We looked at reviews for competing models from the past few years, and they have their fair share of poor ratings and tales of early breakdowns, too. In its traditional upright configuration, the Triflex is the most balanced, sturdy-feeling cordless vac we’ve ever used. As for the surplus of critical owner ratings, we mostly chalk that up to Dyson’s overwhelming dominance and years-long head start in this category. Shop for the Handheld Vacuum, Cordless Handle Vacuum Cleaner with 12.6V USB Charging Cable, 100V/240V Charge Adapter, Waterwashable Steel Filter, 120W 7000pa Powerful Wireless Vacuum with LED Light at the Amazon Home & Kitchen Store. If you want the most comfortable (and probably durable) cordless vacuum that money can buy, check out the Miele Triflex HX1. This vac comes in a few variants, each with two battery packs (at the time of writing) but different attachments, and one with a bin-stuffing feature. Whether you want a … There’s 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. It has some clever features to make the most of an already-generous battery life, like an automatic suction-adjustment system. The lightest cordless sticks are just a few pounds, and even the beefiest models weigh about as much as small plug-in uprights. If you’re used to a good plug-in vacuum, you’ll need to reset your expectations. With fade-free battery power and a battery-saving trigger. The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless has excellent storage capabilities. We tested the Shark Rocket Pet Pro IZ162 (which is similar to some cheaper cordless Rocket models) and found that it was not a very strong cleaner, and it seems more prone to clogging than is usual. The Dyson V11 picked up an astounding amount of fine dust and hair from rugs in our around-the-house testing, even from rugs that we’d already cleaned with other vacuums. A few models achieved similar results on some of these tests, but not all of them. But there’s little evidence that other brands’ cordless vacs are any better. Yes, the V11 is wildly expensive and the handling can still be uncomfortable, and we’re not confident that it’s more reliable than cheaper sticks. Three versions of the Triflex are available: The basic model comes with one battery and no headlight, the Cat & Dog model comes with a mini turbo brush for upholstery and special odor-reducing filters, and the Pro model comes with two battery packs and extra tools. For returns of The Anna Upright Cordless/Hybrid Vacuum: After you have contacted us at 1-800-237-7691, we will send you a box and label to use to ship the product. The PowerSeries Extreme can convert into a handheld vacuum, but it’s a bulky, cumbersome one. This was not a major distinguishing factor in our picks. It actually sucked up a similar amount of gritty debris as the Dyson V7 in our tests (though not nearly as much pet hair, and hardly any fine dust). It’s the only cordless vacuum we’ve tested that captures any noticeable amount of super-fine, dander-like dust at all from rugs. It performed better on its lower-suction, battery-preserving setting than many (though not all) other vacuums do on their maximum-suction, battery-draining settings. Any Dyson model with V7 in the name has the same battery life and raw cleaning power as the V7 Motorhead, but individual variants (such as the V7 HEPA or V7 Animal) might come with different tools, cleaning heads, or filters. But there’s not much to complain about. Battery power is only used for cleaning. (Contrary to popular belief, built-in packs are usually replaceable with a screwdriver.) The Triflex comes with a wall-mountable dock for recharging the battery, as well as a separate battery cradle (pictured), so you get to choose whichever style you prefer. If that sounds like a fair trade-off, and you’re ready to go cord-free, we’ve found a handful of models to suit different homes and budgets. Filters You should also expect a cordless vacuum to last about half as long as a comparable plug-in vacuum. Cordless Vacuum, ONSON Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner, 250W Powerful Cleaning Lightweight 2 in 1 Handheld Vacuum with Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery 3.4 out of 5 stars 6,507 $250.99 Some variants have an LCD that gives useful info. To wit: The first Linx unit we tested for this guide, back in 2014, still works as of 2020. Between about 2014 and 2018, Dyson had no serious competitors—everything else was much weaker. The thicker the rug and the clingier the debris, the bigger the advantage Dyson has. For all other returns: Attach the return address label on the outside of the package being returned. Most people can be perfectly comfortable with these run