18 best cordless vacuum cleaners 2024 UK, tried and tested for value for money and ease of use
THE best cordless vacuum cleaners make cleaning vastly more efficient, but no less effective.
Though earlier models tended to lose charge in a matter of minutes, the new generation of cordless vacuums are just as powerful as their corded counterparts – but without a wire to trip over.
New machines run for longer and are quick to recharge, although those who want to blitz very large homes without stopping may still prefer a traditional mains-powered vacuum.
Cordless models are ideal for quick whip rounds or to tackle everyday mess, without having to find a plug in each new room.
They are often lighter and easier to handle than vacuums with a wire, and can be easier to store than a traditional vacuum cleaner, too.
Before buying, it’s worth considering which extra features you will use, as these often bump up the price.
Ones to look for include LED lights to show lurking dust, digital displays, anti-tangle technology to deal with pet hair and accessories that can be used for upholstery, dusting or hard to reach places.
Best cordless vacuum cleaners at a glance:
- Best overall cordless vacuum cleaner:
- Best mid-range cordless vacuum cleaner:
- Best cordless vacuum for pet hair:
- Best budget cordless vacuum cleaner:
- Best handheld vacuum:
- Best lightweight vacuum cleaner:
Dyson Gen5detect
Dyson Gen5detect, £749.99 from Dyson
Pros: light shows hidden dust, excellent suction, easy to handle, hair doesn’t tangle, HEPA filter
Cons: expensive, larger homes may prefer a corded model, may be too heavy for some people
Rating: 5/5
Be prepared for a shock when you use this cordless stick vacuum.
However clean you think your house is, the wide green laser on the front of the machine will show up dust invisible to the naked eye. We found it strangely compelling (if horrifying) but liked knowing we were banishing every last speck.
There’s also a digital display that counts exactly how many particles the vacuum is collecting, which made us feel oddly smug that our floor was scientifically clean (even if we didn’t entirely understand what all the numbers meant).
This is also a feature on the so if you have hard floors, the mopping machine is also worth considering.
The major upgrade on this model compared to earlier Dyson cordless vacuums is the power trigger, which you no longer have to press constantly while you clean — a small but very welcome change.
We also liked the built-in crevice tool, which emerges with just one click rather than faffing around changing heads. We found this really useful for getting into corners mid-clean without having to carry an extra tool around.
Unless you have a really large house (or love cleaning) you won’t be disappointed by the battery either. It lasts around an hour on Eco mode which we found more than enough.
Suction is impressive and power is automatically boosted when the vacuum senses more dirt, although we found it occasionally struggled picking up particles in tight corners such as along skirting boards.
If you have the cash to splash and don’t mind being shamed by invisible dust, there’s no better cordless vacuum.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.77L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 4.5 hours; Battery life: up to 70 minutes; Weight: 3.5kg
Halo Capsule X
Halo Capsule X, £531.93 £249.99 from Halo
Pros: long battery life, range of accessories, suitable for carpets and hard floors, lightweight
Cons: none
Rating: 5/5
Halo burst on to the scene in 2020 and it’s easy to see why its vacuums have gone on to rival the likes of Dyson and Shark.
There's a lot to love about this cordless vacuum. It is very light coming in at just 2.6kg and has a really generous capacity of 2L.
It comes with a range of accessories including separate heads for hard floors and carpet, as well as crevice and upholstery tools and a mini power brush.
We really loved this vacuum; it was really light and easy to transport around the house and the rotational head made getting into hard-to-reach corners a doddle.
It has three power settings, with the highest offering impressive suction that easily dealt with all manner of floors and car seats.
The Capsule X boasts up to an hour’s battery life on the lowest setting. We can’t say we’ve ever hoovered for a full hour, but we found that on the highest setting the battery life lasted four roughly 15-20 minutes.
Usefully, it does come with two batteries so you can charge one while using the other, with a rapid two-hour charging time.
The 2L capacity is a real winning point and we found the bag much easier (and cleaner) to remove than emptying an in-built cartridge.
The vacuum also has headlights to help you spot hidden dirt and HEPA standard filtration.
