The 5 Very Best Cordless Vacuums

Floor attachments:Motorized dual-brush anti-tangle roller head |Other attachments:Upholstery brush, crevice with retractable dusting brush |Self-emptying dock:Yes |Battery life:70 mins. |Auto mode:Yes |Suction power:380-watt motor|Weight:7.7 lbs. |Dustbin capacity:0.7 l.|Warranty:1 year |HEPA filter:Yes

The Shark PowerDetect IP3251 is a successful embodiment of the “more is more” approach to product design. While it cleans about as effectively as some other vacuums costing hundreds of dollars more, it comes with features that are missing from many higher-end vacuums. The floor extension tube has a hinge that can be activated to help reach under sofas or beds. When folded, it can stand on its own without leaning against a wall — a common complaint about many stick vacuums, including Dyson’s. Its dual-roller floor cleaning head combines a fluffy roller in front for hard surface cleaning with an anti-tangle brush roller in the back for carpeted surfaces, allowing it to handle both types of floors without swapping heads. It also has a self-emptying dock that empties the 0.7-liter dustbin every time it charges. I’m not a fan of the bagless design, but I’d rather deal with a dust plume every few weeks than every few days. It’s also quite loud, but there’s a sleep button that prevents it from emptying if you wish to avoid disturbing any sleeping critters or people. And it’s all backed by Shark’s category-leading five-year warranty.

I was very impressed by the responsiveness of the PowerDetect’s dust and edge sensing systems. I could feel and hear it adjusting instantaneously as I switched between rug and hardwood. And it would pick up the power level as soon as it encountered any elevated levels of debris on either type of surface. While its 380-watt motor was quite loud when running on its highest speeds, it definitely delivers on cleaning power, rarely taking more than a single pass to suck up whatever mess was in front of it. But the above-ground attachments weren’t as good as they could be. Most cordless vacuums come with motorized upholstery tools, but Shark’s only has a removable, stationary bristle brush. It’s still effective at dislodging cat fur, but it requires a bit more elbow grease. (You can buy amotorized one separatelyfor $88.) Another feature I didn’t care for was Shark’s “Odor Neutralizer” cartridge, which is more like an odor-masking cartridge that smells like a Glade Plug-In. But the vacuum works fine without it.

The combined weight of the vacuum, floor tube, and floor cleaning head is 7.7 pounds, which is on the heavier side. But the whole thing feels very nimble and well-supported by the extra-wide and deep cleaning head. It’s fine as a handheld vacuum for smaller messes, but it will feel cumbersome if you’re trying to clean multiple sofas in the same session. While the vacuum itself is fine for homes of all sizes, small homes with limited floor space may not have enough room to accommodate the self-emptying dock. In that case, theIP1251is the same vacuum, but comes with a regular charger instead of a dock and usually sells for a bit less.

Floor attachments:Motorized dual-brush anti-tangle roller head |Other attachments:Motorized upholstery brush roll, crevice, flexible crevice, dusting brush |Self-emptying dock:No |Battery life:60 mins. |Auto mode:No |Suction power:140 air watts |Weight:8.25 lbs. |Dustbin capacity:1 l.|Warranty:3 years |HEPA filter:Yes

The Ryobi One+ HP isn’t the most powerful vacuum, but its dual-roller motorized brush head is exceptionally effective for its price on both carpeted and hard surfaces. Despite having roughly half the suction of pricier models I tested, it still managed to pick up dust from a low-pile rug that more expensive vacuums had already cleaned. The anti-tangle brush roller works as advertised, and both rollers can be removed for maintenance without additional tools. And unlike most stick vacuums, it can balance upright on its own without any support.

The Ryobi also includes a motorized upholstery tool that is highly effective at removing pet fur. And in addition to a dusting brush and a normal crevice tool, there’s a “micro-crevice tool” that consists of a cluster of bendable plastic tubes to navigate tight spaces. All accessories are stored neatly on the wall dock. The vacuum can run for up to 60 minutes on low with the included 4Ah battery, but you can also swap in any Ryobi ONE+ 18V batteries you may already have to extend the cleaning time. They’re the same type used in Ryobi’s power tools.

The biggest feature missing from the Ryobi that you get from a higher-end vacuum is a dust- and surface-sensing automatic mode. You have to manually adjust power levels for different dirt amounts and carpet heights, and toggle the brush roll when moving between carpets and hard floors using a button on the handle. The other drawback is aesthetics. The neon chartreuse and black design clashes with virtually any home decor that isn’t a workshop, which is particularly annoying since the dock works best when mounted onto a wall. Overall, it’s still an excellent value for what you get, especially considering it’s backed by a three-year warranty.

