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The Best Cordless VacuumShark PowerDetect Cordless Stick VacuumRead more$450 $300 (33% off)
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Best Dyson Cordless VacuumDyson V15 DetectRead more$750 $620 (17% off)
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Best Budget VacuumBissell PowerClean Cordless Stick VacuumRead more$200
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Best Cordless Vacuum for Pet HairDyson Gen5 DetectRead more$1,050 $869 (17% off)
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A new vacuum might not sound life-changing. But the best cordless vacuums will not only give you freedom you didn't know you needed, but leave your home clean and tidy in a matter of minutes with no cord unraveling or heavy vacuum dragging required. They're especially handy for me, living in a three-story home—lugging a classic upright vacuum up and down the stairs leaves me unlikely to ever bother to vacuum, and I never seem to remember to take my robot vacuum onto different floors to clean the whole house. But a stick vacuum is light and mobile, making it easy to traverse all three floors and two staircases with only a little bit of sweat.
After testing nearly two dozen stick vacuums, ranging from hard-floor-only models to powerful Dysons, these are the best cordless vacuums I've tried. My current favorite is the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum ($450), which not only has impressive power but also bends to make it easier to vacuum under furniture and low surfaces. If you've got room to splurge, you can upgrade to the Dyson V15 Detect ($650) for the best power I've seen in a cordless vacuum.
Read on to find out which cordless vacuum cleaners the Reviews team and I have tried and which ones I keep reaching for. Looking for more cleaning gadgets? Don't miss our guides to the Best Dyson Vacuums, Best Robot Vacuums, Best Vacuums for Pet Hair, and Best Handheld Vacuums. Looking for more information about vacuums and how often to vacuum? Catch our stories about How Often You Should Vacuum and How Long Vacuums Really Last.
Updated April 2026: I've added a new intro to this guide and a section on the new Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones, moved some previous picks to Honorable Mentions, and ensured links and prices are up to date. We're currently testing Dyson's PencilWash and Clean+Wash Hygiene wet cleaners for the next update.
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AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronThe Best Cordless Vacuum
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Shark
PowerDetect Cordless Stick Vacuum
$450 $300 (33% off)Amazon
$450SharkNinja
Shark's PowerDetect is honestly a fantastic vacuum, and you're getting a lot for the price. There are three cleaning modes, lights on both the front and back of the vacuum head to spot debris, detection technology to sense when you're edge cleaning or when an area is dirtier than the rest, 70 minutes of run time, and a HEPA filter, and the central stick can even bend so you can vacuum under furniture without crouching on the ground. It comes with two attachments, and you can upgrade to a model with a self-emptying docking station ($550).
For the price, you're getting a lot. It's also a powerful vacuum that actually beat the Dyson Gen5 Detect in some of my tests, specifically with rugs. This vacuum was actually better at getting debris like sand and cereal pieces off carpet than the Dyson. When it's vacuuming over carpet, it kicks into a mode that glides over carpet and almost pulls away from you, as if the vacuum were a puppy pulling on its leash. But I liked that it didn't just get stuck to my living room rug, which the Dyson tends to do. I do like the Dyson for getting cat hair out of my stairs and bedroom carpet, but if you're more of a rug household and don't have pets, this vacuum will be plenty for your needs.
Capacity0.70 literAdditional attachmentsCrevice tool and pet hair multi-toolPower380WRun timeUp to 70 minutesFilterHEPA FilterWarrantyTwo-year parts warranty, five-year limited warrantyWIRED/TIREDAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWIRED- Powerful and responsive to floor types
- Can bend to reach underneath furniture
- Does an impressive job with debris on carpets and rugs compared to more expensive vacuums
- Only comes with two additional attachments
Best Dyson Cordless Vacuum
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Courtesy of Dyson
Dyson
V15 Detect
$750 $620 (17% off)Amazon (V15 Detect)
$850 $650 (24% off)Best Buy
$828Amazon (V15 Detect Plus)
$850 $650 (24% off)Dyson
Before Dyson was famous for its hair tools, it was (and still is!) famous for its vacuums. We've got an entire guide to the Best Dyson Vacuums, and my favorite is currently still the Dyson V15 Detect. It's a pricey upgrade compared to others, but it not only comes with Dyson-level air power, but also a sensor that counts dust particles, displaying the count on the LCD screen while automatically adjusting the power level for proper suction.