It also comes with a two-year warranty as standard.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 2L; Bagless: no; Charging time: 2 hours; Battery life: up to 60 minutes per battery, Weight: 2.6kg
Dyson V15 Detect Absolute
V15 Detect Absolute, £649.99 from Dyson
Pros: excellent suction that automatically adapts to type of flooring, works on carpets and hard floors, laser that shows up dirt, lightweight, comes with a range of attachments
Cons: expensive
Rating: 5/5
Like the Gen5detect above, the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute incorporates a laser at the front that reveals previously hidden dust and dirt, which is an especially useful feature for houses with hard floors.
It is also very powerful, as you might expect from Dyson, with the suction automatically increasing or decreasing depending on the size of the dust particles it’s dealing with.
It makes dealing with hair a doddle — it simply automatically cuts it from the brush bar — while the strangely shaped conical brush head attachment is perfect for pet hair.
The V15 Detect Absolute is expensive, but you’re getting cutting-edge cleaning technology for your money.
It also comes with a two-year guarantee.
If you're considering making a purchase, read our full Dyson V15 Detect Absolute review.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.77L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 4.5 hours; Battery life: up to 60 minutes; Weight: 3kg
Shark Stratos IZ400UK
Shark Stratos IZ400UK, £399 £249 from Amazon
Pros: great for carpets and hard floors, comes with accessories, 5-year guarantee
Cons: expensive, heavy
Rating: 5/5
In our testing, the Shark Stratos proved to be the perfect vacuum cleaner for a medium-sized flat.
When stored away, it takes up minimal space, with no need for a wall or a floor stand.
And when in use, it's never let us down, whether on hard floors, tiles or thick carpets.
Its smart detection technology works well and helps preserve battery life; it's never run out of juice on us on the job.
However, if you've got a large flat or a house to clean (something that would take upwards of 40 minutes), it could be worth investing in an additional battery.
On top of that, Shark's designs have been getting more stylish over the years, and this particular model, with its rose-gold finish, might be a cut above comparable Dysons.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.7L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 3.5 hours; Battery life: up to 60 minutes; Weight: 2.16kg
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Shark IZ320UKT
Shark IZ320UKT, £469.99 from Amazon
Pros: great for carpets and hard floors, comes with accessories, two batteries, five-year guarantee
Cons: expensive, heavy
Rating: 4.5/5
The Shark IZ320UKT is a cordless vacuum cleaner with clout and could easily be the only vacuum you need for your entire house.
It comes with two batteries, giving a total run time of two hours, and it works equally well on hard or carpeted floors.
Accessories are included, and there’s a pet tool that’s useful for cleaning upholstery even if you don’t have pets, as well as an anti-allergen brush.
There are three speeds, lights on the front so you can see clearly what you’re cleaning up, and anti-hair wrap technology – essential if anybody in your house has long hair.
On the downside, it’s not particularly light, and the price might be off-putting to some, but the five-year guarantee (two-year guarantee for the batteries) indicates that it’s a cleaner that could last you years.
Read our full Shark IZ320UKT review.
Type: Stick; Dust capacity: 0.7L; Bagless: Yes; Charging time: 4 hours; Battery life: Up to 60 minutes per battery; Weight: 4.58kg
Dyson v15s detect submarine
Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, £799.99 from Dyson
Pros: washes hard floors as well as vacuuming, easy to use, good at tackling long hair without tangles, very powerful
Cons: expensive, needs recharging, may need to refill water tank while cleaning, roller needs replacing
Rating: 4.5/5
Dyson’s vacuum-mop does two jobs in one and will revolutionise cleaning if you have hard floors (at a price).
It works exactly like a powerful stick vacuum, with anti-tangle technology to blitz long hairs, three power modes and a filtration system that seals away microscopic dust.
We were wowed by this vacuum’s cleaning prowess, and it sucked up even bigger crumbs like Coco Pops without hesitation.
We especially loved the Fluffy Optic cleaner head which has a laser light to reveal dust invisible to the naked eye. The battery life is also impressive and the vacuum works for nearly an hour in Eco mode without losing power before it needs recharging.
Once we’d finished vacuuming, it was easy to clip on the mop attachment, fill the tank with water and get cleaning.
