Small, compact cleaning gadgets are having a real moment right now, especially as more of us look for easier ways to stay on top of everyday mess without constantly hauling out a full-sized vacuum or heavier cleaning equipment. The latest ALDI Find taps neatly into that shift – and it lands just in time for the busy summer season.

Launching in stores on 1 July, the Ambiano Portable Vacuum Cleaner comes in a choice of black or white, offering a sleek, minimalist finish that feels more like a modern home accessory than a bulky utility appliance. Its compact, lightweight design is exactly what makes it so appealing – it is small enough to sit neatly alongside other vacuum cleaners without taking up the same level of space, while also offering a quick alternative to dragging out a cordless vacuum for smaller everyday messes.

It is easy to leave on a countertop, tuck on a shelf, or store in a kitchen cabinet without taking over valuable space. I currently own the Shark WANDVAC Cordless Hand Vac from Amazon, and I wouldn't be without a cordless vacuum. It is a godsend for small spills, messes and sucking up my cats fur, which just seems to get everywhere.

Given ALDI’s reputation for new launches selling out quickly, we expect this one to fly off shelves once it arrives in stores.

A Compact Design That Fits Real Life

There is no setup, no fuss, and no reason to delay tackling a mess. It is the kind of tool you can grab in seconds – whether it is crumbs after breakfast, flour spilled while baking, or bits of soil tracked in from the garden.

The small size is a genuine advantage in busy homes, particularly in kitchens and open-plan spaces where mess tends to happen in real time. Instead of waiting for a 'proper clean,' it encourages quick, immediate tidy-ups that keep things feeling under control throughout the day.

It is especially useful for those in-between moments when you would not bother pulling out a full-sized vacuum or cordless vacuum, but still want surfaces looking presentable in seconds.

Why Choose a Handheld Vacuum?

I have to admit, I have always been a fan of a handheld vacuum for exactly this reason. There is something incredibly satisfying about spot-cleaning as you go – whether it is clearing crumbs from the dining table after lunch, tidying around the hob while cooking, or doing a quick pass over the sofa before guests arrive.

It takes the pressure off those small messes that would not usually justify pulling out a full-sized vacuum or cordless vacuum, removing that mental load of ‘I will deal with it later’ because it takes seconds rather than becoming a full cleaning task. In a busy household, that small shift makes a noticeable difference to how calm and put-together a space feels throughout the day.

A Surprisingly Useful Tool For Floorcare

In terms of floor care, the Ambiano Portable Vacuum works best as a supporting tool rather than a replacement for your main vacuum. It is particularly useful for hard flooring such as laminate, vinyl, tile, and engineered wood, where small debris like crumbs, dust, and grit can gather quickly. It really shines in those awkward in-between areas – along baseboards, in corners, and around dining chairs – where larger vacuums are less convenient to manoeuvre. It is also ideal for entryways, where dirt and debris are regularly tracked in and can easily spread further through the home if left. Used alongside a regular vacuuming routine, it helps maintain a consistently cleaner floor with minimal effort.

Tackle Pet Hair, Spills, And Everyday Mess

While you may still need a vacuum for pet hair with stronger suction for deeper cleans, this compact option is ideal for everyday spot cleaning and quick touch-ups. For pet owners, it is especially handy for lifting loose fur from sofas, cushions, stairs, and pet beds before it has a chance to build up or spread through the home.

Rather than waiting for a full cleaning session, it allows you to tackle shedding as it happens – keeping surfaces looking tidier with minimal effort. It is just as useful for everyday messes, from dried crumbs in the kitchen and cereal under the dining table to dust and debris that quickly reappear in high-traffic areas like entryways and living rooms.

Shop Alternative Handheld Vacuums

The Ambiano Portable Vacuum is an affordable handheld cleaning tool that fits easily into everyday routines and stores almost anywhere, making it more likely to be used regularly rather than left out of reach. With strong demand expected, this ALDI Find is likely to sell out quickly once it hits stores.

After a month of use, the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua is the closest thing I've tested to a vacuum that can (nearly) do it all. It clears debris well, mops properly, and the self-cleaning station means you rarely, if ever, have to touch a dirty brush head.

The anti-tangle brush roller came through a month of cleaning up after a shedding Labrador without needing a single manual hair removal. The LED lighting on the dry head consistently revealed dust I would have missed, and the wet cleaning head dealt with the kind of sticky, dried-on kitchen mess that most other wet-to-dry vacuums struggle with.

With the Z30, you're getting what is effectively two of the best vacuums and floor care appliances in one. Buying a comparable cordless stick vacuum and a decent floor washer separately would cost much more. Plus, for homes with a mix of floors and carpet – especially with pets – it's a hard combination to beat at this price.

My One-Minute Verdict

Dreame has spent the last couple of years making vacuums that look and perform a lot like Dyson's, usually for a lot less money. The Z30 Pro Aqua is something a tad more ambitious – a premium, full-power cordless stick vacuum that also mops the floor and has a self-cleaning base.

If wet cleaning isn't something you need and your home is mostly hard floors, the $649.99 / £399.99 Dreame H15 Pro offers better wet cleaning coverage for less money as a dedicated floor washer.

For homes that are mostly carpet and don't need wet cleaning, the $849.99 / £649.99 Dyson V15 Detect remains the best dry cordless I've tested.

Or if you want the Z30 Pro Aqua's suction without the wet cleaning, the standard Dreame Z30 is $599.99 / £299.99 and does an excellent job for considerably less.

Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua Specifications

Design and Features

Inside the box are two dedicated floor heads – the TangleCut multi-surface brush for dry cleaning, and the AquaCycle 2.0 wet cleaning brush – along with the self-cleaning charging station, a bendable extension rod, a crevice nozzle, a wide fluff tool, and a soft dusting brush.

Each of the attachments has dedicated storage ports on the base and clicks and locks into place.

Inside the dry floor head is a motorized brush roller fitted with a pair of internal cutting blades that slice through hair as it wraps around the roller. This is a more effective, albeit slightly aggressive, approach to the hair problem than the plastic combs on most anti-tangle brush rollers that just catch the hair, but don't cut it.

Once cut, the smaller strands can then more easily be sucked into the dustbin, and this leaves the brush roller much cleaner for longer than other vacuums I've tested. This is a real benefit if you live with pets or anyone with long hair.

Elsewhere on the dry floor head, a row of LEDs set at 140 degrees light up the floor ahead, making fine dust, pet dander, and crumbs more visible, especially on hardwood and stone floors where debris can easily be missed.

The second floor head is the wet cleaning brush, and this is where the Z30 Pro Aqua earns its name. Rather than a simple damp pad that smears water around, this runs a four-stage process:

• Water is sprayed onto the floor through eight nozzles
• The spinning roller scrubs the surface
• A wiper blade scrapes dirty water away
• Suction pulls the residue into a dirty-water tank

The two tanks – 13.5 fl oz (400ml) of clean water and 10.8 fl oz (320ml) for dirty – are kept separate throughout.

The extension rod is another feather in the cap for the Z30 Pro Aqua. Press a release button, and it bends up to 90 degrees, letting you angle the floor head almost parallel to the floor to get under low sofas and beds.

Combined with the wet brush's 180° lie-flat swivel, you can reach spaces that would typically be off-limits to a regular vacuum. It sounds like a minor detail, but in practice, particularly in homes with low-slung furniture, it's the kind of thing you'll appreciate every time you clean.

Where Dyson typically leans into bold colors and visible cyclone hardware, Dreame has gone for a more muted design with the Z30 Pro Aqua. The base, its three attachments, and both wet and dry floor heads are made of black plastic. The extension stick comes in the Dreame-branded gold and there are smaller, gold accents across the main body of the floor heads, too. The brush rollers themselves then have geometric purple, yellow, and black patterns.

Overall, this aesthetic makes the Z30 Pro Aqua look more premium than it is and means it will blend in with most home styles. The build quality is similarly solid and premium, and at 45in (115cm) tall, it's a standard size. Even if this does mean you need to store it somewhere with enough height for the stick, and enough floor space for the base.

Speaking of the base, this is the main feature that separates the Z30 Pro Aqua from conventional cordless vacuums. In addition to being a charging station, when you park the vacuum on the base after a wet-cleaning session, it automatically flushes the roller with fresh water. It then blows 70°C hot air through it for 30 minutes.

Power on the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua is managed across three modes: Eco, Auto, and Turbo. All of which are shown on the handle's built-in LCD. The LCD also shows battery percentage and a real-time readout of particulate matter type and quantity.

Turbo mode delivers maximum suction, and Eco extends runtime but is better suited to light maintenance cleans than deep cleaning. In Auto mode, sensors detect how much dust and debris is being picked up to continuously adjust suction power to match. For instance, it will increase power on a thick rug or a concentrated patch of dirt and then pull back on a bare floor.

Filtration runs through five layers, finishing with a HEPA H14 filter that captures 99.99% of particles down to 0.1µm. This is the level at which bacteria and viruses become relevant and is the same filtration standard you'd find on the Dyson Gen5Detect, which we have also reviewed and rated to be a 5-star appliance.

What Is the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua Like to Use?

When you pick up the Z30 Pro Aqua, the first thing you notice is how heavy it is. At 4.9lbs / 2.2kg, it's on the bulkier side for a cordless stick vacuum, but it's not uncomfortable to use.

The handle sits at a comfortable height, and the controls – a power button, suction mode switch, and dust cap release – are all within easy reach. Swapping between the two floor heads is relatively straightforward; the weight and bulk of the vacuum make it slightly awkward, but it's a quick job.

I'd prefer if just one floor head handled both types of cleans, in the way the best robot vacuums offer vacuuming and mopping together, but this is a minor complaint.

On the flip side, I like that both floor heads have been more precisely engineered to do one thing well, rather than trying to be a Jack of all trades.

Auto mode is where the vacuum spends most of its time in normal use, and the dirt detection does make a difference. You can hear and feel the suction change as it crosses from a hard floor onto a rug.

This takes some getting used to, and the automatic changes in suction (and thus noise) can be irritating. It also took me a while to trust that it was adjusting the suction correctly, which made the fact that I could see a real-time readout of what was being picked up on the built-in LCD another surprisingly useful feature.

In terms of battery life, Dreame's claim of 90 minutes on Eco mode fell short during my tests. In real-world use, I managed an average of 50 minutes on Eco, which is significantly less than the brand's numbers. In Auto mode, it was closer to 30–40 minutes. Turbo drains the battery considerably faster (in around 15-20 minutes) and, as such, is best used in short bursts for stubborn areas rather than as a default mode.

These Auto mode times were enough for a single, basic run of my medium-sized home, and based on how often I vacuum, which averages three to four times a week, this was plenty for me and my needs.

For the times I wanted a deeper clean, after we'd had friends over or when my brown Labrador had made a mess, I had to recharge mid-clean, which was annoying, but also is standard for many cordless vacuum batteries. I deliberately own an upright, corded vacuum for such scenarios where longer cleaning sessions at higher power are required.

On hard floors, the TangleCut dry brush head glides smoothly and quietly, with none of the scraping sounds you sometimes get from motorized heads on stone or tile. The LED lighting is a feature that sounds cosmetic but proves its worth on hardwood or stone.

You'll almost certainly find yourself cleaning areas you thought were already clean, or going back over areas to pick up missed pet hair, once you see what the light reveals. After two weeks of cleaning sessions, the brush roller still looks largely clean, which is not something I can normally say in my home.

