Best Cordless Vacuum 2022
- Details
UPDATED NOVEMBER 2022 - Cordless vacuum cleaners have been around for some time but only started to become widely popular recently. They have historically been plagued by weak suction and short run times. However, current cordless machines have much more power and we are starting to see run times of 30 minutes or more on a single charge. Also, some of the outliers are reaching run times as high as 40–60 minutes (while still generating effective suction levels), and we believe this will be the norm in the coming months/years. This is being driven not only by new battery technologies but also by the relentless demand for cordless vacuums. Homeowners like the light weight, maneuverability and portability of these machines. Expect to find more and more of these appearing on the market.
Today, without a doubt, the most popular cordless vacuums on the market are those manufactured by Dyson. These include the V7, V8, V10, V11, V12 and V15 series. Ratings and reviews of these machines are typically very good so there is a reason why they are popular. We’ve analyzed Dyson cordless vacuums extensively and also believe that in the cordless market these are your best bet – so Dysons rank at the top of our list of best cordless vacuums. But you need a buying strategy.
Top Cordless Vacuum Cleaners
| Rank | Manufacturer & Model | Approx. Cost (USD) |
| 1 | Dyson Stick Vacuum - choose most suitable from table below | varies |
| 2 | Shark Vertex Cordless | $350-$400 |
| 3 | LG CordZero A9 | $500-$600 |
| 4 | Shark Rocket Pro | $180-$200 |
| 5 | Tineco Pure One S12 | $500-$600 |
| 6 | Bissell Air Ram | $200 - $275 |
#1) Dyson Stick Vacuum
A Dyson stick vac is our first choice for a cordless vacuum. We've worked with many different manufacturer's stick vacs and these are still the standard. Everyone else is trying to mimic what they have achieved. But there are different models within each Dyson cordless series and some are better for certain kinds of cleaning than others. The table should help with your decision.
| Model | Hard Floor Cleaning | Carpet Cleaning | Score | Approx cost (USD) |
| Dyson V7 Motorhead | Avg. | Good | 92/100 | $300-$400 |
| Dyson V8 Absolute | Good | Good | 94/100 | $400-$450 |
| Dyson V10 Motorhead | Avg. | Good | 88/100 | $400 |
| Dyson V10 Absolute | Good | Good | 80/100 | $500-$550 |
| Dyson V11 Animal/Torque Drive | Good | Avg. | 91/100 | $600-$650 |
| Dyson V11 Absolute | Good | Good | 91/100 | $650 |
| Dyson V11 Outsize (for large areas) | Avg. | Good | 94/100 | $800-$900 |
| Dyson V12 | Good | Good | 93/100 | $500-$600 |
| Dyson V15 | Good | Good | 96/100 | $700-$750 |
| Dyson Omni-glide (hard floors only) | Good | N/A | 89/100 | $350-$400 |
Note1: Animal versions are also good machines but they are not as good as the Absolute for hard floors. Consider the Animal if you like the Motorhead but want some more tools.
Note2: If you want to save money a good alternative to the V8 Absolute is the V7 Absolute, but there are some differences between the V7 and V8 models (read our V7 vs V8 article).
Note3: It is not essential to have the soft roller cleaner head (that comes with Absolute) for bare floors, but it works best.
Note4: If you're stumped between the V8 and the V10 read our V8 vs V10 article.
Note5: The V11 Absolute is hard to find in the USA. Also, you can upgrade from the V11 Animal to the V11 Torque Drive if you want the fancier LCD controls. Read our V11 Review or our V10 vs V11 article.
Note6: If you are stumped between the V11 and V15, don't be. Buy the V15. Read our V15 vs V11 article.
Note7: If you are not sure between the V15 and the V12 - buy V12 if you want light & nimble, V15 if you want longer run times and more power.
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DYSON V7 MOTORHEAD
Low noise level: The V7 (like the V8) is less noisy than the V6. We have done noise tests on all three machines.
A 2-in-1 vacuum: This is both a stick vacuum and a handheld vacuum.
Hygienic dirt emptying system: Both the V7 and the V8 have Dyson’s hygienic dirt emptying system which makes emptying the dust canister easier and more effective. This feature is not on the V6.
Great on carpet: We’ve run the V7 through a host of tests on carpet and pickup is very good.
Fast recharge time: The V7 battery can be fully charged in about 3.5 hours. This is faster than the V8 which takes closer to 5 hours.
Washable filter: The V7 only has 1 filter and it is rinsable in water and can be reused. A rinsable filter and a bagless design reduce operating costs.
