The Best Cordless Stick Vacuums of 2022, Tested by HGTV Editors
If it's time to cut the cord with your outdated vacuum or add a supplemental vacuum for quick daily maintenance to your cleaning closet, upgrade to one of these lightweight, versatile cordless vacuums that we've tried and loved.
Our Cordless Stick Vacuum Picks
- Best Overall: Dyson V8 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Runner-Up: Tineco Pure One S11 Smart Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Best for Battery Life: Tineco Pure One X Smart Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Best Lightweight: Shark WANDVAC System Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Best Budget: Wyze Cordless Stick Vacuum
- Best Multipurpose Battery: Black + Decker Cordless Stick Vacuum With 20V Battery
- Best Budget-Friendly Dyson Dupe: eufy by Anker HomeVac S11 Go Cordless Stick Vacuum
Vacuuming is a never-ending chore made more cumbersome and annoying by not-so-great equipment like a cord that’s always getting caught, a heavy machine that weighs as much as a toddler or annoying bags you constantly have to change. Do yourself a favor and make the chore of vacuuming a little easier (and maybe even a little… fun?!) with a cordless stick vacuum.
Is a Cordless Stick Vacuum Right for You?
Compared to other types of vacuums, cordless stick vacuums offer a unique set of features that make them one of the most popular and versatile types of vacuums to own. While corded upright vacuums with large bins (or bags) are usually the most powerful and capable of cleaning an entire house in one session, those vacuums can be heavy, difficult to maneuver and store, and annoying to empty and maintain. Corded canister vacuums that feature longer hoses and multiple attachments are a bit smaller and easier to lift but can still be difficult to maneuver, store and maintain, too. Cordless handheld vacuums are extremely lightweight and easy to use for quick pickups and on upholstery and elevated surfaces, but the battery life and bin size are usually nowhere near enough to tackle an entire home or to serve as your primary vacuum. Robot vacuums are genius time-savers for day-to-day maintenance and ideal for daily pickups in the main areas of your home, but they can only vacuum floors and have small bins that need to be emptied often, meaning a robot vacuum also won't be sufficient as your only vacuum.
Cordless stick vacuums combine the best features of several of these types of vacuums with very few limitations. We have Dyson to thank for popularizing cordless stick vacuums. The brand is synonymous with cordless stick vacuums for good reason, and several HGTV editors have used and loved Dyson vacuums for years. Because of the popularity of Dyson products, they can be difficult to find in stock and come at a premium price point, especially the latest models that the brand continuously rolls out. But don't worry — competitor brands have prioritized cordless stick vacuums in recent years, and now there are plenty of high-quality stick vacuums available at every price point.
The Best Vacuums for Pet Hair
We love pets, but cleaning pet hair? Not so much. Shop our top picks for vacuums that will de-shed your home with ease.
The Best Robot Vacuums
Perfect for picking up crumbs and dust on the daily, these hard-working robot vacuums are the ones we tried and loved.
The Best Handheld Vacuums
These handheld vacuum cleaners may be small, but they work hard on tough messes.
The Best Vacuum Cleaners, According to HGTV Editors
Shop our editors' most-loved vacuum cleaners for every surface and budget.
What to Look for in a Cordless Stick Vacuum
Battery Life: Battery life is arguably the most important feature of a cordless vacuum. There's nothing more annoying than the battery dying halfway through cleaning your mattress or vacuuming your living room and then having to wait 3-4 hours for it to recharge. The more powerful the suction of the vacuum, the more strain on the battery, so when manufacturers claim a vacuum can run "up to 40 mins", you may only get 20-30 minutes, realistically, depending on what mode you're using. The size of your house or apartment, whether you vacuum all at once or in smaller sessions and how often you plan to use the stick vacuum all contribute to what kind of battery life you'll want. In our testing, we found "up to 40 minutes" to be a good sweet spot for allowing us to tackle most vacuuming jobs in that span, while still being powerful enough and affordable.
Bin Size: The larger the bin, the more area you can cover in one session and the less often you will have to empty it. A bin with a single-button release is a good feature to look for because it means mess-free disposal.
Configurations and Surface Capabilities: Any good cordless stick vacuum will also convert to a handheld vacuum and come with attachments for upholstery and tight crevices. You also want a vacuum that's powerful enough to work on hard floors, carpets, mattresses, cars and any upholstered surfaces as well. Some smarter vacuums can sense when you're cleaning hard floors versus carpet and can automatically adjust the suction power.
Maneuverability and Size: A major benefit of cordless stick vacuums is that they're lightweight and easier to steer and lift, in both the stick and handheld configurations, making them ideal vacuums for reaching cobwebs in high corners and cleaning awkward spaces like stairs, cars, underneath furniture and more. A good cordless stick vacuum should be comfortable to hold in all configurations, turn easily and adjust sideways when reaching under furniture. The more powerful the suction, the more you may have to push the vacuum to keep it moving, but a good one should glide over your floors, especially hard floors, without too much finagling.
