Cordless cleaners are becoming more powerful and cheaper every day. Is it time to ditch the annoying cable for good?
Many people are still married to their model of ropes, or perhaps wary of the traps themselves the next generation of home cleaning, the Pocket-lint team has been hard at work. To help you choose the right option, we’ve tested all the major and latest devices – and, here, offer some things to consider before making your final decision.
We’ve put these models through their paces to test everything from battery life, ease of charging, and ergonomics. We’ve run them through many jobs, from spills on hard surfaces to scraps placed in deep carpets to separate the wheat from the chaff.
This way, you can determine if it is the right device before you put it in your shopping cart. And considering we’ve been rating vacuum cleaners since they dropped the cord — reviewing everything from weak battery starters to the best dishwashers on the market today — we’re expertly placed to inform your choices.
With all that said, it’s time to share our favorites. Below, you’ll find a mix of designs, capabilities and budgets that should match what you’re looking for. What is the best cordless vacuum you can buy?
Dyson V11
1. Best cordless vacuum
Amazing performance
$511 $699.99 Save $188.99
Powerful, durable and versatile – the best cordless vacuum we’ve tested.
- Great cleaning performance on the Dyson V10
- The LCD screen is very useful
- Many types of electricity
- It cannot charge and use at the same time
- The bin can be difficult to empty
- Expensive
Dyson’s V11 is a popular cordless vacuum, and it’s fair to say that when it’s in use it sounds like a Rolls-Royce.
This is a cordless vacuum that’s as powerful as you need it to be, and we’ve never had a problem running out of water while sweeping the entire house.
It has better battery life and better performance than the older V10, which was also considered for this list.
If you’re looking for a solution to replace your corded vacuum, or simply as a final upgrade to your current cordless vacuum, the V11 is as well-designed and reliable as we’ve ever tested.
The only real downside is the price, but it’s easily our pick for the best cordless vacuum.
Dyson V15 Absolute Sensation
2. A cordless vacuum is required
$659 $749 Save $90
Compared to many vacuums out there, in terms of cleanability, but the price will put a lot of people off.
- Anti-tangle hair screw is smart
- Laser Detect works best in dark environments
- World class
- Very expensive
- Laser Detect is amazing
- Better value in other Dyson models
If you are looking for the best cleaners in this category, you have found it.
But there’s a big problem – price – that keeps it from being our top pick. It boasts a cooler head unit, with Laser Detect allowing you to spot dirt on hard floors, but, for most people, the V8 or V11 is the better choice.
In particular, the V11 offers much of what the V15 does at a much more palatable price. For those for whom money is not an issue, however, we cannot recommend the cleaning skills of Dyson V15 enough.
Bissell
Bissell CrossWave Cordless Max
3. The best 2-in-1 wireless air conditioner
$364.99 $411.99 Save $47
The Bissell CrossWave is one of the best 2-in-1 cordless vacuum cleaners, and it’s not hard to see why. The combination of good prices and good performance makes this possible.
- Two-in-one vac and mop design
- Good battery life
- A self-cleaning port
- It is rich
- Sometimes they leave bruises when they scrub
- Not good for pet hair
The Bissell CrossWave Cordless Max vacuums and mops at the same time, making it a great time saver, especially if you have a tough area to clean. The design is excellent, with dual tanks for clean and dirty water, to ensure that your floor is perfectly lit.
When you’re done cleaning, there’s a docking station included and you can run a self-cleaning cycle to remove dirt, hair and debris from the vacuum, ready for the next job.
When you combine all these great features with the affordable price tag, it’s easy to see why the CrossWave Max is so popular.
Shark
Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
4. A cordless vacuum for pets
A special iron that can effectively manage hair and dander, the Shark device is the best option.
- Ingenius brush design
- Flexible rod works well
- Many types of electricity
- They are still expensive
- The light cannot be extinguished
- The best looks out there
The Shark Breather is a very impressive number and is cheaper than Dyson’s offerings on the edge. That said, this is still a very attractive offering.
It has excellent suction and smart brushes that deftly avoid those common hairs. The vacuum also folds up really well and the folds mean it’s easy to maneuver under seats.