It’s possible to add a touch of detergent if you like, but it’s not necessary and we noticed the difference on my floors immediately; it efficiently tackled dried-on mud from school shoes and a toothpaste mark on the bathroom floor.
The machine will even whip away any crumbs you’ve missed while vacuuming if you want to save time and go straight to mopping – perfect for one-off spills.
Waste water is collected in a separate tray so you won’t be cleaning with dirty water as you go as you have to with a mop (beware when emptying this, though, as we did find it tended to drip a little).
You will also need to change the water as you clean if you have a lot of hard floors. However, they do still dry almost immediately after cleaning so you can say goodbye to dreaded wet socks for good.
We've already thrown our mop in the bin.
Type: Stick; Dust capacity: 0.76L; Bagless: Yes; Charging time: 4.5 hours; Battery life: Up to 60 minutes; Weight: 3.8 - 4.1kg
Beko PowerClean Pro
Beko PowerClean Pro, £429.99 £147.67 from Amazon
Pros: Dyson-level stats at a fraction of the price, crystal-clear digital display, sleek design means it doesn't stick out
Cons: slightly longer charge time than more expensive models, can take a second to detect changes in surface
Rating: 4/5
Looking at the Beko PowerClean Pro's stats, it'd be easy to think that it sounds a bit too good to be true.
Its 60-minute run time puts it on par with the which at £499 is significantly more expensive (at the time of writing).
In other departments, Beko blows Dyson out of the water: its 210W suction power is significantly higher than Dyson's 185W, and its 0.9L capacity is better than Dyson's 0.76L.
The only stats it loses out on are weight (3.1kg compared to the Dyson's 3.01kg, a 90g difference) and charge time (5-6 hours compared to the Dyson's 4.5).
However, these are stats that only really matter if you're super enthusiastic about vacuum cleaning. For context, 90 grams is about the weight of a medium tomato.
Admittedly, the newer, more sophisticated — significantly dearer than the Beko, at £649.99 — beats the PowerClean Pro when it comes to suction power, with 250W in boost mode, but trust us: the Beko is all the power you need.
It hoovers up crumbs, hair and other debris effortlessly, and while it takes a second to clock when the ground beneath has changed (say, from carpet to tile), it automatically adjusts suction power effectively, and there's a handy turbo button for when you need that extra kick.
We also have to admit that the Beko doesn't have the bells and whistles of an upmarket Dyson (the V15 Detect Absolute has lasers), but it does have an expensive feel to it: it's got a certain no-nonsense, solid quality that we found reassuring, and the crystal-clear LCD screen accurately tells you how long you have left before the battery runs out.
It performs all the essential tasks of vacuuming effortlessly, without the need for any of the super-sophisticated features that make other models with similar stats so expensive.
In short, if you're looking for an excellent, well-made vacuum cleaner and don't want to spend an arm and a leg, choose this.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.9L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 5-6 hours; Battery Life: up to 60 minutes; Weight: 3.1kg
Proscenic P12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Proscenic P12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, £219 from Amazon
Pros: good suction, which works on both hard floors and carpets, quite a long battery life, green light that shows up dirt, lightweight, comes with a range of attachments, clear display, extendable tube, reasonably priced, large dustbin
Cons: slow to charge, suction isn't as strong as Dyson
Rating: 4/5
If you like the look of the Dyson V15 but can't justify the price, then the Proscenic P12 cordless vacuum is a great alternative.
It has similar green light technology, which we absolutely love. We thought we'd managed to clean our house pretty thoroughly until we whipped out the P12, and it highlighted all the dust we'd missed.
We took this vacuum cleaner around to our Nan's house as she was struggling to manoeuvre her old vacuum cleaner, and she loved how lightweight it was, the green light technology (obviously!) and that you could empty the bin with one click. She also found it very easy to clean her stairs with it.
The vacuum doesn't stand up on its own, but it comes with a holder that you can attach to the wall.
The only thing marking it down is that it took a long time to charge and that we noticed the suction isn't as strong as some of the other vacuums we tested, like the Dyson.