You probably don't need laser beams and micron calculators, but they can be helpful if you have severe allergies. It's also just an all-around reliable vacuum that comes with an array of handy accessories, even a wall mount for a more elegant charging setup. It's easy to convert to a hand vac for cleaning up the couch. I was impressed by how much dust and dirt it pulled up from my carpet, especially since I regularly vacuum with the different picks in this guide. The V15 Detect has serious power if you're looking for great, deep carpet cleaning. It works on hard floors, too, though it did feel like a waste compared to how deep it cleans carpets and rugs.
Capacity0.76 literAdditional attachmentsFluffy Optic cleaner head, Digital Motorbar cleaner head, hair screw tool, combination tool, and crevice toolPower240WRun timeUp to 60 minutesFilterWhole-machine filtrationWarrantyTwo years parts and laborWIRED/TIREDAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWIRED- Great balance of price and features
- Green laser helps you spot dirt and dust
- Comes with a range of attachments
- Doesn't have an on button; instead uses a hand trigger you have to keep engaged while you vacuum
Best Budget Vacuum
- Photograph: Kat Merck
- Courtesy of Bissell
Bissell
PowerClean Cordless Stick Vacuum
$200Amazon
$200Bissell
The non-pet-focused version of our previous top pick, the regular Bissell PowerClean is basically the Fur Finder with fewer lights and a less-fancy upholstery tool. As a result, it costs a little less. Like the Fur Finder, it can stand up on its own, has HEPA filtration, can convert to a hand vacuum, and features Bissell’s proprietary tangle-free brush roll. (My long hair did still get wrapped around it, but it never affected the roll’s performance and was easy to pull off.)
It only has four lights on the front instead of the Fur Finder’s six, but I still found them extremely sufficient at spotting every bit of cat litter, dust, and hair on my hard floors and area rugs. It comes with a crevice tool; a basic, smaller upholstery tool with some microfiber strips (which worked great on velvet, not so much on bouclé); and a wall mount. Even though the PowerClean is lighter than the Fur Finder—supposedly 7 lbs. to Fur Finder’s 9 lbs., though when I weighed it on my home scale it was closer to 7.5—I still found it to be heavier than I was expecting, since there isn’t a charging station and all the charging hardware is on the vacuum itself. I also found Bissell’s listed three-hour charge and 40-minute run times to be accurate, which was just long enough to clean all rugs, bare floors, and upholstery in a 3,000-square-foot house. But I still think this hefty-feeling, easy-to-maneuver model is the best value out there for $200. —Kat Merck
Capacity0.4 literAdditional attachmentsCrevice tool, upholstery toolPower200WRun timeUp to 40 minutes (on low)FilterHEPA Sealed Allergen SystemWarrantyFive years limitedWIRED/TIREDAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWIRED- Cheaper version of our top pick, sans pet attachment and with a weaker headlight
- Still has good battery life
- Great value for the price
- Felt heavy to our tester
Best Cordless Vacuum for Pet Hair
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Best Buy
Dyson
Gen5 Detect
$1,050 $869 (17% off)Amazon
$1,050 $899 (14% off)Best Buy
$1,050 $800 (24% off)Dyson
This versatile cordless vac is one of my favorite products I’ve ever tested. It has multiple heads for different jobs, can be handheld- or stick-style, and is lightweight and portable while still being powerful enough to suck up dander and pet hair on all types of surfaces. It’s incredible on pet hair—Dyson claims it has the most powerful HEPA filtration of any cordless vac on the market, trapping particles as small as 0.1 microns. It even has a digital screen that tracks particle size, and during cleaning, the indicator bars rise and fall, depending on the amount of debris detected, and afterward, the screen displays the summary of collected particles.
