When it comes to finding the best cordless vacuum cleaner, I've learned a lot through the years of trying out different models. While cordless models initially started out as a clunkier and ineffective version of a traditional vacuum, it's safe to say that many of today's cordless vacuums are just as powerful as their corded counterparts.
Sure, there may be times when a corded model has a slight power advantage, but rest assured that what cordless vacuums lack in raw power, they more than make up for in convenience, portability, and storage options. In fact, the freedom to move from room to room and clean untethered from a plug socket alone has earned them the very top spots as the best vacuum cleaners on the market as a whole. And, if you've ever had to wrangle a vacuum around furniture or up the stairs, you'll know how much a lightweight model can make a difference.
But with so models available, how do you choose the right one? To help you make your decision, I, and other members of the Ideal Home team, have put some of the most popular models to the test, in search of the best cordless vacuum cleaner to suit all sorts of circumstances. From hard floors to carpets, we've spent weeks (and even months) evaluating their suction power, ease of use, and adaptability in dealing with messes that we encounter in day-to-day living – including testing cordless options to see if they have what it takes to qualify as one of the best vacuums for tacking pet hair and deep-rooted debris.
Quick list
Best overall
The Shark Stratos was an immediate hit for us during testing, picking up hair without any tangling and tackling dust and debris seamlessly. It auto-senses the amount of suction needed and its genius Anti-Odour capsules are easily our favourite touch, making it our top-rated cordless vac among everything we've tried. We only wish it came with a stand and a more functional dust tool.
Best affordable
If your biggest priority is affordability without sacrificing power, this Beko vacuum packs a punch at its affordable sub-£200 price point; offering fantastic value for money. It's easy to use, is equipped with a range of attachments, and works brilliantly across all floor types. The power controls can be a tad temperamental, is all.
Best high-tech
Dyson vacuums have a big reputation for being some of the most technologically advanced models on the market, and the Gen5detect takes the cake as offering the most intelligent cleaning capabilities and features to date; all of which making it nothing less than a star buy. But, it of course comes with a steep price tag only a few can justify.
Best for pet hair
This Shark vacuum cleaner is just as powerful as a corded vacuum and is a fantastic choice for those with pets that leave a trail of hair in their wake, excelling at pet hair pick-up on both carpet and hard flooring. While the battery life definitely fares well, it just falls short of Shark's very high claims. But, it's still a fantastic buy, nonetheless.
Best for hard floors
This newer Shark vacuum is a cleaning dream, weighing only 2.76kg and performing exceptionally well on hard floors thanks to four new detection technologies. However, the dustbin is quite a bit smaller than the tried and true Stratos, which is something to keep in mind for more thorough cleaning sessions.
Best for carpet
The AirRAM Platinum is a newer addition to our roster of tried and tested vacs, but it instantly earned a top spot because of its impressive suction and cleaning power. Its clever AirLOC technology ensures effective pick-up not only on the forward stroke, but the backstroke too, making it a top choice for cleaning carpet.
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Best vacuum and mop
If you've ever dreamed of combining your key cleaning tools into one appliance, we believe the result is the ultra-innovative Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. Marrying vacuuming and mopping, everyday cleaning is far more bearable thanks to this product – so long as you're willing to work a little harder on the maintenance side of things.
Best bagged
Henry's venture into the cordless vacuum world is more than just a gimmick but rather an upgrade to the British icon we're all too familiar with, making the classic Henry more suited to modern living – for an affordable price, too. However, the cost and maintenance of repurchasing bags might not be everyone's cup of tea.
Best versatile
If multi-surface cleaning is your priority, this WORX vac performs beautifully across carpet, hardwood, tile, and upholstery at a pretty fair price. Better yet, it even comes with a handy detachable unit that is a gem for cleaning stairs and even the car. However, it's not the prettiest and doesn't stand upright on its own.
Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2024
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Best cordless vacuum cleaner overall
The Shark Stratos range was released in 2022 and goes further than other vacuums to make debris and dust pick-up as seamless as possible. This particular cordless Stratos showed unbelievable suction power during testing, and left carpets visibly cleaner, with no issues with pet hair or human hair. Gone are the days of lengthy maintenance with the Stratos too, with easy-to-clean mechanisms that you'll be unbelievably grateful for.
Features we loved during testing
There's no doubt that our testing process proved that the Shark Stratos is worth the large price tag. Even if you don't have pets, the ease with which this vacuum does away with hair is astounding, and our Kitchen Appliances Editor, Molly found that it was unmatched when it came to suction.
The capacity of this vacuum to transform into a smaller handheld model is also phenomenal, and you'll be reaching for the smaller attachments all the time to resolve smaller messes all over your home quickly. One non-essential that we are obsessed with is the anti-odour capsules that you can pop into the dustbin. These mean that there are no more musty smells when you're emptying your vac.