However, we think it's an excellent vacuum for the price tag.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 1.2L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 5 hours; Battery life: up to 60 minutes; Weight: 4.35kg
Shark IZ300UKT
Shark IZ300UKT, £379.99 £229.99 from Amazon
Pros: long battery life, wand bends to clean under furniture, folds down for storage, suitable for carpets and hard floors, good if you have pets
Cons: heavy, a bit stiff to use on carpets and rugs
Rating: 4.5/5
The Shark IZ300UKT is currently on offer at £229.99, which is a great price for a great piece of kit.
It has three speeds, and the handle bends 90°, which looks weird but enables you to clean under the lowest furniture. This bendiness also makes for compact storage, which could be a bonus if space is limited in your home.
The LED display shows how much power is left in the battery before you’ll need to recharge. It also shows the selected floor type and three power levels.
Usable as either an upright or handheld vacuum, it’s powerful enough for the whole house; it also features Shark’s handy anti-hair wrap technology, which keeps the rollers clear.
On carpets, the cleaner is harder to move because of the power fins that dig into the pile, but they do ensure a deep clean.
It comes with a five-year guarantee (two-year for the battery).
For more info, read our full Shark IZ300UKT review.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.7L; Charging time: 4 hours; Battery life: 60 minutes; Weight: 4.58kg
Henry Quick
Henry Quick, £299.99 from Henry
Pros: distinctive Henry branding, bags seal away dust which could be better for allergy sufferers, fairly large capacity
Cons: Ongoing cost to replace bags
Rating: 4/5
The original Henry Hoover's recognisable, cheeky face has a dedicated fanbase for whom nothing else will do.
Now there’s also the choice of a cordless version if you prefer wire-free cleaning.
Though this model was one of the heavier vacuums we tested alongside the it’s a doddle to use, with a wall dock for storage, speedy battery charging and a motorised brush head that tackles stubborn dirt and hair.
It also has an impressive run time of around an hour, although that’s chopped to around 15 minutes if the power boost is activated. We rarely needed this on an average clean in my house, however, and the vacuum was also one of the fastest to recharge.
Unusually when compared to most other cordless stick vacuums, the Henry Quick uses bags and comes with six so you can start cleaning straight away.
Though these will need replacing at a small ongoing cost, they could be a godsend if you suffer from an allergy and don’t like the puff of dust that often accompanies the emptying of bagless vacuums.
Or, if you’re dead-set against using bags, try the
Plus, we found it hard to be miserable even when cleaning with Henry beaming up at us.
You can read our Henry Quick review to get our extensive thoughts on the model.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 1L; Bagless: no; Charging time: 2.5 hours; Battery life: 60 minutes; Weight: 3.2kg
Hoover HF4 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner with Anti Hair Wrap
Hoover HF4 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner with Anti Hair Wrap, £249 £169 from Hoover
Pros: excellent at vacuuming pet hair, LED display shows battery status, 360-degree steering for tight corners
Cons: shorter running time than some other cordless models
Rating: 4/5
Sick of struggling to clean tight corners without shoving furniture out of the way?
This cordless stick vacuum wowed us with its innovative 360-degree steering angle which means it can swivel on its side to vacuum around table legs and around awkward angles.
There are plenty of other features to make this Hoover a great buy too.
It has an LED display so we could keep an eye on battery life while cleaning, a fairly speedy recharge time and is lightweight enough that we didn’t feel exhausted after 30 minutes of using it.
It also converts easily into a handheld for the car or smaller surfaces. (If you only need a handheld to supplement a larger vacuum, the is also worth considering).
Though there’s a pet model designed to handle major moulting, even the core edition we tested worked very well and there were no long hairs trapped on the brush bar even after a whole house clean.
This is a solid, reliable buy that does the job.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.7L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 3.5 hours; Battery life: 30 mins; Weight: 2.63kg
Shark WV251UK handheld vacuum
Shark WV251UK handheld vacuum, £179.99 from Shark
Pros: lightweight, quick charge time, two batteries
Cons: short run time, only one speed, small dust tank
Rating: 4/5
The Shark WV251UK is designed for small tasks, such as cleaning up spilt cereal, vacuuming your furniture or clearing dust from your blinds.
