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Best Cordless Vacuum Cleaner 2024: Powerful cord-free cleaning
In This Article
Cordless vacuum cleaners are among the most versatile and convenient of household appliances. Available in numerous sizes, from lightweight vacuums designed to sit in your car to larger models that can clean the whole house on a single charge, there’s a cordless cleaner to suit all types of cleaning jobs.
As there’s so many options to choose from, investing in the best cordless vacuum for your household’s needs can require some thought. Consider what type of jobs you’ll primarily use the vacuum for, whether that be for regular whole-home cleaning or if you just need a smaller, portable device for sorting out the odd mess.
Larger cordless vacuums may seem more expensive but tend to include a host of extra tools to help make the appliance more versatile. These tools can include dusting brushes, stubborn dirt brushes to help agitate dried on dirt and even dedicated car attachments too.
Battery capacity should also be considered. As cordless vacuums aren’t powered by a wired connection, they have a limited run-time before needing to recharge.
To help you decide which type of model is the best option for you, we have thoroughly reviewed numerous cordless vacuum cleaners and put our top picks into this handy guide.
As part of our rigorous process, we thoroughly test each appliance’s performance and power to ensure they can clean efficiently.
We also test each cordless vacuum’s battery capacity and how long it lasts between charges. Finally we note any extra features that are particularly impressive, including any included tools and attachments, or fast-charging speeds.
For more options, have a look through ourbest vacuum cleanerlist, or if you want to sit back and let technology do all the work for you then be sure to visit ourbest robot vacuum cleanersguide too.
Best cordless vacuums at a glance
How we test
Every vacuum cleaner that we test goes through exactly the same tests. We use both real-world tests and technical measurements to tell the good from the bad. First, we measure suction power in Air Watts (AW), which is a combination of suction and airflow. This lets us compare the raw power of each cleaner.Actual performance depends on a lot of factors including the quality of the accessories and the ability of a vacuum to agitate dirt. For that reason, we take before and after pictures of dust collection on carpet, hard floors and with pet hair.We don’t weigh the before and after results, as this test is notoriously difficult to do properly, as vacuum cleaners will pick up fibres from the floor that will add to the weight collected. And, without a super-sensitive set of scales it’s impossible to measure fine differences between machines.If you want to learn more, please visit our detailed page abouthow we test vacuum cleaners.
Dyson V15 Detect
Pros
Cons
Although it looks similar to its predecessor, theDyson V11 Absolute, due to its same-shaped body and the trigger used to turn the vacuum on and off, the V15 Detect boasts extra features to make cleaning that much easier.
On the vacuum itself you’ll find an LCD panel which clearly shows useful information such as its remaining battery life and the selected power mode. Not only that but thanks to the clever piezo sensor inside, the V15 Detect measures and displays how much dirt has been collected and can automatically adjust its power accordingly.
The V15 Detect has three power modes, Eco, Boost and Auto with the latter allowing you to leave the vacuum to do the hard work for you and set its the best suction level for the floor type and amount of dirt present.
Dyson includes all the accessories you realistically need for an entire house clean, with its main floor heads being the Laser Slim Fluffy and the High Torque head with anti-tangle comb.
The Laser Slim Fluffy head boasts a bright green laser to illuminate dirt and show you where you need to clean while the High Torque head boasts anti hair tangle technology, which means you’ll never have to cut out hair clumps from your roller again.
Dyson also throws in a crevice tool, dusting brush, stubborn dirt brush and a combination tool.
We measured the raw power of the V15 Detect and received some of the highest results seen on a vacuum, putting it more in line with that of a corded model, measuring up to a massive 280.93AW when on Boost Mode. It’s not just powerful but it’s impressively quiet too, topping just 71.7dB.
Unsurprisingly, battery life is dependent on the mode enabled. While Eco mode offers over 60-minutes of battery life, the mighty Boost mode decreases this to just 10-minutes of power. Generally on Auto mode we found the appliance lasted for about 40-minutes.
