Finally, it uses an on and off switch, rather than the trigger favoured by every other Dyson vacuum. It seems a small thing, but we found it made the Gen5 much easier to use. It’s still pretty expensive, but that’s largely inflated by the shark stick vacuum added Auto-Empty System – if you’re on a budget, you can opt for the vacuum without its base. The wand folds in half with the click of a button, a feat that proved helpful when we were rounding up dust bunnies from under the couch.
Dyson’s V15 cordless vacuum cleaner really is its most impressive yet. It’s more powerful and cleans even better on all surfaces, yet still lasts up to 60 minutes between charges – the same battery shark handheld vacuum life offered by its predecessor, the Dyson V11, which has the same price tag. Vacuums come in all shapes, sizes and prices, so the first job is to decide what kind of vacuum suits you best.
The Beldray Smartflex doesn’t look quite as premium as other models, with chunky plastic joints and a simplistic LED screen that shows you the percentage of battery left rather than the time. But if it’s a budget vacuum you’re after, you won’t find much better for the price. My one niggle with the vacuum is that it’s quite hefty for a cordless vacuum at 4.58kg, making it slightly more cumbersome others.
It’s older than many designs in this list because Dyson now concentrates on cordless designs, but it’s an excellent cleaner. Dyson’s best vac yet is more powerful and cleans even better on all surfaces, yet still shark handheld vacuum lasts up to 60 minutes between charges. The new Hoover WindTunnel TangleGuard is easier to maneuver across carpets than the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra, but it didn’t measure up to our picks in its sand pickup.
Remove the main wand and attach a different tool for use as a handheld and you can tackle stairs, inside a car and hard-to-reach places with ease. But since the head measures just 20.7cm, it can tackle most small spaces in stick mode, which is a lot less effort than handheld mode. We would have given it a higher score if the dust tank was slightly larger. If you have old wooden floors or especially expensive floors, you’ll appreciate the brush. It consists of two brush bars that are covered in soft nylon to capture large particles without damaging hard floors, while anti-static carbon fibre filaments collect fine dust at the same time. When the vacuum’s full, you don’t have to touch any dirt or hair, thanks to a fast, easy ejection mechanism.
This is a great vacuum for households with everyday vacuuming needs, but like most cordless vacuums, it won’t hold up to hours long cleaning sessions. A third generation family company with decades of experience, their parent company, Euro-Pro, originated in Europe, moved to Canada and are now based near Boston, Massachusetts. Shark vacuums tend to have larger dust canisters than most of Dyson’s models, but the battery doesn’t last as long.