Switching to wet cleaning mode is where the Z30 Pro Aqua really differentiates itself. Setting up the water tank takes under a minute, and once running, the AquaCycle 2.0 wet brush leaves hard floors much cleaner than a dry pass alone. It's particularly good at tackling the kind of dried-on stains around the stove, droplets from the coffee machine, or sticky patches near the sink that even the mopping feature of robovacuums often struggles with.

I also loved the fact the base deals with all the hassle that typically comes from wet cleaning. It's one of those features that have been standard on robo vacuums – including the brilliant Dreame Aqua 10 – for a while and is one you'll soon wonder how you ever did without. You never have to handle a wet, dirty brush head directly or deal with damp smells. It also stops mold and bacteria from forming between cleans and both are genuine quality-of-life improvements. The only thing you need to remember is to top-up/empty the tanks.

On a full tank, I managed an average of 40 minutes of wet cleaning. In theory, few people will need (or want) to be cleaning their floors for 40 minutes but it's impressive nonetheless. Obviously if the floors are particularly dirty or you have a house full of hardwood floors, you may need to top the tank back up mid-clean.

In terms of noise, it runs at around 91dB on Turbo and 61dB on Eco. It's loud in the way that most high-powered cordless vacuums are loud, but on Auto and Eco it's perfectly manageable for everyday use and you can easily hear a podcast playing, or your child shouting at you from another room.

Test 1: Flour and Sugar

For this test I used half a cup of flour and sugar spread across carpet, hardwood and laminate, covering enough ground to clearly see where the vacuum had been.

Flour and sugar are good stand-ins for the kind of fine mess that builds up on floors day to day: flour behaves like dust and dead skin, sugar's closer to the sticky, granular debris that tends to gather around kitchen counters and dining tables.

Flour is also a good visual indicator because you can immediately see what's been picked up and what's been left behind, and whether any has worked its way into the brush roll.

On carpet, the Z30 Pro Aqua was excellent. One pass was all it took to clear everything, with Auto mode kicking up the suction as soon as it hit the debris. Nothing was left behind and nothing got stuck in the brush.

On hard floors the fine flour and sugar were handled well on both laminate and hardwood, although it took a couple of passes to clear it all fully. The blue light that shines from the floor head came in handy here as it revealed what had been left behind.

Across all floor types, no flour was caked onto the brush roll, which is something that tripped up a lot of motorized heads I've tested.

Test 2: Pantry

For this test I used half a cup of cereal and red lentils spread across carpet, hardwood and laminate. Cereal mimics the kind of larger debris, like pasta or rice that you'd find on a kitchen floor after a spill, while the lentils are smaller and denser, with a habit of sticking to hard floors and rolling away from the suction path.

On carpet, like with the flour and sugar tests, the Z30 Pro did a great job. The brush roller drove everything into the suction path and both the cereal and lentils were cleared in a pass or two without any fuss.

On hard floors, it was more of a mixed bag. The lentils came up well on both laminate and hardwood; a few got flung around, but on the whole, the head passed over them easily. The cereal was trickier. On laminate, the brush head pushed the larger pieces forward and into corners rather than picking them up, so you end up chasing the mess a bit.

So much so, the only way to get rid of it all was to swap the dry floor head and the crevice nozzle. On hardwood, it was even worse, with pieces scattering away from the head more easily. Slowing down and working in shorter strokes helps, but it does take more effort than you'd want on what should be a quick kitchen clean-up.

It's worth saying this isn't unusual for a powerful motorized head on hard floors. The Dyson Gen5 Detect performs in a similar way, but it's something to be aware of if your home is mostly hard flooring and you're regularly dealing with larger debris.

Test 3: Pet Hair

We have a chocolate Labrador, and while labs aren't the heaviest shedders, compared to something like a Husky or a Golden Retriever, her short, fine hairs have a way of working themselves into carpet fibers and corners, which can make it trickier to keep the house clean with pets. You can't see these hairs easily day-to-day, but when you're building LEGO with the kids or setting up a board game on the floor, they're very noticeable.

I tested the Z30 Pro Aqua's performance on pet hair on both carpet and hard floors. In Eco mode, it made very little difference. The lower suction didn't even pull the hairs up from the lino, let alone from deep in the carpet.

Switching to Turbo made a major difference, and on both carpet and hard floors, Turbo mode cleared the hair more effectively than even my upright, corded vacuum does, leaving very little behind and making it a strong contender for our best vacuum for pet hair guide.

Crucially, the TangleCut dual-blade design stayed clean and free of hair throughout, with no need to stop and pull hair out any of it by hand.

The Attachments

In addition to the two floor heads and stick, the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua comes with three attachments as standard:

• Crevice nozzle: A narrow, angled tool for tight spaces between sofa cushions, along baseboards, inside car door pockets, and around radiators.
• Wide fluff tool: A broad, soft-bristled head for more delicate surfaces like upholstery, curtains, mattresses, and lampshades.
• Soft dusting brush: A smaller brush for surfaces that need light attention rather than suction: shelves, blinds, keyboards, and other areas where you want to collect dust rather than scatter it.

Each one clicks and locks into place on the base, meaning they won't fall off or get lost. Getting them aligned takes a bit of trial and error, but once you've got it down, it's genuinely fast to switch between them mid-clean.

The crevice nozzle was the standout for me. It helped me clear all of the large debris that was flung into the corners of my kitchen following my tests. The angled end means it fits into even awkward spaces and pulls the debris up cleanly in a single pass. It's the attachment I reached for most often, and it's particularly good for baseboards.

The wide fluff tool does a decent job on upholstery and softer surfaces where you don't want a motorized brush roll making contact. It's gentler than it looks and picks up surface dust and pet hair from sofas and cushions without being too aggressive on the fabric. It's not an attachment you'll use every time, but it is useful when you need it.

The soft dusting brush is the most niche of the three. It's best suited to shelves, blinds, and surfaces that need a light touch rather than serious suction, and it works best on Eco mode. Even then, though, it's easy to accidentally vacuum up Lego pieces, and I'd love for the Z30 Pro to recognize when the dusting brush is attached and drop the suction down to a minimum.

Setup and Maintenance

The Z30 Pro Aqua isn't a small piece of kit and extends to its packaging. It arrives in a huge box that is primarily packed with cardboard and minimal plastic. Everything inside is then separated by molded cardboard inserts rather than foam.

Inside the box is the vacuum body, the TangleCut dry floor head, the AquaCycle 2.0 wet cleaning floor head, the self-cleaning charging station, the bendable extension rod, a crevice nozzle, a wide fluff tool, a soft dusting brush, and the power cable.

Assembly of all this kit minimal. The extension rod clicks into the vacuum body, one floor head clicks onto the bottom of the rod and the other slots into the dedicated floor head storage slot in base. The other storage slots on the base are for the different attachments and you can choose to distribute those as you like.

The charging connection is on the back of the extension rod, so you need to make sure that's correctly lined up with the connectors on the base before parking the vacuum. The docking mechanism itself uses a small hook that you push in to release and push back to lock. It's simple enough once you know it's there, but it's also easy to knock accidentally. This can cause the vacuum to release unexpectedly (and land on your head while you're adjusting the location of the base...) It also means it needs extra space around the entire unit in order to use this feature.

Once all the pieces are in place, the charging station plugs into the wall. The cord is short which doesn't leave many options when it comes to positioning. Dreame then recommends charging fully before first use. The manual claims this takes around four hours but during our setup it was closer to two. You can also see the current battery level on the LCD display, and the station's self-cleaning button lights up blue when it's powered on and charging.

The charging station handles the part of wet vacuum maintenance that I usually dread. After a wet cleaning session, it automatically cleans and dries the brush roller with zero intervention other than placing the vacuum on the base. The only thing you have to remember occasionally is to top up and empty the clean and dirty water tanks as needed.

After a dry vacuum session, you empty the dust bin by pressing a button on the main vacuum body to release the cap. This was one of my surprise favorite features. I find emptying the bagless bin on Dyson vacuums unnecessarily fiddly, and being able to do it largely one-handed on the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua was, well, a dream.

For deeper cleaning, most of the Z30 Pro Aqua's components are washable. The dust cup, the AquaCycle 2.0 brush roller, the clean and dirty water tanks, and the pre-filter can all be rinsed under water.

The HEPA H14 filter is also washable. Dreame recommends cleaning it every month and allowing it to air dry for at least 24 hours before reinstalling, which means it's worth having a cleaning day routine where the filter wash happens at the start so it's dry by the time you're done. The filter is a lifetime component rather than a consumable, so there's no ongoing replacement cost.

The parts that need more careful handling are the motorized components, such as the TangleCut brush head's blades, and the vacuum body itself, which you can wipe down with a cloth. To clean the brush roller, press the release button to remove it, cut away any remaining hair, and wipe with a cloth.

Given that the TangleCut blades are actively cutting hair during use, the amount of manual hair you'll have to remove will be minimal. I didn't have to clear or clean it once during my month-long test, although I chose to take it off and clean it for hygiene purposes.

One point worth noting: the vacuum can only be charged with the AquaCycle 2.0 wet brush attached. The connectors on the rod can't reach the charging port on the base with the dry brush head attached. This means you can't simply park the vacuum on the base mid-session with the dry brush head attached and expect it to charge.

How Does the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua Compare?

The most natural comparison for the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua is the H15 Pro from Dreame's own wet-dry lineup. The $649.99 / £399.99 H15 Pro is a dedicated floor washer with 21,000Pa suction, a self-cleaning base with 100°C hot water wash, and a clever AI robotic arm that edges right up to skirting boards.

Where the H15 Pro has the advantage is in pure wet cleaning coverage – 60 minutes in floor washing mode covering up to 400m2 versus the Z30 Pro Aqua's 45 minutes and 290m2. The trade-off is that the H15 Pro is exclusively a floor washer. It can pick up dry debris, but it isn't a full-power cordless stick vacuum like the Z30 Pro Aqua.

The closest rival from outside Dreame is the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro, which retails for $799.99 / £599.99. Like the Z30 Pro Aqua, it combines vacuuming and mopping in one with smart dirt detection that automatically adjusts suction power and water flow. It also deodorizes.

If your home is mainly hard flooring and wet cleaning is your priority, the H15 Pro is worth considering, but if you want a single machine that genuinely replaces both your vacuum and your mop, the Z30 Pro Aqua makes a stronger case.

How We Test Vacuums

At Homes & Gardens, we standardize how we test vacuums so we can get a like-for-like comparison between models, and to make sure we're recreating real-life circumstances.

I tested the Dreame Z30 Pro Aqua for a month in my home, across carpet, hardwood, and laminate. In addition to running all three standardized tests – flour and sugar; lentils and cereal; pet hair – I used it for everyday cleaning throughout. This included picking up after Maisie, my chocolate Lab, tackling the kitchen floor after cooking, and using the wet cleaning function on the hard floors throughout the house. I then tracked how noisy it was using the DecibelX app.

This gave me a much more complete picture of how the vacuum performs in real conditions than a single test session would, including how the self-cleaning station holds up over repeated wet cleaning sessions and how the brush roll fares after weeks of regular use rather than just a single controlled test.

Overall, this would make one of the best Dyson alternatives, and is a worthy contender for versatile floor care. It is worth noting that if you have a lot of hard flooring, the water tank will need a top-up mid-session.

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The Dyson V16 Piston Animal is the latest cordless vacuum from Dyson, with higher suction power than any previous model.