times, but if you want more battery life, you’ll need to pick a different model. The Dyson V7 Moorhead cord-free vacuum has 75 percent more brush bar power than the Dyson V6 cord-free vacuum. A two-year warranty is the norm in the industry, but there are some exceptions. But up until a few years ago, they were all weak cleaners meant for easy tasks—mostly vacuuming bare floors. The blue light still come on without the charger. But unlike many of its competitors, this stick vac can reliably stand up on its own, for easy storage. Consumer Reports spokesperson, phone and email interviews, January 15–16, 2020, Dyson spokesperson, phone and email interviews, January 15–17, 2020, Carolyn Forte, 8 Best Stick Vacuums of 2020, According to Cleaning Appliance Experts, Good Housekeeping, June 17, 2020, Brian Bennett, The best cordless vacuum for 2020: from Dyson, Shark, Bissell, Hoover, Moosoo and more, CNET, October 1, 2020, Quick Guide: Vacuums, Consumer Reports (pp. Plus, they tend to be easy to maintain. Photo: Michael Hession. They’re almost all bagless, and they typically come with filters and brush belts that are meant to last the life of the vacuum. I haven’t had a chance to look at trouble shooting the battery. The S11 comes with a single pack, which runs anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes, depending on which mode you use and how dirty your floors are (more on that shortly). Farrell, Dyson Stick Vacuums Lose CR Recommendation Over Reliability Issues, Consumer Reports, March 28, 2019, Mary H.J. As a bonus, most modern cordless stick vacuums can also transform into handheld vacuums, for super-convenient above-floor (upholstery or ceiling cobwebs, for example) and car cleaning. Getting the best cordless vacuum cleaner for a car is not easy and may require the buyers to be selective and particular about the specifications of the same. Though it’s not as strong as a Dyson, the Tineco has a dirt sensor and headlight that make up for that by helping you figure out where to concentrate your efforts. The S11 has a ring of LEDs that changes color when the vacuum senses it’s sucking something up, so the driver gets a visual cue to spend extra time on the dirtiest spots. “When we looked at the raw problem rates of Dyson vs. cord-free stick vacuums in general, it appeared that Dyson wasn’t more problematic than cord-free vacuums made by other brands,” a spokesperson from CR told Wirecutter. Follow instructions on page 5 for installing the Wall Storage & Charging Station. All we really learned was that you can’t count on any of these figures to tell you how effective a vacuum will be. At least a few times a year, it’s a good idea to clean the filters, and, if necessary, untangle the brush roll, unclog the intake, and unjam the bearings. It’s not a life-changing thing, but we did like how it helped us focus our efforts in around-the-house cleaning. Big machine suction power. That’s partly because vacuums with poor filtration tend to be bad at a lot of other things a vacuum is supposed to do. This catch-all term includes day-to-day reliability, long-term durability, repairability, ease of maintenance, warranty coverage, and customer service. But the Black+Decker is among the minority of stick vacs that let you shut off the brush roll so that it won’t scatter hard debris like cat litter. We can’t fully explain how; we actually found that the Triflex has relatively weak suction, so its effectiveness must have to do with the design of the cleaning head. The Dyson V7 Moorhead cord-free vacuum quickly transforms to a handheld for quick clean UPS, spot cleaning and cleaning difficult places. We did test the top-of-the-line S12, which is like the S11 with extra suction (but still with less deep-cleaning ability than a Dyson). We always struggled to reattach it because it has no tactile cues for where to line it up and no audible click when it slots into place. Twice the suction of any cord-free vacuum.andsup1; Engineered for homes with pets. CORDLESS VACUUM USER MANUAL IMPORTANT: READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ASSEMBLY AND USE. © 2020 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Cordless vs. corded vacuums: the downsides of going cord-free, Our pick: Dyson V7 Motorhead, for carpet-cleaning prowess, Runner-up: Tineco Pure One S11, for ease of use, Budget picks: Hoover Linx and Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme, Upgrade picks: Dyson V11 and Miele Triflex HX1, a vacuum that collects debris in a self-sealing, disposable bag, Knockoffs are available, but buyer beware, updated the way that it rates cordless vacuums, Dyson sits near the top of the cordless category once again, 8 Best Stick Vacuums of 