Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
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Credit:
Reviewed / Tim Renzi
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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The Samsung Bespoke Jet is a self-emptying cordless vacuum that brings plenty of cleaning power and battery life. Read More
Aside from spot on performance, it has comparable battery life to our top pick, and unlike a Dyson, you can buy extra batteries and swap them for more cleaning time. Read More
This Dyson has powerful suction power and long battery life, plus it has a great built-in laser that illuminates even the finest bits of dust on your floors and furniture. Read More
The LG CordZero A927KGMS Kompressor is a powerful cordless vacuum with plenty of battery life to back it up. Read More
The Absolute V10 comes with absolutely every kind of brush you'll ever need. Plus, they all attach to a 5.6-pound wall-mountable package, making it one of the lightest cordless vacuums on the market. Read More
Cordless vacuums give you the freedom to track down messes in your home regardless of how close they are to an outlet, fitting into spaces and under furniture that an upright vacuum can't. However, relying on a battery can lead to weaker suction and a smaller selection of features compared to traditional vacuum cleaners.
So we gathered the best cordless vacuum cleaners across every corner of the market to see how they performed in our lab. Our standardized tests focus on the elements you care about—battery life, cleaning performance, and overall handling—to find which cordless stick vacuums can actually deal with big messes.
The Samsung Bespoke Jet (available at Amazon for $599.00) ran circles around the competition, earning our best overall ranking. It has moderately good battery life, powerful suction, and a built-in laser that illuminates even the tiniest bits of fine dust on your floors and furniture.
Though the Bespoke Jet is our top performer it's also pretty expensive for most people's budgets. This is why we test vacuums at every price point, so you can find the sweet spot of performance and budget that works for you.
Dirt detection
Excellent handling
Long battery life
Small brush head
Powerful
Long battery life
Easy to use
Weaker than Dyson
Powerful suction
High dirty capacity
Awkward to hold
Able to stand and charge without drilling
Brush heads for both hardwood and carpet
Rechargeable and removable batteries
Weaker than Dyson
Cumbersome to change attachments
Powerful suction
Large number of available attachments
Only seven minutes of battery life on high
Sleek interface
20 minutes of suction between both batteries
Weak suction
LEDs on the brush head make it easier to find dirt
Above average battery life
Relatively weak suction
Swappable batteries
Excellent powered attachments
Relatively weak suction
Hi, I’m Jon Chan, the senior lab manager at Reviewed. I am the resident vacuum expert—I’ve tested hundreds of vacuums over the years, including everything from budget robot vacuums to upright vacuums.} When it comes to cordless vacuums, I like models that provide excellent battery life and value.
When we test battery-powered vacuums, we’re looking for longevity, ease of use, and powerful suction. To test battery life, we charge each model for 24 hours, then run it at its highest settings, timing it until it stops working. If the vacuum doesn't meet its manufacturer's advertised claim about its total runtime, we note it.
Cleaning shouldn't be complicated, so we also test for ease of use: Can we figure out how to work the vacuum without opening its manual? How easy is it to maneuver? How quickly can we change a vacuum's attachments, plug in the charger, store it away, or empty its dirt bin?
To test cleaning power, we placed 20 grams of sand on a testing platform covered in medium-pile carpet. We sift our sand through a specialized mesh to get grains between 420 and 595 microns. After evenly spreading the sand across our test platform, we run each vacuum over the carpeted platform once, on max settings.
We also test how well each vacuum picks up large debris like uncooked rice and macaroni. We test this once with the vacuum's motorized head and again with its crevice tool.
While most cordless vacuums don’t offer the deep-cleaning power of upright vacuums, they do have advantages, including maneuverability and convenience. Here are some other things to consider when purchasing a cordless vacuum:
There’s a cordless vacuum for almost any budget. While some of the Dyson models come with a hefty price tag, they also come with Dyson technology. Meanwhile, others cost less but still clean well, such as our best value pick, the Tineco A10 Hero.
A cordless vacuum is only as good as its battery. Most of the models we reviewed had battery run times of more than 10 minutes on the high settings. Using your vacuum on high does drain a battery quicker, but vacuums will run longer on lower settings.
Not all batteries recharge at the same rate, either. When you’re on a roll cleaning, you don’t want to lose power and have to wait until the battery is ready to go again. To combat that, some models come with an extra battery, which can be swapped out when your other battery dies.
Cordless vacuums have smaller dirt bins than uprights, which is one reason some people prefer full-size vacuums. However, bin capacity on cordless vacuums varies wildly. Some of the models we tested hold almost a full quart of dirt, while others hold less than half a quart.
It’s important to make sure your vacuum comes with the tools you need. You may need to clean pet dander, vacuuming dust from curtains and upholstery, or care for delicate hardwood floors. Whatever your needs, make sure you have the attachments to meet them.
Generally, cordless vacuums work best as supplementary tools to be used between heavier cleanings, or in situations where a corded vacuum is too cumbersome. That said, if you’re willing to pay a higher price for the privilege, some cordless vacuums can stand toe-to-toe with a full-sized model.
In many cases, the only difference between a cordless stick vacuum and hand vacuum is the cordless unit’s long extension, which allows the brush head to reach the floor. Although rare, some two-in-one–models come with a handheld mode that can be removed and used to clean without the floor extension—a real bonus when you're cleaning furniture or a flight of stairs.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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