It introduces a new conical floorhead design, a dust compressor, and a suite of usability improvements to make it a thorough but effortless floorcare solution.

I tested the Dyson V16 Piston Animal in my own home after a dog stayed over the weekend, to see how well it handles every kind of mess on every type of surface. The result? This is one of the best cordless vacuums out there, if you can afford it.

My One-Minute Summary

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal pulled hair, dust, dirt, and all manner of debris out of my carpets, upholstery and floors, thanks to its super-strong suction and a new, robust floorhead design.

The dust illumination is just as effective as in previous models, revealing hidden particles that you can't normally see, and it adapts its suction and brush speed to the surface you're vacuuming and to how dirty it is.

Being able to compress the contents of the dust bin is useful while you're cleaning, to make the most of the space, but also when emptying, to make sure everything falls out without having to get your hands dirty.

However, it's not perfect, as occasionally debris would be flung behind the floorhead when vacuuming, meaning I would have to go over the area again. This is somewhat of a disappointment, as previous Dysons have never had this issue, but it's one that is easily manageable if you're prepared to catch a few stray crumbs.

It's also expensive, costing $979 at full price. So, if you're looking for something cheaper but with similar cleaning prowess, I'd recommend the Dyson V11 or the Dyson V15 Detect.

Dyson V16 Piston Animal: Specifications

Dyson V16 Piston Animal: Design and Features

Moving away from the grey color schemes of previous models, the V16 Piston Animal introduces a bolder, black aesthetic, paired with a striking red and blue floorhead.

There are many similarities to previous Dyson vacuums such as the Dyson V11 and the Dyson V15 Detect, but with a few notable improvements.

Like previous models, the V16 Piston Animal has a lifetime washable HEPA filter and Dyson's signature cyclone engineering, and the attachments are the same (which is great, as Dyson's vacuum attachments are among the best).

One of the most notable improvements is the suction power. Reaching 315 air watts (compared to the V15 Detect's 240 and the V11's 185), it has the strongest suction out of any cordless Dyson.

I tested the airflow myself using an anemometer, and it reached a maximum 23.4mph, 1.5mph higher than the V15 Detect, but still not quite as strong as the corded Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog, which can go up to 33mph.

The new conical floorhead is another step away from previous Dysons. Instead of having two separate floorheads – a soft one for hard floors and a bristled one for carpet – the V16 Piston Animal combines them into one, to avoid swapping them out mid-clean.

The new floorhead promises no hair wrap, too, although Dyson has always excelled in this regard, and their vacuums consistently top our best vacuums for pet hair guide.

The dustbin has a new compressor lever to make the most of the 1.37qt capacity. Unlike the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones that uses air to compress dust, the V16 Piston Animal has a grey lever that you pull with your hands to compact the dust, which also makes it easier to empty.

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal also has app compatibility. If you pair with the MyDyson app, you can view recent cleaning sessions, check battery health, and manually adjust brush speed and dust illumination.

This is useful, but by no means essential. It also requires location access and access to devices on your local network, so if you’re protective of your data, you can easily skip this step without losing any functionality.

What is the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Like to Use?

The V16 Piston Animal's cleaning performance is outstanding on every surface, and Dyson has introduced new features to make cleaning your home easier, while keeping the features from previous models that already worked well.

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal detects what's on your floors to automatically adjust the suction, brushroll speed, and whether the dust-revealing light is on.

When cleaning carpets, the suction will rise, the brushroll will speed up, and the light will turn off, as the green laser has little use on soft, bumpy surfaces.

On hard floors, the suction will lower, and the brushroll will slow down to preserve battery life, as hard floors don't require strong suction – and the light will turn on to reveal dust that your naked eye can't normally see (genuinely). But if the vacuum detects a high volume of dust, the suction will ramp up again to clean it thoroughly.

This intuitive design makes it seamless to use throughout your home, and I enjoyed not having to fiddle with any settings to make sure the vacuum was constantly cleaning at its best.

The dust-revealing laser is a feature that I've touted from Dyson time and time again, as it genuinely does make a huge difference knowing whether your floor is truly clean. No other vacuum, even the best Dyson alternatives, has achieved dust illumination this effective.

I tested the V16 Piston Animal's noise levels using the DecibelX app, and it reaches a maximum of 74.2 decibels and can go as quiet as 65.6 decibels. This is standard for cordless vacuums, sounding similar to a busy restaurant.

I like the new floorhead design, and it saves time not having to swap them out while cleaning. My current Dyson has two floorheads, but when doing quick cleans, I would often avoid swapping out the attachments to save time, meaning I was missing out on cleaning performance. So, in real terms, the V16 Piston Animal makes those quick clean-ups easier.

Another nice touch is the grip pad on the back of the battery, so when you lean the vacuum against a wall, it becomes quite hard for it to topple over.

My minor complaints are that it's hard to reach the power button with the same hand that's vacuuming, and it isn't as good at cleaning backwards as it is forward.

But really, this is an outstanding cordless vacuum cleaner that brings the ease, convenience, and strong cleaning power you would expect at this high price point.

Test 1: Flour and Sugar

I tested the Dyson V16 Piston Animal using our standardized vacuum tests, which include a half cup of flour and sugar. This test assesses a vacuum's ability to pick up fine material such as dust, dander, and pollen.

On carpets, everything was picked up in two passes. Almost everything was vacuumed in the first, but the brushroll actually made some smaller sugar pieces bounce backwards, past the opening, meaning I had to go back and vacuum again. This could pose a risk of certain household allergens not being cleaned when it appears that they have been.

On hard floors, virtually all was vacuumed in one pass, with a clean line through the pile on both auto and boost. But again, a few tiny particles were flung backwards, which I had to go back and vacuum. I have never faced this issue with previous Dyson floorhead designs, such as the Dyson V11 and Dyson V12 Detect Slim.

Test 2: Pantry

I also tested the Dyson V16 Piston Animal using a cup of cereal and lentils to evaluate its ability to vacuum medium and large debris, including common household messes such as kitchen spills, dried mud, and pet kibble.

When vacuuming carpet, a noticeable amount was flung backwards. This is a stark downgrade from the Dyson V15 Detect, and somewhat of a disappointment considering the V15 Detect performed flawlessly in this regard. I adjusted the floorhead opening in both configurations, but lentils were flung backwards either way.

Strong performance on hard floors. It easily vacuumed the large debris, and almost everything was vacuumed in one pass, minus the few parts that were flung backwards.

If you're looking for a hard floor vacuum, the Shark PowerDetect Cordless and Dyson V12 Detect Slim are affordable alternatives that vacuum without sending debris backwards.

Test 3: Hair

Fortunately, the weekend before testing the Dyson V16 Piston Animal, I was looking after my friend's Labrador, and as it's currently shedding season, my house was full of short dog hair on our carpets and upholstery.

Also, three of the people in my home have medium to long hair that finds itself on every surface around the house, so I was able to test the V16 Piston Animal's anti-tangle claims, as well as its performance at pulling hair out of soft surfaces.

The V16 Piston Animal performed brilliantly. It ramped up the suction whenever it was cleaning carpet, pulling up every visible strand of hair in one or two passes every time.

I have continued using the V16 Piston Animal as my home's primary vacuum since the initial testing session, and a week later, it has never wrapped with hair. Moreover, the dustbin compressor meant that hair never gets stuck inside when emptying.

I would easily recommend it as one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

Test 4: Attachments

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal includes a dusting brush, crevice tool, and motorized hair screw tool. They're the same as in previous Dyson models – which is to say, highly effective at their respective uses.

With just two sweeps, I was able to clear almost every speck of dust from a hard-to-reach baseboard (as seen in the video above). Baseboards can be one of the most difficult cleaning tasks, so being able to clean them with minimal effort is a game-changer.

The crevice tool sucked up dust and debris from my stairs in one or two passes, and the hair screw tool performed almost effortlessly to pull up hair and dirt from my upholstery.

Dyson V16 Piston Animal: Setup and Maintenance

I appreciated that the Dyson V16 Piston Animal included zero plastic wrapping, minus a few stickers on the parts themselves. Everything was held together using cardboard molds, with paper bags to prevent scratching.

The only setup required was to charge the vacuum to full before the first use, which took 1.5 hours, and to then attach the wand and floorhead to the vacuum cleaner – the V16 Piston Animal is then ready to use to deep clean your home.

Maintenance is straightforward, too. The HEPA filter is washable, meaning you'll never have to buy another to replace it, and it can be cleaned simply by shaking dust loose and rinsing under cold water until the water runs clear. It's recommended to do this once a month.

The MyDyson app will alert you to any other maintenance issues, and the vacuum itself will tell you if there's a blockage. This happened once during testing, but as soon as I emptied the dustbin, the blockage was cleared.

The dustbin is easier to empty than most cordless vacuums, thanks to the dust compressor lever that pushes the contents out swiftly. It avoids the frustrating task of having to pull trapped hair and dirt out of the container.

How Does the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Compare?

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal will be released on June 2 in the US, costing $979 at Dyson. That makes it one of the most expensive cordless vacuums on the market, topped only by the Dyson Gen5detect and the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra.

The Dyson V15 Detect is our current best-on-test cordless vacuum, costing $849.99 at Dyson, but often discounted to as low as $549.99. Its cleaning performance is essentially on par with the V16 Piston Animal, even though the V16 has higher suction, as the V15 Detect doesn't have the issue of debris being flung backwards. If you're looking to save some money, I'd recommend the V15 Detect.

The Dyson V11 is another strong choice. It doesn't have the smart, floor detection features, but it cleans impressively well, leaving very little behind (if anything) on the first pass, every time. It costs $659.99 at Dyson, but is often discounted to as low as $449.99.

Next, see which models top our rigorously tested guides of the best robot vacuums on the market.

Like any appliance, cordless vacuums require regular maintenance to run at their optimal performance. Most users only tap out the bin and clean the filter, but actually, dust and hair build up in the floorhead shroud, limiting performance.

This is the part covering the rotating brushroll. It's one of the first parts of the vacuum to come into contact with dust and dirt, and it needs to be unobstructed for air to flow through freely. If left uncleaned, accumulated dust will drastically reduce suction power.

This simple maintenance step can take as little as five minutes, helping your cordless vacuum to perform as strongly as it did during its first use.

Cleaning the Floorhead Shroud Will Restore Your Cordless Vacuum's Suction

The 'floorhead' is the part of the vacuum cleaner responsible for picking up your household's mess. Naturally, if its cover is obstructed, the spinning roller won't be able to clean as effectively, limiting how freely dust particles can move.

I know this first-hand, as I've spent 400 hours testing, taking apart, and cleaning vacuum cleaners over the past two years. My knowledge of these appliances has become so comprehensive that I've even serviced my family's vacuums when they start to lose performance.

Luckily, this is one of the simpler vacuum maintenance steps and takes just two minutes. It can drastically improve your vacuum's performance, helping to restore it to its out-of-the-box glory. It only takes a few tools, many of which you likely have at home already.

First, remove the brushroll to gain access. Consult instruction manuals at Dyson, Shark, and Bissell to find out how for your model, but typically, there's a small opening on the side that you twist to pull out the roller.

Then, wipe down the interior with a damp, soapy cloth, such as these $9.89 microfiber cloths at Walmart. As this plastic part is not connected to any electrical components, it's safe to use moisture, but make sure to avoid getting any other vacuum parts wet.

If it hasn't been cleaned for a while, you may need to use a bristled brush or even some seam rippers to remove any trapped dirt or hair. This $4 seam ripper set at Amazon is perfect, and will help remove any tangled hair after regular weekly vacuuming sessions, too.

