Tired of lugging around a bulky machine? With one of the best cordless vacuums, your cleaning routine has never been easier.
The Real Homes team put these models to the test and spent hours vacuuming everything from pet hair to dust and dirt. These are the best of the bunch, with great battery life and powerful suction.
Want to know which are the best vacuum cleaners that are cordless? We've tried out a range of cordless vacuums — all rated 4.5 stars or more. From Sharks to Dysons, we tested them in different homes and on many different surfaces.
The best cordless vacuum cleaners, rated by our experts
The best cordless vacuum cleaner
Honestly, we can't stop raving about the Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ. It's part of the latest line of Shark vacuum cleaners, and it's packed with all the features you need when cleaning your home — no matter its size. Our head ecommerce editor Annie reviewed this vacuum and is still using it to clean her home. It's the only vacuum cleaner she has ever given a five-star rating.
In review
This gets crowned as the best vacuum for pet hair, too. It's super easy to use as it adapts its suction power depending on what you're cleaning. It picked up Annie's and her pug's hair with ease, without getting any tangled around its brush roll. Its battery life is long enough for her to clean her spacious two-bedroom apartment two to three times, and she loved its LED lights for cleaning underneath furniture. Its stick bends to reach underneath furniture were both game-changing features for her. It takes up little space in her coat closet as it folds down to store. It boasts impressive suction on both hard floors and carpets. It's not the lightest vacuum, but that's expected with all of the technology packed inside. It's still easy to lift and is super light when converted into a handheld.
Good to know
Clean Sense IQ technology adapts the vacuum's suction based on how dirty your floors are, making the vacuum work harder or decreasing its suction without you having to push a button. This vacuum works with recyclable pods to emit a nice smell as you clean (which is great for diminishing pet odors). This particular model comes with a pet hair removal tool, a bag for keeping all the tools together, and twin batteries. The vacuum arrived with fully recyclable packaging, and you can buy an additional battery to extend the battery life to up to two hours — each battery has a life of one hour. You can charge its battery in two different ways.
Read our full Shark Stratos IZ420UKT review.
The best cordless vacuum cleaner for small spaces
We rated this incredible stick vacuum cleaner a whopping five stars in our review, which doesn't happen often. Our reviewer Courtney liked it because it offers some extremely high-tech offerings for less than $500. It's an incredible vacuum cleaner for small to medium-sized homes as it has a shorter battery life and a smaller dust cup, but it still offers impressive suction.
In review
Courtney found that the 50 minutes of runtime is more than enough to quickly zip around your space, although she found that the battery would drain a lot faster when using the vacuum on its highest setting. She loved how lightweight it was and although the 6-liter dustbin looked small, it was surprisingly roomy and managed to collect the mess her three kids and dog left behind. It's easy to use and even easier to empty, plus its compact frame can squeeze into really any closet.
Good to know
Tineco's signature iLoop Smart Sensor technology detects hidden dust and debris and auto-adjusts suction power in real-time. You can see it as an LED ring that changes from red to blue to indicate clean floors and guide you along. It's a true standout feature that gives a visual confirmation that your floors are getting cleaner. The onboard LED display can be connected to your phone via the Tineco app to monitor cleaning progress, battery levels, and suction performance — for additional insight into your cleaning experience. It comes with a suite of tools that are handy to use when cleaning your home and your car.
Read our full Tineco Pure One S12 review.
The best affordable cordless vacuum
If you like the sound of our top-rated Shark vacuum but don't have a spare $450 to spend, then check out the Levoit VortexIQ40. It wowed our reviewer Courtney while tackling a house full of kids and a dog. Much to her surprise, it collected every trace of dog hair, dust, and crumbs. Best of all? It normally costs $299.99, making it a super affordable option.
In review
For its affordable price tag, this vacuum offers a good list of features. Courtney was impressed with its suction on both carpets and hard floors and appreciated that it automatically adjusts its suction based on how dirty your floors are. It comes with headlights and an add-on for its stick so it can bend underneath furniture with ease. Courtney found it handy that the LED screen displays "max" when the dust bin is full but does admit it can be a little messy. She also addressed its battery life, which only lasts 40 minutes meaning it's perhaps better for smaller homes and apartments unless you don't mind charging your vacuum after every use. It only comes with two attachments, but for $300, it's tough to beat. Courtney found both attachments to be useful.
Good to know
It takes four to five hours to charge, which might be a pain if your home is large and you've run out of power halfway through cleaning. If your place is bigger, this would be a great secondary vacuum for spot cleaning.
Read our full Levoit VortexIQ40 review.