Two power modes: Like the V6 and the V8, the V7 has two power modes – Low and Max (only the V10 has three power modes).
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DYSON V8 ABSOLUTE
This stick vacuum has been making waves in the market since it was released in 2016. Many other manufacturers are making similarly designed machines to capture some of the market for this popular unit. What makes the V8 so good?
Lightweight and easy to maneuver: This is one of the first things you notice about this vacuum. It is very light (5.75 lbs) and it moves/turns with a twist of the wrist.
Compact: The vacuum is small and thin. You can just lean it against a wall or place it in the provided wall hanger. It stores very easily.
Designed for bare floors and carpet: Many stick vacuums don’t work well on carpet. The V8 Absolute comes with 2 cleaner heads - one specifically for bare floors and one specifically for carpet.
A 2-in-1 vacuum: The V8 is both a stick vacuum and a handheld vacuum.
Minimal consumables: This is a bagless vacuum and all the filters are washable.
Low noise level: Some machines are annoying loud. Not the V8.
Easy to empty: Dyson have designed the V8 with a hygienic dust canister emptying system. This helps remove dust and debris from the canister without having to pull it out with your hands.
Includes several tools: Dusting brush, combo tool, crevice tool, motorized hand tool.
Quality filtration: It has both a HEPA filter and a sealed system to ensure only highly filtered air is expelled.
2 power modes: Can be set to Low power or Max power (for tackling tougher cleaning jobs).
Reasonable run time: It has longer run times than the V6 or the V7. On Low power mode it will do 25-30 minutes with the powered cleaner heads and up to 40 minutes with the non-powered tools.
We have the V8 Absolute and it is our go-to machine around the house for quick cleanups and for stairs. Read more in our comprehensive Dyson V8 review and watch our Dyson V8 Pros & Cons videos.
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This is the least expensive of the V10 vacuums but it still packs a punch. It is similar to the V10 Animal and the V10 Absolute but there are a few differences: less tools & attachments, more lightweight, smaller dust canister. Why do we like it?
Nicer handheld unit: While the dust canister is smaller, this also makes the handheld unit more manageable and we prefer it to the larger Animal and Absolute handhelds.
Easier to empty: We found the Motorhead easier to empty than the V10 Animal and the V10 Absolute. The smaller dust canister is just easier to work with.
Lightweight: This is the lightest V10. It is lighter than the Animal and the Absolute and is almost the same weight as the V7 Motorhead.
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Large dust canister: The dust canister is 43% larger than the dust canisters on the V7 and V8 and even the V10 Motorhead. You don’t have to empty it too frequently.
Not too loud: Dyson have implemented acoustic dampening in their cordless vacuum since the V6 and it shows.
2 cleaner heads: This is a key component of getting the “Absolute” model. It includes the direct-drive cleaner head and the soft roller cleaner head. The soft roller cleaner head is especially good on bare floors.
Reasonable recharge time: Dyson managed to get the recharge back down to the 3.5 hours. It is 5 hours on the V8.
Versatility: This operates as a stick vacuum and also a handheld vacuum, and changing from one to the other is quick and easy. With the wand and tools it is also great for overhead cleaning.
High quality filtration: The vacuum has a HEPA filter and also a sealed system to ensure all the air gets properly filtered. The filter is also rinsable in water.
Tools click fit: Tools fit securely. You don’t have to push them on or pull them off. They click into place and you press a button to remove them.
Includes a host of tools: Being the top-end model it comes with a number of tools.
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Animal Model - the most affordable V11: The Animal is about $100 less than the Torque Drive.
High Torque cleaner head: Both models have this cleaner head which is fairly good on carpet.
Extra long run times: The large battery is capable of close to an hour of run time in eco mode (the lowest power mode). It also has a longer run time in Boost mode (the highest power mode) than any other Dyson cordless vacuum.
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LCD control panel: This panel provides remaining run time readout in each power mode (counts down in real time). It also shows videos of how to fix potential vacuum problems (issues with filter or blockages for example).
Extra long run times: The large battery is capable of close to an hour of run time in eco mode (the lowest power mode). It also has a longer run time in Boost mode (the highest power mode) than any other Dyson cordless vacuum.
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The Dyson V12 is a lighter, more compact version of the Dyson V15. It’s a great fit for those who like all the conveniences and great features of the V15 but don’t like the weight.