It’s not meant to be a main vacuum and is not suitable for cleaning large areas. However, it’s ideal for its purpose and gives you up to eight minutes of concentrated power per charge.
It could also prove useful for elderly relatives or people with mobility problems, thanks to its lightweight design.
Though eight minutes doesn’t sound a lot, it’s enough to clean up emergency spills, and this model comes with two batteries, so you’ll always have a fully charged spare if needed.
If you're considering purchasing, read our full Shark WV251UK handheld vacuum cleaner review.
Type: handheld; Dust capacity: 0.1L; Charging time: 2.5 hours; Battery life: up to 8 minutes per battery; Weight: 0.6kg
TEFAL Tefal X-Force Flex 15.60 Pet & Car, Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
X-Force Flex 15.60 Pet & Car Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner + Aqua Head, £549.99 £329.99 from Amazon
Pros: effective pet hair tool, integrated dust tool, detailed display
Cons: not as easy to store as other models, expensive
Rating: 3.5/5
Tefal is a new entrant into the vacuum cleaner market and we were impressed by its debut.
In testing, we used this vacuum cleaner around a small flat that contained a dog (pictured) and several carpets and rugs.
We were impressed with its suction and its integrated dusting attachments made doing a full room sweep a breeze.
We also like the look of the vacuum, it's got a nice display and the rose gold model we tested was pretty glam.
As negatives, it was a bit of a faff to store and you'd be better off wall mounting this unit, which makes it slightly less versatile than the folding Shark models.
It's also quite pricey, but if you like the look of it, you certainly won't be disappointed with its performance.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.9L; Charging time: 3 hours; Battery life: up to 80 mins; Weight: 3.4kg
Bush Brushless Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Bush Brushless Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, £140 from Argos
Pros: HEPA filter, dust sensor adjusts as necessary, good at removing ground in dirt, great price
Cons: Charging takes a long time
Rating: 3.5/5
Swerve the biggest names and you don’t have to blow the budget to buy a top-notch cordless vacuum.
This one looks far more expensive than it is, with sleek good looks and an LED screen that shows the setting and charging status.
It’s extremely easy to manoeuvre — particularly around corners — and we found it reached under low sofas well.
The motorised floor head is a little smaller than those on other vacuums we tested, though, socleaning did take a little longer than usual. If you have a larger house, it might be worth considering the instead.
For the price, we were impressed that this vacuum came with an LED light to show dirt plus a HEPA filter, which means that it traps the majority of small particles to minimise irritation for allergy sufferers.
It also has a power boost whenever extra welly is needed, though beware that this dramatically slashes the running time to just eight minutes and a full charge does take a whopping six hours.
However, this is still one of the best cordless vacuums you can buy for the price.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.7L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 6 hours; Battery life: up to 60 mins; Weight: 2.85kg
Hoover H-Free 500
Hoover H-Free 500, £269.08 from Amazon
Pros: price, compact, lightweight, easy to store, comes with attachments,
Cons: no anti-hair technology, suction not as powerful as some other brands and models
Rating: 3.5/5
If you live in an apartment or space is limited in your house, then the Hoover H-Free 500 could be just what you’ve been looking for, as it can be compacted when not in use for easy storage.
It works on carpets and hard flooring, and the suction is good, if not mega-powerful.
The battery has a run time of 40 minutes on low power, which is sufficient for hard floors, but for carpets, you’ll need to use standard mode, which gives you 25 minutes of run time. There’s also a turbo boost for stubborn dirt, but use sparingly as it eats power.
We like the fact you don’t have to keep your finger pressed on the trigger when in use and that it transforms easily into a handheld cleaner.
The attachments that come with the cleaner also have their own storage bag, which is a great idea for keeping everything together.
For more info, read our Hoover H-Free 500 review.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.45L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 6 hours; Battery life: up to 40 minutes, Weight: 2.2kg
Tineco Pure One S15 Pro
Pure One S15 Pro, £599 £369.99 from Tineco
Pros: smart sensor improves efficiency, HEPA filter, easy to control cleaning power, clever dustbin
Cons: expensive, floor-standing charging station takes up storage space
Rating: 3.5/5
This cordless cleaner from Chinese company Tineco is expensive but currently has £230 off on the Tineco website.