Before reassembly, make sure that every component is completely dry by waiting 48 hours, as moisture will irreversibly damage your vacuum cleaner.

What to Shop

To maintain your appliance's performance, I would recommend cleaning your vacuum's floorhead in its entirety, which includes rinsing the roller and clearing the inlet valve. Here is a selection of tools that will prove useful.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Next, see which vacuums top our guides of the best vacuums for pet hair and the best Dyson alternatives after our rigorous testing sessions.

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The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is the brand's latest upgrade to their flagship vacuum, bringing stronger suction, longer battery life, more advanced 'AI' features – and the highest price of any cordless vacuum we've tested.

It's certainly a high performer, with the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra boasting near-flawless cleaning performance in every test, and the highest suction we've seen in a cordless stick.

But does this performance justify the price tag as one of the best cordless vacuums on the market? I rigorously vetted it in our test center and a local pet shelter to see exactly how good it is.

My One-Minute Summary

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is a robust, well-designed appliance that does an exceptional job of cleaning floors. Boasting corded-level performance on carpets and hard floors in a slim, lightweight design, it's the type of upgrade that can genuinely make cleaning your home easier.

It can pull fur from thick carpets, and its motorized handheld attachment is highly effective at cleaning upholstery. It grips firmly to all surfaces, even wood, which is rare for any vacuum, let alone a cordless stick.

Its four suction levels are useful when transitioning across different surfaces, but it's a shame that the 'AI' features don't achieve much, taking a long time to calculate the battery life, and never really adjusting the suction power, leaving you to do it manually every time.

Its cleaning station is great for allergy sufferers, minimizing how often you're exposed to allergens, but it uses vacuum bags that demand recurring costs.

Its price is not to be ignored. The Dyson V15 Detect cleans just as well but for $200 less, and the Shark PowerDetect Cordless has more advanced smart features, but doesn't clean as thoroughly.

Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra: Specifications

Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra: Design and Features

The 'Ultra' marks a significant upgrade from the previous iteration of the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet, a cordless vacuum that we found performed exceptionally well, but was overpriced. The Ultra has stronger suction power, reaching up to what Samsung claims to be 400 air watts compared to the previous AI Jet's 280 air watts.

For comparison, our current best-on-test cordless vacuum, the Dyson V15 Detect, has 240 air watts of suction, and it's so strong that it picks up all mess on the first pass, virtually every time.

In real terms, this performance can vary, so I test the best vacuums using an anemometer, which measures airflow in miles per hour, so we can see the performance at each suction mode.

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra generates the strongest airflow out of the 42 cordless vacuums we've tested. Reaching a maximum of 27.7 miles per hour, that puts it higher than the best Dyson vacuums and the best Shark vacuums.

And on its lowest setting at 10.7mph, it is stronger than the maximum power of certain budget vacuums, like the Ultenic U16 Flex.

Having four suction modes is useful in a cordless vacuum to make sure that each surface is properly cleaned, without using up precious battery life when it isn't needed.

Many modern cordless vacuums do this automatically, and this is what the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra's 'AI' mode is.

But actually, I found the AI mode disappointing. I tried passing from hard floors to carpets to see if the suction would adapt, and I also passed over heaps of dust, but the suction never changed all that much. I always needed to change the suction mode manually, which completely defeats the purpose of the AI mode at all.

It is often an overstatement when brands insert 'AI' into product names, as it simply reflects 'smart' technology. It's a shame that Samsung's flagship vacuum is the same, particularly as more affordable vacuums, such as the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and the Shark PowerDetect Cordless, adapt suction much more effectively.

The cleaning station is a nice addition, particularly for anyone who suffers from allergies. Trapping up to 2.1 quarts of dust means that you have to empty it less frequently, up to weeks at a time.

When you place the vacuum on the dock, its contents are rapidly sucked out in three loud bursts.

What Is the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra Like to Use?

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is a robust, powerful vacuum that grips firmly to floors, cleans most messes in one pass, and has thoughtful features that make cleaning your home a little easier.

It has a maximum runtime of 100 minutes, too, which far surpasses most cordless vacuums.

At 7lbs, it's a standard weight for a cordless stick, which I found surprising considering the ultra-powerful motor that's packed into it. It doesn't feel 'cheap' whatsoever, it feels like a premium, well-built machine, and it even has a thin rubber pad on the battery so that you can lean the vacuum against walls without it toppling over.

I found that maneuvering left and right was a little stiffer compared to other vacuums, but it was dependant on the surface. On stickly linoleum, it was harder to tilt, but on other vinyl or wooden floors, I didn't face much resistance, and it was easy to navigate it between chair legs and around corners (as seen in the video above).

Unlike most cordless vacuums, the wand extends for greater reach:

This is useful for reducing strain on your back. Cordless vacuums tend to be shorter than corded upright vacuums, so you often have to bend down to get into difficult cleaning spots like under the sofa or behind furniture.

The extendable wand meant that I could reach a large area of the floor from one position, too, which I found to be a helpful improvement compared to others.

There's also a light on the floorhead, which is amazing at revealing hidden dust and pet hairs, even on carpet that’s of a similar color. Although it isn't as effective as the green laser we love in Dyson's vacuums, such as the Dyson V15 Detect, it doesn't reveal any dust particles that you can't usually see.

It's a minor inconvenience, but the vacuum always starts on MIN mode when you power it up, so if you take frequent breaks (such as when moving cables or furniture out of the way), you'll have to cycle through the modes again to find the right one.

The strong suction is undeniable, though, whatever surface you're cleaning. I could feel it grip firmly to the carpet, as corded vacuums often do, but I could feel it on wooden floors too, which is rare.

And as I delve into it below in greater detail, no matter the mess I was vacuuming, the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra almost always picked it up in one pass, making it one of the most effective vacuums we've tested.

Test 1: Flour and Sugar

I tested the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra using half a cup of flour and sugar. This test assesses how well each vacuum can pick up fine material such as dust, dander, and pollen. I run the tests on wood, linoleum, and carpet flooring.

On hard floors, the performance was really strong. On MIN mode (shown in the video above), only a tiny bit of residue was left in cracks between the wooden panels (most cordless vacuums leave some behind).

On MID and MAX, everything was picked up in one, and the cleaning line was visible right up to the end of the floorhead, demonstrating strong edge cleaning.

On the carpet, the performance was just as impressive. The sugar pieces danced around as the floorhead approached, showing robust carpet agitation from the brushroll, then were easily sucked up without leaving a trace behind afterwards.

At one point, the screen alerted me to a blockage, but it was actually just the suction gripping the carpet fibers. Once I’d turned it off and on again, it was fine.

It's one of the best carpet vacuums I've tested for a cordless model.

Test 2: Pantry

I tested the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra using a cup of cereal and lentils to assess its ability to vacuum medium and large debris. This test poses a challenge for many vacuum cleaners as the large cereal pieces can block inlets or be flung around by the brushroll.

On hard floors, it picked up everything in about three passes. No blockages (which is rare), but a few lentils and cereal leaked out on the pull-back when on MID. On MAX, there was no leakage, but it still took around 3 passes to get everything. Strong performance, but not quite as effective as the Dyson V11 or Dyson V15 Detect, both of which cost less.

On carpets and in MAX mode, everything was picked up on the first pass. No fuss whatsoever. This performance could not be stronger or more efficient, for any vacuum type, not just cordless.

Test 3: Pet Hair

I assessed the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra's performance on pet hair in a local cat and dog shelter, Bristol ARC, that's full of fur on hard floors, low-pile carpets, high-pile carpets, thick rugs, and upholstery. It is also a great opportunity to test the vacuum cleaner in a busy, messy environment.

On low pile carpeting on MIN and MID modes, most small debris and hairs were picked, but a noticeable amount of hair remained. This is good performance, but you can find better in more affordable models like the Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog.

However, when I turned on MAX mode (which had a shorter max battery life of about 20 minutes), almost every strand of hair was picked up in one or two passes, which is outstanding for a cordless vacuum and makes the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra a contender for the best vacuums for pet hair.

On the entrance mat, the trickiest surface to clean at the pet shelter, it did a good job of getting all the long and medium hairs, but stubborn short hairs remained. For reference, it's usually only the corded best Miele vacuums and the Dyson V15 Detect that can pick these up, and even they miss some.

On hard floors, the cleaning was effortless, basically picking up everything in one motion. Only a few times was a speck or thread left behind, and they were always vacuumed up the second time. It maneuvers nicely and can lie completely flat, which is always a bonus.

After a few hours of vacuuming at the pet shelter, the dustbin filled twice with fur, but there were a few bits of hair and thread that had wrapped around the brushroll (swipe to see both photos):

Test 4: Attachments

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra comes with a motorized pet hair tool, an extension hose, and a dusting brush, and there's a neat storage holder to keep them all together, with a handle if you want to carry it around the house as you clean.

The pet tool is highly effective. It angles to the surface you’re cleaning, it spins rapidly, and it does well to remove hairs – even if it takes a few attempts. This is completely expected, but Samsung’s performance is above what I see most of the time.

It cleared every pet hair off one padded chair, which is somewhat of a miracle with these tricky surfaces. I found that if you keep it in one spot for a long time, the hairs are vacuumed, demonstrating the strong performance.

Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra: Setup and Maintenance

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra arrived in a huge box that was surprisingly not too heavy, and everything was packaged with soft plastic and polystyrene molds to avoid scratching.

The base comes already set up. All I had to do was charge the battery, which took just over two hours (as it wasn't starting from 0%), then I assembled the vacuum by attaching the floorhead and wand to the main vacuum unit.

The cleaning station keeps maintenance to a minimum. Emptying the vacuum means that you only have to do it yourself every 1-2 months, vastly reducing your exposure to allergens like dust and pollen that can trigger allergies.

This also reduces the level of vacuum maintenance required. As it uses a powerful motor to suck the dust contents out, less residue is left behind in the internal parts that can quietly erode them.

However, it's worth noting that the cleaning station stores dust in a vacuum bag, which you have to dispose of once full. This means that using the cleaning station comes with recurring costs, as a pack of five replacement bags costs $39.99 at Samsung, which should last 6-12 months depending on usage.

To avoid the recurring costs, you don't actually have to use the cleaning station, and there's a small switch on the back to turn off auto-empty. This means it can simply be a charging dock, and you can empty the vacuum yourself into a dustbin.

How Does the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra Compare?

The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra costs $1,099.99 at Samsung, making it the most expensive cordless vacuum we have ever tested. Its incredibly robust performance somewhat justifies this price tag, but other vacuums clean as thoroughly and cost less.

The closest example is our best-on-test cordless vacuum, the Dyson V15 Detect, which costs $849.99 at Dyson at full price, but is often on offer for $550 to $750. They clean about as effectively as each other, often picking up messes in the first pass.

However, the Dyson V15 Detect's floor sensors are more precise and actually optimize suction in a fraction of a second, and it never wraps with hair. But the Samsung has a cleaning station that reduces allergen exposure and neatly stores the vacuum, and it reaches a higher maximum suction power.

The Shark PowerDetect Cordless is a more affordable alternative to both, costing $449.99 at SharkNinja at full price, but often discounted to as low as $299.99. It also adapts suction automatically, cleans well across hard floors and carpets, and can handle pet hair – but it doesn't clean nearly as deep as the Samsung or Dyson. There is the option of a cleaning station, though, with the full package costing $549.99 at SharkNinja.