The V12 includes two cleaner heads. The Motorbar cleaner head is used on carpet and can also be used on hard flooring, while the Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head is specially designed to tackle hard floors. As the name suggests the Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head has a laser that highlights hidden dust and debris. It sounds a little gimmicky but it does work and owner really like it.
The brushrolls in both cleaner heads are easily removed for cleaning and the brushroll in the Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head can even be rinsed in water.
There is a control panel on the back of the handheld unit which shows remaining run time (it counts down in real time) and it also tells you when the filter needs cleaning, when the filter is not properly installed, and when there may be a blockage. Video clips show you how to remedy the problems.
Unlike other Dyson cordless machines the V12 has a power button to turn the vacuum off/on. There is no power trigger. Some people complained that a trigger makes their finger tired over time so this vacuum will not do that.
The vacuum also has a “click-in” battery which allows you to recharge the battery on or off the machine, but more importantly it allows you to use one battery after another if you want to increase your run time. You will have to buy a second battery however as the V12 only includes one.
You also get Auto power mode which varies suction depending on the amount of dust in the incoming air, HEPA level filtration, and hair detangling technology built into the Motorbar cleaner head. In addition, like all Dyson cordless vacuums the V12 moves very well.
Just remember, however, that this isn’t a V15 and it doesn’t have the same power or lengthy run times. See our detailed Dyson V12 review to learn more.
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The remainder of the vacuums in our list are perhaps not as highly recommended as the Dysons, but they are still very good and deliver good bang for your hard-earned buck.
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#2) Shark Vertex Cordless
The Shark Vertex Cordless vacuum comes with a ton of features. It has two brushrolls, headlights, a flexible wand, a HEPA level filter, anti-tangle technology, and a detachable (“click-in”) battery. Shark put everything on this stick vac.
One of the most notable things about this machine is how well it performed in our carpet and hard floor debris pickup tests. On carpet pickup was 99.5% and on hard flooring (tile) pickup was 99.4%. Both figures are excellent. We sometimes see a vacuum do a great job on one surface and an average job on the other, but units that do a great job on both surfaces are not common (especially with a single cleaner head).
The controls on the Vertex are intuitive and easy to use, the tools click securely into place, and the multi-flex wand allows one to get under low furniture without having to stoop. We also tested the unit’s anti-tangle technology on both short pet hair and long human hair. It did a pretty good job. It wasn’t perfect but the result was much better than cleaner heads without this technology. So this is a decent choice for homes with pets or just lots of hair to deal with.
The Vertex doesn’t score as high as some of the Dyson machines mostly because it is quite heavy for a cordless unit. The Vertex cordless weighs in at a hefty 9.0 lbs and is one of the heavier cordless stick vacs we’ve tested over the years. But it’s still much lighter than most full size uprights.
You can read more this vacuum in our Shark Vertex Cordless review and if you want quick points and videos then see Shark Vertex Pros & Cons. You can also see the Shark Vertex on Amazon or check Vertex pricing at Shark.com.
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#3) LG CordZero A9
The LG CordZero A9 Kompressor is an impressive cordless vacuum. While it isn’t cheap you still get a lot for your money. It is also designed for both carpet and hard floors.
The CordZero did an excellent job in our carpet test and a reasonable job in our hard floor test (tile). We were also surprised at how well it performed in our hair test. The LG does not have any special anti-tangle technology but there was still very little hair wrap.
The unit includes two batteries which doubles run times and therefore allows for fairly large area cleaning. It also comes with both a wall mount and a charging stand. In addition, the wand of the CordZero telescopes – so you can extend or retract it.
It has what LG refer to as Kompressor Technology. A lever just above the dust canister can be pulled down to compact the debris thereby allowing much more debris to fit into the dust canister. As a result you do not have to empty the machine so frequently and it is also designed to limit the release of dust upon emptying. Peak suction power is very strong, there is a HEPA grade filter, and there are 3 tools.
However, as mentioned, this is not an inexpensive vacuum and we found it a bit loud in Maximum power mode. You can read the LG CordZero A9 review or see LG CordZero pricing on Amazon.
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#4) Tineco Pure One S11
This is a great cordless vacuum but it probably best for homes without a lot of hair to deal with. We did notice significant hair tangle in the carpet cleaner head.It also has a “click-in” battery which allows an owner to buy a second battery and effectively double the run time. The “click-in” battery is also handy if you ever need a new battery. You just pop the old one off and attach the new one – it takes seconds.
The S11 has an Auto power mode which uses a dust sensor to detect the amount of dust in the incoming air. When it detects a lot of dust the vacuum suction will automatically increase and when there is little dust the suction will automatically decrease. This is a great feature and helps optimize cleaning and battery charge.
