We measured how much sand, baking soda, dust, and hair each vac pulled from two types of rugs, plus bare floors. We know of about a half-dozen others, and we may take a closer look at some of them someday. (Some models struggle with big debris even if you plop the cleaning head right on top of the mess.) We are cautiously optimistic about this Black+Deckers reliability, at least relative to the sorry standards of other cordless vacuums. It seems to be positioned as a competitor of the Dyson V15 in both price and specs, and were interested to see how it does in head-to-head testing. This vac also runs on the same batteries as a lot of Black+Decker power tools, so spares are plentiful and affordable. On the plus side, basic maintenance tends to be simple, and youll rarely, if ever, have to replace consumable parts like filters or brush belts because theyre usually designed to last the life of the vacuum. 2023 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company. As enormous as its manufacturing operation is, its brand presence in the US is still relatively small, so we dont know what to expect in terms of customer or product support. If you like the idea of buying an entire battery-powered system of household tools and appliances, maybe this is an attractive feature. The Dyson V15 is actually better than lots of plug-in vacuums at cleaning rugs. Bare-floor performance is important, too. Our advice: Give yourself a few weeks with the single pack before you splurge on a spareyoull probably be satisfied with just one. Most cordless models are skinny, lightweight, stick-style vacuums that many people find to be comfortable to use, even on stairs or in cramped spaces. We found that its excellent on carpets, as well, though not on the level of the (less expensive) Dyson V15. That comb is nothing sophisticatedjust some rough plastic teeth at the back of the headbut it passively shreds any hair that gets tangled around the roller, so you shouldnt have to cut the hair away by hand as often. (Wirecutters resident tool expert, senior staff writer Doug Mahoney, warns that Black+Decker tools are not great and pretty flimsy, so take that for what its worth.) On the other hand, the Ryobi One+ EverCharge is one of our least-favorite stick vacuums weve ever used, with terrible top-heavy handling and mediocre cleaning performance. The regular ICONpet is much more affordable but still isnt anything special for the price. It had respectably strong suction in our tests and worked okay on rugs, but not nearly as well as the Black+Decker Powerseries Extreme that we recommend. Although it does have a trigger-style power switch, it also has a trigger lock so you dont need to constantly squeeze the trigger while the vacuum works (as you do with most Dyson models). (Its not as great at digging out pet hair or fine dust.) The V15 Detect is so strong that it essentially defeated our controlled rug-cleaning tests. Are refurbished cordless vacuums worth it? If you're in the market for a cordless stick vacuum, factors such as size, price, battery life, and capacity can help you decide which one will work best for your home. And, yes, the V15 is wildly expensive. A spokesperson from CR even told us in early 2020: When we looked at the raw problem rates of Dyson vs. cord-free stick vacuums in general, it appeared that Dyson wasnt more problematic than cord-free vacuums made by other brands. CR later updated the way that it rates cordless vacuums, and Dyson no longer looks like such a loser. Minor defects are repaired, and parts are replaced as needed, including batteries that fail Dysons testing. Miele refurbishes vacuums and sells those units through the companys dealers only, not directly to individual buyers through Miele itself nor online through Miele or its dealers. For the V15, the suction automatically changes depending on the floor type, using a brush-resistance sensor, as well as on how dirty an area is, based on what the built-in particle counter finds (more on that feature in a bit). Knockoffs are available, but buyer beware.). The main one is that the V15 is an exceptionally expensive vacuum cleaners. It's our most powerful cleaner head yet. 18KPA strong suction; three-layer filtration system; 20 ft long cord; multifunctional; 2 working modes.. Of note, the Jet 90 will work with anoptional accessory (usually $200) that empties the vacuum on its own, though we have not tested it. LG sells loads of CordZero variants, but the higher-end options arent as compelling as the low-end versions that we like. And some variants have extras that are also useful, such as a real-time countdown of the remaining battery life. The Pure One X often costs less than $200, and it does have a dust sensor, plus a much longer battery life than the S11 (up to 70 minutes). We test most models suction with a specialized gauge and some models airflow with an anemometer. The Powerseries Extreme can convert into a handheld vacuum, but its a bulky, cumbersome one. But if you think effective carpet cleaning is a vacuums most important job, a Dyson is the best option for your money. Weve even interviewed Sir James Dyson himself. On its middle (Auto) power and cleaning-head settings, the V15 Detect picked up nearly all of the sand and baking soda that wed laid out on both a low-pile rug (98%) and, more impressively, a dense, medium-pile rug (96%). Our objection was that Dyson looked worse than it deserved because CR had lumped the data for cordless stick vacs and plug-in stick vacs into the same pool. This Cyber Monday, sales on Dyson products are harder than usual to find. Heres a cheat sheet of the variants relevant differences: Some Tineco sticks outside of the S11 can be good options for the right price. They're great for moving from room to room with ease and cleaning hard-to-reach areas. Realistically, you can probably expect 25 to 30 minutes of cleaning time on a single charge. We cover it in greater depth in our guide to hard-floor vacuums, but in a nutshell, we just didnt find it to be very comfortable to use or