Next, see which vacuums top our guides to the best robot vacuums, the best vacuums for pet hair, and the best Dyson alternatives after rigorous testing sessions.

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The Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones represents an exciting leap forward in vacuum technology: At just 1.5 inches wide, it is the world's slimmest vacuum cleaner.

To achieve this small size, almost everything about the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is different from what you typically find in a vacuum cleaner. The handle is essentially a long stick, the floorhead is two large, colorful cones, and the dustbin is a thin tube that tightly compresses its contents.

But could this innovative design be one of the best vacuums for your home? If you're searching for a second vacuum cleaner to quickly and effortlessly clean hard floors, perhaps around the kitchen or on your second floor, then it's outstanding. But don't expect it to be anything more than that, as it can't handle carpets, rugs, or big messes.

My One-Minute Summary

For a gentle, daily hard floor cleaner, the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is outstanding. It is easily the most maneuverable (and enjoyable) vacuum I've used on hard floors, gliding around effortlessly while picking up dust in every direction, which actually transforms your arm's motions while cleaning.

Its green light does a tremendous job at revealing hidden dust, and the four conical brushes never wrap with hair and are highly effective at picking up dust and small debris.

But that's as far as its benefits go. I would treat this as your home's second vacuum, as it can't handle large debris, high volumes of mess, or any rugs or carpets. It's also quite challenging to use its one attachment, and you can't vacuum upholstery.

It's bold, stylish, and high-design aesthetic will suit proud, hardworking homes, and as it has a charging base, everything is stored neatly and without clutter. For a more powerful all-rounder that can clean more surfaces at this price, I would recommend the Dyson V11 or the Shark PowerDetect Cordless.

Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones: Specifications

Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones: Design and Features

The sleek Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is a slim, stylish vacuum cleaner and is the ideal cleaning companion for anyone who takes pride in the appearance of their appliances.

The bold red and purple cones are not what you typically see in cordless vacuums, let alone a dustbin and handle that are as wide as a coin. Aesthetically, it's hard to fault such a striking, innovative design, and as it rests neatly on its charging base, it will look great alongside your kitchen cabinets or in a bathroom remodel.

The Fluffycones are new, too. It's a clever design that ensures consistent contact with hard floors, which doesn't require powerful suction. This is ideal, as the PencilVac Fluffycones' suction power is low compared to most Dyson vacuums at just 55 air watts at maximum power. For comparison, the Dyson V11, which costs around $70 more, has 185 air watts of power.

To understand this in real terms, I test each vacuum using an anemometer to find out how much airflow each model generates, as this is the speed of the air that sucks particles into the dustbin.

The PencilVac Fluffycones produces an airflow of 9.8 miles per hour, while the Dyson V11 produces an airflow of 19.6 miles per hour. Even at the V11's lowest suction mode, it's more powerful than the PencilVac Fluffycones.

That is a tremendous difference, and why the V11 (and similar cordless vacuums) are designed to vacuum carpet, while the PencilVac Fluffycones can only clean hard floors. Hard floors don't require strong suction as dust and dirt don't become trapped within the surface, as they do in carpets, so it's understandable why Dyson has chosen not to prioritise suction power with this vacuum.

Instead, these conical brushes sweep the floor at a rapid rate (with the motor spinning at 140,000rpm), to pick up dust, hair, and small debris, and collect them into the dustbin. They clean equally in both directions, and as it can swivel 360 degrees, this allows for increased maneuverability.

The cones can pick up most strands of hair, but to avoid hair from tangling, long strands are pushed to the end of the cones, allowing you to pick them up in small clumps and throw them into the bin.

The 0.02gal dustbin is also the slimmest in the world. To account for this smaller size, the dust is air compacted, allowing more to fit compared to traditional dustbins.

It also has a charging base that neatly stores the vacuum and the dual crevice and dusting brush attachment.

What Is the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones Like to Use?

The Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is easily one of the most nimble and maneuverable vacuum cleaners I have used, if not the most.

Effortlessly gliding across floors, swivelling to clean in every direction, and with a green light that reveals hidden dust – this is an intuitive cleaner that moves with the natural movements of your arm as you clean.

It can easily find its way into tight spaces and around obstacles, and cleaning from both sides speeds things up, and actually transforms the motion of cleaning; rather than forward and back, the motion is simply to go where the mess is, from whichever direction.

The green light is similar to what I've seen (and love) in the Dyson V15 Detect, our favorite cordless vacuum on test. Except with the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones, the green light shines both ways, revealing even more dust that the naked eye can't see:

It also highlights how effective the PencilVac Fluffycones is when picking up fine dust and small debris, as almost every time, nothing is left behind – but only if there is a small amount of mess.

During my assessment, I found that this vacuum cleaner can't handle large debris like certain food pieces or pet kibble, and if there is a high volume of dust, it will struggle to pick it up or even form a blockage. This is a major downside for a vacuum that's designed to be part of your essential cleaning toolkit, as these messes are inevitable in almost every home.

Instead, this vacuum is only really suitable as a light, daily cleaner. There are a few small details that I particularly enjoy, like the fact that it easily leans on walls without toppling over, and that the attachments clip in and out easily.

There's also a tiny screen to show you what suction mode you're on and the remaining runtime, and it will alert you if there is ever a blockage:

It's helpful that the screen flips vertically depending on whether you're using the vacuum or if it's on the charging base.

Having a charging base is a neat, clutter-free way to store your vacuum, without having to lean it against a wall, lay it on the floor while charging, or mount it to your wall by drilling holes:

However, I found the charging base to be quite flimsy, and the vacuum doesn't always stay in place.

There's a slot on the back to insert a tube that holds the vacuum attachment. At first, I liked this neat storage, but I soon realized that when you go to grab the attachment, the whole tube often comes with it, as it isn't secure enough. This became frustrating the more times I used it, as I had to re-insert it almost every time.

Still, it's better than having to keep the attachments in a closet somewhere.

Surprisingly, the noise levels are standard for cordless vacuums with stronger suction and more robust floorheads, averaging around 67.4 to 75.7 decibels.

Test 1: Flour and Sugar

I vetted the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones' performance using half a cup of flour and sugar on wooden floors and linoleum, as part of our standardized vacuum tests that assess how well each model can pick up fine debris, such as dust and dander.

Eco mode got almost everything on the first pass, except for between the wooden panels, and it was the same on Med (the middle level of suction power).

When I turned on Boost mode, more of that between-the-panels residue was picked up, but a lot remained. It wiggled a lot, too, when dealing with wooden panels, something I didn’t notice when testing it on other surfaces. If your home has lots of hardwood, I'd instead recommend one of the best vacuums for hard floors, such as the Dyson V12 Detect Slim.

Test 2: Pantry

I tested the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones by vacuuming a cup of lentils and cereal to assess its ability to pick up medium and large debris, like classic kitchen food spills, tracked-in dirt, and pet kibble.

This is where the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones struggled, and in all honesty, I couldn’t vacuum up the mess. Most vacuums clear it in a few passes, and the ones with narrow floorheads can finish the job by taking the floorhead off, but that didn't solve the issue here, as the slim design means that the entire passageway is narrow.

I went through five blockages where I had to manually remove debris from the inlet, and then when I tried to vacuum the rest, the same happened again. It can’t vacuum large debris whatsoever, and it even struggled with the lentils as they blocked the dustbin’s narrow opening.

For any large debris or high volumes of mess, you're going to need a second vacuum cleaner, one that's more robust with a wider inlet, such as the Shark POWERDETECT Upright.

Test 3: Pet Hair

To assess if the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones could be the best vacuums for pet hair on hard floors, I took it to a local cat and dog shelter, Bristol ARC, that has a huge, never-ending amount of fur, along with the messes you'd find in a busy establishment with high foot traffic.

In eco mode, it was able to pick up virtually every visible hair, along with the other dirt and debris on the floor.

The edge cleaning is maybe the most impressive I’ve seen in a vacuum cleaner, but it is somewhat annoying that an extra task is involved: If you vacuum anything long, like thread, hair, or some straw, then you have to pick it up and place it in the trash.

I appreciate this avoids hair wrapping, but other, more affordable vacuum cleaners have achieved that without you having to reach down and manually dispose of it.

I decided to find out whether it was able to clean low-pile carpet at all, as I observed that the green light was effective at revealing short, hidden hairs. It picked up the small pieces and likely some dust, but it couldn’t pick up long threads or long hairs.

As it only has soft rollers, it's unlikely that it could dislodge trapped dust or dirt, so I wouldn’t trust it as a regular carpet vacuum. But if you have a few thin rugs, it might be enough as long as you shake them outside from time to time to clean your rugs more deeply.

After vacuuming a meeting room that was full of dog hair and craft material, I was able to understand the appeal of the PencilVac Fluffycones.

It is much more natural to clean hard floors with this than with virtually any other cordless vacuum I’ve ever used. It glides effortlessly and maneuvers around obstacles and into tight spaces easily, and it's faster to be able to clean from all directions. It is annoying to have to pick certain things up, and it can’t handle big messes, but for a light daily cleaner, it’s useful. You have to move furniture around less than with other vacuums.

Test 4: Attachments

There is one attachment for the PencilVac Fluffycones: A dual crevice tool and dusting brush. The brush extends or retracts by pushing a button and sliding it along.

As the vacuum is less modular than others – only the floorhead comes off, not the wand – the attachment attaches quite far from the handle, meaning it can be difficult to vacuum close to your body.

This means it can be great at vacuuming tricky spots, such as baseboards, between shelves, or even curtain rails. But for much of what you'd need these attachments for, like vacuuming stairs with the crevice tool or dusting your TV with the brush, it is actually a bit of a challenge.

Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones: Setup and Maintenance

Setting up the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones is straightforward: Attach the handle to the dustbin, then clip on the floorhead, and the vacuum is built. The charging base is ready to use as is, but you can also clip in the attachment holder to store everything together.

It's always recommended to charge the battery to full before the first use. For me, this took an hour and a half, but it can take up to 3.5 hours to charge it to full from 0%.

I like that the long, thin dustbin means that the dust blow-back when emptying is minimal. It pours vertically downwards rather than spraying into the air, which is effective when minimizing exposure to household allergens.

Cleaning the vacuum filter is straightforward, and it's an essential step to keep it running at peak performance. The filter unclips from the dustbin and is cleaned simply by tapping away excess dust, then rinsing under cool water. This should be done around once a month.

How Does the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones Compare?

Costing $599.99 at Dyson, the PencilVac Fluffycones is expensive. Powerful cordless vacuums tend to cost around $300 to $600, and are typically able to adequately vacuum carpets as well as hard floors.

The cordless Dyson V11 is a strong example. In terms of raw cleaning power, it performs better in every single aspect. It costs $659.99 at Dyson, but is often discounted to as low as $449.99.

Or to spend less, the Shark PowerDetect Cordless can clean all surfaces effectively, is easy to use, and even adapts its suction to your floors automatically, which the PencilVac Fluffycones doesn't. It costs $449.99 at SharkNinja, but is often discounted to around $299.99.

Both cordless vacuums boast stronger performance than the PencilVac Fluffycones, often cost less, and are able to clean carpets and furniture, too. But the benefit of the PencilVac Fluffycones is its maneuverability on hard floors, the slim size, stylish design, and a dual green laser to reveal dust.

Next, see which models we rank the highest after rigorously testing the best robot vacuums and the best Dyson alternatives.