Reviewer:David LudlowFull review:Dyson V15 Detect review
Dyson Gen5detect
Pros
Cons
If there’s one thing that Dyson knows, it’s how to make hugely powerful motors for cordless vacuum cleaners. The Dyson Gen5detect is the most powerful cordless vacuum cleaner that it has made yet. Putting this cleaner through our tests, we measured it at a massive 369AW on maximum power – the highest, by far, that we’ve ever seen from a cordless cleaner.
Otherwise, it runs at 30AW on its gentle power mode (good for dusting) and 75AW on medium. Well, kind of. As with previous Dyson vacuums, the Gen5detect has a piezo sensor for detecting dust, adjusting its power automatically based on how much dirt it has encountered. In automatic mode, the vacuum ups and downs its power on the fly, so that you get the best clean without having to worry about which power mode you’re in.
Cleverly, the LCD on the back shows the amount of dust being picked up, as well as the battery life remaining in minutes and seconds.
For hard floors, there’s an additional tool, the Fluffy Optic head, which uses a green laser to highlight dust. It works brilliantly, making it easy to see where you have and haven’t cleaned.
On maximum power, we found that this cleaner could collect grains of rice from more than 3cm away. If you’ve got the hand tools attached, this means you can quickly collect dust or suck it out of hard-to-reach areas.
Moving on to our regular tests, we found that this cleaner picked up 98.25% of dust on carpet, which is the best result that we’ve ever seen from a cordless cleaner. Edge performance was the same: 95.3% of dust collected. Hard floor collection was at 100%.
Moving to the anti-tangle tests with human hair, the Dyson Gen5detect refused to get any hair caught up in its brushes.
The only slight issue we encountered was when using the vacuum cleaner on a rubber-backed mat. Here, the Dyson Gen5detect produces too much power and suctions itself to the ground, stopping the brush bar from moving. We had to manually dial down the power. Still, it demonstrates just how powerful this cordless cleaner is.
Measuring battery life in auto mode, we found that the cleaner lasted 26m 13s. Given that you can clean thoroughly with a single pass, that’s more than enough time to tackle an entire home in one go.
Arguably, most people will find that the cheaper Dyson V15 Detect will suit their needs, but if you have the cash and want the absolute best, there’s no other cordless vacuum cleaner that comes close to this one for power.
Reviewer:David LudlowFull review:Dyson Gen5detect review
Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins, Powered Lift-Away & TruePet ICZ300UKT
Pros
Cons
As good as cordless stick vacuum cleaners are, they all take a bit more effort to hold and use than a regular upright cleaner, as they put all of their weight in your hand. Not so with the Shark ICZ300UKT, which packs all of its power into a traditional upright form factor. With the performance to match plug-in models, this is our top choice for anyone that wants the convenience of a cordless cleaner with the ease of use of a plug-in model.
Coming in at 6.2kg, theICZ300UKT is a little heavier than most cordless vacuum cleaners, although that shouldn’t matter too much, as we rarely had to lift it. As this is an upright, we just hit the power button, tilted the handle back and pushed the vacuum cleaner around. In that regard, this vacuum is lighter and easier to use than plug-in upright cleaners. Don’t forget the other advantage that this style of vacuum has: it stands upright by itself.
We love the position of the controls, too. For this model, they’ve been relocated from the cleaner’s body to the handle, just where our thumb goes. Toggling power and changing mode has never been so easy.
We found theICZ300UKT easy to push around, and it’s far more nimble than you may think. That large 0.6-litre bin sticks out the front, which we found got in the way of the vacuum cleaner getting under dining chairs. Fortunately, this cleaner has Shark’s Lift-Away trick.
Hit the button on the side, and the cylinder lifts out, so you can use the long hose and floor head (or attachments) to get under furniture, tackle stairs, or get into tighter areas. We thought that this made theICZ300UKT one of the most flexible cordless vacuum cleaners that we’ve tested.
From Shark’s plug-in range, theICZ300UKT inherits the DuoClean floor head. This has both a soft roller and a brush, so it works just as well on hard floors as carpets, and you don’t have to switch heads as you do with a Dyson vacuum cleaner. It also has Shark’s Anti Hair wrap technology: try as we did, we never found any hair wrapped around the brush, even in a house with several people with long hair.