The best Dyson cordless vacuum
The Dyson V15 Detect boasts some impressive tech, but it's only worth its $749 price tag if you're actually going to make use of it. Thanks to a built-in green laser, it makes cleaning your floors seem more like a game rather than a chore — the laser can visualize what your eyes can't. A Piezo sensor lets you track just how many particles have been collected (we're talking hundreds of millions). Our reviewer Jaclyn loved using this vacuum to pick up after herself and her dog. It offers second-to-none suction power, and it's our best-rated Dyson vacuum for a reason.
In review
The Dyson V15 Detect replaced Jaclyn's previous vacuum cleaner — the Dyson Outsize — which does have a dust bin that's twice the size but it's also heavier to use. Both vacuums have the same suction performance, which leads us to how impressed she was with the V15 Detect's suction. She was impressed by the green laser on the Dyson Detect's floorhead and found that it really helped to ensure her hard floors were truly clean (and all of the dog hairs had been picked up), but it doesn't work on carpets. The Piezo sensor still counts collected dirt whether you're on carpet or hard floors and it assures you that your vacuum is still picking stuff up. Best of all, she liked the range of attachments it came with, and the fact it weighs under seven pounds made it so much easier to lug up her stairs. It has three power modes, but she recommends using the "max power" mode in short bursts as it decreases battery life fast.
Good to know
The vacuum's LCD screen lets you see your stats, and it alerts you when the bin needs emptying or if an air channel is clogged. On this screen, you can see everything from a run-time countdown clock to a real-time count of the collected particles from the PIEZO Sensor. It comes with a high torque cleaner head to swap in for deep carpet cleaning, as well as a range of attachments that you can use to clean high and low. Dyson DLS technology automatically senses a change in floor type if you move from hard floors to carpeted areas. This vacuum has a specially designed head that doesn't get clogged with pet hair.
Read our full Dyson V15 Detect review.
The best cordless handheld vacuum
For anyone who needs a new cordless vacuum but will really only be using it for handheld jobs, then save on money and closet space with the Proscenic S1. Our head of reviews Millie rates this as the #1 handheld vacuum you can buy, and for less than $100 it promises up to 30 minutes of power to remove tracked-in dirt from your car or the crumbs embedded deep in your couch cushions.
Our verdict
The S1 did a great job in our tests of picking up particles big and small. Millie found the two suction modes were plentiful for dealing with an array of messes, though choosing the lower power setting definitely helped the vacuum run for much longer. When it comes to attachments, the brush nozzle was excellent for working on upholstery, while the crevice nozzle was unrivaled for reaching corners in her high-ceiling home. In practice, Millie confirmed it lasted 26 minutes on the lower setting, which is pretty good.
Good to know
It has a running time of 15–30 minutes depending on the mode that you're using it on. While this might not sound long enough, it is the longest of the handheld vacs that we've reviewed. When it comes time to charge, the S1 can be housed on its charging dock or via its USB-C cable.
Read our full Proscenic S1 handheld vacuum review.
The best cordless vacuum for busy homes
The Samsung Jet 90 is not only a perfect solution for pet owners looking to remove pet hair and dander from their homes effectively, but our reviewer Rachael claims it's amazing for anyone seeking a sturdy, dependable vacuum with superior suction power. You can also buy attachments for it (a cleaning station and a mop head) so keep an eye out for bundles that include those.
In review
This vacuum's lightweight design proved to be handy when going up and down the stairs. When used on carpet, Rachael discovered that even on its lowest suction setting, it did an excellent job of picking up crumbs, dust, and pet hair. Onto hard flooring: It worked exceptionally well though it was too powerful on vinyl floors so had to be used on its low mode. With two terriers to clean up after, this vacuum has a special pet hair strainer that captures hair and prevents it from clogging the filter. She was impressed by its battery life and convenient 3.5-hour charge time. It has a telescopic stick that extends to make vacuuming comfortable at any height. She raved about the included Z-station (a freestanding storage rack) that allows you to store your tools and vacuum upright with ease. Her only complaint? The vacuum doesn't have headlights to illuminate darker spaces.
Good to know
Rachel didn't test the Samsung Clean Station, but if you do suffer from allergies, then this could be a great add-on. (It's frequently on sale, so keep an eye out). If you detest dealing with your vacuum's dust bin, then this vacuum self-empties into a sealed bag that sits inside the Clean Station, for hygienic, allergy-friendly cleaning. It also comes with an extra battery to extend the life of your vacuum by two hours. You can also buy a compatible mop head for your vacuum — the Samsung Jet Spinning Sweeper Brush (for $129.99) — which clicks onto the stick part of this vacuum. Use your vacuum in "wet" mode when working with the attachment.