There’s a Digital Motorbar cleaner head for carpets that has 56 detangling vanes, ensuring pet hair never gets stuck in the bar for a mess-free clean. There’s also a Fluffy Optic cleaner head for hard floors: It has a super-soft rotating material and an angled green blade of light to illuminate invisible pet hair and dust invisible to the human eye. Plus, there’s a crevice tool and a smaller hair screw tool attachment that can be used as a handheld vacuum to get pet hair in hard-to-reach places. —Molly Higgins
Capacity0.76 litersAdditional attachmentsFluffy Optic cleaner head, Digital Motorbar cleaner head, hair screw tool, combination tool, and crevice toolPower262 airwatts; 280 watts in max modeRun time70 minutesFilterWhole-machine HEPA filtrationWarrantyTwo years parts and laborWIRED/TIREDAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWIRED- Dyson's top-of-the-line stick vac with a faster motor and brighter laser to spot dust and debris
- Fantastic for pet hair
- Has a HEPA filter that Dyson says traps 99.99 percent of particles down to 0.1 microns
- Has a power button instead of a trigger
- Louder than the V15 Detect
Best Cordless Wet Dry Vacuum
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
Narwal
S30 Pro
$550Amazon
$550Narwal
If you have hard floors, you might be looking for something cordless that can mop as well as suck up debris. A great option is the Narwal S30 Pro. We loved the first generation, and the newest generation is just as great. There are five cleaning modes (AI mode, wood floor mode, suction mode, max mode, and quiet mode) to give you the best clean for your space or needs that day, and the clean and dirty water tanks are easy to manage. It did a good job scrubbing away stains on my hard floors, and sucked up cat food and other dry debris with ease as it went. It has 20,000 Pa of suction and almost pulls away from me as I use it, so I'm more guiding the vacuum than pushing it along my floors. It turns really nicely, making it easy to clean around rugs or furniture legs.
There's a disposable dry debris bag you can install (the S30 Pro comes with 10; you'll have to purchase more after that) if you want to keep dry debris away from the wet and make cleaning easier. As someone who found other designs a nightmare, I find this one virtually painless. You do want to clean the vacuum immediately so it doesn't smell or grow mold, and you can toggle on self-cleaning mode afterward, too. My only complaint is that there is some setup to get started, and I don't think the instructions are clear enough. I had to pull up a YouTube video (I liked this one) to see where I was supposed to install the dry bag and deodorant block, since the instructions skipped the key step of which piece I had to open up. Besides that, it's been a breeze to use.
Capacity0.72 liter for dirty water tank, 0.79 liter for clean waterAdditional attachmentsNonePower20,000 PaRun timeUp to 60 minutesFilterUnspecifiedWarrantyOne-year warranty unless inside EU or Switzerland, which get a two-year warrantyWIRED/TIREDAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronWIRED- Wet floor cleaner that also picks up dry debris. Great for hard floors
- Four different cleaning modes, and self-cleaning mode you can toggle on when docked
- Disposal of water and waste is easy
- More setup steps than a regular stick vacuum
- Best with a separate disposable wet debris bag, which you'll have to purchase after using the initial 10 included (and you have to touch the dirty bag to remove it)
- Needs to be emptied after each use
What About the Dyson PencilVac?
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Photograph: Nena Farrell
- Video: Nena Farrell
Dyson
PencilVac
$599Amazon
$600Best Buy
$600Dyson
I'm separating the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones (yes, that's the full name) because, while it's still a stick vacuum, its design is so different that it stands apart from any other stick vacuum I've tried.
The primary difference is that the motor, dustbin, and battery are all contained in the slim handle. No more bulky, top-heavy build that these cordless vacuums are known for. The body and feel remind me of using a Swiffer, but it's a vacuum instead of just a slapdash mop. The PencilVac uses Dyson's Hyperdymium motor—the same one that's usually in the brand's hair tools—and has a tiny 0.08-liter dustbin, but compacts the debris to make that small amount of space last. It also has a short battery life of only 30 minutes.
It has much lower power than the other vacuums in Dyson's lineup and can only be used on hard floors. It has four fluffy rollers, aptly named Fluffycones, on the cleaner head, and they're designed to keep hair from getting tangled. It works, but instead of getting tangled, the vacuum sometimes balled up my hair and spat it back out instead of sending it into the dustbin. It was great for quick cleans for things like litter, dust, and cereal, but it's a high price to pay for something that's more limited than cheaper vacuums.