Floor attachments:Anti-tangle All Floor Cones Sense head with LED, motorized Fluffy Optic hard-floor roller with laser |Other attachments:Motorized corkscrew upholstery brushroll, crevice |Self-emptying dock:No, but has a compacting bin |Battery life:70 mins. |Auto mode:No |Suction power:315 air watts |Weight:7.5 lbs. |Dustbin capacity:1.3 l.|Warranty:3 years |HEPA filter:Yes

Dyson made thefirst cordless stick vacuumthat was good enough to replace a corded one in smaller homes, and with the V16 Piston Animal, it has made one that can be the only vacuum in almost any home. I ran it over my living room rug right after unpacking it and filled a quarter of its 1.3-liter dustbin with dust thata weaker cordless vacuumhad left behind. It may be expensive, but if you can afford it and don’t mind the lack of a self-emptying dock, it’s well worth the cost.

The V16 is also the first Dyson cordless vacuum that’s designed to clean both hard and soft surfaces without switching heads. The new conical floor-cleaning head automatically slows its brush-roller and turns on its dust-highlighting green LED (like the onefrom the Pencil Vac) when it detects a hard surface. It’s not quite as effective as the laser-equipped FluffyOptic hard-floor cleaning attachment, which is also included in the box. And thanks to a new release mechanism located at the top of the floor-extension tube, you no longer have to bend over to switch between the two. Other attachments include a basic crevice tool and Dyson’s Best in Class anti-tangle corkscrew upholstery cleaning attachment. Unfortunately, there’s no dusting brush, which I missed for detailing trim.

Unfortunately, the V16 does not include a self-emptying dock at this time. One should be available for purchase in the fall, but that will only add to its already high price. It does, however, have a clever dust compaction lever that compresses the dust in the bin after each cleaning, to keep it from reducing the vacuum’s suction power as it fills. Dyson says it can fit up to 30 days’ worth of refuse, but I find it lasts about half as long in my two-cat household.

If you’re familiar with previous Dyson cordless vacuums, you might be concerned about the V16’s durability, but I was able to confirm with Dyson engineers that this new vacuum is made using a higher grade of plastic that feels a lot sturdier and more solid in the hand. This does make it a bit heavier, but it actually feels more maneuverable than the Gen5Detect that preceded it, since they’ve changed the orientation of the motor to lower the center of gravity. If anything goes wrong, Dyson offers a three-year warranty and is good about keeping replacement parts in stock.

Floor attachments:Motorized anti-tangle combination carpet/hard-floor roller head |Other attachments:Motorized upholstery brush roll, combination crevice tool + dusting brush |Self-emptying dock:No |Battery life:60 mins. |Auto mode:No |Suction power:240-watt motor |Weight:6.6 lbs |Dustbin capacity:0.75 l.|Warranty:2 years |HEPA filter:YesSuction power:Not listed |Run time:40 minutes |Weight:7.63 lbs |Extras:Crevice tool, HEPA filter, anti-allergen seal

For smaller homes with hard-surface flooring, the Levoit LVAC-300 is a convenient alternative to a broom and dustpan. Crucially, it comes with a motorized upholstery tool that’s very effective for removing pet hair. And while the floor-cleaning brush roll is not the most powerful, it does resist hair tangling and is reasonably effective on short-pile rugs when using the turbo setting. It’ll only last for 12 minutes on turbo, which doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to handle a small apartment in one pass. It’s also quite slim and can balance without a dock, further adding to its small space appeal. Overall, it’s pretty limited in what it can handle, but it’s good at what it does.

Floor attachments:Motorized dual-brush anti-tangle roller head |Other attachments:Motorized upholstery brush roll, extendable crevice, dusting brush |Self-emptying dock:Yes, bagged |Battery life:100 mins. |Auto mode:Yes |Suction power:400 air watts |Weight:7 lbs |Dustbin capacity:0.5 l.|Warranty:2 years |HEPA filter:Yes

If you suffer from dust allergies, then you really ought to invest in a bagged vacuum so that dust doesn’t reenter your home every time you empty the dustbin. The next best solution would be a cordless vacuum that has a self-emptying dock with a bag, which is exactly what you get in Samsung’s Bespoke AI Jet Ultra. On paper, this is one of the best-performing cordless vacuums you can buy, which makes sense given it’s also among the most expensive. But even though it produces a massive 400 airwatts of suction, it’s held back by an ineffective floorhead. The brush rolls are too low to the ground, causing it to push debris around when it could be sucking it up. This issue is hardly unique to Samsung, but it’s harder to look past at this price. If you have dust allergies and must have a cordless vacuum, however, it’s still your best choice. My first impression of the Bespoke Jet AI: The sleek design, horizontal battery light glowing like some type of Cylon Centurion, and loud whirring of the clean station as it was “diagnosing” the the vacuum all made me feel as though I had unboxed a type of futuristic droid.

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