Storage: A major perk of cordless stick vacuums is how easy they are to store. Unlike an upright corded vacuum, a cordless stick vacuum is light enough and slim enough to be mounted to a wall or tucked in the corner of a hall closet when not in use. Most cordless vacuums come with a wall-mountable charging dock that charges and stores the vacuum and battery (sometimes additional backup batteries, too!). Another feature of a docking station that some of our top recommendations offer is the ability to store all of the attachments on the docking station, too. Otherwise, attachments often get thrown in a random cardboard box that takes up a lot of room and may get misplaced easily.
Additional Features: Some other nice-to-have features include quiet operation, LED lights and smart dust-sensing technology. Stick vacuums are typically quieter than old-school corded vacuums but louder than robot vacuums. A newer feature of some of our top recommendations is LED lights, which allows you to better see under dark areas like under a bed and also just harder-to-see dust you may miss with the naked eye. Smart stick vacuums can sense when certain areas are dirtier than others, and when in auto mode, can adjust the suction power accordingly to more efficiently clean and make the most of the battery life.
Beyond these main features, we also considered charge time, price, filter type, attachments, maintenance, brand reliability and customer reviews and found several cordless stick vacuums that are worth buying.
The Dyson V8 Animal is by no means the fanciest Dyson available, but its features will fit the needs of most households as an excellent daily maintenance vacuum and it's under $500. It can run up to 40 minutes on one battery charge — our tester, who has owned this vacuum for three years, usually gets about 40 minutes. If you're using the max mode, expect to get only about 20 minutes. The lightweight, easy-to-maneuver vacuum features a .14-gallon dustbin that’s super easy to empty, multi-surface capabilities and versatile attachment tools: a combination tool, crevice tool and mini motorized tool. This vacuum works extremely well on pet hair, to which our tester and owner of a cat and a dog cat attest. Beyond daily maintenance for whole-house deep cleans, especially if you live in a house over 1,500 square feet, you may want to splurge for one of Dyson's newer models with longer battery life, if you can find one in stock.
A common complaint of longtime Dyson cordless vacuum owners, including several HGTV editors, is that the battery fades after several years (though, all batteries will fade over time). If you want to make sure investing in a pricey Dyson is worth it and you won't have to buy an entirely new vacuum in 4-5 years, know that a replacement battery is probably all you'll need. Though you can buy replacement batteries for models as old as the V6 vacuums from Dyson's site, if they're out of stock or you just want to save money, consider this Powerextra model (for a Dyson V8) from Amazon if your Dyson warranty has expired. This Powerextra model costs less than half what a Dyson battery does. One of our editors and longtime Dyson owners bought the V7 version when she couldn't find a Dyson-branded replacement battery in stock, and she says her old Dyson V7 now works good as new.
Another great overall vacuum, this Tineco Pure ONE S11 smart cordless vacuum really impressed us with its above-and-beyond features. While Tineco doesn't have quite the same brand recognition as Dyson, the features of this smart vacuum are on par with the V8 Animal for $100 less. The battery takes about three to four hours to charge and, like the Dyson V8 Animal, lasts up to 40 minutes on auto mode but only about 10 minutes on continuous max mode.
A really unique feature of this vacuum is the iLoop smart dust sensor. The vacuum can sense how much dust is on the surface to clean and, when on auto mode, will increase the power suction or decrease it accordingly, which means the battery is used more efficiently. The circle on the LED screen, typically blue for low to normal dust, turns red when it senses a lot of dust. For even more detailed info, you can connect it to the Tineco app that will tell you exactly how much dirt it picks up in a session. Another bonus feature we didn't realize how much we loved until we used this vacuum is the LED lights on the power brush. It helps you see exactly what you're cleaning, including dust you normally wouldn't notice (grossly satisfying!), so you can easily tell which areas you've already vacuumed and where to cover next. The trigger lock is also handy so the vacuum will clean continuously without causing your finger to cramp. The vacuum features four-stage HEPA filtration, which makes it great for allergy sufferers and pet owners. The bin has a single-button release that makes trips to the trash can simple and mess-free.
Another favorite feature of this vacuum is the charging dock station. It mounts on the wall and has space to not only store and charge the vacuum with the battery attached, but it can also charge an additional backup battery (sold separately) simultaneously and can store all of the attachments — no need for a random cardboard box to hold the extra attachments.
The standout feature of this Tineco Pure One X is the whopping 70-minute battery life! To get even a 60-minute runtime from a Dyson, you'd pay a minimum of $500, and this model costs less than half that. Beyond having a great battery life, this Tineco model also features smart dust-sensing capabilities, four-stage HEPA filtration, LED lights, a trigger lock for continuous cleaning and a handy wall-mounted docking station. While the battery does last a long time, it's not quite as powerful as the Pure ONE S11 and only has a .11 gallon bin size compared to the Pure ONE S11's .16 gallons. At only 2.8 pounds, this lightweight, compact vacuum would be perfect for an apartment or small house, especially if it has mostly hard floors. For larger homes, it probably wouldn't suffice as your only vacuum, but for the price, it's a great overall value for a versatile, daily maintenance vacuum.
