Best cordless vacuum cleaner 2024: Our favourite tested models from Dyson, Shark and more

Nobody likes doing chores, but the best cordless vacuum cleaners can make the whole ordeal more bearable. They’re wonderfully convenient and handle most dirt spillages without you having to drag around cumbersome wires. The problem is, with so many brilliant vacuum cleaners out there, it can be tricky to pick out which cordless one is the best.

We’ve tested and reviewed over 90 vacuum cleaners, from humble handheld vacs to robot vacuums, so we know a good cordless model when we see one. While most models look the same, not all are created equal. That’s why we’ve put together this list. Every recommendation on our roundup has been thoroughly tested by our expert vacuum reviewers and we’ve got options for busy families, small spaces, those on a budget and more.

If you already know what type of cordless vacuum you’re after, our at-a-glance list below has quick links to our tested favourites. If you don’t know where to start, check out our buying guide, which will answer any questions you might have about choosing the right cordless model for your home. Otherwise, you can skip to the reviews of what we deem the best cordless vacuums available.

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Best cordless vacuum: At a glance

How to choose the best cordless vacuum cleaner for you

What are the most important specifications?

Weight: The lightest models we’ve reviewed are around 2.7kg, while the heaviest can weigh more than 6kg. That might not sound like a big difference, but you will notice the extra weight when you’re holding the vacuum at arm’s length.

Bin capacity: This determines how much dirt you can collect before you have to empty the vacuum. The models we’ve tried range from tiny handhelds with 250ml capacities to larger uprights with up to 1.2l of bin space. However, even if a model has a small bin, it’s not a deal-breaker as long as the bin is quick and easy to empty.

Battery life: Our favourite tested models range from under ten minutes up to one hour. It’s worth remembering that most cordless models have a short battery life, especially when using their max power settings. On the flip side, even a seemingly miserable eight-minute battery life will be enough to deal with a car interior or unexpected kitchen spillage.

What features are worth having?

Extra accessories: Keep an eye out for detachable hoses or pivoting nozzles for awkward spaces, crevice tools for tight spots and powered vacuum heads for stubborn carpets. There are other, more unusual accessories but these are the most common.

Charging: Most of the models we’ve reviewed come with either a charging dock – many of which can be mounted to a wall – or a standard DC mains plug and cable. Some smaller models come with removable batteries or, less often, a second power pack so you can switch batteries mid-clean and enjoy twice the longevity.

How we test cordless vacuum cleaners

We test all cordless vacuum cleaners in the same way, so we can compare the performance of a new model with every vacuum we’ve reviewed in the past. With a cordless unit, this starts with a battery rundown test, to see how long the battery lasts at each of its power settings. We do this on a short-pile carpet with the floor head attached. Then we measure the suction (in kPa) and the air flow using an analogue vacuum gauge.

To test each vacuum’s cleaning ability, we weigh 50g of flour, 26g of Cheerios and 5g of pet hair, and spill each one onto both carpet and hard floor. We allow the vacuum a single pass over the spill, weighing the vacuum’s collection bin before and after cleaning. These tests allow us to see exactly how good the device is at collecting these tricky materials from both surfaces.

We also use each vacuum intensively to do a range of regular household chores, including hoovering up pet hair, to see how they perform in real-world conditions. Most cordless vacuums come with a range of attachments, so we ensure that each of these is fully tested too.

READ NEXT: Best vacuum cleaners

The best cordless vacuum cleaners from our tests

1. Dyson V15 Detect Absolute: Best cordless vacuum overall

Price when reviewed: £700 | Check price at John Lewis

If you want the very best cordless vacuum cleaner, the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute is king of the hill. It takes the brilliant form factor of Dyson’s previous models, beefs up the suction without compromising battery life and introduces a raft of new features.

The most important thing, however, is its cleaning ability and the V15 Detect Absolute powered through every one of our Cheerios and flour tests. For those with hard floors, the Slim Fluffy motorised head now comes with a laser that shines out at the front, illuminating tiny dust particles. This helps you spot places that require cleaning and provides reassurance that a quick pass with the V15 has done its work. The other motorised heads in the box have anti-tangle rollers.

Of course, nothing is without its faults and it’s worth noting that the V15 is both fairly heavy at 3kg and very expensive. It’s one of the most expensive cordless vacuums we’ve tested but if you can afford it, it’s easily the best.

Read our full Dyson V15 Detect Absolute review

• Pros: Superb cleaning power, dust-detecting laser, good battery life
• Cons: Heavy, expensive, no self-emptying feature

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 250 x 252 x 1,264mm; Weight: 3kg; Bin capacity: 0.76l; Runtime: 60mins; Bagless: Yes; Warranty: 2yr RTB

2. Shark IZ300UKT: Best Dyson alternative

Price when reviewed: £230 | Check price at John Lewis

Shark’s cordless vacuum cleaners have an array of features that many of its rivals don’t have. One of the best is the DuoClean floor head, which incorporates both a fluffy roller and a brush bar in a single unit. This meant we didn’t have to switch floor heads when moving from carpet to hard floor, which saved both time and hassle in our everyday tests.

