Both types of vacuums can deliver a deep clean on both carpets and bare floors, but a canister vacuum is usually easier to control. Upright vacuums are one unit on wheels and typically can only move in one straight direction. A canister vacuum consists of a long bissell vacuum cleaner handle with a cleaning head attached to a canister on wheels. It gives you more freedom to move around and roam without having to carry around the entire unit as you clean. Most vacuums will start losing power when the filters need cleaning or replacing.
Tech improvements are making cordless vacuums just as powerful as a corded upright. The Dyson V11 Animal is the top-of-the-line cordless vacuum with double the suction power of all its competitors. However, the battery is only capable of running for 60 minutes maximum, with shorter time results reported from customers. “Pet hair eraser” is an accurate way to describe Bissell’s hand vacuums. I’ve used a few different models and have always been impressed by how quickly and efficiently they’re able to get hair off surfaces like carpets, pet beds, wood floors and car seats. This cordless handheld vacuum gives you up to 17 minutes of run time on a single charge.
Meanwhile, the Tineco Pure One S11 is the only cordless vacuum in the top 5 of our sand tests that retails for less than $500. At a price of $400 (or less, if you catch a sale), it offers a high level of performance at a strong value relative to the competition, which is a large part of the reason why it’s our top recommended cordless vacuum. Sucking sand out of carpets like those is a real challenge — most of the vacuums we test can’t even remove bissell cordless vacuum 80% of the stuff when all is said and done. If you have thick carpets like those in your home, it’s definitely worth a look. Designed for hard flooring, it shines a green laser out onto the floor as you clean, making it easy to see dust and other small bits of debris otherwise hard to spot with the naked eye. It isn’t much help under strong indoor lighting or sunlight, but it’s still a nice, unique feature that we found helpful as we cleaned.
Versatility was essential — only vacuums that could serve double duty by cleaning bare surfaces such as wood and tile, as well as carpet or rugs, made the cut. All of the cordless vacuums we tested were between 4 and 7 pounds, but none was so heavy that it affected our recommendation. All of the vacuums on this list were also very similar in height and overall size. The Dyson models are both roughly 49 inches, while the Tineco A11 is shorter at just 43 inches tall. Other factors considered were how easy the vacuum is to handle and store.
Dirt Devil has figured out how to bypass this common issue, promising a maximum loss of 5%, which is barely noticeable. It’s possible due to the vacuum model’s patented three-stage filtration system that captures varying levels of fine dirt and debris. Keeping the Endura Max running well is easy — simply dump out the canister’s contents by pressing on the release button while you’re over a trash bin. Occasionally remove the foam sleeve and the inner pleated filter that catch fine dirt and give them a good shake to get rid of most of the debris or a rinse if they’re extra soiled.
Still, those are fair tradeoffs at this price, especially considering how well it cleans. At $400 or less, it’s the first cordless vacuum we’d recommend for just about anyone in need of a new one. The dustbin is a cinch to empty and clean, and the battery is removable, too. Replacements are priced at $80 each, which is pretty reasonable by cordless vacuum standards. There’s also a handy trigger lock lever to keep the vacuum running without constant finger pressure. If you’re prone to allergies or have other respiratory issues, running the vacuum can trigger them as it blows particles around.
Shark’s powerful suction is excellent for deep cleaning all floor surfaces. However, vacuums with heavy suction often drag on carpets and rugs, making them difficult to maneuver. Plus, it’s built with Advanced Swivel Steering which allows the vacuum to pivot effortlessly for better control. BISSELL builds a wide variety of vacuums to suit different needs, ranging from cordless handheld vacuums for spot-cleaning countertops and furniture to bulky corded upright vacuums that you can use to clean large carpeted areas. BISSELL vacuums tend to be affordably priced and use bagless designs that keep recurring costs down.