But Dyson sticks arent our top pick (anymore) because we dont think their rug-cleaning power is so superior that it offsets their disadvantages compared with other cordless vacuums. It doesnt convert to a handheld vacuum, and the handling is stiffthough not top-heavy, as with most other cordless sticks. 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. The traditional self-standing design is easy to steer and store. A spokesperson from CR even told us in early 2020: When we looked at the raw problem rates of Dyson vs. cord-free stick vacuums in general, it appeared that Dyson wasnt more problematic than cord-free vacuums made by other brands. CR later updated the way that it rates cordless vacuums, and Dyson no longer looks like such a loser. Liam McCabe is a former senior staff writer for Wirecutter, and has covered the wild world of appliances since 2011. Plenty of vacuums have a dust-sensor feature, including the Tineco Pure One S11 (our top pick), and we think its genuinely useful because it helps you focus your efforts on dirty areas while not wasting the battery on clean spots. Look no furtherwere tracking all the best Cyber Monday vacuum deals available today. And if you want, you can swap out the H7s cyclonic filter and pop in a vacuum bag instead for easier dirt disposal. Even when the S11 did grab pet hair off the floor, the hair seemed more likely to get wrapped around the brush or jammed somewhere in the intake than with many other models. A robot vacuum can keep your home free from debris, pet hair, and dust, with little effort on your part (some even empty themselves). Thankfully, this machine does both at once. Other sources of delight or dismay that we look for: what its like to empty the dust bin; whether the vacuum can stand up on its own, in an included floor stand, or in a wall-mounted dock for storage; and the variety and usefulness of extra attachments that come with each vacuum. Plus, sticks are still prone to the same clogs, cracked plastic, and other mechanical failures as plug-in machines. Our take: Cordless vacuum cleaners, in general, are not long-lasting products. Weve tested more than 25 current cordless vacuums priced from $100 up to nearly $1,000, and dozens more since 2014. 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. Also, like the cheaper Dyson sticks, the V15 is top-heavy and uses a trigger-style power switch, which you need to squeeze constantly. Cordless vacuums can run, on average, between 15 and 45 minutes between charges, depending on the type of vacuum and the setting you select. He enjoys visiting factories and learning about regulatory loopholes, and has flooded our testing area only three times. In our around-the-house testing, the V15 picked up an astounding amount of fine dust and hair from rugs, even after wed already cleaned those rugs with other vacuums. Hoover has switched most of its lineup, including the Evolve, to a unified battery pack system, so finding replacement batteries should be easy for at least the next few years, and theyre reasonably priced, too. Dysons official replacements are expensive and not always in stock, but thats also true of most other reputable brands spare packs. 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. 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. Lupe does have an extensive list of spare parts available for sale on its website, though the list doesnt currently include spare motors or control boards, which are the parts that could do the most to extend the lifespan of the vacuum. 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. Our objection was that Dyson looked worse than it deserved because CR had lumped the data for cordless stick vacs and plug-in stick vacs into the same pool. The LCD can also display animated maintenance reminders and troubleshooting tips, a feature we havent seen on any other vacuums. Spare packs are a whopping $160 each.). Thats partly because vacuums with poor filtration tend to be bad at a lot of other things a vacuum is supposed to do, but on top of that, restrictions due to the pandemic have mostly kept us out of our test space, which has air-quality-monitoring equipment. According to publicly available import records (subscription required), EcoVacs has also manufactured vacuums for Shark (including newer versions of the beloved Navigator line of plug-ins) and Bissell. Best Overall: INSE Cordless 6-in-1 12 KPA Vacuum Cleaner. The price of lithium batteries (which power most cordless vacuums) has fallen but is still high, and you can easily overpay for extra minutes youll rarely use. The Shark Freestyle doesnt work very well on rugs at all, but at least it doesnt snowplow on bare floors as badly as the Black+Decker Powerseries Extreme or Hoover OnePwr Evolve. But the Tineco simply feels lighter than other sticks while youre using it. Another useful feature on the V15 is Auto mode, which automatically adjusts the suction level depending on the situation to maximize the cleaning ability while preserving battery life when possible. Follow these tips for finding discounts on the brands stick vacuums and more. Jasmine Khoury, a software engineer at Wirecutter, reports that her V8s battery stopped holding a charge after about four months. $449.99 (1092) Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars.1092 total votes. The Dyson V15 is actually better than lots of plug-in vacuums at cleaning rugs. The dust sensor (or debris detector) is another useful feature that we havent seen on other vacuums at this price. Each of these variants comes with slightly different sets of clip-on tools, but they always include a crevice tool, a bristled brush, and a motorized brush for vacuuming carpeted stairs and upholstery. We know of about a half-dozen others, and we may take a closer look at some of them someday. Plus, cordless vacuums tend to be easy to maintain. Engineered for whole-home, deep cleans- now in a lightweight, compact format. Lucas Lappe, the head of product for design