Read our full Samsung Jet 90 vacuum review.
The best cordless wet and dry vacuum
The LG CordZero A9 Kompressor ups the ante with the addition of a mopping kit, so you can vacuum and follow up with a machine-powered mopping sesh for sparkling clean floors. Our reviewer Kaitlin loved using this to clean up after her three kids and her dog, and she really enjoyed the convenience of its charging stand that comes included in the $799 price tag. Admittedly, this is a high-end vacuum cleaner that you'd expect to use several times a week to get your money's worth.
In review
Kaitlin really liked the convenience of this super lightweight vacuum mop, which extends depending on your height. The mop attachment is super easy to use, simply add the power mop attachment and fill the water reservoir then you're good to go. She was satisfied with its battery life and the fact it comes with two batteries meant she didn't need to worry about running out of power. She noted that it works best on "turbo mode" and one of her favorite features was actually its charging dock that was small enough to fit into her tight utility closet. The function that sets this vac apart from the rest is the Kompressor, which pushes dirt, hair, and crumbs down inside the canister, so you can go for longer periods of time without needing to empty it. Her only complaint? Do not attempt to use it on carpet or any rugs as Kaitlin dealt with a broken brush roll when trying it over a kitchen runner. Fortunately, customer service was responsive.
Good to know
LG's exclusive, smart inverter motor creates better cleaning performance, uses less energy consumption, and results in an extremely lightweight machine. It comes with a suite of attachments that are easy to use and has a smart component with LG's ThinQ app for troubleshooting product malfunctions and monitoring the battery and filter.
Read our full LG CordZero A9 Kompressor review.
The best cordless vacuum under $400
If you're in the market for a cordless vacuum to clean a smaller space, or for something to work alongside a corded model — perhaps to keep upstairs or for spot cleaning — then the Shark Vertex could be the one for you. Coming in at less than $400, our reviewer Jaclyn really loved it for quick clean-ups as it's lightweight, powerful, and super convenient. It's similar to our top pick, but it's $100 cheaper (and it's often on sale).
In review
This Shark vacuum cleaner ticked a lot of Jaclyn's boxes, though the canister capacity is among the smallest on our list, which is why she'd recommend it for small spaces or spot cleaning. It does boast a 60-minute battery life and a short three-hour charge time, which is impressive for its price. It folds down (similar to our first pick) for easy storage and doubles as a handheld vacuum, with a bunch of accessories included. She loved the fact it has two modes, one for hard floors and the other for carpets. The vacuum roared to life when she switched modes, and its LED lights illuminated the path in front of Jaclyn as she cleaned. She loved using its flexible stick for reaching underneath her bed. The only thing she disliked? It's pretty heavy, so if you have stairs you might not want to lug it up and down them several times a week.
Good to know
This vacuum is fitted with some of the latest Shark technology — DuoClean Powerfins, Multi-Flex technology, and the Anti-Allergen Seal (washable HEPA filter) seen in the upright Vertex. You can buy an additional battery to extend the battery life to up to two hours — each battery has a life of one hour. You can charge its battery in two different ways.
Jaclyn rated this vacuum 4.5 stars over at our sister brand, Homes & Gardens.
The best cordless vacuum cleaner for carpet
If you have a large, mostly carpeted, home to clean and want to do it in one pass, then the Dyson Outsize Absolute is a no-brainer purchase. It has a half-gallon dust capacity, up to two hours of runtime (from two batteries), and twice the suction power compared to earlier Dyson models (not including the V15 Detect). Yes, this is the most expensive vacuum on our list at $900, but our reviewer Jaclyn says that the Outsize is designed to be the one and only vacuum you need in your home.
In review
Jaclyn used the Dyson Outsize as her main vacuum cleaner for a good while until she tested the Dyson V15 Detect — she preferred this model for the size of her home. Opt for the Outsize if your home is large as it has a wide 12.5-inch head to clean more space in one sweep, plus it offers a huge dust cup and two batteries (giving you a total battery life of two hours). It performs extraordinarily well considering its weight, and it can convert to a handheld model. Jaclyn performed a bunch of tests with this vacuum and found that its suction is better on carpeted floors and that it struggles to pick up larger debris and dirt on harder floors. So if your home is mostly carpet, this is the vacuum for you. The two things Jaclyn didn't like about this vacuum is that out of its three modes, the strongest "boost" mode decreases battery life down to just five minutes. It also can't be used on thin rugs, even in "eco" mode as its brush roller stops which she found to be very annoying.