At just 2.1 pounds, this cordless vacuum from Shark is the lightest one we recommend. Its weight and slim design make it incredibly easy to maneuver in every configuration. Our tester found that it's compact enough to get those hard-to-reach places like under a nightstand, bed or tv stand where an upright vacuum is too bulky to fit. For such a compact, lightweight vacuum, it works surprisingly well on pet hair, too. Our tester was skeptical about the “self-cleaning brush roll" feature that the manufacturer claims prevents hair from wrapping around the brush, but she was pleasantly surprised with how well it worked. She has long hair as well as a dog that sheds and constantly has to clean hair out of her upright vacuum’s brush roll, but she doesn't with this vacuum! Some hair does still get stuck in the small wheels on the bottom, but it’s manageable. The two drawbacks to this vacuum are its small bin size and short battery life. The bin is only .03 gallons and needs to be emptied regularly — though the vacuum features a one-touch empty button that easily empties the contents into the trash without making a mess. The battery life also leaves a bit to be desired as it only lasts about 15 minutes, so it's not ideal for whole-house cleans or bigger jobs. This lightweight vacuum is an excellent pick for small apartments or small houses where you want a versatile and easy to maneuver tool for quicker vacuuming sessions and daily spot cleaning.
If you're looking for a cordless stick vacuum under $100 that still works well and has some really nice features, the Wyze cordless vacuum may be the right choice for you. At 2.8 pounds, it's lightweight and easy to handle, but the battery life is lacking. The manufacturer claims it lasts 50 minutes, but the runtime depends on the mode you use. The Wyze vacuum has three power modes that can be manually toggled between to select the suction needed for the job at hand. Our tester found the vacuum usually lasted about 20 minutes when using a mixture of the three modes for a typical cleaning session. For how affordable it is though, this vacuum's features make it a good value. It comes with a crevice tool and brush tool and works well on hard and carpeted surfaces. The charging dock not only conveniently stores the vacuum but holds all of the accessories, too. It even has LED lights to illuminate hard-to-see dust. And a unique feature that our other recommendations don't have: The vacuum has an internal brush that cleans the dust from the HEPA filter. You can take the filter out and wash it, but this feature scrapes the dust off the filter in between washings, meaning you likely won't have to clean it as often.
Another under-$200 option, this Black + Decker vacuum designed for pet hair is a great buy, especially if your home already has other Black + Deck products like electric tools that use 20V batteries. The 20V battery on this vacuum is removable and compatible with other Black + Decker products, so if you have multiple batteries, you can easily swap them in as backup batteries to extend the time of a vacuuming session. The manufacturer claims a fully charged battery can get you up to 55 minutes, but our tester found that she typically could get 40-50 minutes out of it. There are three power modes you can manually toggle between, so the mode you use most will determine how long the battery lasts.
You can also toggle the roller head on and off, depending on what surface you're cleaning. This vacuum is very easy to maneuver on both hard and carpeted surfaces, especially when compared to our tester's corded upright vacuum and other budget stick vacuums she's tried. The head pivots smoothly and stays flush with the floor, and because of the slim silhouette, it’s ideal for getting under cabinets, sofas, chairs, tables and other low spaces. With a .19-gallon bin, this vacuum is also great for pet hair. It has a brush bar with rubber bristles to grab hair and fur as well as a specific attachment tool for cleaning pet hair off upholstery.
Another unique feature that our tester really appreciated was that, unlike most cordless stick vacuums, this one can stand upright on its own when not mounted on its charging dock. So if you need to stop to move something out of the way or pause your vacuuming session, you don't have to lay the vacuum on the floor.
While the Tineco Pure One S11 is closer in performance and features to our best overall Dyson pick, this eufy by Anker stick vacuum is more than $100 less than the Tineco pick and a great option for a budget-friendly Dyson dupe. Our tester compared it to her Dyson stick that's a V7 model for a side-by-side comparison. The eufy's battery life lasts about 40 minutes, the dust bin is on the larger side at .17 gallons and the vacuum is lightweight and relatively easy to maneuver. The larger bin means you don't have to empty it as often, but it also means it doesn't reach as far under furniture as some of our other picks. The brush head also felt a little too nimble and difficult to steer at times. Though the suction power, especially on medium or max mode, is sufficient to get most daily vacuuming jobs done, our tester could tell the eufy didn't have quite as much pull even on medium mode as her Dyson's lowest level. By far our tester's favorite feature is the LED lights, which her Dyson vacuum doesn't have at all. For the price, this is a no-brainer buy for someone who wants Dyson-like features on a budget.