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For a brand famous for its market-leading air purification, it makes sense that Levoit's vacuum cleaner range would have the same focus: To combat allergies at home.

The Levoit AERO, aptly named, is a shining example, with a cleaning station that traps the dust and hair that your vacuum picks up, and stores them in a disposable vacuum bag, meaning you're almost never exposed to allergens at home.

But while it's one of the best vacuums for allergy sufferers, it isn't perfect for every home. I put it through its paces in our test center and in a local pet shelter to find out who it's best suited to.

The One-Minute Summary

The Levoit AERO is one of the strongest cordless vacuums out there for allergy sufferers. The cleaning station can store dust, hair, and all household mess for up to 60 days at a time, but instead of having to then empty it yourself, you simply dispose of the vacuum bag. With its five-stage filtration, which includes a HEPA filter, you have almost zero exposure to allergens.

It's great for homes with mostly hard floors, as the suction is strong enough to pick up everything from fine material to hair to large debris. It's also easy to use, lying completely flat to reach under furniture and with LED headlights to illuminate the floor.

But the suction on carpets leaves a lot to be desired, especially on pet hair. On low-pile carpet, medium-pile carpet, and thick rugs, there was always some fur left behind. I would recommend the Shark Cordless PowerDetect or the Dyson V11 if you want stronger suction on carpets that doesn't disappoint.

Levoit AERO: Specifications

Levoit AERO: Design and Features

The Levoit AERO takes the design of the Levoit LVAC-300 and LVAC-200 cordless vacuums, but adds stronger suction, a longer runtime, and a self-cleaning station.

Levoit has listed the suction power as 180 air watts, meaning it is more powerful than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, and only five air watts away from the Dyson V11. These Dysons are two of the most powerful cordless vacuums we have ever tested, but they cost $100s more, so this could be a huge win for those looking for the best Dyson alternatives.

But I tested the airflow myself using an anemometer and found that the Dyson V11 reaches 19.6mph, while the Levoit AERO only reaches 13.8mph, so there is still a notable difference in the force of air generated by each vacuum.

Like most modern cordless vacuums, the AERO has different suction levels: MIN, MED, MAX, and TURBO. It doesn't, however, switch between these modes automatically by sensing what's on your floors, as you'll find in other premium cordless vacuums such as the Dyson V15 Detect and Shark PowerDetect Cordless.

It can vacuum for up to 70 minutes – but only in handheld mode. Levoit has helpfully listed the runtimes for every suction mode on the Levoit AERO product page (most brands don't do this), so you can see that, with the floorhead attached, you'll get 40 minutes on MIN, 30 minutes on MED, 15 minutes on MAX, and only six minutes on TURBO. This is standard across almost every cordless vacuum we've tested (which is at 40 and counting).

The cleaning station is a major upgrade compared to previous Levoit vacuums. This dock is a handy spot to store your vacuum between uses – avoiding you having to lean it against a wall or find a place in a closet – but it also empties the vacuum's contents into its larger, 0.92gal dustbin, meaning you don't have to empty it yourself for up to 60 days.

The cleaning station uses vacuum bags that you dispose of once full, which means you are never exposed to household allergens like dust and pet dander – a huge win for anyone who suffers from allergies – but it also means this vacuum comes with recurring costs. A pack of six bags costs $24.99 from Levoit or Amazon, which should last around a year. Two bags come included with the vacuum, lasting up to 120 days.

The station also means that your vacuum cleaner is kept in better shape, as the station's strong suction pulls out the dirt and dust that can quietly erode a vacuum's internal parts over time. This is more effective at keeping the vacuum clean than emptying it yourself.

The floorhead has two brush types: One bristled and one with a rubber-style material. These allow the vacuum to pick up different debris types while also preventing hair from wrapping around the brushroll.

It comes with the full set of attachments: A 2-in-1 combination tool (dusting brush and fabric tool), a 2-in-1 crevice tool (crevice tool and narrow dusting brush), an extension hose, and a mini motorized tool. A mini motorized tool is one of the best vacuum attachments, especially if you live with shedding pets.

What Is the Levoit AERO Like to Use?

I enjoyed cleaning with the Levoit AERO. It's easy to use, doesn't wrap with hair, and the cleaning station meant I didn't have to empty it or do any maintenance myself. As an asthma and allergy sufferer myself, this was important.

But while it cleans well for the price, there are certainly more powerful vacuums out there, as it struggled to clean certain messes and stubborn pet hair (more on that below).

The Levoit AERO is a convenient vacuum cleaner. It's light – it weighs just 4.4lbs without attachments, which is lighter than most – and the floorhead has LED headlights that help illuminate the dirt hiding on your floor. However, these lights reveal any dust that you can't normally see, as the best Dyson vacuums do – they just illuminate the floor.

It lies completely flat (as you can see in the video above), meaning you can get quite far under sofas and furniture without having to move things around. And while it glides smoothly across floors, I did find that on carpet, the floorhead can wobble a bit, which shows somewhat of a lack of suction to the surface.

It'd be great if the suction modes changed automatically, but floor sensors are an expensive addition, so it makes sense that the Levoit AERO is more affordable than those that have this feature.

I like that you can attach two attachments to the wand, but it's a shame that the motorized attachment doesn't fit in the slot, as that tends to be the most used. On the cleaning station, I appreciate how organized everything looks:

Test 1: Flour and Sugar

I tested the Levoit AERO using a half cup of flour and sugar to assess its ability to vacuum fine material, such as dust, dander, and microscopic household allergens.

On hard floors, after just one forward pass, pretty much everything was vacuumed except for a little bit of flour between the cracks, but this remaining residue was able to be sucked up in a couple more passes using max mode. This is average performance for a cordless vacuum, not as powerful as the Shark PowerDetect Cordless, but a step-up from the Levoit LVAC-300.

On carpeted floors, most of the same mess was cleared after a forward-and-backward pass, but it took two to four more passes to completely vacuum the stuck-on bits. This isn't uncommon for a cordless stick, but I've certainly seen stronger performance with less effort, like with the Dyson V11 (although it typically costs $100-200 more).

Test 2: Pantry

I tested the Levoit AERO using a cup of cereal and lentils to see how well it can pick up medium and large debris, which act like common household spillages, including pet kibble, litter, tracked-in mud, and food crumbs.

The cereal poses the biggest challenge as it is sometimes too large to fit into a floorhead, meaning it can be flung around if not crushed down. We do not fail vacuums on the floorhead being big enough during testing, but we knock points off if larger debris and pieces are flung across the floor. This helps us find out how to get the most out of every vacuum.

On hard floors, the Levoit Aero easily vacuumed the lentils, but couldn’t really vacuum the cereal pieces. But after taking off the floorhead, the suction was strong enough for me to vacuum them up one by one using the wand. It didn't pick them up as quickly as more powerful vacuums, like the Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog, but it wasn't difficult.

On carpet, the AERO easily crushed down most of the cereal, meaning it was able to vacuum up most of the mess in one forward pass on mid and max modes. The cereal was bunched up towards the end, but it got crushed when there was less of it, owing to the increased friction on the soft surface. Solid performance for a cordless vacuum at this price.

Test 3: Pet Hair

I also tested the Levoit AERO in a local cat and dog shelter (Bristol ARC) to see if it makes the list of the best vacuums for pet hair, while assessing its ability to handle the large volume of mess that you can find in an environment with high foot traffic.

The Levoit AERO had mixed results on fur. On hard floors, it vacuumed up all the pet hair in one sweep on MED but needed two to three more passes to get the hair at the edges – which can prove frustrating over time, as otherwise you may need to swap out the attachments do so more quickly.

On low pile carpet (as seen in the video above), the performance was OK. It got a lot of hair after five passes, but a fair few remained. On average, vacuums around this price point take around two to three passes to vacuum per hair, so the Levoit AERO disappointed here.

The pet shelter I test at for real-world vacuuming results has an entrance mat that is the most challenging surface to vacuum pet hair from – and not many hairs were vacuumed at all, even after 10 passes on MAX mode. Most vacuums struggle here, but this performance was a let-down.

On a thick rug, most of the hairs were picked up, especially once I started using MAX mode, but it couldn't get them all. However, it was able to pick up every visible strand of fur from sofas and upholstery using the mini motorized tool.

I would only recommend this as a pet hair vacuum if your home has hard floors and soft furnishings – and no carpets. Otherwise, hair and pet dander will start accumulating on your floors over time.

Levoit AERO: Setup and Maintenance

Even with the cleaning station, the setup for the Levoit AERO took a few minutes. The station is comprised of only two parts, so you simply insert the main dust container onto the base. Then, connect the wand and floorhead to the vacuum, and it's assembled. Easy.

It took just under three hours to charge the vacuum to full before using it (it is always recommended to do this before the first use to preserve your battery health). From 0%, it can take up to four hours.

Maintenance is made easier by the fact that you rarely have to empty this vacuum, and when you do, all that's involved is disposing of a vacuum bag. Emptying and replacing the bag isn't fiddly whatsoever, and it means you're never exposed to dust.

You'll still need to clean the vacuum's brushroll, dustbin, and filter regularly, though (once every one to three months), to keep the vacuum at its best. But as the station uses powerful suction to remove all contents from the vacuum, these internal parts will stay cleaner for much longer compared to cordless vacuums that you have to empty yourself.

How Does the Levoit AERO Compare?

The Levoit AERO costs $499.99 at Levoit and Amazon, but is often discounted to around $399.99. This comfortably puts it in the mid-range for cordless vacuums – spend more, and you'll get stronger suction, spend les,s and you may struggle to clean your floors.

The most like-for-like vacuum we've tested is the Shark PowerDetect Cordless. It costs $549.99 at SharkNinja with the cleaning station, but during the sales, it can cost around $349.99 to $499.99. The Shark has stronger suction than the Levoit, automatically adjusts to your floors thanks to floor sensors, and can bend at the wand for easier cleaning, so in most ways, it's better. It doesn't use vacuum bags, however, so the Levoit is a stronger choice for allergy sufferers.

You can also buy the Shark PowerDetect Cordless without the cleaning station for $449.99 at SharkNinja, and it's often discounted to around $299.99 to $349.99.

If you want more powerful cleaning, particularly on carpets, I would recommend the Dyson V11. It costs $659.99 at Dyson at full price, but is regularly on offer for around $469.99 (as it is at the time of writing). It doesn't have a cleaning station, but this is easily one of the most powerful vacuum cleaners we've tested, and can banish dust and pet hair in virtually one pass, even on thick rugs.

Next, see which vacuums take the top spot after rigorously testing the best vacuums for pet hair, the best Dyson alternatives, and the best robot vacuums.

I've been testing vacuum cleaners for more than two years now, and there are no brands I have more experience with than Shark and Dyson. These two somewhat similar brands produce some of the most well-known vacuums in the world.

And of their famous collections, the Stratos Cordless is one of Shark's best-selling cordless vacuums of all time. It's remained popular and well-reviewed as newer releases have succeeded it, so I was excited to finally get my hands on it.

I tested the Shark Stratos Cordless in our test center and a local pet shelter to find out if it truly is one of the best vacuums.

My One-Minute Summary

The Shark Stratos Cordless excels in many ways. Its suction is strong on both hard floors and carpets, it's a breeze to use, and it comes with smart features to make cleaning easier, notably sensors that automatically adjust the suction to match the floor type and dirt volume you're dealing with.