On the most useful middle level of power, we measured the cleaner at 57AW, which is towards the lower end of what we’d expect; on its high mode, power jumps to a more respectable 185AW: that’s plug-in levels of power for tough mess.
Fortunately, the medium power level combined with the efficient floor head proved good enough for most jobs. On carpet, a single sweep picked up dirt and pet hair, and only edge performance could be better (we had to get the last bits with the crevice tool. Hard floor performance was flawless.
Battery life is around 30 minutes on medium power, which should see you get through most of a house clean, given the power on offer. There’s a removable battery, so technically you could buy a second one if you wanted to extend run time.
Our minor complaint about this model is that while it has a lot of tools, there’s no onboard storage, so you need to find room to keep them all.
There are more powerful cleaners in this round-up, but if you want an upright cleaner but without the hassle of plugs, this is a great choice.
Reviewer:David LudlowFull Review:Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins, Powered Lift-Away & TruePet ICZ300UKT Review
Shark Premium Handheld Vacuum WV270UK
Pros
Cons
For those smaller jobs where you need a grab-and-go cleaner, the Shark Premium Handheld Vacuum WV270UK is a great choice at a superb price. Delivering more power (we measured it at 75AW max, which is the same power as a regular cordless on its standard mode) via two selectable modes, and a decent 15-minute runtime, this is a compact vacuum cleaner with the power to compete with a full-sized model.
Although the vacuum can be used without attachments, Shark provides two additional tools in the box: a crevice tool with a flip-down brush for dusting, and an upholstery tool for cleaning soft furnishings. There’s no motorised pet tool, however. The small 0.1-litre bin doesn’t sound particularly big, but it’s actually roomy enough for the types of jobs for which the WV270UK is built.
Its power makes the WV270UK a super-capable cleaner. It’s useful for small jobs, such as picking up spilt food. The WV251UK picked up every grain of rice from a worktop, with the boost mode making the job even faster. It also performed admirably in our carpet tests, while the upholstery brush
Battery life on standard power was just over 15 minutes in my tests, while it lasts for 10mins 38secs on the highest power setting. That’s almost double the standard battery life of the original, which is impressive.
Reviewer:David LudlowFull Review:Shark Premium Handheld Vacuum WV270UK review
Beldray Airlite Cordless Graphite BEL01096
Pros
Cons
If you want a quick grab-and-go handheld vacuum cleaner that won’t break the bank, the Beldray Airlite Cordless Graphite BEL01096 is for you.
It certainly doesn’t skimp on features with a charging dock on offer (as opposed to a plug-in power adapter, which we were expecting to see), as well as a handy 2-in-1 tool for cleaning that works as both a dusting brush and crevice tool. Moreover, at just 580g, it’s also an especially lightweight option and one that made cleaning a pleasure. Getting started with the Airlite is as easy as ever, with a single power button that controls cleaning modes – press once to turn the vacuum on, press twice for high-speed mode, and pressing it a third time will turn the cleaner off.
There isn’t a battery indicator here to portray how much charge is left, which at this price, is a minor issue. A 0.1 litre bin is fine considering this cleaner is designed for smaller jobs, but the emptying process is a little fiddly given the mess it may create if not done properly.
High power suction of 19AW is comparatively low when pitted up against other cleaners, although don’t let that discourage you from considering this vacuum. In our real world testing, the Airlite offered decent performance for flour and rice, picking it up in smaller lots at a measured pace. It didn’t deal all too well with pet hair given the lower suction. A noise level of 74dB on average makes this a noisy vacuum, but that level isn’t too out of the ordinary for handheld options, while the 20-25 minutes of battery life is decent for tackling a good quantity of smaller jobs.
Reviewer:David Ludlow
Full review:Beldray Airlite Cordless Graphite
Samsung Jet 95 Pro
Pros
Cons
The Samsung Jet 95 Pro is a powerful and versatile cordless vacuum that also boasts a gentle mopping attachment too. At just 2.7kg, it’s impressively lightweight too which makes it ideal for carrying around the house.
