well as a $100 cordless vac, for example, while a great $150 corded upright should clean like an elite $500 battery-powered stick. The S11 also has a built-in dust sensor, which we found to be surprisingly helpful: Whenever you roll over debris, an LED ring changes colors to give you a visual cue that youre actually vacuuming something. (We also tested its predecessor, the H6, a couple of years ago.) In our controlled tests, the V8 sucked more sand and baking soda out of more kinds of rugs than other cordless vacuums at this price (and some pricier models, too), including popular sticks from brands like Bissell, Shark, and Tineco. WebDyson's lightest intelligent cordless vacuum. INSE It certainly feels like a sturdy vacuum, but we dont have any solid evidence that itll be longer-lasting than other expensive cordless vacuums weve tested. We nearly made the cheapest version of the LG CordZero the runner-up pick in this guide, and buying this vacuum instead of a Tineco S11 or a Dyson V8 is a reasonable choice. Reliable stats about specific models or brands that are more prone to problems are still hard to come by (though its getting easier with each passing year). Of note, the Jet 90 will work with anoptional accessory (usually $200) that empties the vacuum on its own, though we have not tested it. Plus, cordless vacuums tend to be easy to maintain. Dyson lead systems engineer Carlos Dorado Cardenas told us in person that its best to keep Dysons cordless stick models as close to fully charged as possible, and to recharge after each useespecially older models like the V7 or V8, which use an older battery technology than the V15. Their battery lives are about average and, we think, ample for most uses (roughly 35 minutes for the V8), but they use built-in (or screw-in) battery packs, so its impractical to swap in a spare battery as some owners would like to be able to do. Short battery life was the most common complaint we found in our analysis of customer reviews, but thats true of nearly every cordless vacuum. Most of the time, the advertised battery life is about the same as the real-life run time. Shark VM252 VACMOP Pro Cordless Hard Floor Vacuum Mop with LED Headlights. Best Cordless Stick Vacuum This Black+Decker is a surprisingly adept carpet cleaner for the price. The Powerseries Extreme is also one of the few stick vacuums that let you turn off the brush roll to help prevent debris scattering on bare floors. The second is the Shark Navigator Freestyle. It all adds up to a comfier experience than you get with most sticks at this price, especially over longer cleaning sessions. But if excellent cleaning performance is your top priority, you should look elsewhere, such as at a Dyson cordless model or even a plug-in vacuum. Plenty of cordless vacuums are (finally) good enough to be the primary vacuum cleaner in most homes. (A Dyson engineer we spoke with said that having a full dust bin or clogged filters can make the vacuum work harder, which can shorten the batterys lifespan, but that the bin being full doesnt otherwise affect the battery.) It comes in two variants: The standard blue version, which we tested, and the pricier Pet version, which is purple and comes with a slightly larger bin and an attachment to suck hair off upholstery but is otherwise the same. Isnt that what the clear bin is for? However, judging from our AI-assisted analysis of customer reviews, it looks like the V10s battery is much more likely to fail within a few years than those of many other cordless vacuums: Around 15% of Amazon customersthe highest rate among the 13 vacuums whose reviews we analyzedcited this problem. (The V10 also cost $700 when we bought it, but now it sells for less.)