In many ways, this is one of the best Dyson alternatives out there – although it's more expensive than others we've tested and has a few features you won't find in any Dyson (such as the anti-odor cartridge or dual brushrolls).

It isn't perfect, though, and while its performance on pet hair is strong, a few stubborn hairs remained. It's also heavier than most cordless vacuums, and I found it a little tiring to use in handheld mode for longer than 20 minutes.

If you want better, I'd go for the Dyson V11 or Dyson V15 Detect, as they have stronger suction and more specialized floorheads. But to save money, the Levoit LVAC-300 [Amazon] performs similarly in many ways, but it isn't quite as powerful as the Stratos.

Shark Stratos Cordless: Specifications

Shark Stratos Cordless: Design and Features

The Shark Stratos Cordless is in the same genre of cordless vacuums as many of the best Dyson vacuums, notably the Dyson V15 Detect, which detects what's on your floors to automatically adjust the suction levels. Here, Shark calls it 'Clean Sense IQ'.

So, instead of having to change the settings as you pass from hard floor to carpet, the vacuum does it for you. It's a neat feature that, now I've gotten used to through testing so many cordless vacuums, I would miss otherwise.

And as cordless sticks rely on battery power, this feature helps preserve the runtime by avoiding unnecessarily high suction on easier surfaces, like when cleaning laminate flooring. You only get the boost when you need it.

There are LED headlights on the floorhead that help illuminate the floor and reveal dust and thin hairs that can easily go unnoticed.

The floorhead has two rollers: A soft one and a bristled one, making it a more seamless experience passing from soft to hard flooring.

This is a key difference when comparing Shark vs Dyson cordless vacuums, as Dysons have floorheads that you swap out. This gives Dysons more specialized cleaning, while Sharks are more convenient.

My model included all of the attachments available for this vacuum, including: A crevice tool, an anti-allergen brush, a duster, a motorized hair tool, and even a spare battery, meaning my runtime is doubled to up to 120 minutes in one session (I would recommend investing in a spare Shark battery if you have a big house).

The Stratos also has odor-neutralizing tech – a small cartridge that slots into the floorhead, releasing a fresher scent than the odor-ridden air that can sometimes exhaust out of a vacuum cleaner.

What Is the Shark Stratos Cordless Like to Use?

I'm a fan of the Stratos design. There are no floorheads to swap out, it changes its suction level by itself, and the light helps you see more clearly how dirty your floors are. That's a suite of useful additions that can help make cleaning feel easier.

The Clean Sense IQ indicator on the floorhead is a nice touch. It's similar to what I've seen when testing the best vacuum-mop combos, where the light shows how much dirt is left to clean. It means, whether you're slow vacuuming (which I highly recommend) or keeping the vacuum still to get deep into the carpet, you know when no dust is left, and you can move to the next patch.

It also automatically stops the brushroll from spinning when you stand the vacuum up or stop moving it for a few seconds. A nice battery saver.

The floorhead wheels are made of a rubber-y plastic, so the Stratos is safe to use when cleaning hardwood floors or other delicate surfaces. I found that it grips nicely to different surfaces, which I was a bit surprised by, as there's no grip adjustment for cleaning carpet.

However, while the LED headlights help to illuminate the floor, they only somewhat reveal dust that you can't normally see:

The feature pales in comparison to the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and Dyson V15 Detect, which use a green laser that actually reveals particles that the naked eye can't see. Still, the Stratos' lights are more useful than none.

At 8.91lbs, it's also heavier than most cordless vacuums I've used. I found it hard to reach above my head while holding it with one hand, which is a shame as this is one of the benefits of a cordless stick vacuum. It's powered using an on/off button, though, so at least it doesn't become cumbersome having to hold down a trigger the entire time.

And personally, I'm not a fan of the anti-odor cartridge. It smells artificial, like a cheap car air freshener. I found that the Shark Stratos was effective enough at trapping odors using its three-stage filtration, and I preferred cleaning without the cartridge, adding an unnatural scent to the room. But maybe that's just me.

Test 1: Flour and Sugar

I tested the Shark Stratos Cordless with a half cup of flour and sugar. It's one of our standardized tests to assess a vacuum's ability to pick up dust, dander, and other fine particles that are common around the house, from the pantry to common household allergens.

On hard floors, the Stratos cleared pretty much everything in one pass. The suction immediately raised and sounded much stronger than before, and it even got between the cracks in one pass. Impressive – not far off the Dyson V11's performance that costs $200 more.

Running the test again on eco mode, it cleaned most of it in two passes, and only a few bits of sugar remained that I needed to go over once to clean.

On carpet, it cleaned virtually everything in one. There was the tiniest bit of residue leftover, but this was vacuumed up instantly afterwards, and I didn't need to go slowly to pick it up. Outstanding performance for a cordless.

Test 2: Pantry

I tested the Shark Stratos Cordless using a cup of cereal and lentils. It's another standardized test to assess how well a vacuum cleaner can handle medium and large debris. The cereal poses a particular challenge, as the large pieces can easily get stuck in airways, or flung around the floor.

If a vacuum struggles with this test, it isn't necessarily a bad vacuum; we just learn how to use it more effectively when cleaning different-sized messes at home.

On hard floors, it easily vacuumed a line through the mess. The floorhead – clearly robust – crushed down the cereal pieces, and I didn’t have the frustrating task of cleaning up any flung crumbs. Only one cereal piece fell out afterwards, which is tighter performance than most. A few lentils were flung but it took a few seconds to go back and suck them up.

Again, it easily vacuumed a line through the mess, and the grip to the carpet was satisfying. It didn’t do everything in one, however, but going over the bits that were missed or pushed around took under a minute. Similar performance to the newer Shark Cordless PowerDetect.

Test 3: Pet Hair

I also tested the Shark Stratos Cordless in a local cat and dog shelter, Bristol ARC, that is consistently full of animal hair, to find out whether the Stratos could shape up to be one of the best vacuums for pet hair. It's also an excellent way to see how a vacuum can handle a busy, messy environment with a variety of floor types and furniture.

On an entrance mat – the most difficult surface to clean – the Stratos couldn’t get every hair after repeated passes, even on boost mode. It picked up pretty much all of the long hairs, but the short, stubborn ones couldn’t be vacuumed. It also didn’t have the best edge cleaning, as some straw was unable to be picked up on the left side.

I tried multiple times, and quite a lot was left behind. For a cordless stick, this isn't uncommon, as it's typically only the super-premium vacuums, such as the Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog or the Dyson V15 Detect, that tackle this well.

Good performance on low-pile carpet. Most of the time, almost all visible hairs were gone after a couple of passes, but there would occasionally be a few tiny stubborn hairs left over. There's a firm grip when cleaning carpet – nothing that makes it hard to push around, but strong enough that you can feel consistent contact with the floor.

The performance on hard floors was strong, with every speck of dust and strand of hair picked up in one.

After a few hours' worth of vacuuming at the pet shelter, the dustbin was full of fur. Impressive, even if a few spots couldn't be completely cleaned.

Test 4: Attachments

I tested every available attachment for the Shark Stratos Cordless, on a mix of surfaces including padded upholstery, sofas, furniture, and window sills.

While every attachment proved effective when cleaning different surfaces, they were let down by the Stratos' heavier weight, and my wrist ached after cleaning just one room with four chairs and a sofa.

The motorized pet hair tool is great at pulling fur from padded fabric, and I like that it pivots at an angle to make sure you're maintaining consistent contact with the surface. It takes a bit of scrubbing back and forth, but it gets all the hair eventually. It's a great lightweight cleaner for pet owners in this regard, but similar to the Levoit LVAC-300, which costs $200 less.

I'm a big fan of the anti-allergen dust brush. I wiped it across a table as you would with a cloth, and it picked up every crumb that was on it. The other dusting brush was great at cleaning a windowsill, too, but that's standard across most vacuums. The anti-allergen dusting brush is a unique win for the Stratos.

Shark Stratos Cordless: Setup and Maintenance

The Shark Stratos, like any cordless vacuum, assembles with a few clicks. Attach the floorhead, wand, battery, and vacuum, and it's ready.

However, it's recommended to charge the battery to full before first use, as this preserves the battery's health. For me, this took almost three and a half hours, so be prepared to wait a little while until you can use it out of the box.

I was pleased to see a complete lack of pointless plastic packaging, and everything was packaged compactly using cardboard or paper molds.

In terms of maintenance, this is a bagless vacuum, so you'll need to empty it after every clean. Cleaning the filter regularly (ideally once a month), cleaning the brushrolls when dirty, and removing any internal clogs are all that's required to keep it at its best.

How Does the Shark Stratos Cordless Compare?

Although it was released years ago, the Shark Stratos Cordless remains one of Shark's most expensive cordless vacuums, priced at $499.99 at SharkNinja at full price. Surprisingly, it isn't discounted as often as the newer releases – likely because of its popularity.

It shares many features with the Dyson V15 Detect and the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, notably the floor and dirt sensors, and automatic suction. The Shark Stratos Cordless may be a little more convenient (there are no floorheads to swap out between surfaces), but the Dysons outperform the Shark when it comes to cleaning, in every way. However, they're more expensive, costing up to $350 more at Dyson, but it depends on promotions, as at the time of writing, the V12 Detect Slim is cheaper.

Or, the Levoit LVAC-300 and the Dreame R20 are more affordable alternatives, costing under $200 if you buy them at the right time. The Shark Stratos Cordless certainly performs better, especially on carpet, but they're cheaper options if your home has mostly hard floors.

Next, learn which of the best robot vacuums is best suited to your home, after spending hundreds of hours testing them in our own houses.

Cleaning up after your pets is a constant battle. More often than not, as soon as a room is clear of fur, you turn around and it's covered again.

So, it's no surprise that leading vacuum brands such as Shark continue to try to save us from this ongoing hassle, and the new Shark PowerPro Pet is no exception. It promises to solve pet hair issues at home, with strong suction and an anti-tangle roller to clear fur without hassle.

I tested it in a local pet shelter, in our dedicated test center, and in my own home for an extended period to find out if the Shark PowerPro Pet could be one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

The One-Minute Verdict

The Shark PowerPro Pet offers a strong clean for its mid-range price, seamlessly passing from carpets to hard floors with its automatic power modes. It's clearly designed to be as intuitive as possible, with smooth gliding, floor sensors to adjust suction level for you, and a flexible wand that can help you reach under furniture where pets love to snooze and leave hair behind, without straining your back.

After testing in a pet shelter, I was surprised by how much fur it pulled out of low-pile and thick carpets, and it never once wrapped with hair. It struggles a bit when it comes to bumpy surfaces or large debris, but the ease-of-use redeems it, as you can easily adjust the attachments to vacuum anything that's left behind.

It's a great vacuum for the price, but if you're happy spending a little more, I'd recommend the Shark PowerDetect Cordless or the Dyson V11 as both have higher suction and performed better all-around during our real-world tests.

Shark PowerPro Pet: Specifications

Shark PowerPro Pet: Setup

I was happy to see that the Shark PowerPro Pet had been packaged using just cardboard and paper, without any non-recyclable plastic, and in a box that's smaller than what you'd expect for a vacuum cleaner.

It took a few minutes to unbox it all and connect the vacuum's sections. It's always recommended to fully charge the battery before the first use to get the most from your vacuum, preserving the battery's health and lifespan, and this took just under two hours.

I tested the UK's version of the Shark PowerPro Pet, which is the same vacuum but with a different power cord, and one different attachment: The pet multi-tool. They're similar in design, consisting of a brush that detaches to reveal a high-friction upholstery tool. But the UK edition has rubber fins for the brush, whereas the US version has bristles.