Although it’s a more affordable alternative to theSamsung Bespoke Jet AI, the Jet 95 Pro still comes equipped with heaps of useful vacuuming attachments and mopping pads that suit a range of floor types.
These attachments include the main floor head which is made up of both a carpet brush and a soft roller for hard floors, a combination dusting tool, an extendible crevice tool and a mini motorised brush which Samsung coins Pet Tool Plus.
In our tests we found the Jet 95 Pro’s vacuuming performance to be admirable and able to cope with everyday dust and debris. With four vacuuming settings, Min, Mid, Max and the extra strong Jet mode, the Jet 95 Pro unfortunately lacks automatic dirt detection which means you’ll have to manually select the vacuuming mode you want.
Generally we’d suggest the mode households are likely to use the most is Mid, which is able to collect an impressive 94.4% of dust in one clean. Mid mode also boasts a solid battery life of just over 20 minutes.
Clip the included water bottle into the attachment and the Jet 95 Pro will automatically switch off its suction and enter mopping mode. Instead of an automatic spray, you will need to press the plus button on the device to wet the floors.
You’ll also need to attach one of the two included mopping pads in order to mop.
We found that while the mopping system works well at cleaning up surface stains, as it’s not possible to vacuum and mop simultaneously, the pads do tend to spread any solid dirt particles around the floor, so this needs vacuuming separately.
Overall, if you’re looking for an affordable cordless vacuum that makes light work of cleaning and even boasts a gentle mopping function, the Samsung Jet 95 Pro is a great choice. Just be wary to vacuum before mopping to avoid dreaded wet clumps of debris during your clean.
Full review:Samsung Jet 95 Pro
Reviewer:David Ludlow
Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute
Pros
Cons
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute is a smaller and lighter version of the top-end V15 model. It packs in all of the technology that makes the high-end model so good, including the clever dust sensor. Not only does this show you how much dirt is being sucked up, via the fancy LCD screen on the rear, but it allows the vacuum cleaner to adjust power on the fly.
Stick this vacuum cleaner into automatic mode and you can whip around your house and let the V12 decide how much power is required. It’s a system that works brilliantly and takes the guesswork out of trying to work out which power mode is best. You can still choose a power mode manually if you prefer.
This vacuum cleaner also comes with the clever laser-powered hard floor head. This shines a green laser on the floor to highlight dirt. It’s a bit icky the first time you use it, but it’s an exceptional bit of kit, highlighting exactly where you need to clean.
There’s no laser on the standard carpet floor head, but it does at least have Dyson’s anti-tangle technology, so it will not get clogged with hair. Similar tech is included on the small motorised tool.
At 2.4kg, this vacuum cleaner is super light. Unlike its big brother, there’s no trigger here, just a single power button to turn the vacuum cleaner on and off. If you struggle with holding a trigger down, then this vacuum cleaner is for you.
A smaller body means that there’s only a 0.35-litre bin, although that should last for a standard clean. We found that automatic mode gave us around 25-minutes of cleaning time. Given the high levels of suction available (it tops out at plug-in level of power at 204AW in our tests), and the quality of the floor heads, those 25-minutes are enough to clean a small house or average-sized flat in one go.
While this cleaner is cheaper than its big brother, it is still quite expensive, and you can get cleaners with more tools and longer battery life for less. However, if you can afford it, the quality of cleaning is exceptional.
Reviewer:David Ludlow
Full review:Dyson V12 Detect Slim Absolute review
Dyson Omni-glide
Pros
Cons
Dyson cordless vacuum cleaners have mostly been multi-purpose, but the Dyson Omni-glide is a smaller cleaner, targetted at hard floor use only. Short battery life means that this is the ideal backup cleaner or one for use in smaller flats.
This cleaner gets its name from its special floor head, which has two soft rollers that are designed to pick up dirt from hard floors before the vacuum sucks everything into the bin. Dyson has gone for the ultimate manoeuvrability here. This head can spin, glide and shift around furniture, and we found it the most flexible floor head that we have ever used.
Want to get under furniture? No problem, the cleaner goes pretty much flat to the floor, so you can right under cabinets and the like.