firm Doris Dev, told us that his company often works with small factories in these regions and has found that its common for many manufacturers within a category to use many of the same components in their productsthe Aposen and Moosoo vacuums, for example, use the same cleaning head. The V15s Fluffy head (and that of the new V12 Detect Slim) is covered in a microfiber fabric that helps it glide smoothly across wood, tile, and linoleum floors and is better at grabbing all kinds of debris on those hard surfaces than the stiff-bristled carpet-cleaning head. Nearly every stick vacuum weve tested has major flaws. Also, the Blade+ is awkwardly top-heavy, and this vacuum (like the OnePwr Evolve, which we covered above) has a lot more negative reviews about battery failures than we expect to see. According to our analysis of customer reviews, the CordZero also seems to be a reasonably reliable cordless vacuum. The V8 in particular is overpriced and also seems to be about two to three times as prone to premature battery malfunctions as a typical cordless vacuum, according to our AI analysis of owner reviews. Our rule of thumb for cordless vacuum battery life: Take the square footage of your home and divide it by 50. Dyson and Tineco have powerful flagship models as well as budget machines with less *At the time of publishing, the price was $179. In our tests it was a decent carpet cleaner, though not quite as strong as the similarly priced Tineco S11 or Dyson V8. Were testing two new cordless vacuums from Tineco aimed at pet owners. For the price, it did an above-average job of cleaning rugs and bare floors in our testing. Here are six we recommend. 6 In 1 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner For Carpet Pet Hairhardwood Floor By Lubluelu, Model 008 Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum. Our best guess is that youll get something like three to five years of good use out of a typical cordless vacuum (depending on how you use it) before you need to replace an expensive part like the battery or cleaning head. (Owners are much more likely to comment on a vacuums carpet-cleaning performance, we found.) But we dont know if thats a realistic prediction anymore. But theres little evidence that other brands cordless vacs are much better. Its built-in LED floor headlights are also convenient for helping you see debris on the floor and clean underneath furniture. If you like the idea of buying an entire battery-powered system of household tools and appliances, maybe this is an attractive feature. 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. The V15 also comes with a new mini-motorized-brush design that has its own anti-tangle properties. One downside to the Fluffy head is that it is not effective on rugsit was terrible in our tests in that regardbut thats not what its meant for. Maybe thats the best we can hope for from such an imperfect (but inherently fun to use) category like cordless vacuum cleaners. 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. WebINSE M500 Cordless Bagless Stick Vacuum. Its still possible that the Triflex units with non-defective battery packs will prove to be longer-lasting than a typical stick vac. Although theyre quite light, their trigger-style power switch can feel uncomfortable because you need to keep it squeezed constantly to make your vacuum run. You can also purchase a non-suctioning head that spins two washable pads to wipe up spills and that can spray water from a small attachable reservoir. 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. Its not a trap-door-style bin, either, so you need to pull off the filter by hand (often getting dusty in the process) to dump it out. January 5, 2022 by Ahmad Jamal. 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. Shark VM252 VACMOP Pro Cordless Hard Floor Vacuum Mop with LED Headlights. It could be worth a look if Eufy cuts the price to $150. Were currently testing the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, which has been available in other countries since 2021 and launched in the US for the first time this year. On big messes, the S11 automatically bumps up the suction, too. The V8 also uses built-in battery packs, so when the vacuum is out of juice, youre done cleaning for a few hours. 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 top-of-the-line models (including the V15 Detect and Outsize) all clean better than any other cordless vacuum weve tested. The lightest cordless sticks weigh just a few pounds, and even the beefiest models weigh only about as much as small plug-in uprights. It cant convert into a handheld vacuum, but it does have a flexible hose that mostly accomplishes the same thing. It takes an hour less to charge and runs for 20 minutes longer than the V8 Absolute, and comes with more accessories, including a cleaner head that lights up dirt in hard-to-see areas and a display with a run-time countdown and (gimmicky) particle counter. Plenty of cordless vacuums work well on short rugs with debris like crumbs, grit, and most hair. A two-year warranty is the norm in the industry (though there are some exceptions). Best Tech Dyson V15 Type: Cordless stick Suction: 230 AW Weight: 6.8 lbs. We found that its excellent on carpets, as well, though not on the level of the (less expensive) Dyson V15. We tested each vacuum on bare floors to see if it could collect large and hard debris without pushing the debris around or sending it scattering. You can get a vacuum with extra battery life if you want it, but its usually a value trap. 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. Part of me wishes Id never tried the Dyson DC59 (later renamed the Dyson V6), widely regarded as the first cordless vacuum that could take the place of a plug-in, at least in an apartment. Most models in the range of $150 havent been out long enough for us to know one way or the other, and those that have been out for a while dont have as good of a track record as the Linx did. 