2020, According to Cleaning Appliance Experts, The best cordless vacuum for 2020: from Dyson, Shark, Bissell, Hoover, Moosoo and more, Dyson Stick Vacuums Lose CR Recommendation Over Reliability Issues, The Best Prime Day Roomba, Dyson, and Robot Vacuum Deals 2020, The Best Black Friday 2020 Deals Available Now. It doesn’t double as a handheld vacuum, though. Trigger releases instantly. Just drop it in the wall cradle. But that misclassification led to an unfair advantage for brands that sold plug-in stick vacuums, which are inherently more reliable. In our controlled rug-cleaning tests, on its Boost mode the V11 picked up nearly all of the sand and baking soda mixture we laid out on a low-pile rug. It’s still an excellent cleaner. Cordless vacuums cost so much more than traditional plug-ins and rarely last as long, but they’re incredibly convenient. — 63-69), Buying Guide 2020, Mary H.J. For a dependable, versatile, and affordable cleaner, we prefer a bagless upright, but we have recommendations for other types of vacuums as well. It's quite compact overall and has a storage rack on the underside of its dirt compartment for its crevice cleaning tool. Over the past decade, the owner rating has held steady, which is a testament to this model’s all-around decent-ness. This high-end Dyson cleans carpets better than even many plug-ins, and it has plenty of battery life for most homes. Tineco sticks all have a Dyson-esque, trigger-style power switch, though there’s also a locking switch (in lighter blue) that can keep the trigger pressed so you don’t have to squeeze it constantly. Charging improperly or at temperatures outside of The S11 weighs about as much as the Dyson V7, but the weight is distributed in a way that makes it feel lighter. The loop-style handle and light body weight are pretty comfortable to us. Most sticks don’t have the option to turn off the brush roll, so they tend to scatter debris like cat litter (though there’s usually a workaround, such as a special brush or just removing the cleaning head). We’re recommending two models each within three different price tiers (so six vacuums total). It’s also the best bare-floor cleaner we’ve tested among cordless vacuums (apart from sticks that come with a second soft-fabric brush). Our favorite is the V11 Torque Drive, which comes with extra clip-in tools, and its info screen also adds maintenance reminders and how-to animations. The S11 can be a decent cleaner, but it’s not a standout. Then I try out the top performers from the first trials. We analyzed the leading Cordless Vacuum For Workshops to help you find the best Cordless Vacuum For Workshop to buy. The Dyson cyclone V10 animal cord-free vacuum quickly transforms to a handheld for quick clean UPS, spot cleaning and cleaning difficult places. Neither A-series model has the debris-detection feature. Then there’s the Dyson V11 Outsize, which costs even more than the Torque Drive and is probably overkill for almost everyone. Also, the battery is swappable (rather than built-in, as it is on the V7). One minor challenge with the charging system is that you have to charge the battery on the machine. Using different suction settings (when they’re available), we test how each vacuum performs on all types of rugs with several types of debris. And in general, if you have serious allergies or asthma, the conventional wisdom is that you’ll be better off with a vacuum that collects debris in a self-sealing, disposable bag (or that uses water filtration). It also feels heavier in the hand than most models and is otherwise unremarkable. The Linx is a hoss, at least by the low standards of cordless vacuums. We’ve decided not to waste any more of anybody’s 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. And, unlike most vacuums now, the Linx doesn’t convert into a handheld vacuum or have a hose, so it can’t clean your shelves, furniture, or car. They might be worth a look if they’re on a deep sale. The main downside with both vacuums is that they snowplow big debris like nobody’s business. The two models we tested, the Moosoo XL-618A and the Aposen H250, were poor cleaners on most surfaces and mediocre at best on others, with creaky construction and parts that sometimes didn’t fit together quite right. Reattaching the dust bin to the vacuum isn’t intuitive, either, but we managed to get the hang of it after about five tries. A heads-up on the battery: Units built after spring 2020 use swappable, click-in batteries. Also if you do fine dust or powder, remember to clean or replace the filter. After looking into the brands that sell them and testing a couple of the best-sellers (at the time of research), we think you’re better off spending a little