Still, I think there's a use case here, especially from an accessibility perspective. This is a good option for households where someone might not be strong enough or have the mobility to easily push and hold up a top-heavy stick vacuum, and the charging base makes it easy to quickly store and grab without putting it down or bending over. The compact size is also an argument for small homes, and it did fit into smaller crevices better than standard-sized stick vacuums (think the space between the toilet and wall). The Dyson V15 is a better all-around buy, but I think there are people to whom this specific vacuum could really appeal. Dyson also launched the PencilWash last month, a similar design but a wet vac, which I'm testing next.
Honorable Mentions
We haven't tried a vacuum yet that we absolutely hate. The ones below are solid vacuums and, in some cases, much cheaper than our top picks, but we didn't like them quite as much.
Bissell IconPet Turbo Edge for $200: Bissell's OG stick vacuum is a popular model that's been around for a while. It does a good job picking up hair and cat litter, and easily turns into a handheld vac too. The battery lasts a little longer, but former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano wasn't impressed by its Cheerio-gathering skills, and it can't stand up on its own.
Bissell's PowerClean FurFinder for $200: This is a great stick vacuum, and it was our previous top pick. It does an all-around good job on all kinds of flooring, comes with a nice range of accessories, and has the FurFinder tool to help with pet hair. It's still a great vacuum, especially if you have pets, but unless you're using the FurFinder tool frequently, you can get the slightly cheaper regular Bissell PowerClean for a similar experience.
Bosch Unlimited 10 Cordless Stick Vacuum for $699: This vacuum has six cleaning modes and can bend in the middle, but it didn't always contain the debris after I was done cleaning. It does have a 10-year warranty on the motor, which is more than other brands offer.
Black & Decker Powerseries Extreme Max for $169: The Black & Decker Powerseries Extreme Max is a great stick vacuum at a lower price than most others. It stands up on its own, has three power levels you can easily control from the handle, and handles well on the different surfaces in my home. I liked this vacuum a lot, but it wasn't as stable as the Bissell above, and the handle felt a little plasticky compared to it and other vacuums I tested. It did have a larger-capacity dustbin, though.
Dirt Devil Power Swerve Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum for $72: We previously recommended this as a budget pick. It's a good vacuum for the money, but there were questions about how long the battery lasts and the build quality.
Dyson V12 Detect for $550: The V12 Detect is worth considering if you want something even slightly cheaper and lighter than the V15 (though it's less powerful and has a smaller bin).
Eufy Robot Vacuum 3-In-1 E20 for $500: WIRED reviewer Adrienne So was stoked to try Eufy's E20, which is a stick vacuum, handheld vacuum, and robot vacuum all in one. It's a handy, well-designed device, but it's only good for light cleaning.
Eureka Stylus Elite for $280: This is a good stick vacuum with a self-emptying bin at a reasonable price. It cleaned up a litter mat especially well, and there are specific settings for carpet and hardwood. However, to suck up larger pieces like Cheerios, I had to lift the vacuum up and place it directly on top of them.
Levoit LVAC-300 for $270: This is a well-rounded stick vacuum that has a good price point (and often on sale). It has an hour of battery life, comes with a couple of accessories, and has similar specs to our favorite Dyson vacuum. The 6.6-pound weight also made it fairly easy to clean the three sets of stairs in WIRED reviewer Luke Larson's home, and it has HEPA filtration. While it can stand on its own, it easily tips over in the process.
Ryobi 18V One+ HP Advanced Stick Vacuum Kit for $399: This is our runner-up cordless vacuum pick for the best pet hair vacuums. It has powerful suction, cyclonic filtration, a brushless motor, an easily removable roller bar, and lights on the vacuum head to better see pet hair and dander.
Tineco Pure One Station 5 for $459: I love that this vacuum has a self-emptying base station. It's a solid vacuum overall, but my favorite part about it was the docking station. You don't need to choose Tineco to get that, though; Shark has a few models now with self-emptying stations, and Dyson has one due out this year.
Worx 20V Cordless Stick Vacuum for $250: This is a fine vacuum, but the dustbin was more difficult to clean out than those of other models I tested.
