Also interesting is the readout on the back of the vacuum, which lists the ratio of dirt collected by particle size. Bissell Zing’s canister vacuum is a great option for smaller homes or apartments. The retractable, 15-foot power cable lets you move around most average-sized rooms without having to drag the canister around the entire time. When it is time to change rooms, the large wheels and integrated carrying handle make it easy to move the vacuum. The Zing may be small, but it has good suction and cyclonic action to collect most dirt and debris.
Versatility was essential — only vacuums that could serve double duty by cleaning bare surfaces such as wood and tile, as well as carpet or rugs, made the cut. All of the cordless vacuums we tested were between 4 and 7 pounds, but none was so heavy that it affected our recommendation. All of the vacuums on this list were also very similar in height and overall size. The Dyson models are both roughly 49 inches, while the Tineco A11 is shorter at just 43 inches tall. Other factors considered were how easy the vacuum is to handle and store.
The last time we updated our list of the best cordless vacuums, we pointed to the Tineco A11 Hero as an outstanding midrange option. Now, in 2023, it’s available for $260 or less, if you catch it on sale (we’ve seen it fall below $200 pretty regularly in recent bissell cordless vacuum months). That makes it more of a value pick — and as value picks go, it’s one of your best options. The Pure One S11’s black-and-white build is perhaps a bit bland, and we wish that it offered a bit more than 40 minutes of runtime under optimal conditions.
It’s a great option for households with pets that need the extra suction power to clear pet hair. According to Dyson, it has twice the suction power than other cordless vacuums and an upgrade of 20% more suction power than the previous Cyclone V10 vacuum model. It includes a Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS) system that can automatically sense surfaces to change motor speeds, depending on whether you’re cleaning bare floors or carpets. Although it handles most cleaning tasks automatically, you can control the suction power by choosing from auto, boost and Eco mode. When I bought my Tineco vacuum, I realized how much value there is in investing in a high quality model specifically designed with pets in mind.
For faster cleanups, a cordless vacuum is easy to handle and may be all you need. You may notice we don’t mention amps or motor specs in our best vacuum cleaners guide. That’s bissell handheld vacuum because more motor power doesn’t mean a vacuum can deep clean better. The amperage of a vacuum cleaner motor only measures electrical current, not how well it performs.
Another filter you might want to look for when shopping for vacuums is a pre-filter, which Neumann says can trap larger pieces of pet hair while the HEPA filter deals with the smaller particles. When buying a vacuum for general household needs, it’s important to pay attention to features like size and weight, floor settings and more. But when shopping with pets in mind, experts also recommend focusing on the following three areas to ensure appliances are equipped to handle lots of hair, additional dust and other messes cats and dogs may create. Most of the cordless vacuums on our list include a two-year limited warranty, but a quality model should last you significantly longer than that.
Shark’s powerful suction is excellent for deep cleaning all floor surfaces. However, vacuums with heavy suction often drag on carpets and rugs, making them difficult to maneuver. Plus, it’s built with Advanced Swivel Steering which allows the vacuum to pivot effortlessly for better control. BISSELL builds a wide bissell cordless vacuum variety of vacuums to suit different needs, ranging from cordless handheld vacuums for spot-cleaning countertops and furniture to bulky corded upright vacuums that you can use to clean large carpeted areas. BISSELL vacuums tend to be affordably priced and use bagless designs that keep recurring costs down.
Not surprisingly, the V15 Detect was a powerful performer in our tests, particularly in our sand tests, where it removed the largest overall total of sand from our hardwood, low-pile carpet, and mid-pile carpet test floors. It was our No. 1 finisher on low-pile carpet, with a sand score of 93% and another perfect 100% with the black rice. It’s a strong performer on plushier, mid-pile carpet, too, which is our most difficult test. The Pure One S11 finished in third here, gathering up 78% of the sand and, once again, 100% of the black rice. In our exclusive CR surveys, more than 40 percent of battery-powered stick vacs owned by our members developed problems with the battery within the first five years of ownership. Corded stick vacuums do not have this issue, which is why we give separate reliability ratings for cordless and corded stick vacuum brands.
The vacuum has a 35-foot cord and its construction allows you to easily swivel around furniture, according to the brand. The appliance offers three cleaning modes that adjust suction power for different floor types. This corded Dirt Devil model is one of the most affordable vacuums we recommend.
This vacuum’s LED headlights illuminated pet hair I’d previously been missing and the powerful suction cleaned it up quickly. Beyond getting rid of hair, this vacuum easily sucks up cat food crumbs and cat litter, too. I love that the vacuum can sense dirt and automatically adjusts its suction power accordingly. The vacuum’s LED screen also shows you a status report with information like whether the brush roll is tangled or the air channel is blocked.