Dyson has redesigned the stick vacuum for the Omni-glide. Rather than a ‘gun’ where you squees the trigger, there’s a simple stick-like handle. As the cleaner weighs just 1.9kg, we found it so easy to move around; we could barely feel that we were carrying it.
We measured power on the low setting at just 24AW, which is a very basic amount of power; on High, the measured power of 85W is what we’d normally expect from a cordless cleaner on its middle setting. Yet, don’t panic: thanks to the clever floor head, the fluffy rollers pick up a lot of the dirt and the suction on offer is enough to clean well even on low power.
We found that hard floor performance was excellent, with all of our test mess gone on a single swipe. Now, this isn’t a vacuum cleaner designed for carpet, but we tested it anyway: the results are pretty poor. If you’ve got the odd short-pile rug or mat, you can tackle the mess with this vacuum cleaner, but if you’ve got carpets forget it.
We love the range of accessories: the mini tool (also anti-tangle) got our sofas back to looking fresh, the crevice tool/duster is great for detail work, and there’s a nifty desktop tool that helped us declutter a well-used and very dusty desk. Shame there’s no storage for this stuff.
Battery life is 18 minutes on the low setting, so this limits how far you can clean. We think that Omni-glide is best suited to small apartments or as a grab-and-go cleaner for smaller spills. The small 0.2-litre bin backs this opinion up.
It won’t suit everyone, but if you’ve got hard floors and want something light and easy to use on them, the Omni-glide is an impressive bit of kit.Reviewer:David LudlowFull review:Dyson Omni-glide review
Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum IZ420UKT
Pros
Cons
Brand-new technology makes the Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum IZ420UKT stand out from its predecessors. First, this cleaner now has an automatic power mode via CleanSense, which detects who dirty an area is and adjusts power on the fly.
There’s no more guessing which power mode is best. Vacuuming around our test lab, with a regular level of dirt, we found that the IZ420UKT would last around 27-minutes on a single battery. With two batteries in the box, both of which can be charged at the same time, that’s near-on an hour’s worth of vacuuming in one go. In other words, there’s more than enough power to tackle your entire home.
This vacuum cleaner has the new DuoClean floor head, with an improved anti-tangle design. In our testing, we didn’t see any hair wrapped around the floor head. It’s good to see the Anti-Odour pod, too, which releases a scent as you vacuum. It left our house smelling as good as it looked.
Performance is excellent. On Boost, we measured the vacuum at 219AW, making it one of the most powerful vacuum cleaners we’ve tested, and great for very tough spills; on regular automatic mode, suction will be around 118AW, which is a huge amount of power.
This vacuum cleaner did perfectly in all of our tests, including the tough edge and pet hair tests. There’s no job that this cleaner can’t tackle.
Flexology makes a return here, and the vacuum cleaner’s wand bends in half, so that you can clean under sofas without having to bend over. Plus, you can fold the cleaner over, and it stands up by itself, which is a neat trick.
A great price, long battery life and a decent range of accessories make this a great-value cordless stick. We would like to see some on-body storage for the tools, though.Reviewer:David LudlowFull Review:Shark IZ420UKT Review
Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal
Pros
Cons
If you’re a pet owner then you’ll likely have experienced the frustration of having to cut out tangled hair from your vacuum cleaner. Luckily the Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal cordless vacuum has managed to solve this problem without you needing to fork out.
The Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal is a compact cordless vacuum that weighs just 2.8kg, making it perfect for carrying around the house. It’s versatile too thanks to its set of included tools, not to mention the hinge in its wand for reaching low areas, and its compatibility with the Power For All 18V battery range.
Its main tool is the ProAnimal floor head, equipped with Bosch’s anti-tangle technology and it’s designed to pick up hair without it getting tangled in the brush. In our tests we concluded that both combed in pet hair and even longer strands of human hair were picked up efficiently with no sign of tangles.
Also included is a mini motorised tool for vacuuming upholstery and stairs, which is especially useful for keeping pet beds hair free, and a long crevice tool for those harder to reach areas.
As a mid-range option the Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal has a sufficient amount of power, certainly enough for basic household jobs, however we did note it doesn’t quite have the same suction or reach as more powerful models. This means you will need to ensure you’re closer to the mess in order to get a decent clean.