You can fork out more for the two-battery Shark Stratos model if you think you need a spare pack on charge while the other is in use, but it's not a necessity if you live in a small or medium-sized home. All in all, this is admittedly a pricier vacuum, but if you can afford it, we're sure it will impress you time and time again.
Read our Shark Stratos IZ420UKT cordless vacuum review for more details.
Best affordable cordless vacuum cleaner
If you're after an affordable cordless vacuum cleaner that's actually good, we don't think it get better than the Beko Powerclean. Often found on sale for less than £200, this budget buy has earned an impressive 5-star rating from us for a reason.
Boasting three power modes, a range of handy attachments, and even the inclusion of a convenient charging dock for easy storage, the value for money that is offered with this model is superb, considering some of the more expensive models on this list don't even offer extra accessories or storage solutions.
Like many cordless stick vacuums, the Beko Powerclean can be used as a handheld unit for smaller and more specific cleaning tasks inside the house and even a car, and its battery life is pretty awesome considering its sub-£200 price tag. We think it's a fantastic entry-level cordless vac, ticking many of our boxes – even up to now.
Features we loved during testing
We were pleasantly surprised at how well this budget vacuum performed across all types of floors. Picking up hair and debris was quick and effective, across both our reviewer Millie Fender's hard floor and several rugs. She especially loved how easy the Beko Powerclean is to use, with three strength modes that can be easily toggled with the press of the plus and minus buttons that sit just above the main power. In fact, the controls are so easy to toggle that Millie even occasionally switched the vacuum on by accident when emptying the dustbin; but believe us when we say that's pretty much as far as the negatives go.
Read our Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner review for more details.
Best high-tech cordless vacuum cleaner
The Gen5detect Absolute is a vacuum that's as good at cleaning up as it looks. With two floorheads (one for hard floor, and one for carpet which we absolutely love) you feel like you have more options for deep cleaning with this vacuum. The catch? Its very steep price tag – even for a Dyson.
With this premium model, you're shelling out for innovation, with the hard floor head boasting lasers that illuminate dirt and dust that you'd never usually see – a cleaning enthusiast's dream. However, what makes it a standout option for cleaning carpets is its game-changing anti-tangle feature on the Digital Motorbar (the head for carpet cleaning). It works as well as similar offerings from Shark and revealed a huge amount of sunken-in dirt during our at-home tests. The three modes are perfect for toggling between everyday and deep cleaning, too.
Features we loved during testing
It's the fine details that make a vacuum better to use than others on the market, which is why you can't overlook the magic of a Dyson bin mechanism. Point the dust bin, pull the trigger and everything will come out the first time without a fuss – something that pretty much no other vacuum brand has achieved.
The LCD control panel is also incredibly intuitive, featuring indicators showing exactly how many microscopic dust particles you've eradicated from your home, adding to the experience that you're paying almost £900 for.
Read our Dyson Gen5detect Absolute vacuum cleaner review for more details.
Best cordless vacuum cleaner for pet hair
We know it looks like many of Shark's upright vacuum cleaners, but the Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is completely cordless, with all the power we're used to seeing on plug-in alternatives. It's got a front-facing dustbin that's connected to the filter and battery, and you can lift this away to remove the cleaning unit from the stick and carry the vacuum up the stairs or out to the car.
Features we loved during testing
For a cordless vacuum, the power available to you is astounding. It was brilliant on pet hair when our reviewer Millie put it to the test, and while it's one of the heaviest options on the market, it was up to heavy-duty work and rivalled a corded vacuum in cleaning up the whole home. Millie found the control panel easy to toggle and reported that even the eco power mode, which is the lowest of the three settings, was plenty on tiled floors.
The brush head here is a little clunky and it lacks the nimble motions of stick vacuums, but if you want a cordless vacuum cleaner to stay on top of a busy home with different floor types, you'll love how easily you can switch between hard and soft floors with the touch of a button with this vac.
This is another pricier option from Shark – but if you're looking for maximum power because you're just going to have one vacuum in the house, it's worth stretching to the extra expense.
Read our Shark ICZ300UKT cordless vacuum review for more details.
Best cordless vacuum cleaner for hard floors
The Shark Detect Pro is one we've eagerly been anticipating to test, and it's safe to say that it instantly met our expectations and more. Namely because of its unbelievably lightweight build, coming in at just 2.76kg, meaning you can wave goodbye to the days of lugging around a heavy appliance during what is already considered a pretty laborious task.
This vacuum has four detection technologies, meaning cleaning your home is more thorough than ever. During testing, we found dealing with high-traffic areas much easier thanks the the amped up suction and the FloorDetect technology makes transitioning into different rooms across your home much easier too.
Features we loved during testing
The cleaning performance of this vacuum very much impressed us during testing, thoroughly cleaning floors but especially excelling on wooden and hard floors where dust and debris are the most problematic. You gain design points too with this newer release, which is available in a swish-white colour scheme and has a stripped-back LED control panel for that super sleek look.