The wall mount allows you to charge two batteries at once – which is great should you buy a second battery. Remember, the vacuum only comes with one.
The S11 is also not too heavy at less than 6 lbs. It is also fairly quiet, has good air filtration, and has headlights on the front of the cleaner head.
However, it does require frequent filter cleaning and it is not great at edge cleaning. You can learn much more in our Tineco S11 review.
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#5) Shark Rocket Pro Cordless
The Shark Rocket Pro is less expensive than most of the Dyson’s (with the possible exception of the Dyson V7 Motorhead). It is also somewhat unique in that it has fins on the brushroll as opposed to bristles. We were surprised with this approach but when we tested it on our carpet and our tile flooring the results were very good. It has great pickup on carpet AND also great pickup on bare floors. We’ve found many cordless units perform well on carpet but less so on hard flooring. Too view test results and videos please see our detailed Shark Rocket Pro Cordless review.
Like many stick vacuums today the Rocket Pro is a 2-in-1 machine meaning that it is both a stick vacuum and a handheld vacuum. You simply remove the wand and cleaner head and you have a handheld vacuum. You get two tools that work well with the handheld: a crevice tool and an upholstery tool.
Run time is somewhat average and this machine would be best for a smaller home. We performed run time tests on a hard floor and found that in standard power mode we got 24 min 42 seconds on a full battery. On our low pile carpet in standard power mode we only got 18 min 50 seconds. In boost power mode run times were even shorter (11-13 min or so depending on the surface).
The finned brushroll is self-cleaning and it is fairly effective at reducing hair tangle. This helps cut down the number of times you will have to up-end the vacuum and manually pull or cut away hair/string/thread from the brushroll.
The Rocket Pro does not come with a HEPA filter however, and it does tend to be a little loud. You may want to read owner reviews on Amazon.
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#6) Tineco Pure One S12
This cordless vacuum has been getting pretty good reviews and ratings from owners. We were also pleasantly surprised when we received this machine because it has a feeling of quality that we did not get with the less expensive Tinecos (like the A10 Hero). This unit compares well to some of the Dyson cordless machines.
One of the first things we noticed about the S12 is just how much stuff is in the package – see our S12 review. It comes with many tools as well as a nice bag in which to store them.
The S12 also has 2 batteries that can easily be swapped out (doubles your run time). This is a very handy feature and one unavailable in the Dyson cordless vacuums (with the exception of the very large Dyson V11 Outsize).
Power is also set with a slider so it is much more granular than simply low/med/high (again, see the review for a video showing how this works). In max power mode the power output of the S12 is pretty much the same as a Dyson V10 which is quite respectable.
In our tests we found that cleaning performance on both our low pile carpet and our tile flooring was quite good. We also found that the S12 is very quiet. As a matter of fact it is still the quietest cordless vacuum we have tested to date.
The S12 has a HEPA filter and a sealed system which ensures no unfiltered air escapes the vacuum.
We did find that it had tendency to skate about on our carpet however. It did not have the same “positive” steering that you get from a Dyson. Steering on hard flooring was very good though. See owner comments on Amazon.
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#7) Bissell Air Ram
This is a bagless, cordless stick vacuum that isn’t too heavy at 7.75 lbs. People really like the unit’s maneuverability and report that the swivel steering and light weight allow it to glide around furniture easily.
Most owners praise the Air Ram’s performance on bare floors, pet hair and low pile carpet. It has a motor driven brushroll which helps with vacuuming carpet - however the brushroll cannot be turned off. In some cases this can be troublesome as bare floor vacuuming is often done with the brushroll off. In the case of the Air Ram it is designed so the entire brushroll can be removed for bare floor cleaning – it is an odd solution but it does work.
The vacuum has a 30 minute run time on a single charge which is quite good. It also sport LED headlights and a washable filter (non-HEPA). Unlike the Dyson stick vacs this is not a 2 in 1 machine so there is no handheld component, and it does not come with any tools or attachments. However consumers report that it has strong suction – a key component for a good stick vac. You can read much more in our Bissell Air Ram review.
Frequently Asked Questions
> What is the best vacuum for pet hair?
> What is the best Shark Vacuum for pet hair?
> What is the best Shark Vacuum for hardwood floors?
> Shark vs Dyson - Which is best?
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> What is the best cheap vacuum?
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> Bagged vs bagless vacuums - which is best?
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> What is the best stick vacuum?
> What is the best cordless vacuum?
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