Even so, the Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal still boasts an impressive battery life, lasting over 30 minutes on its lowest power mode and nearly 17-minutes on automatic mode, which should be enough to comfortably perform a whole house clean. As the vacuum is compatible with the Power For All 18V battery range, you can also easily swap out batteries for uninterrupted cleaning.
For a mid-range option that makes lightwork of picking up pet hair (which is a notoriously difficult task), the Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal is a great option.
Reviewer:David Ludlow
Full review:Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal
Hoover H-Free 300
Pros
Cons
The best cordless vacuum cleaners cost a fortune, but if you’re mostly after a backup to a plug-in cleaner, the lightweight Hoover H-Free 300 is our top budget cordless cleaner. It lacks the full cleaning power of other models on this list, but for smaller daily jobs it’s a handy tool to have.
One of the main reasons that we like this cordless vacuum cleaner so much is that it’s super light at just 2.5kg. There are lighter vacuum cleaners on this list, but they have other compromises, such as small bins: here the 0.7-litre bin is good enough for a long cleaning session. We found that after using the cleaner for smaller jobs, we only needed to empty the bin once a week or so.
That lightweight has another advantage: the H-Free 300 can stand up by itself. It’s quite the trick and far more handy than you may think: in the middle of cleaning, we found being able to leave the vacuum cleaner by itself was really handy. There’s no more hearing a crash from a precariously balanced vacuum cleaner.
The cleaner we reviewed came with a motorised floor brush, a 2-in-1 crevice tool and brush, an upholstery brush and a mini-motorised pet tool that worked wonders on stairs and sofas; you can buy the none-pet version that doesn’t have this tool, although it’s a useful addition for upholstery. It’s a shame that there’s no storage for these tools.
Raw performance is more basic on this vacuum cleaner. The 29AW on Low power is a little too weak to do much; 69AW on Medium is better but towards the lower end of the scale; and 118AW on Turbo is a way off the pace and closer to most other cordless cleaners on their medium setting.
These results carried through to our real world test. A sweep on carpet on Medium left traces of dirt behind, and we had to tackle the mess multiple times; Turbo did better and proved itself for bigger spills. Edge performance was a little weak and we had to finish the job with the crevice tool.
Pet hair removal was good, with the motorised floor brush really helping, and hard floor work was completed without any dirt falling back down.
Battery life is 25 minutes on the medium mode, although the cleaning power means that you can’t tackle an entire home on this kind of charge. Don’t think of the Hoover H-Free 300 as a replacement for a plug-in cleaner, but more a convenient, light and well-priced complementary tool for smaller jobs.
Reviewer:David LudlowFull Review:Hoover H-Free 300 Review
Vax ONEPWR Edge Dual Pet & Car
Pros
Cons
Part of the ONEPWR family, the Vax ONEPWR Edge Dual Pet & Car uses the same batteries as other products in the line-up, such as theVax ONEPWR GlideandVax ONEPWR Cordless Hand Vac. That’s handy if you buy multiple tools, as you can swap batteries between them to give extended run-times.
Here, Vax provides two of its large 4Ah batteries. In our tests, the batteries lasted for 30m 18s each in standard mode, and just 11 minutes on boost. Still, that’s probably a good hour or so of cleaning, which is enough to tackle even a fairly large home.
This vacuum cleaner apes a standard upright cleaner. Just stick a battery in, turn it on and push it around to get cleaning. It’s very easy to push around, although the bulky dust bin means that you can’t get this model under sofas or some chairs, and there’s no flexible lift-away option on this model.
There’s a great range of tools that can attach to the wand and hose: an extendible crevice tool, motorised pet brush and dusting brush are standard. Buy direct from Vax and you’ll also get a angle tool (great for getting on top of cupboards), radiator tool, textile tool and a tech tool for cleaning keyboards and touchscreens. Sometimes, having a wider range of tools is better than raw power.
Not that this vacuum cleaner is weak: 42AW in our tests on standard power is enough for general cleaning, while the boost power of 148AW is enough to tackle bigger spills. Testing with real-world mess, we found that this cleaner does well on carpet and hard floors on standard power, although we did need short bursts of the boost power to suck up tougher mess.