Good to know
The vacuum has some pretty intense technology that makes it so powerful, namely its Dyson Hyperdymium motor which is the reason it's so powerful. Dyson DLS technology automatically senses and adapts to changes in floor type, which helps manage battery life. Headlights do a great job of illuminating any dust or dirt you may have missed on the first pass.
Jaclyn rated this vacuum 4.5 stars over at our sister brand, Homes & Gardens.
The best cordless vacuum for medium-sized homes
When it comes down to decent, deep cleaning performance, the Miele Triflex HX1 Pro is a force to be reckoned with. Our reviewer Sarah claims its suction power is easily on par with a high-end corded vacuum, and this is achieved without sacrificing battery life. The HX1 Pro lasts longer than anybody should ever want or need to clean, making it a true winner for anyone with a medium or large size home who is in the market for a cordless vacuum.
In review
Sarah used this vacuum to clean up the messes in her four-bedroom family home she shares with children and pets. She enjoyed using all three modes it offers — comfort, reach, and compact — and claims that the reach mode was the one she used the most. The vacuum can also stand upright in comfort mode, which is a winning feature. Sarah admits the vacuum did its best work on carpets and it did a fine job on dust, feathers, dog hair, and human hair. She loved that it automatically detects when it’s on the carpet and bumps up the power. She raved about its LED headlights for making it clear to see where she had missed, though do be warned that pet hair will get tangled in the brush, but it's easy to get rid of. Sarah wasn't so happy with the size of its dust cup. It's small and translates into more trips to the kitchen trash can, though she did mention it's easy to empty.
Good to know
If your home is mostly covered in hard flooring, then we would suggest you pick a different option. At $899, it has a high price, but its suction is impressive on carpets. Two batteries mean you'll never run out of power, and if you have a medium-sized home, then its smaller dust cup shouldn't be too much of an issue. In fact, we'd recommend it over the Outsize for a medium-sized home because it lasts for 34 minutes when cleaning in its strongest mode.
Read our full Miele Triflex HX1 Pro review.
What to look for when buying a cordless vacuum
Along with each vacuum cleaner we've featured below, we've listed seven different specs:
- Bagless — Having a bagged vacuum means more waste, although it does trap allergens and dust from escaping when you empty your vacuum. So it's great for allergy sufferers, though bagless cordless vacuums are a lot more common.
- Battery life — Consider the size of your home. If you have two floors, go for something with a longer battery life. Some vacuums come with two batteries so that you're never without a charge.
- Charging time — If you're someone who vacuums every day, then go for a vacuum cleaner with a short charge time. If you don't mind charging yours overnight or you vacuum just twice a week, this shouldn't bother you too much.
- Capacity — The bigger your home, the bigger you want your dustbin capacity to be. If you have a pet, go for a bigger dust bin as yours will be putting in extra work to collect their hair.
- Noise — This won't bother some people, but apartment-dwellers might want a quiet vacuum to keep the peace with their neighbors. The quietest on our list is 71 dBA (our first pick).
- Weight — If you have stairs, a heavy, cumbersome vacuum might not be the one. No staircase? We still recommend choosing something lightweight if you want to use it as a handheld model with its accessories.
- Price — You probably already have a budget you're working with, so choose your vacuum and then patiently wait for a sale like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day and wait for its price to (hopefully) drop.
FAQs
What is the best cordless vacuum cleaner?
We cannot rave about the new Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ enough. It's packed with all of the features you need when cleaning your home. It automatically adjusts suction based on how dirty or clean your floors are, it bends to reach underneath furniture and for easy storing, and it works with scent pods to emit a nice smell as you clean your home. Our head ecommerce editor Annie reviewed this vacuum and it's the only vacuum cleaner she has ever given a five-star rating.
How much should you spend on a cordless vacuum?
Cordless vacuum cleaners range drastically in price. A budget model usually costs around $200 and a premium model can cost over $700. To get the most sought-after features, like long-lasting battery life, HEPA filtration, lightweight design, and excellent suction, expect to pay around $400.
How we test cordless vacuums
Tineco Pure One S12 in review
All of the cordless vacuums featured in this guide have been tested by one of our editors or freelancers in the UK or US. We appreciate that there may be slight differences between the models across the pond such as the model number or attachments that are included in the box. We test the vacuums for a minimum of two months in our own homes.
The products featured above are by no means limited to just how many vacuums we've tested — these are just our favorites so far. Over the years, our experience hasn't just been focused on reviewing cordless vacuums. We've tested robot vacuums, handheld vacs, and corded canister vacuums, too. And with all these vacuum cleaners coming into our homes, you may be thinking that our homes are spotless. You're not wrong. We are sometimes even gifted the vac which means that we can continue to use it in our homes, testing for performance over time, which is then reflected in our reviews.