Depending on your needs, you can choose models with a pet hair attachment and extra batteries to increase run time.
It’s the best air conditioner we’ve used at home regularly since we first reviewed it, and it doesn’t let us down.
Roborock H7
5. A great looking all round cordless vacuum
The Roborock cleaner outperforms its competitors due to its superior power and cleaning performance.
- Strong cleaning
- Additional magnets
- A large earthen bin
- No soft brush
- A dirt bin that is difficult to empty properly
- We can’t stop the look of the carpet
Roborock and H7 It didn’t let us down in some areas, but it fought off tough midfield competition to make the right choice.
As with the company’s vacuums, the H7 offers a complete package and represents solid value for money. That doesn’t mean it’s cheap, either, but it always feels like it can justify the price tag.
We’d really like to see a soft roller included, and it should be easier to remove – currently, you’ll need to use your hand or other tool to remove dirt – but the cleanability outweighs these limitations.
For us, the standout features are the combination of magnets and the opportunity to use a clay bag. It’s not something that involves other expensive methods, and all of these add to the overall cleaning.
How we chose these cordless vacuum cleaners
We’ve tried and tested almost every cleaner on this list and used it to clean all surfaces including hardwood, linoleum and carpet. Most of the options you’ll find on this list are reusable, and we can guarantee they’ll work for a long time.
We consider several factors before adding a cleaner to this site, including value for money, cleanliness, reliability and brand reputation. It’s impossible to include the right washing machine for everyone, but we’ve tried to include a variety of options from affordable prices to high-end options for those who need the best.
How to choose a cordless vacuum cleaner
In the past few years, cleaners have embraced the battery. The days of pulling a wall plug attached to the mains may not be over, but wireless is the future. There’s more freedom when cleaning, and the ability to get into places you couldn’t if the power cord was in the way.
Wireless designs bring their own challenges, including battery life, weight and size. How do you choose the best one for you? Well, below are some important points.
What kind of floors do you have?
Most of us have a mixture of floors and carpets, but, if you have one or the other, you may want to look for a rug that says it’s best for that type of floor. Usually, vacuums come with multiple nozzles and brush heads so that when you go from wood to carpet, you just swap heads.
Some go beyond this and have brush heads that detect the floor, and turn the brush head around or stop as the location demands.
How big is your house?
The bigger your floor, the more battery – and waste bin – you need for your vacuum cleaner. Smaller cleaners are lighter, which is good, but they won’t have as much impact as larger ones, which aren’t.
It is worth looking at how many square meters the manufacturer says it can handle before it needs to be added. One of the lightest is Dyson Omni-glidebut, even if it’s good, it can’t match the main building (unless you do a few bursts with long breaks in between) as it’s only designed to run for a few minutes at a time.
In most cases, you should consider battery hours rather than battery life.
What should you look for in battery life?
Even the best vacuums have a limited lifespan because they have a battery, and once they’re flat, they take longer to use.
A few years ago, battery life was 20 minutes or less. Things have improved since then, but you have to be careful with your usage. Vacuum cleaners that boast of an hour’s use are only talking about a very strong suction area and this goes down a lot when you have enough power to pick up the toughest dirt.
So, anything longer than 40 minutes is tough, but that also means you have to be careful with your stamina.
What about surfing?
HEPA filters capture very small particles and leave the air cleaner. This is especially important if you have anyone in your family who has a cough or asthma. Some filters require maintenance, usually by washing them under the tap after a while and letting them dry.
How many stickers do you need?
Some models come with pipes, curved pipes, long distance tools, pipe tools and more. This means you can stretch out to clean the top of the curtains more effectively if you’re reaching tight corners or under side rails or beds.
Not everyone needs all of these, so you may want to save money by choosing something simple.
How easy is it to remove?
Some cleaners use a quick walk in and out to get the bins out, while others are a little more tedious. Sure, you’ll get used to it, but since it’s guaranteed that you’ll be removing it every time you use it, it’s important to see how straight it is.
You will also want to consider the bin size.