There are more flexible cleaners and some with more power, but the Vax ONEPWR Edge Dual has lots of tools and cleans well for the price.
Reviewer:David Ludlow
Full review:Vax ONEPWR Edge Dual Pet & Car
Henry Quick
Pros
Cons
Although there has been a cordless version of the classic Henry, the Henry Quick is the first ‘proper’ cordless vacuum cleaner. A traditional stick cleaner, this model comes in red with Henry’s face on it. We quite like the personality that it gives.
What’s different about this model to most cordless ones is that the Henry Quick takes bags. These 1-litre pods (as they’re known), slide into the vacuum cleaner and eject safely, automatic sealing, when done. This is the cleanest cordless vacuum cleaner that we’ve emptied. There are six pods in the box, with replacements costing £12.99 per pack of 10. If you’re sensitive to dust, this is money well spent.
There’s a standard floor head with brush for agitating dirt, but it’s not an anti-tangle head, so it will need some maintenance. Otherwise, in the box, you get a crevice tool and a brush, but no mini motorised tool. Those with pets may be better looking elsewhere.
Performance is excellent. We measured the Henry Quick at a maximum of 192AW, which puts it close to much more expensive competitors. On regular mode, its 62AW power is more than sufficient for removing everyday messes, as our real world tests showed: it got everything on carpet and hard floors, although we did need to use Boost mode to complete the tough edge test.
There’s a scent disc that plugs into the filter, letting the Henry Quick blow out fragranced air as you clean. We found it refreshing, and it’s good to have a house that looks and smells clean.
Real-world battery life, assuming changes between modes, should mean that this vacuum cleaner will last an impressive 45-minutes on a charge, which should be enough to clean most homes.
If you want a bagged vacuum cleaner, this one is a great choice, but those who want a few more accessories in the box, particularly pet owners, may want to look elsewhere.
Full review:Henry Quick review
Reviewer:David Ludlow
Tefal X-Force Flex 14.60
Pros
Cons
Tefal’s first ever vacuum, the X-Force Flex 14.60 is a well-priced, powerful and versatile cordless cleaner that boasts a solid battery life too.
At first glance the X-Force Flex 14.60 sports a sleek silver design, however upon further inspection you’ll notice it has a plastic finish which we thought cheapens the look of the appliance.
We also noted that connecting any tools and attachments was fiddly due to the placement of the built-in brush on the main unit which obscures the inlet, while reattaching the 0.9-litre bin after emptying requires quite a bit of force.
Design issues aside, Tefal includes multiple attachments to make vacuuming the whole house easier, including a motorised floor head, mini pet tool, crevice and sofa tool. The X-Force Flex 14.60’s wand can also bend in the middle, similarly to theShark Stratos Cordless Vacuum, which means you can reach under furniture without needing to bend down.
There are four power modes to manually choose from or you can select auto mode which adjusts power based on the floor type detected. Although the latter is useful, it’s not as accurate as theDyson Gen5 Detectwhich has a dirt sensor to detect how dirty the floor is.
We found overall that the Tefal X-Force Flex 14.60 performed well in our tests and even reached a massive 330AW on the highest setting, which means suction power was on par with Dyson Gen5 Detect.
If you require extra power during cleaning then simply pull the trigger to activate Boost mode which instantly increases the suction level for a faster cleanup.
Although dust and debris are picked up with ease, we did struggle with hair. Even though Tefal states that its extra large brush bar means hair shouldn’t get tangled, we noticed in our tests that this wasn’t necessarily the case.
If you live with pets or have a lot of hair to deal with then a vacuum with more proven anti-tangle technology is a better choice.
Full review:Tefal X-Force Flex 14.60
Reviewer:David Ludlow
Vax ONEPWR Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car
Pros
Cons
We’ve long been fans of the Blade range of cordless vacuum cleaners, and the ONEPWR Blade 5 is the best yet. Rather than a simple tweak, as with other models, this version has an all-new floor head and a few neat features that make it stand out from the competition.