Designed to rival stick vacuums from Dyson and Shark, it is powerful and will last for up to 40 minutes, meaning you should be able to clean your entire house on one charge.
The LED display shows the remaining run time, whether you’re in auto or manual mode — auto adjusts the suction power as required so you get the longest run time from the battery.
A useful feature is the ZeroTangle brush that keeps the roller clear of hair, and if anybody in the family suffers from allergies, then the five-stage filtration system, which includes a HEPA filter, is an added plus point.
This cleaner is relatively quiet at 80dB and easily converts to a handheld vacuum. There’s also an app that goes with it if you feel the need to track your cleaning progress.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 0.47L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 4 hours; Battery life: up to 40 minutes; Weight: 3.08kg
Gtech ProLite Cordless Handheld Bagged Vacuum
Gtech ProLite Cordless Handheld Bagged Vacuum, £129.99 from Gtech
Pros: extremely light, ideal for quick clean-ups, fast recharge, very easy to store
Cons: replacement bags need to be bought, not suited for a large house
Rating: 3.5/5
This Gtech model arrived in such a teeny box that we were convinced it couldn’t possibly contain a vacuum cleaner. It barely looked big enough to hold a pair of trainers.
Unsurprisingly, the vacuum itself is just as small and one of the lightest we tested, making it ideal if you have mobility issues or are just looking for a smaller model for quick daily touch-ups between big cleans.
We also used this to spruce up the upholstery in a car, using the included crevice tool to squeeze into crumb-catching corners.
Though tiny, this vacuum is still mighty, with a max mode for extra power, LED headlights for dark spaces and great suction that managed to deal with everything from spilt flour to Rice Krispies.
It uses bags which hold an impressive 0.5 litres, but it’s worth remembering that there will be an ongoing cost to replace these.
However, for speedy charging and easy storage, this cordless vacuum can’t be beaten.
Type: handheld; Dust capacity: 0.5L; Bagless: no; Charging time: 2 hours; Battery life: up to 20 minutes; Weight: 0.97kg
Beldray AirGility Pet Max Copper Edition
Beldray AirGility Pet Max Copper Edition, £124.99 £97.99 from Amazon
Pros: lightweight, decent run time, compact and stylish
Cons: takes a while to charge on first use, not great on hardwood floors
Rating: 3.5/5
This cordless device comes with three different attachments: large and small motorised brushes that are ideal for picking up hair from carpets or upholstery, and a crevice and brush tool for reaching those tight spots.
These can be placed directly onto the vacuum body to use as a handheld device or be used with an extender for cleaning the floor or ceilings.
The vacuum body has a 1.2l capacity dust tank, which is generous enough to clean the whole house.
There’s no vacuum bag required; you simply open up the hatch at the bottom of the dust tank to dump out the contents.
There’s also a washable HEPA filter inside to remove any dust and debris from the air so it doesn’t blow back into your home.
We found the AirGility Pet Max pretty straightforward to use.
To operate, you have to charge the removable battery first. The first charge takes up to 5.5 hours and will give up to 50 minutes to use. Then it’s just a case of pushing the trigger button and vacuum.
The same button is used to toggle between two-speed settings as well as on and off so you just have to keep pressing it until you get the setting you need. This can get a bit annoying, but not a deal breaker for us.
The suction is great for little pick-up jobs and more general cleaning.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that because both brushes are motorised, it's not a great one for hardwood floors.
Type: stick; Dust capacity: 1.2L; Bagless: yes; Charging time: 5.5 hours; Battery life: up to 50 minutes, Weight: 2.85kg
How we tested cordless vacuum cleaners
We got to work with all these cordless vacuums to find out which one made light work of blitzing a home.
We vacuumed hard floor, carpet and stairs, tackled dust under beds and sofas, and even tried them on seats in a car.
For each one, we noted how powerful it was, how quickly the charge faded and if it was speedy to recharge.
We also considered the dust capacity for each vacuum cleaner and how useful any extra features were such as anti-tangle technology.
We also noted whether it was easy to use and manoeuvre, or if we’d be looking for any excuse to skip cleaning with it.
