Our testing team has three years of combined experience testing and evaluating everything from the best toasters to the best flower delivery services. Our product testing experts spend around 40 hours conducting firsthand research in our Testing Lab, including sourcing and researching products. We strive to recommend the very best products using honest and fair testing practices and never recommend a product we don’t love, regardless of how popular it is or how big the brand is. While the Shark Stratos performed the best overall, it also comes at the highest price point.
In addition to its charging dock, the Wandvac comes with a duster crevice tool and pet multi-tool, and it can be converted into a compact handheld model, as well. For cleaning up quick spills or vacuuming out your car, the UltraCyclone Pro was the best-performing handheld vacuum we tested from the brand. While the brand doesn’t specifically list a runtime for this vacuum, we found that it generally lasts between minutes per charge, and we could generally use it multiple times before needing shark pet vacuum to plug it back in. The Navigator Freestyle has a two-speed brushroll, and it comes with a convenient charging stand for docking when it’s not in use. The brand doesn’t list the maximum runtime per charge of this cordless vacuum, but in testing, we were able to clean for 15 minutes without depleting the battery. Overall, we think this lightweight upright vacuum is ideal for small-to-medium-sized homes, and if you’re looking for a vacuum under $200, you can’t beat its reasonable price point.
Similar to its performance on low-pile carpet, a small amount of debris can get stuck to the bottom of its floorhead rather than be sucked up, as seen here. Since this is a cordless vacuum, its range is limited only by the remaining battery life and the room left in its dirt compartment. Is it light enough to use overhead if you have shelves and high surfaces that need cleaning? You might even want to consider if it will be aesthetically pleasing, especially if you’re planning to keep it out in the open. If you’ve got furry friends, look for a model that has factored this into its design – some of the models here have specifically anti-hair wrap cleaner heads. If you’ve ever wished for an all-in-one floor cleaning solution, the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro could be just the thing.
For that reason, it makes sense to streamline the process as much as possible. Instead of being tied to a power socket when you’re vacuuming, a cordless vacuum cleaner enables you to move without restriction and reach every edge without thinking about how far a cord can stretch. Just like the Stratos, the Shark Cordless Pro easily converts to a handheld vacuum. This is super handy for tackling shelving and eliminating debris from couches and crevices. A manual boost function bolsters its performance when faced with especially high carpet or big pieces of debris. Overall, it’s a bit of a bust on extremely hairy floors (hair tends to collect and wrap in the brush roll), but for households without pets its a solid pick.
We also conducted a ‘flour test’ on a grey rug, spilling flour and then hoovering it up to test performance (you can see one result above). Carolyn Forté has tested and reviewed hundreds of vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, mops and other major (and small) home appliances as executive director of the GH Institute Home Care and Cleaning Lab. She is an active member of the ASTM Committee on vacuum cleaners and chairman of the consumer information sub-committee. Other nice touches for the price include a tangle-free brush roll, lighted crevice tool, dusting brush tool and a flexible extension hose for better reach, which can help to clean the stairs. Plus, the sealed system better traps dust and allergens, though we’d have loved to see a HEPA filter included on this model. There’s even a parking brake that keeps it from sliding down when resting against a wall.
Over the course of six months of use, we found ourselves using it for deep cleaning instead of everyday messes, because it is too heavy to regularly lug up and down stairs. The table below tells you the average percentage of sand each vacuum was able to remove from each of our three test surfaces. Sucking sand out of carpets like those is a real challenge — most of the vacuums we test can’t even remove 80% of the stuff when all is said and done. If you have thick carpets like those in your home, it’s definitely worth a look. The dustbin is a cinch to empty and clean, and the battery is removable, too.
That said, it’s by no means an ugly vacuum if you don’t have the space for storing it away, I love the rose gold accents and the slimline design. The LED screen shows you how much charge time you have left and lets you toggle between hard floor, carpet or turbo mode. Cordless models are low on suction power compared to plug-ins, but some are more powerful than others. For more persistent staining you may need a carpet cleaner or a steam cleaner.