very good at cleaning bare floors. For the price, it did an above-average job of cleaning rugs and bare floors in our testing. The LG CordZero isnt as lightweight or smooth-steering as the Tineco S11, but it does have noticeably stronger suction. Its still possible that the Triflex units with non-defective battery packs will prove to be longer-lasting than a typical stick vac. In 2022, the V8's Motobar cleaner head was updated, and a small cosmetic change was made to the color of the filtration cap. On bare floors, we test each stick to see how well it does with Cheerios, cat litter, and a thin layer of flour. One of the most common complaints about Dyson stick vacuums, including the V8, concerns the trigger-style power switch. In one of our carpet-cleaning tests, we smushed a pre-weighed mixture of red sand and baking soda (its still un-smushed in this photo, for demo purposes) into a couple of types of rugs and measured how much each vacuum was able to collect at different suction settings. We wrote in 2020 that it didnt feel like a life-changing feature, but it has actually grown on us over time. At least a few times a year, its a good idea to clean the filters and, if necessary, untangle the brush roll, unclog the intake, and unjam the bearings. You can get a vacuum with extra battery life if you want it, but its usually a value trap. On its Max setting, the V8 even outperformed some models that are significantly more expensive, too. Tacony makes cordless vacuums under its Simplicity and Riccar labels, but none of them are standouts. It has good ratings from several other publications that test and review vacuums, but we didnt find it to be outstanding on either bare floors or carpets. Beyond the superb cleaning performance, its packed with features that make it a treat to use, including a real-time battery-life countdown, suction that automatically increases when it senses dirt, a comb built into the carpet-cleaning brush that shreds hair tangles, a second cleaning head with a soft-fabric brush for bare floors, a laser headlight to illuminate dust and other hard-to-see debris, and animated maintenance reminders and troubleshooting tips right on the vacuum display. It was also the worst snowplower we tested on bare floorsit pushed around more types of debris without sucking the stuff up than the other models we tested. The motorized mini brush (shown here on the vacuum) comes with the Animal and Absolute variants, and its great for getting hair off upholstery. You can also purchase a non-suctioning head that spins two washable pads to wipe up spills and that can spray water from a small attachable reservoir. Comes with multifunction attachments to meet your various clea-ning needs; perfect for carpet, hard floor, bed, pillow, rugs, cars, pet, sofa, desk, stair, drawer, cabinet, windows, curtain and bookshelf, etc. Look no furtherwere tracking all the best Cyber Monday vacuum deals available today. But the V8 really stood out in our real-world, around-the-house testing, where it consistently dredged up more hair and dust than its closest competitors. We keep an eye out for notable deals on such models, and generally we recommend only those units that have been refurbished by the manufacturer (unless they come from sellers weve found to be reliable), have a minimum 90-day warranty, and can be returned for free (weve written elsewhere about our criteria for refurbished products in general). The comb is nothing fancy, but it seems to do a great job of shredding any hair that gets wrapped around the brush, so you dont have to manually cut the hair away later. We tested each vacuum on bare floors to see if it could collect large and hard debris without pushing the debris around or sending it scattering. If you want a cordless vacuum that fully replaces a plug-in, a high-end Dyson is as close as it gets. Its a satisfying visual cue for you to spend extra time on areas that you cant tell are dirty by sight alone (as on some rugs) and to quickly move on from areas that are clean. On the downside, the atrocious dustbin falls off the vacuum anytime you bump it, replacement filters arent always in stock, and its bare-floor cleaning is just okay. At best, the particle counter is more information for the kind of people who like to count and track everything. And when the S11 senses a big mess, it automatically turns up the suction. Plenty of cordless vacuums are (finally) good enough to be the primary vacuum cleaner in most homes. The Dyson V10 Allergy cordless vacuum has up to 60 minutes of fade-free suction to clean anywhere, It is engineered for everyday, quick cleans with strong suction. The T20 is rather ordinary, with decent performance but a worrying rate of defects according to our analysis of customer reviews. So with all that in mind, we dont think there are any diamonds in the rough to be found at this price. You might also consider the older Dyson Cyclone V10, with caveats. If you can find the top-of-the-line S12 for $350, thats worth it. The reason we did it was to save battery power, Dyson said. We tested that top-of-the-line, floor-stand All in One Auto Empty model, and although its impressively convenient, the eye-watering $1,000 price tag is hard to get past, especially when its cleaning power is only as strong as that of the $280 version of the CordZero. The V15 model also uses swappable, click-in batteries, so you can buy spare packs to extend the run time if you think youll need it. However, judging from our AI-assisted analysis of customer reviews, it looks like the V10s battery is much more likely to fail within a few years than those of many other cordless vacuums: Around 15% of Amazon customersthe highest rate among the 13 vacuums whose reviews we analyzedcited this problem. We think any variant of the Pure One S11, including the standard set, the Spartan, or the Tango, has the best balance of performance and features for the price within the Tineco lineup. What we do know about EcoVacss product quality is nothing to get excited aboutits robots tend to break