First, there’s that new floor head, which has both a soft roller for hard floors and a traditional carpet brush, so you can tackle all floors without having to change heads. In our tests, it certainly improved the cleaning performance across both surfaces.
Although the floor head doesn’t have an anti-hair-wrap design, the bristles on the brush have an anti-microbial coating, helping prevent odours and anything unpleasant from growing in the tool. That coating is also on the mini-motorised pet tool. In the box, there’s also a dusting tool, crevice tool and an extension hose that makes it easier to get into tight gaps.
As this is a ONEPWR product, it uses the same batteries as the rest of the line-up, so you can swap between other tools. Here, Vax provides two of its large 4Ah batteries. In our tests, each battery lasted 27 minutes on standard power with the floor head spinning and 11 minutes on boost. Overall, expect just under an hour of cleaning from both batteries, which should prove enough to tackle most houses.
Suction power is good. We measured the cleaner at between 24AW and 122AW, with the maximum a little under the power of the Blade 4; here, the quality of the floor head means that less suction power is required.
Cleaning is good on all surfaces, and we found that the Blade 5 picked up all of our mess on carpet and hard floors. Edge performance could be a little better, though, and we had to finish off at the skirting board with the crevice tool.
If you want a well-priced vacuum cleaner with long battery life and swappable batteries, then the Vax ONEPWR Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car is a great choice, particularly if you have pets.
Full review:Vax ONEPWR Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car
Reviewer:David Ludlow
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We’ve reviewed
490
Vacuum Cleaner
FAQs
Stick cleaners are the most common. These have a main vacuum unit, controlled via trigger, that you connect the wand and floor head to for regular cleaning, and accessories for detail work. These are quick and easy to use, but put all of the weight in your hand.An upright replacement has to be carried where you want it, but these are easier to push around and most of the weight is on the floor. You can connect accessories via a hose, although you don’t quite get the reach that a stick model gives you.Finally, handheld or spot cleaners are much smaller, and are designed to be grab-and-go for dealing with quick spills, such as mess in the kitchen after cooking.
Motorised floor brushes help agitate dirt for easier pick up, but make sure you get one built for your type of flooring: carpet or hard floors.What other accessories do you need?You should get a crevice tool for working around the edges of a room and a dusting brush, as a minimum. Upholstery tools make it easy to clean curtains and sofas. If you have pets, a motorised pet tool helps remove pet hair from a variety of surfaces.
Battery life is measured in minutes, usually topping out at around 45-minutes. This should be enough to clean a small house or flat in one go, as you only use power when the vacuum is on. If you need more run-time, look for a vacuum with removable batteries, so you can swap out and keep cleaning.
Our reviews tell you if a cordless cleaner can replace a plug-in model entirely, or if the vacuum acts as a convenient back-up to a bigger one.
Raw battery life figures are a useful guide but they don’t tell you everything that you need to know. A cleaner’s ability to clean well on a single sweep is also an important metric. As a very basic example, take two cleaners that have the same battery life: the first cleans brilliantly on a single swipe over a dirty area; the second takes two swipes to do the same job. In this example, the first cordless vacuum cleaner can effectively cover twice the ground of the second one on a full charge. Likewise, the width of the head makes a difference: a vacuum with a wider head can tackle more of your floor in one go, so will clean more on the same charge. In our reviews, we give an idea of how long we think each cleaner will last, but we’re working on a new battery test that will give an idea of total cleaning coverage, too.
Ultimately, batteries fade over time, so runtime will reduce as a battery ages. If you’ve got a vacuum cleaner with replaceable batteries, you can swap out an old one for a new one yourself. If you’ve got a vacuum cleaner with an integrated battery, you may need to send it for repair to have the battery swapped out.
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Specs compared
Below are all of the specifications of the cordless vacuum cleaners in this list. Check that the one you’re interested in has the accessories that you want. Be careful of battery run times: it’s more about how far you can clean than battery life in minutes, which is what our reviews tell you.
Trusted Reviews test data
Starting life on the consumer PC press back in 1998, David has been at the forefront of technology for the past 20 years. He has edited Computer Shopper and Expert Reviews, and once wrote a book on ho…
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