The IZ300 range also uses the company’s PowerFins on the brush bar: these stiff fabric fins work alongside the usual brushes to agitate your carpet more vigorously. In our tests, it performed as thorough a job on our controlled spills of cereal and flour as any cordless vacuum we’ve used, including the Dyson V15 Detect and V11 Outsize.

For the most part, we found the Shark easy to operate, but did notice the vacuum would lift from the floor when being pulled back over carpet during testing. It’s also much heavier than the Dyson V15, weighing a whopping 4.58kg. Something to bear in mind if weight is a priority.

Read our full Shark IZ300UKT review 

• Pros: Affordable, good cleaning performance, decent attachments
• Cons: Heavy, Not as smooth to use as some models

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 260 x 245 x 1,180mm; Weight: 4.58kg; Bin capacity: 0.7l; Runtime: 37m; Bagless: Yes; Warranty: 5yrs

3. Hoover HF9: Best value cordless vacuum cleaner

Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Amazon

If keeping costs down is important to you, it’s worth considering the Hoover HF9. In our tests, it performed almost flawlessly. It struggled to pick up chunkier spills, such as Cheerios, in one sweep but when it came to flour and rice, it outperformed more expensive models from Shark and Dyson.

It also offers plenty of features and accessories that lift it above basic budget cleaners. These include an anti-tangle floor head, so you won’t have to cut off long hair that’s become wrapped around the brush roll. This Pet model also comes with a crevice tool, a mini motorised tool for cleaning upholstery and stairs and a combination dusting brush and funnel tool. What you won’t find is a soft roller for hard floors. However, you can instruct the main brush roller to switch to a slower, gentler hard floor mode from the control panel. There’s also no economy power mode, which would be useful for less aggressive messes.

Another thing we like about the HF9 is that it can stand up unsupported. If you want to put down most cordless sticks mid-clean, you need to find somewhere to lean them. The HF9 clips into an upright position and stays there.

Read our full Hoover HF9 review 

• Pros: Affordable, decent cleaning power, stands upright
• Cons: No eco mode, no soft roller

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 260 x 210 x 1,110mm; Weight: 3.4kg; Bin capacity: 0.45l; Runtime: 30mins; Bagless: Yes; Warranty: 5yrs

4. Dyson Cyclone V10: Best Dyson for most people

Price when reviewed: £453 | Check price at Amazon

The Dyson Cyclone V10 was the king of cordless vacuums when it was first released in 2018 and is still worth recommending today. It’s incredibly powerful – so much so that Dyson ceased the development of new corded cleaners because of this vacuum. We agree that the V10 is easily good enough to replace your old upright if you’re hoping to upgrade. In our tests, it picked up far more debris over multiple uses than its predecessor and also juddered far less when being pulled back over carpet.

Considering how powerful it is, the V10 Cyclone has an excellent battery life of up to 60 minutes in the default mode and 30 minutes on the more powerful “Max Boost” setting. The dust container is also 40% larger than the V8 (it’s now 0.76l) and while that makes it more expensive, it’s still exceptional value if you want to keep your house spotless.

Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 review 

• Pros: Excellent cleaning power, smooth to operate
• Cons: Expensive, heavy

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 250 x 256 x 1,249mm; Weight: 2.68kg; Bin capacity: 0.76l; Runtime: 60mins; Bagless: Yes; Warranty: 2yr RTB

5. Vax ONEPWR Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car: Best cordless vacuum for pet hair

Price when reviewed: £249 | Check price at AO

Anyone with a furry friend in their lives will understand the importance of a vacuum cleaner that isn’t just good at extracting hair from carpets, but hard floors, furniture and car interiors, too. The Vax ONEPWR Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car is perfect for such tasks as it includes exactly the right attachments for the job.

In our Cheerios and flour tests, the Blade 5 held its own. It collected 96% of the spilt Cheerios in both the carpet and hard floor tests and 94% of the flour on the hard floor test, only struggling slightly on carpet, where it picked up 84% of the flour. Despite these great results, we found the Blade 5 a little tricky to move around compared to other models we’ve tested. It’s a tad stiff and top-heavy but the cleaning power makes up for this somewhat.

New to this model is the dual roller floor head, which features both a regular brush roller and a soft roller for tackling hard floors. For lifting pet hair from furniture and upholstery, there is a motorised mini accessory, which is also handy for smaller areas such as stairs and mats. For car interiors, there’s a handy flexible hose to reach into all the nooks and crannies. The kit also comes with two batteries, so you can charge one while using the other. In our testing, we found this provided a combined runtime of well over 40 minutes using the vacuum’s most economical suction setting.