within a couple of years. In addition to our own testing, weve talked with dozens of real-life cordless-vacuum owners who live in all kinds of homes; read feedback from our readers about our picks; analyzed thousands of customer reviews on Amazon using an artificial-intelligence-driven tool called FindOurView; compared our findings with those of other reviews from sources such as CNET, Consumer Reports, Vacuum Wars (video), and Good Housekeeping; and talked with representatives from several notable cordless-vacuum brands, including Hoover, LG, Miele, and Roborock. Realistically, Im going to spend at least an extra $1,000 on vacuums over the next few decades than I would if I had just stuck with something sensible like a Shark Navigator plug-in. Tineco cordless vacuums all come with a basic cleaning head for all surfaces (pictured), though some models also come with a soft-roller brush (not pictured), which is great on bare floors. Thats a great thing for pretty much anyone in any home. If you want a long-lasting vacuum thats likely to give you more years of service for your money, your safest bet is to get a plug-in model. Also, like the cheaper Dyson sticks, the V15 is top-heavy and uses a trigger-style power switch, which you need to squeeze constantly. The carpet-cleaning heads that come with the V15 have adjustable gates. You can set the gate to the open (or minus) position (pictured) so that larger debris can pass under the head without getting snowplowed; to the closed (or plus) position to maximize the airflow, which is especially useful for deep-cleaning carpets; or to an in-between setting. Theyre so easy, in fact, that plenty of owners are willing to overlook their many flaws, such as high prices and mediocre reliability. We like a lot of Eufy products, but not the HomeVac S11 Infinity. They actually work better than a bunch of the plug-in vacuums weve tested, too. From there, each part is cleaned, tested, and inspected. What about all those cheap sticks on Amazon? You may find yourself trying to choose between built-in (or screw-in) battery packs and click-in (or swappable) battery packs. These lightweight devices can squeeze into tight spaces, be wielded with one hand and dont require a plug-in. The good news is that as of 2021 plenty of models have better weight distribution and standard toggle-type power switches. Usually headlights are just a strip of white LEDs, and they work great. (No, I havent used it to test how well other vacuum cleaners workyet.). Our best guess is that youll get something like three to five years of good use out of a typical cordless vacuum (depending on how you use it) before you need to replace an expensive part like the battery or cleaning head. It certainly feels like a sturdy vacuum, but we dont have any solid evidence that itll be longer-lasting than other expensive cordless vacuums weve tested. Theres a growing body of evidence that a notable percentage of battery packs in vacuums (and other small appliances) go bad after just a few years, if not sooner. We have recommendations of all kinds, for many different floors, budgets, and handling preferences. Another flaw that doesnt get mentioned in many customer reviews, but that we think is important, is that the S11s foam pre-filter (tucked into the bottom of the dustbin door) gets dirty fast. Dysons top-of-the-line models (including the V15 Detect and Outsize) all clean better than any other cordless vacuum weve tested. Companies also tend to recommend that you avoid overusing the maximum suction setting on your vacuum, as well as to let the battery pack cool off for a few minutes after use before you plug it in to recharge. We dont love any of the current options, but we do have a few leads to help you on your search. WebDyson's lightest intelligent cordless vacuum. You might be reasonably happy with one when its brand-new, but were confident that none of them will last, so weve decided not to waste any more of anybodys time trying to figure out which $100 Dyson knockoff might pick up a few extra grains of sand before it heads to the landfill in a year. We tested the A10 a few years ago and found it to be very weak, just not effective on rugs. These vacuums, including the V15 Detect, are fantastic cleaners. Here is how we conduct our revamped stick vacuum tests of brands including Bissell, Dyson, Hoover, Kenmore, LG, Samsung, Shark, and Tineco. It also felt heavier in the hand than most models and was otherwise unremarkable. The cleaning performance was also excellent in our tests: It wasnt quite as effective as the top-of-the-line Dyson models at digging fine dust out of thick carpets, but it was better than nearly all other models, and it did an excellent job on bare floors (without our having to switch to a specialty cleaning head as on most cordless vacuums). It offered most of the the same benefits as the V8, so if you happen to find a model available at a great price, its worth considering too.). Like the V15, the V12 comes with a laser headlight and LCD screen with a run time countdown and particle counter. INSE S6 provides a 2 levels of suction power: Standard mode (12kPa) and Max mode (23kPa). And based on an AI-assisted analysis of customer reviews, weve found that most S11 owners are perfectly satisfied with its cleaning power. But even if its not, who cares? She reached out to Dysons customer service, and they sent her a new battery with detailed instructions on how to replace it, as well as with the recommendation to empty out the dust bin after every use to avoid this problem happening again. On paper, the Tineco S11 weighs almost as much as the Dyson V8 and a load of other cordless stick vacuums around this price. With laser illumination. Lucas Lappe, the head of product for design firm Doris Dev, told us that his company often works with small factories in these regions and has found that its common for many manufacturers within a category to use many of the same components in their productsthe Aposen and Moosoo vacuums, for example, use the same cleaning head.