extra on one of our budget picks. However, they did tell us that if you buy any V11 model through the Dyson website, it is guaranteed to use the click-in battery. We could write a whole article on the tangled web of the companies behind these brands (and most of the other no-namers on the Amazon top-100 best-seller list, and the Chinese vacuum industry in general). It’s also hit or miss as to whether a model will reliably clean up powdery debris, particularly when it’s stuck in gaps between floorboards. Warranties and customer service are hit or miss across all brands. That’s great for pretty much anyone in any home. Charging a cordless vacuum cleaner can take from ultra-fast 60 minutes up to 16 hours. But we regularly see the Extreme going for $150. If you can’t stand Dyson’s cramp-inducing trigger-type power switch or the constraints of its built-in batteries, then the Tineco Pure One S11 is a decent alternative to the Dyson V7 or V8. Kindly read the product description before use. 2 tier radial tm cyclones – 15 cyclones, arranged across two tiers, work in parallel to increase airflow and capture fine dust. This model has surprisingly good cleaning power for the price, and it uses the same common, affordable Max batteries as loads of other Black+Decker power tools. The only complaint is the battery is not holding the amount of charge time listed. The way it charges is different. Assistant: Can you guesstimate how old your Bosch is? In the meantime, we’ll put it this way: They’ll all probably work okay in most cases, but the best vacuums tend to come from brands that focus on vacuums rather than on power tools. Don’t expect it to clean plush carpets or to keep up with three dogs’ worth of hair (not without clogging, anyway). Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. The Linx won’t pull much hair or dust out of any rugs, nor will it grab crumbs or grit nearly as effectively as the also-affordable Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme. The price of lithium batteries (which power most cordless vacuums) has fallen but is still high, and you can easily overpay for extra minutes you’ll rarely use. And when the S11 senses a big mess, it automatically turns up the suction. Like most sticks, the Triflex HX1 works as a handheld vacuum, too. But if you’re after the most comfortable (and possibly most durable) cordless vacuum, consider the Miele Triflex HX1. Older units use built-in packs, and some of those vacuums are still in stock around the US. If you’ve already bought into that system, you might have some spares lying around. Photo: Michael Hession, The Triflex has a slider-style power switch that lets you choose from three different settings. WARNING Do not use your vacuum until you are familiar with all instructions and operating procedures. Several brands that sell cordless power tools also sell stick vacuums that use the same battery packs. Amazon is rife with cheap cordless sticks that cost about $100, sometimes less. Dyson was the only decent choice for a while, so there’s been more time for negative reviews to pile up on Dyson vacuums. Remember: The Linx is meant for a relatively light workload. You’ll find plenty of comments at the bottom of this article suggesting that the quality is below average, and there’s no shortage of harsh reviews on retail sites about Dyson sticks that broke within a few years (or less). Even on the lower-powered Auto mode, with the cleaning head on its lowest-suction, easiest-to-push setting, it still performed as well as some great sticks, like the V7, on their maximum-power settings. We cleaned three rugs with a Dyson V8 on its Max setting (left) and then cleaned them again with the V11 on its Boost setting (right). (In that sense, it really does split the difference between the old and new styles.) The 16V lithium battery is packed with fade-free power, longer runtime and a 3x faster charging battery*. Our take: The category is too new, with too many models coming out all the time, to draw strong conclusions here. The soft-bristle brush (bottom right) comes with Absolute variants and is useful for dusting. And at that price, it’s the cheap stick to beat if you want to be able to really pull debris out of your rugs, rather than just tickle the tops of the fibers. Our best guess is that you’ll 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. The Torque Drive and Outsize variants even have an LCD display, which offers some genuinely useful info, like a real-time battery-life estimate (to help ease range anxiety), plus easy-to-understand troubleshooting instructions and maintenance reminders. It’s very good on bare floors, too. 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