FAQs
What's a Cordless Vacuum?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronCordless vacuums, also known as stick vacuums, are what the name suggests: They don't need a cord to work. Instead, they have a battery you need to charge and are designed with a battery and motor at the top with a long, thin, sticklike body connecting that to the head of the vacuum. They're much lighter than an upright vacuum and have become popular since they're much easier to store and move around the house. I especially love using one as someone who lives in a three-story home. Stick vacuums also can usually have the stick portion removed to transform into a handheld vacuum, though they're much heavier than a true handheld vacuum (but the battery life is much better).
How Long Do Cordless Vacuums Last?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronOverall, vacuums tend to last around five years, but that depends on the frequency with which you vacuum and the vacuum's build quality. Some cheaper stick vacuums might last only about a year or two, though, according to Eufy, so it's worth investing in a good-quality stick vacuum. If you're curious what signs might indicate your vacuum needs replacing, check out our guide to how long vacuums can last. If you're curious whether you're vacuuming enough, check out our guide to how often you should vacuum.
How Does WIRED Test Cordless Vacuums?
AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronThe best way to test a vacuum is to use it like you usually would. So, for a few months, we lived with these cordless vacuums, rotating through them to handle day-to-day messes and weekly deep cleans on hardwood floors, area rugs, and carpets. We charged them, asked our partners to use them, and even took some to a retail store to clean up after antique furniture and heavy foot traffic.
We also performed head-to-head testing, comparing how each picked up piles of Cheerios and cat litter, seeing if they blew debris around or needed several passes. We also took heaps of already matted dust and dirt from inside the vacuum bins to see how easily the vacuums could suck them back up in their thickened state.
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Nena Farrell is a writer and reviewer at WIRED. She primarily covers home and sleep products, smart home tech, gift guides, and parenting gear. She’s been a reviewer at WIRED since 2023, and before that was a smart home updates writer at The New York Times’ Wirecutter and an associate ... Read MoreWriter and ReviewerTopicsShoppinghouseholdcleaningbuying guidesvacuumsrobot vacuumThe Best Mattresses for Stomach Sleepers Who Need SupportThe best mattresses for stomach sleepers have spinal alignment in mind. These are my recommendations as a certified sleep science coach.Julia ForbesGive Your Back a Break With Our Favorite Office ChairsSitting at a desk for hours? Upgrade your WFH setup and work in style with these comfy WIRED-tested seats.Julian ChokkattuThe Best Hybrid Mattresses for the Best of Both WorldsBy combining foam and springs in carefully tuned layers, hybrids hit the sweet spot between soft and supportive. Here are our favorites after extensive testing.Julia ForbesEvery Smart Home Needs Some Voice-Controlled Robotic Window ShadesFrom made-to-measure smart shades to retrofit curtain bots, these are our favorite WIRED-tested drapes for your windows.Simon HillThe 10 Best WIRED-Tested Pet CamerasWhether you’re near or far, keep an eye on your fur baby with our favorite pet cameras.Molly HigginsThe Best E-Readers, As Tested by ReadersThese WIRED-tested ebook readers let you take your library anywhere. Nena Farrell The Best Automatic Litter Boxes Tested by Our Spoiled CatsWith these high-tech automatic litter boxes, gone are the days of scooping and smells. Welcome to the future.Molly HigginsThe Best Heart Rate Monitors Check Your Cardiac HealthThese chest straps and watches will help you keep your finger on your pulse—and many other heart-related metrics.Michael SawhThe Best 5 Pillows for Neck PainNeck pain takes many forms, but these WIRED-tested pillows may save your sleep.Julia ForbesThe Best Laptop Stands to Save Your NeckOur top picks for laptop stands and risers are your path to better posture, fewer backaches, and a more ergonomic desk setup.Luke LarsenDeath to Dry Skin. These Humidifiers Are Better Than ChapstickFrom models for traveling to humidifiers that double as planters or air purifiers, we've tested a dozen of them.Matthew KorfhageThese Are Our Favorite Standing Desks to Liven Up Your WorkstationTake your home office to new heights with our favorite motorized standing desks.Nicole Kinning
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