It performed excellently in our at-home tests, and the new detection features go a long way to improve day-to-day vacuuming sessions. We're a huge fan of the stand system too, even though it comes at an additional price, and would be keen to try out the self-emptying bin system next, which seems like a lifesaver for streamlining cleaning.
Read our Shark Detect Pro cordless vacuum cleaner IW1511UK review for more details.
Best cordless vacuum cleaner for carpet
The Gtech AirRAM Platinum is one of the newer additions to our big roster of tried and tested vacuums, but a worthy one at that. Sporting a sleek, stylish, compact design with unmatched cleaning technology, it might just be one of the best vacuums we've tested for cleaning carpeted flooring.
This power is all thanks to its innovative AirLOC technology, which Gtech describe as such: it collects large debris as you push forward and then forms a seal on the backstroke, tackling embedded hair and fine dust to ensure nothing is left behind.
We will admit, manoeuvring the AirRAM Platinum takes a little bit of getting used to because the AirLOC technology is unlike anything we've experienced with other vacuums, but once you've got the technique down, it makes for a very impressive clean. In fact, the suction is so strong that it not only left carpets visibly cleaner, but those satisfying vacuum lines, too. Although we especially love it for carpet, it performed just as well across other floor types in our tests.
Features we loved during testing
On top of the vacuum's impressive suction power, we're big fans of the quality of life features Gtech considered in its making. Namely, the simple foot power controls, adjustable carrying handle, and the mess-free emptying system. Say goodbye to having to faff around with trigger controls and lugging your vacuum around, because Gtech's solutions to these problems make it a super seamless experience.
Unfortunately, the AirRAM Platinum just slightly falls short of a 5-star rating because of its lack of hand tools or floorheads it comes with (yes, it's just the one floorhead and unit in the box, unless you get the bundle with the Multi Platinum handheld vacuum). However, in some ways we think that this is also a strength because you don't have to deal with storing extra accessories or switching out floorheads. You simply plug and play and get to cleaning; and for its superb performance, it's quickly become one of our favourites.
Read our Gtech AirRAM Platinum Anti Hair Wrap cordless vacuum review for more details.
Best cordless vacuum and mop
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine was easily one of our most anticipated products, and best believe we were extremely impressed to find that it exceeded our expectations and more. Combing vacuuming and mopping, this 2-in-1 innovation is a jack of all trades but has truly mastered both traits well.
Features we loved during testing
Dyson has never failed to deliver quality and power with their floorcare products, and this vacuum and mop combo is no different. Our Ecommerce Editor, Molly, has always found mopping in its current form extremely inefficient but after using the Submarine floorhead, has been converted because of just how easy it is to stay on top of everyday cleaning without all the fuss. It's super easy to switch heads, too.
Of course, Dyson's cutting-edge features also streamline the vacuuming experience, making cleaning hard floors in particular a joy thanks to the fantastic laser floorhead that scouts every bit of dust and debris.
If you've had a Dyson on your wish list for a while now, we think it's definitely worth paying the extra to add the Submarine floorhead to your purchase. The vacuuming power is just as prominent, even in this vacuum and mop dual-design, making it a top contender as one of the best cordless vacuums money can buy.
Read our Dyson V15s Detect Submarine review for more details.
Best bagged cordless vacuum cleaner
This vacuum is the next chapter in Henry's huge history of influence in cleaning in the UK. With a cordless stick design for the first time, the Henry Quick holds on to all the iconic branding quirks we love while packing in respectable suction power and a lightweight design to make your vacuuming routine easier.
Features we loved during testing
During testing, our Kitchen Appliances Editor, Molly, found this vacuum to be a super reliable choice. The design was endearing and impressive and will speak to fans of the usual happy-faced Henry vacs that we all know and love. Standout features included just how easy this was vacuum to use, with a two-button control panel, and LED lights that help with cleaning in the evenings. If you love Henry but are a little apprehensive about making the move to a cordless model, this vacuum is a great place to start.
One thing that sets Henry Quick apart from other vacuums on this list is the use of dust bags. You receive 26 of these bags with your Henry and using them most definitely cuts back on dust clouds upon emptying and means you can go longer without needing to empty at all. Allergy sufferers who want to use a cordless vacuum will massively benefit from this type of design, but repurchasing dust bags in the future may not be for everyone.
Henry vacuums tend to be very reliable workhorses, and with an RRP of £300 (but easy to find for closer to the £250 mark), you're onto a winner if you want to invest for the long term. The fact that the Quick uses a bagged system may also be a win when it comes to durability, as it means that your vacuum's parts stay cleaner on a day-to-day basis.
Read our NUMATIC Henry Quick cordless vacuum review for more details.