Read our full Vax ONEPWR Blade 5 Dual Pet & Car review 

• Pros: Effective pet hair accessory, good performance, two batteries included
• Cons: Stiff movement, top-heavy

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 270 x 260 x 1,040mm; Weight: 3.85kg; Bin capacity: 0.7l; Runtime: 45mins; Bagless: Yes; Warranty: 3yr

6. Henry Quick: Best large-capacity cordless vacuum

Price when reviewed: £300 | Check price at Amazon

You might be more used to seeing the cheery face of Henry on Numatic’s iconic barrel-shaped vacuum, but it also adorns this cordless stick. As with most cordless vacuums, the Henry Quick can be operated as a handheld or as a full stick. The main difference between the Henry and most of its rivals is that it uses a roomy 1l bag to collect the dirt, which we found useful in day-to-day use.

These “Henry Pods” slot into the collection bin and also work as the filter, helping to keep both the vacuum cleaner and the air around you clean. It also means you get as-new filter performance with each replacement Pod. As well as good capacity, we liked how the bag could be ejected from the vacuum straight into the bin, avoiding the dust cloud often created by bagless vacuums.

Cleaning performance was fairly good, especially considering it measured just 11kPa on full power and 4kPa on low power during our suction tests. This is well behind rivals at a similar price, such as the classic Dyson V8 Animal. It doesn’t come with any fancy accessories like an anti-hair detangler or a soft floor roller either, but does come with 26 extra Henry Pods as standard. It’s also worth being clear that this isn’t the largest capacity cordless we’ve tested, that award goes to the Hoover HFX. However, the Henry offers above-average capacity for a cordless and a better value vacuum overall, so well worthy of its place here.

Read our full Henry Quick review 

• Pros: Large capacity dust bags, easy to empty, good cleaning performance
• Cons: No anti-tangle head, weak suction

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 240 x 270 x 1,220mm; Weight: 3.2kg; Bin capacity: 1l; Runtime: 60mins; Bagless: No; Warranty: 2yr

7. Shark ICZ300UKT: Best upright cordless vacuum cleaner

Price when reviewed: £429 | Check price at Shark

Not to be confused with the Shark IZ300UK stick vacuum, ICZ300UKT is a superb stick-upright hybrid. It has many of the benefits of a cordless stick but is heavier-duty and configured for serious work. Unlike most cordless vacuums, it can also stand up by itself, so you don’t have to keep finding somewhere to lay it down or prop it up.

In our tests, the suction measured 30kPa, which is almost 50% higher than the IZ300UKT and comes close to the power delivered by Dyson’s premium models. The Shark CZ300UKT also collected all 26g of Cheerios in our cleaning tests. Although it’s heavier than many cordless alternatives, all the weight is kept at the bottom, so it’s not cumbersome to push around. When required, the floor head can be disconnected and the body lifted away ready to tackle stairs, mattresses and upholstery or to reach dust and dirt in high places.

Our main gripes were that it’s a bit harder to configure and assemble than most sticks and, due to its size, it can’t get into tricky corners as easily as smaller models with its main brush head. However, the various accessories included help you to tackle those nooks and crannies.

Read our full Shark ICZ300UKT review 

• Pros: Stands upright, superb cleaning power, good accessories
• Cons: Hard to use, main brush head struggles with corners

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 260 x 250 x 1,080mm; Weight: 6.2kg; Bin capacity: 0.6l; Bagless: Yes; Warranty: 5 yr

8. Samsung Bespoke Jet Pro Extra: Best self-emptying cordless vacuum

Price when reviewed: £999 | Check price at AO

It’s not unusual to see self-emptying robot vacuums, but the Samsung Bespoke Jet is one of only a few cordless stick vacuum cleaners that empty themselves automatically. It comes supplied with a self-emptying station; when you’ve finished cleaning, simply dock the vacuum and a secondary vacuum empties the collection bin into a larger 2l bag.

In our full review, we gave the Bespoke Jet Pro four stars and a Recommended award due to its powerful suction and airflow – it’s comparable with the Dyson V15 Detect both in suction and price. In our Cheerios test, the Jet Pro didn’t perform as well as we had hoped on hard floor, only sucking up 31%, but it received a perfect score when we moved onto carpet. When it came to flour, it did an excellent job on both surfaces.

There are four models in the Bespoke Jet range, but the Pro Extra also comes with a mopping attachment. This uses a second floor head with two rotating pads and a water reservoir. In our day-to-day testing, we found it was more than capable of giving your floor a good wipe, which is ideal for households with muddy paws.

Unfortunately, the Jet Pro Extra’s price tag is steep, even for the most hardcore vacuuming enthusiasts. If it’s out of your price range and you want a self-emptying cordless vacuum, we recommend checking out the Ultenic FS1, which doesn’t have quite the same cleaning power but all the same convenience.

Read our full Samsung Bespoke Jet Pro Extra review 

• Pros: Self-emptying, great performance on carpet
• Cons: Very expensive, no anti-tangle head

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 250 x 210 x 1,000mm; Weight: 2.7kg; Bin capacity: 0.5l (vacuum), 2l (emptying station); Runtime: 120mins; Bagless: Vacuum, yes, Docking station, no; Warranty: 5yr