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. We dont love any of the current options, but we do have a few leads to help you on your search. Dyson sells its refurbs through the Dyson Outlet as well as through its eBay storefront and at retailers like Walmart, and all refurbished units come with either a six-month or one-year warranty depending on the item. The most impressive is the Simplicity Cordless Freedom, at $700. The Dyson V15 is actually better than lots of plug-in vacuums at cleaning rugs. Tinecos reputation is a bit of an unknown. Its been available for more than a year at this point, and our analysis of customer reviews did not turn up any evidence of widespread defects or design problems (apart from the obnoxious dustbin). WebINSE cordless stick vacuum cleaner features 23KPa powerful suction with 265W advanced digital motor and upgraded filtration system. 2023 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company. 3) The Tineco is quieter than the Dyson and also more powerful. 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. LG sells loads of CordZero variants, but the higher-end options arent as compelling as the low-end versions that we like. 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. Whats even more impressive is that we ran these tests with a heavily used unit, and it still beat a bunch of brand-new machines. 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. The headlight does make it easier to spot small debris on bare floors that you might not otherwise notice from eye level. The electrical wiring that runs through the wand, to connect the cleaning head to the main vacuum unit, seems like it wears out much more frequently than on other vacuums. They actually work better than a bunch of the plug-in vacuums weve tested, too. The V15s extra bulk and wide snout also make it unwieldy as a handheld vacuumit cant reach into super-tight spaces very well. The battery is the most delicate and expensive part of any cordless vacuum, so its wise to do what you can to maintain battery health. Most sticks dont have the option to turn off the brush roll, so they tend to scatter cat litter and similar debris (though theres usually a workaround, such as attaching a special brush or just removing the cleaning head). We independently review everything we recommend. She hasnt had any issues with the new battery in the year-plus since she installed it. 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. (Wirecutters resident tool expert, senior staff writer Doug Mahoney, warns that Black+Decker tools are not great and pretty flimsy, so take that for what its worth.) 18KPA strong suction; three-layer filtration system; 20 ft long cord; multifunctional; 2 working modes.. Its particularly great on rugs, landing between the Dyson V8 and V11 in our test results. we can point you toward a couple that might work, a vacuum that collects debris in a self-sealing, disposable bag, Knockoffs are available, but buyer beware, updated the way that it rates cordless vacuums, customer service recommended not using Max power, Dyson Stick Vacuums Lose CR Recommendation Over Reliability Issues, The 25+ Best Cyber Monday Vacuum Deals from Shark, Miele, Roomba, Eufy and More, This Rare Dyson Vacuum Cyber Monday Deal Is Available Now, Mini motorized brush, filter cleaning tool, Mini motorized brush, bare-floor cleaning head, Dust sensor, bare-floor laser head, battery timer, Two batteries, battery timer, XL bin, extra-wide brush, Two batteries, battery timer, XL bin, extra-wide brush, bare-floor laser head, Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head, dust sensor, battery timer, button. In our tests, it actually sucked up about the same amount of gritty debris as the Dyson V7 (though not nearly as much pet hair and hardly any fine dust), and it beat out many models that cost much more. 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. A Roborock representative also told us that the company doesnt yet have plans to sell replacement batteries and expects owners to move on to a new vacuum every three years or so. The basic crevice tool (bottom left) comes with all variants and is widely useful. Dyson sticks are fine on bare floors but nothing special. 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. The trigger-style power switch can get uncomfortable to squeeze during long sessions, too, and were not confident that the V15 is more reliable than cheaper sticks from Dyson or any other brand. The V10 is degined with advanced whole-machine filtration traps 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. The Tineco Pure One S11 also has plenty of flaws, but theyre all minor, and it isnt bad at anything important. 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. Sir James Dyson himself told us in an interview that the company will be moving away from the trigger-style power switches in future models. The expensive Bissell ICONpet Pro (now discontinued) was just okay on rugs and not great on bare floors. ,We havent put the V12 through extensive tests yet, but it seemed promising during its first, eight-hour test run. 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. Several brands that sell cordless power tools also sell stick vacuums that use the same battery packs. The S11 is also a little better than most of its close competitors at getting dust and hair out of the most common styles of rugs, and it also works well on bare floors, without scattering debris. However, the Dyson V8 in particular seems to be prone to battery failures within the first few years of ownership. If you want a cordless vacuum that can actually deep-clean your rugs, the Dyson V8 serieswhich includes the V8 Absolute, the V8, and the V8 Animalwill come closest to doing the job for less than $500. Like the S11, the S12 comes in a few variants, with different sets of accessories. It must be something about the cleaning head, which felt like it gripped the floor in a way thats uncommon among cordless vacuumsand totally unique at this price. The reason we did it was to save battery power, Dyson said. Black+Deckers offering is good enough to be one of our budget picks, for example. A number of Wirecutter staffers own the Dyson V8. 