We had hoped that Miele’s generally excellent reputation for appliance reliability would mean that the Triflex would be one of the most reliable cordless vacuums out there. It’s still possible that the Triflex units with non-defective battery packs will prove to be longer-lasting than a typical stick vac. Also, like the cheaper bissell crosswave cordless Dyson sticks, the V15 is top-heavy and uses a trigger-style power switch, which you need to squeeze constantly. The headlight does make it easier to spot small debris on bare floors that you might not otherwise notice from eye level. You can get a vacuum with extra battery life if you want it, but it’s usually a value trap.
This versatile model is currently 33% off and works well on almost every type of floor, including carpet, hardwood, and tile. The best part is that it automatically adjusts its height setting, so you can seamlessly move from one room to another while cleaning the floors correctly. If you want a decent cord-free carpet cleaner but don’t want to spend much, the Black+Decker Powerseries Extreme 20V Max is the least-expensive model we’d recommend. For a stick vacuum at this relatively low price, it’s surprisingly effective on short- and even medium-pile rugs—at least for gritty types of debris like crumbs or sand.
Our testing team gave it a 5-star rating for its simple setup—it was assembled and ready for use in less than five minutes—and a 4.5-star rating for maneuverability. They found it difficult to move around on carpet surfaces, and docked its rating for this reason, but did add that the vacuum is not too heavy overall. While findingyour perfect vacuumdepends on your specific needs, we determined that the best model for most people is theShark Vertex DuoClean PowerFins Cordless Stick Vacuum. It has a very long battery life, powerful suction, and a compact design. One of the best ways to see how clean your carpet off is to wait until night time, turn the light off and put a torch on the floor.
Our tester noted the vac essentially pulls itself, and called it “flawless” before giving it a 5-star rating for maneuverability. For a direct comparison the Dyson V8 weighs roughly 2.6kg, and the Bosch Athlet 3kg. The Athlet in particular, although slightly heavier than the Dyson, distributes its weight well due to its design, something the Shark doesn’t do.
Surprisingly for a stick vac, this one is bagged, and we found the bag captured all dust well. Pick-up was outstanding; on carpet and when tackling pet hair, it proved to be a top performer. It only lost marks on laminate floorboards but it still collected 92 per cent of the dust laid. Sticks tend to come with a range of useful attachments, such as a crevice tool for awkward areas like cars, an upholstery tool for de-crumbing sofas and a motorised brush for collecting stubborn pet hair. Cordless vacuums are reliant on battery power to keep them going. The quality and longevity of these batteries have greatly improved in recent years.
It’s the Dyson v11 Outsize that has 220aw of suction – that’s the Dyson with the oversized head, which is different from the Dyson v11 Animal that I’m reviewing. And while the two bins do have a different method of emptying, the result is the same for both of them shark cordless with me – I have to reach in and manually pull the junk out. My husband hates the noise it makes and grumbles every time I pull it out. So the Shark Vertex is the heaviest of the vacuums but the Dyson v11 is the heaviest of the bunch when used as a handheld.
In our bare-floor cleaning test for cordless stick vacuums, we scatter litter on a tiled floor with grout grooves, which increases the difficulty. We also conduct a pet-hair removal test on medium-pile carpet, as well as a clean-emissions test to see whether a vacuum is releasing the dust that it just sucked up. If you’re looking for the powerful suction of an upright vacuum but the convenience of a cordless stick vacuum, this is the one for you. And with such a long battery life, you could vacuum your apartment multiple times or clean an entire two-story house before having to charge it. For all of these reasons, plus the easy three-minute assembly time, this is our top pick.
Meanwhile, a built-in LED headlight illuminates pet hair and dust bunnies to ensure a thorough clean. And if anyone in your home has allergies, the Shark’s built-in HEPA filter and anti-allergen seal will allow them to breathe much easier. From tackling pet hair to cleaning your whole home, Dyson has a cordless vacuum for every need.