Where to buy cordless vacuums in the UK
You can buy cordless vacuums at most major electrical retailers, so it shouldn't take too much searching to find the best cordless vacuum for your needs.
However, if you're not looking to leave the comfort of your home, many online retailers also stock them.
How much does a cordless vacuum cleaner cost?
Cordless vacuum cleaners tend to be a little more expensive than traditional mains-powered models, but it’s possible to get a machine that won’t let you down for around the £100 mark.
Spend around £200 and you’ll get a major brand with nice-to-have extras such as LED headlights, extra accessories and anti-tangle technology.
Of course, if budget is no issue, you want the most hi-tech model available or the best-known brands, it’s possible to spend closer to £1000. And if that price tag doesn’t convince you to clean more often, nothing will.
What is the best cordless vacuum for pet hair?
We found the to be the best for vacuuming pet hair.
However, any cordless vacuum with included extra attachments for upholstery and crevices will likely do a very good job in removing those pesky, embedded pet hairs from around your home.
What is the best cordless vacuum?
The best cordless vacuum for you will depend on several factors, including how much storage space you have and which areas you plan on hoovering.
There are different types of cordless vacuum cleaners available, including upright, cylinder, robot, handheld and stick.
Cordless stick designs are probably the most easily manoeuvred because of their thin, "stick" style body and smaller canister - though these smaller canisters will need to be emptied more regularly.
These designs are also compact and easier to store than upright and cylinder options and tend to come with a range of extra attachments, including upholstery and crevices (which may be a good option for pet owners).
How do you clean cordless vacuums?
How you clean a cordless vacuum will depend on the make and model of your device.
Generally speaking, it pays to make sure you regularly empty the canister and keep it as clean as possible to prevent any blockages or build-up. Aim to do so after every use - it does help prevent dirt from corroding the vacuum from inside.
It’s also worth checking the brush and the filters regularly - a clogged filter can seriously impact the performance of your vacuum cleaner. When the filters are clear, the suction capacity is also at its best.
Check the guide that comes with your cordless vacuum for any specific instructions on cleaning your purchased make and model - it may also be worth getting your machine professionally cleaned or serviced occasionally.
Which cordless vacuum has the best suction?
Check out our guide above for our verdicts on some of the best cordless vacuums. Suction can be impacted depending on what surface you are cleaning, and what you are trying to vacuum up. A clean filter can also improve the suction capabilities of your vacuum.
We were particularly impressed by the - the built-in laser detects dust on hard floors and a sensor adapts suction power to what’s needed. Plus, the LCD screen shows you what's been sucked up. Impressive, eh?
How do you charge cordless vacuum cleaners?
How you charge your cordless vacuum cleaner will depend on the make and model that you have purchased.
Generally, a plug-in adaptor will fit into a charging port on your vacuum, and a battery light will show you the progress of the charge (so you can see when your vacuum has enough battery to be used).
How long do cordless vacuum batteries last?
If you’re used to using a corded vacuum, you may be worried about the potential battery life of a cordless option.
Battery life varies wildly, depending on the make and model, and some smaller devices last as little as seven minutes while others can keep going strong for over an hour.
Cordless vacuum users may also find that the battery life decreases over the lifetime of their device - it’s worth keeping an eye on, as you may be able to buy a new battery when this happens and prolong the life of your vacuum.
Are cordless vacuums good?
There’s a reason why cordless vacuums are so popular.
When it comes to cleaning hard-to-reach places and not getting caught up in plugs and wires, cordless vacuums are excellent.
With many models enjoying prolonged battery life, families can now rely solely on cordless options, and they can be easier to store.
However, if you need to cover large areas at once or need a larger canister that doesn’t need emptying so often a larger, corded vacuum may be better suited.
How to choose a cordless vacuum cleaner
Make sure you compare different makes and models of cordless vacuum cleaners. When it comes to choosing a specific model - our guide above is a good place to start.
You will need to consider your budget, the size of the canister, how long the battery lasts per charge and which areas and tasks your vacuum will be used for.
If you have pets, extra attachments can come in handy. And if you’re short on space, smaller stick options may be preferable.
Of course, price will be important too, but there are now lots of different options.