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. 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. 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. They also come apart in several key places, so clogs are easy to clear. It also has a headlight, which is always helpful for spotting fine debris, though this lamp isnt very bright. The unusual part here is the battery: Its a polymer soft pack that offers as much run time as on most competing models but is less bulky. 5 Key Differences on Tineco And Dyson v11 Vacuum Cleaner 1) The Tineco has two filters as opposed to the one on the Dyson, meaning its less likely to clog up with debris. But even if its not, who cares? The Shark Rocket lineup was thoroughly mediocre in our testing, but the new Shark Vertex IZ462 is worth a look if you frequently need to suck up large debris (think yard waste or breakfast cereal) alongside your regular rug-cleaning routine. This is not a major distinguishing factor in our picks. A little regular maintenance should keep your vacuum in good working order for a long time. Some variants of the Dyson V8 also come with the soft-roller (or Fluffy) cleaning head, which is excellent for cleaning all types of debris off bare floors. But it cant convert into a handheld vacuum, and it lacks a hose, offers less suction, has a less-aggressive brush roll, and is heavier and harder to steer than the Dyson V11 Torque Drive. It all adds up to a comfier experience than you get with most sticks at this price, especially over longer cleaning sessions. Knockoffs are available, but buyer beware.). The company has done a better job in 2021 than in previous years of keeping spare parts in stock, but thats a low bar. We tried the Hoover OnePwr Blade+, which worked great on short rugs and did a solid job of getting heavy debris out of thicker rugs, especially considering the price. Its also got that HEPA filter in it that apparently is super important. Bare-floor cleaning was okay at best with the S11. So were dropping it. If you're interested in a button-operated Dyson, you could consider the V12 Detect Slim. From there, each part is cleaned, tested, and inspected. Dyson takes models returned by retailers and customers, inspects them, and then disassembles them into sub-components. 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. 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. The cleaning performance was also excellent in our tests: It wasnt quite as effective as the top-of-the-line Dyson models at digging fine dust out of thick carpets, but it was better than nearly all other models, and it did an excellent job on bare floors (without our having to switch to a specialty cleaning head as on most cordless vacuums). Michael Hession, head of photo and video, has had his V8 for four years: I bang that thing around, drop it often, and it has withstood all abuse. Both of them love the vacuum but note that the Max setting now runs for only a minute or two. While modes vary by machine, most everyday cleaning can be tackled in the lower power modes or in auto mode, which will help conserve battery life.. (Thats a change from previous Dyson models.) But we regularly see the Powerseries Extreme going for $150and at that price, its the cheap stick to beat if you want to be able to pull debris out of your rugs rather than just tickle the tops of the fibers. The only major downside we could glean from our initial testing was the small, hard-to-use dustbin. After testing 25 new models, we now recommend the lithe, nimble Dyson V12 Detect Slim and the sturdy, extra-strong Ryobi 18V ONE+ HP Cordless Pet Stick Vac Kit with Dual-Roller Bar as the best cordless stick vacuums. One of the most common complaints about Dyson stick vacuums, including the V8, concerns the trigger-style power switch. It offered most of the the same benefits as the V8, so if you happen to find a model available at a great price, its worth considering too.). 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. We test most models suction with a specialized gauge and some models airflow with an anemometer. The Tineco S11 also uses a click-in, swappable battery pack, so the only limit on its run time is how much youre willing to spend on spare batteries (though, as weve argued, extra battery life tends to be overrated). WebShop for the INSE Cordless Vacuum, 12KPa Powerful Vacuum Cleaner with 160W Motor, 4-in-1 Stick Vacuum, Rechargeable Handheld Vacuum Cleaner for Home Hard Floor Carpet Pet Hair-N6 at the Amazon Home & Kitchen Store. by Dyson. 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). But the Black+Decker is also one of the minority of stick vacs that let you shut off the brush roll so that it doesnt scatter hard debris like cat litter. The most common complaint we hear is that new cordless vacuum owners expected better suction or cleaning power for their money. Wed skip the base-model A10 and A11 vacuums from Tineco. That was easy. In 2022, the V8's Motobar cleaner head was updated, and a small cosmetic change was made to the color of the filtration cap. And we found some evidence that the V8 in particular is less reliable than many other cordless vacuums. Dreame, a newish vacuum brand, makes a few vacuums with similar specs and at similar prices to those of our main picks, so we tested the midrange Dreame T20 to see how it stacks up. The pricier models just include extra accessories like spare batteries (which you probably wont need, given the generous run time of a single pack) or even a huge floor stand that stores tons of tools and can automatically empty the vacuum bin (sort of like the newly popular auto-emptying docks for robot vacuums). When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. 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.