The 6 Best Cordless Stick Vacuums The Spruce Has Tested

How We Tested the Cordless Stick Vacuums

Out of the over 350 vacuums we’ve tested in The Lab and at home, 68 are cordless stick vacuums.
Our thorough process allows us to assess multiple attributes. Here is a look into our lab process.

• Setup: We start with unboxing and assembling each vacuum, timing how long it takes to put each one together and rating how clear the instructions are. Luckily, if a vacuum is complex to put together, it's not a total deal-breaker, since you'll only have to do this once.
• Effectiveness: We put each vacuum through its paces to test cleaning power and see just how successful they are at picking up measured amounts of common household debris like hair, popcorn kernels, and cereal on a hardwood surface, three types of carpet (low, medium, and high-pile), and stairs.
  
• Noise Level: We rate noise level, considering whether or not you could have a conversation or hear the doorbell ring while the machine is in use. In general, we've found that cordless stick vacuums aren't nearly as noisy as their upright counterparts.
• Maneuverability and Portability: We set up a living room obstacle course and run the vacuums through it to see how they reach under low-sitting couches and around tables. We also observe how well the vacuums transition from smooth floors to carpeting, and how long each model stays charged, since that plays a big part in how much you can vacuum at one time.
• Ease of Emptying: We wrap up testing by considering the ease of emptying the dust bins. We rate how messy or complex the process is, and how easy it is to complete (including whether or not any hair and fuzz get tangled in any of the filters or parts).
• Overall Value: We consider the overall value of each vacuum, taking our experience with not only the vacuum, but also its competitors and the other options we've tested, into account. Cordless stick vacuums can cost up to $1,250 (if you opt for a higher-end Dyson model), so we want to see if the price tag is worth what you get.

At home, every cordless stick vacuum is tasked with the regular cleaning of that household. We be sure to try out every feature and attachment, and consider the durability, longevity, and ease of storing the vacuum as well.

What to Look for in a Cordless Stick Vacuum

The Battery Life and Run Time

Most of our selections offer around 40 minutes of run time, with the Dyson Gen5detect Cordless Vacuum topping the charts at 70 minutes of charge.

When considering your model's battery life, know that it's not always cut and dry. If you use the max or boost mode on your vacuum, the battery can drain quicker than advertised for each session. You'll also need to take the charge time into account. Some models take a few hours to charge up, while others will be ready for use much quicker than that.

Along with a limited charge, most batteries also have a shelf life for their long-term usage, too. Emily Rairdin, vacuum expert at University Vacuum & Sewing says that, so far, lithium-ion batteries used in the vacuum industry last about three to five years, depending on use (which is just slightly less than the four to six-year average lifespan for residential vacuums). If your battery dies completely, you're able to purchase a new one, in most cases, from the brand or a major retailer like Amazon.

The Dust Bin Capacity

By design, the dust bins on cordless stick vacuums are smaller than those on upright vacuums or canister vacuums, and can limit the amount of time or space you can vacuum in one session. To find the best option for you, consider your cleaning habits and preferences to help determine what size dust bin—or type of vacuum—you need. If you prefer to vacuum large spaces in one fell swoop, an upright vac with a bigger dust bin is going to allow you to take fewer breaks.

However, the vacuums on our list do offer a good amount of space for dust, debris, and more. The most spacious pick on our list is our best maneuverability at 1 liter, making it really great for pet hair and pet owners. Our reigning champion, sits at 0.75 liters. Typically, I can clean my entire house before it needs to be emptied—however, I don't have any pets.

If you don’t like the idea of frequently emptying your dust bin, a larger style of vacuum, or one with a self-emptying base, may be a better choice. People with allergies will also want to consider self-emptying bases, since those will limit their exposure to potential irritants.

What Surfaces You Can Use the Vacuum On

Thanks to included attachments, specialty floor heads, and thoughtfully designed brush rolls, most cordless stick vacuums (including our picks, unless otherwise noted) are suitable for both carpet or hard flooring.

When Is the Best Time to Buy Cordless Stick Vacuums on Sale?

Cordless stick vacuums, and vacuums in general, go on sale very often. You also can expect deep discounts during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Amazon's Prime Days. During these sale events and weekends, vacuums can be up to 60 percent off, meaning you can score even high-end options for hundreds less.

Spring is also a great time to shop for vacuums, because retailers are ready to support your spring cleaning efforts and typically mark down cleaning products and tools as a result. When a brand has just released a new model, you can also typically find older models at a discount. If a cordless stick vacuum is being discontinued, you can also usually find it at a discount.

One More Thing

A common question when vacuum shopping is: Is an upright vacuum or a cordless stick vacuum better? Our hands-on experience has shown us that the best cordless stick models are different from other vacuum types in a few key ways. These models tend to have a smaller capacity. This makes them lighter—roughly anywhere from 3 to 8 pounds—and more suitable for tidying a small space.

However, cordless stick vacuums with a larger-than-average dust bin capacity and a long battery life are a real standout and give you the option to clean a whole house in one go, making them very competitive with upright vacuums. Unlike upright vacuums, which are mostly corded, our favorite cordless stick vacs are also not attached to a wall, so you’re free as a bird while cleaning. Just make sure to pop your vacuum, or the battery, back on the charger when you’re done.

Why Trust The Spruce?

Marisa Viglione is a senior editor at The Spruce, specializing in cleaning, appliances, organization, and home technology—and, particularly, vacuums. She has helped develop and run our vacuum tests both at home and in The Lab, and has tested a half-dozen models right in her own home.

She currently owns the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum (our top pick) and both the Shark Vacmop and Shark Navigator Upright Vacuum, which lets her frequently compare and contrast different types of vacuums. She is constantly reaching for a cordless stick vacuum versus an upright one and may be the Levoit LVAC-200's biggest fan because it just checks off all of her boxes as a cleaning and vacuum editor.

For this roundup, in addition to her own experience, she also utilized the extensive testing data from our lab- and home-testing, considering the cleaning power, portability, ease of emptying, noise level, value, and more of each vacuum on our list.

Our Experts:

• Dena Ogden, associate editor at The Spruce specializing in vacuums, storage products, and cleaning supplies
• Emily Rairdin, vacuum expert at University Vacuum & Sewing