How do we review cordless vacuum cleaners?
Shark Stratos in review
When reviewing cordless vacuum cleaners we use criteria in order to rank them. We consider five main features and compare each vacuum with its competitors. We think about:
1. How easy is it to set up?
We unbox all of our vacuum cleaners, lay out their accessories, and snap a few photos. If it needs to be connected to an app, we'll be sure to explain how easy its setup was. Most cordless vacuums just need to be clicked together and then fully charged before you use them.
2. How easy is it to use? How many modes does it have?
Sounds pretty straightforward, and for those vacuums with only one or two modes, it is. But for anything a little more technical (Dyson V15 Detect, we're talking about you) we test every single feature and mode, comparing one to another and on different floor types. The ease of use test also includes how heavy it is to lift it upstairs (if our reviewer has stairs) and how easy it is to clean underneath furniture and maneuver around furniture legs. We also check if it has LED headlights for illuminating darker spaces.
3. What is its battery life like? How big is its dust cup?
Yes, we know that each manufacturer tells us this, as well as the charging time, but we always check that this number is true by timing how long each vacuum can be used. The same goes for its dust cup, though this is a lot harder for us to test as it's all dependent on how clean or dirty our homes are. We will suggest a size home that is best for the vacuum. So, if we think that something is only really good for small spaces as it has a shorter battery life or a smaller bin, we will say so.
Levoit VortexIQ40 Flex in review
4. How easy is it to store and maintain?
Yes, all vacuum cleaners, whether they are $200 or $900, need to be cleaned. Ugh. But, some are a lot easier to clean than others. Some have washable filters which makes life easy, and we always note how easy it is to empty each vacuum cleaner's dust cup. When it comes to storage, most cordless models cannot stand upright on their own which is annoying. The majority of them come with either a stand or a wall mount to make them easier to hide in a closet.
5. Which attachments come with your vacuum?
Some of us don't have the space to store a handheld vacuum and a cordless stick vacuum, which is totally understandable. So, we're sure to test out all of the accessories that come included with our vacuum cleaners, and we explain what we used each one to clean. As a general rule, vacuums usually come with a crevice tool for reaching corners and a brush tool for cleaning baseboards and surfaces. Less is usually more in this case, as you need to think about where you're going to store these accessories. Some have onboard storage whereas others will need to sit in a bag in your closet.
Lastly, we try to carry out pantry tests with each mode, to deliberately challenge these vacuums with cereal, rice, and sugar across different floor types. We've found that this is a really great way of quickly, neatly, and (semi) professionally showing you just what the vac is capable of achieving.
Meet our in-house cordless vacuum reviewers:
Jaclyn was previously ecommerce editor across Future homes titles, including Real Homes. In this guide, Jaclyn has reviewed the Dyson V15 Detect, the Dyson Outsize Absolute, and the Shark Vertex Cordless with DuoClean PowerFins. Jaclyn's home features a mix of hardwood floors, carpets, and area rugs.
In this guide, our head ecommerce editor Annie has reviewed the Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ IZ862H. This vacuum has officially replaced her old one, and she loves every single thing about it.
Millie is our head of reviews across Future homes titles. She has tested many vacuums in her South London apartment, including the handheld Proscenic S1. She rates this as the best handheld vacuum you can buy.
Meet our freelancer cordless vacuum reviewers:
Courtney is a mom of three young kids and a dog, so naturally, crumb trails follow her everywhere. It’s safe to say she’s spent a small fortune testing vacuums, so reviewing the Tineco Pure One S12 and the Levoit VortexIQ40 Flex was right up her alley.
Kaitlin reviewed the LG CordZero A9 in her busy family home in Connecticut. She rated it highly thanks to its 120-minute battery life and its lightweight design. She also loved that it can mop hard floors, too.
Sarah has reviewed a bunch of home buys for us, from vacuums to appliances. She tested the Miele Triflex HX1 Pro and loved it, especially for cleaning her four-bedroom family home. It's safe to say this vacuum was put through its paces.
Rachael tested the Samsung Jet 90 in her home, and with two small terrier dogs who like to leave their mark in terms of fur and rogue bits of kibble all over the floor, it had a really good workout. She rated it highly and will be replacing her current Shark vacuum with this Samsung one.
Don't miss our guide to how to vacuum like a pro (yes, there are techniques to get it done quicker and better). After snagging one of these great cordless vacuums and our expert know-how, your house will be looking spotless in no time.