My model also came with a handy Shark tote bag that neatly stores all the vacuum's attachments in one place, but as the US version doesn't include this, I'd recommend this Kememo Corduroy Tote Bag at Amazon – I didn't realise how handy it was until now, especially as the Shark PowerPro Pet doesn't have slots to store attachments on the vacuum itself.

Shark PowerPro Pet: Design and Features

The PowerPro Pet is part of Shark's latest cordless vacuum range (which also includes the Shark PowerPro Flex), which builds on the brand's cleaning technology that they've steadily been developing over the past few years.

It has smart floor sensors that tell whether you're vacuuming bare floors or carpets so that it automatically adjusts the suction mode. This 'Auto' feature is a common staple of modern cordless vacuums, particularly Dyson vacuums, and it's helpful to not have to make these adjustments yourself while cleaning.

The 'PowerFins' floorhead is self-cleaning to avoid hair wrap, and its roller is made of a rubbery plastic. It doesn't have bristles, which can be particularly helpful for carpet vacuums, nor does it have two brushrolls like the Shark PowerDetect Cordless, one of our on-test favorites.

Bristles and dual brushrolls can be highly effective when cleaning different surfaces, but instead, Shark designed a floorhead focused on vacuuming hair, while still being able to pass from carpet to bare floor.

Also on the floorhead are LED headlights, a feature popularized by the Dyson V15 Detect – our best cordless vacuum. But while Dyson's lights can reveal dust that your naked eyes can't see, the Shark headlights simply illuminate the floor.

The Shark's attachments – crevice tool, upholstery tool, and pet multi-tool – cover every cleaning task you'll need around the house. When you remove the pet multi-tool's brush, it reveals an upholstery tool, which I found a little odd, as Shark could've omitted the separate upholstery tool altogether, rather than having two.

Shark doesn't list the suction power for their vacuums, but from my testing, it appears as if the PowerPro is one step down from the Shark PowerDetect Cordless, which has Shark's most powerful suction in a cordless vacuum.

I tested the airflow using an anemometer, and it ranges from 9.3 to 14.7mph. For comparison, the high-powered Dyson V11 ranges from 9.8 to 19.6mph, and the affordable Levoit LVAC-300 ranges from 7.1 to 12.3mph. The Shark sits comfortably above average.

What Is the Shark PowerPro Pet Like to Use?

The Shark PowerPro Pet has clearly been designed to be effortless to use. Automatic power adjustments, no floorheads to swap out, and smooth gliding across floor types make it a seamless cleaning experience.

It takes less than a second for the vacuum to automatically change suction mode when you pass between bare floor and carpet, and there are lights on the vacuum and floorhead showing which mode it's on. It's intuitive, taking away the guesswork and making it a more natural experience.

It automatically goes into carpet mode when you lift the vacuum up from the floor. At first, I thought this demonstrated how the floor sensors work – that they only recognise bare floors, and assume anything else is carpet – but after testing, I realised this was a clever design move. It avoids crumbs spilling out of the floorhead when lifted into the air, as that slight boost in suction makes sure the debris goes up into the dustbin.

Max mode (the highest suction level) isn't automatic; instead, it's activated by an easy-to-reach toggle right on the handle, as seen above. This simple, non-strenuous design is one of the best ways I've seen to control a cordless vacuum's strongest setting – and I'm surprised it isn't more common.

The Shark PowerPro Pet only has one floorhead. Others like the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and the Levoit LVAC-300 have separate floorheads for carpets and hard floors, which can offer a more specialized clean, but it can be inconvenient to swap them out while you're vacuuming. Instead, the Shark prioritizes convenience, using a versatile floorhead that can tackle both floor types.

I go into this in more detail below, but Shark's claim of anti-hair wrap is absolutely true. After testing the vacuum in a pet shelter, there were no hairs around the brushroll.

At 7 lbs, it's a lightweight vacuum, and one that can easily be carried upstairs or held with one hand. As a general guide, cordless vacs range from 6-8lbs typically, but upright vacuums are typically 13-18 lbs. The Shark PowerPro Pet also glides along floors smoothly with soft wheels that won't scratch delicate surfaces, like when cleaning hardwood floors.

I tested the noise levels using the Decibel X app, and they range from 68.5 to 73 decibels. This is typical for a cordless vacuum (and a little quieter than upright vacuums), but I found that the Shark PowerPro Pet's sound is softer and less jarring than others I've tested, likely because of the lack of bristles hitting the floor.

One gripe I have is that it's difficult to store the vacuum. It doesn't stand up by itself, which isn't uncommon, but if you lean it against a wall, it rolls forward and falls down. This is quite inconvenient, as cordless vacuums are most easily stored by leaning against a corner, but it also means that while you're cleaning, you have to bend down to place it on the ground if you ever need to free up your hands.

I found that when opening heavy doors or moving furniture that it became frustrating having to do this every time. I couldn't quickly prop it against something, as it would instantly roll down and hit the floor. It shows how smooth the wheels are, at least, but it may be a barrier if you deal with chronic pain or have difficulty bending down.

But there isn't a wall mount included, or even available on the SharkNinja website for this model. To store it, you'll have to lie it flat somewhere, which can take up a considerable amount of floorspace – unless you're happy stashing it under some furniture.

Test 1: Flour and Sugar

I tested the Shark PowerPro Pet using a half cup of flour and sugar, to assess its ability to handle fine material like dust and dander. I ran the test three times on carpet, linoleum and wooden floors.

It took two passes on linoleum, and 2-3 passes on wood, as afterwards a small amount was left in the cracks between the wood panels, but these got picked up instantly when I used max mode. This is strong performance, but not as fast as the one-pass Dyson V15 Detect or Shark POWERDETECT Upright.

When only using max mode, everything was vacuumed in one pass.

On carpet, results were similar, taking three passes on average to clear, thanks to max mode picking up the tiny number of debris left behind after the first two passes.

Carpet mode was great, automatically adjusting the grip so that it doesn’t suction itself to carpet. It felt intuitive, and I'd certainly recommend it as one of the best vacuums for carpet if you're looking for a cordless model.

Test 2: Pantry

I tested the Shark PowerPro Pet using a cup of green lentils and cereal, as seen below, to check how well it can handle medium and large debris. The cereal is a particularly enlightening test, as it shows a vacuum's capabilities when dealing with large pieces that can either be crushed down or flung around, and as it's a high volume of mess, there's a possibility of clogging up the internal parts.

On hard floors, most of it was vacuumed in one forward pass. Some big cereal pieces were pushed forward, but there wasn’t any flinging around, blockages, or mess. It was painless, even if I had to go and vacuum the final bits that were left behind afterwards. As far as cordless cleaning goes, this is one of the best vacuums for hard floors, as many cordless sticks struggle with the larger cereal pieces and become clogged.

Unfortunately, when testing against cereal and larger debris on carpet, almost everything was pushed forward instead of being sucked up. It seems like the gap between the floor and carpet is quite slim, so when there’s this much debris, it struggles to enter.

But while this would usually be a major criticism, it was so fuss-free to remove the floorhead and vacuum the rest using the max toggle, that I’m confident in its universal use around the house.

Test 3: Pet Hair

I tested the Shark PowerPro Pet in a local cat and dog shelter, Bristol ARC, to assess its cleaning ability on real pet hair on a mix of floor types. It's also a great test for seeing how the vacuum can handle lots of mess from a big, busy building with high foot traffic. It's how we test real-world results for the best vacuums for pet hair.

On the ridged entrance mat pictured above – one of the trickiest surfaces to vacuum pet hair from – it took seven passes to achieve a decent clean. I tested it alongside the Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead, which did a similar clean in two passes. Boost mode improved performance on the Shark vacuum significantly, and honestly, this was the only way to pull a healthy amount of fur from the entrance mat.

Performance was stronger on low-pile carpet. Almost every strand of hair or speck of dirt was vacuumed in one, sometimes two or three passes if it was particularly stubborn. The light really helped illuminate what was there, and the vacuum cleaned right to the edges.

When cleaning carpet with cordless vacuums, you’re not always sure if they’re digging deep enough to get everything, but the dustbin became surprisingly full of fur. After cleaning the same amount of floorspace, it had collected more hair than the corded Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead.

When cleaning a thick rug, I could feel it getting into the fibers and agitating the rug as I moved it around. I tried the flexible wand and it was useful, sure, but it became quite hard to steer at that angle, especially on a soft surface, and I feel this feature is better suited to hard floors. Everything was vacuumed in around four passes – slower than our favorite Dysons like the Dyson V11, but faster than more affordable picks such as the Ultenic U20.

There was solid performance on hard floors, although I occasionally had to go over the same spot for big things like leaves that don’t easily fit under the floorhead opening. Unlike on carpet, it struggled when cleaning edges, and I had to try different angles to get a few strands of hair.

Overall, this is a good performance for a cordless stick, but I've tested better. Models with higher suction perform better, whether it's one of the best Miele vacuums or the Dyson V15 Detect. But considering the Shark's relatively low price, this is impressive.

And importantly, after vacuuming for two hours at a pet shelter, there wasn't a single strand of hair in the brushroll.

Test 4: Attachments

The upholstery tool works well, but only if you use repeated forward strokes, as there’s less grip on the pull-back. The hairs on the pet shelter's padded chair are stubborn, and most vacuums struggle to clean them, but with a few repeated strokes, the Shark PowerPro Pet got them all.

As I mentioned above, the pet multi-tool is different in the UK and US. It’s still a multi-tool which clips off to reveal the upholstery tool underneath (which is almost identical to the other upholstery tool, just with thinner pads). It works amazingly, though. The fins yank fur right out, faster than the upholstery tool, and I hope that the US attachment is an effective vacuum attachment for pet hair.

Shark PowerPro Pet: Care and Maintenance

The Shark PowerPro Flex should be maintained just like any cordless vacuum: Empty it after each session, check the filters, and clear the brushroll to make sure suction isn't restricted.

Emptying it is as simple as removing the wand, then pushing the latch; however, the small lip on the dustbin lid means that hair can get stuck there – it's a minor inconvenience, but it means you’ll have to get your hands dirty occasionally.

Cleaning the vacuum filter is essential maintenance to preserve the appliance's lifespan and protect the motor from overworking. The foam pre-filter is washable; however, the main HEPA filter isn't, meaning you'll have to buy replacements when it starts to wear. This is a shame, as other vacuums have washable HEPA filters, omitting recurring filter costs.

How Does the Shark PowerPro Pet Compare?

Available for $329.99 at SharkNinja (and often discounted with up to $100 off), this is a strong mid-range vacuum cleaner, and it's cheaper than similar offerings from Shark.

The Shark PowerDetect Cordless is the closest comparison. They both have floor sensors, automatic power adjustments, seamless cleaning across floor types, and a flexible wand. However, the PowerDetect has stronger suction and dual brushrolls, making it a more effective and versatile cleaner, but it costs more. At full price, it's $449.99 from SharkNinja, but it is often discounted to $299.99.

But honestly, if you're considering spending up to $300 on a vacuum, I'd recommend spending a little extra on a Dyson deal. The Dyson V11 is often on offer for $399.99 at Dyson (as it is at the time of writing), and it boasts much higher suction and a floorhead that digs deep into carpets and plucks every visible strand of hair in one or two passes.

Next, see which vacuums top our tried-and-tested guide to the best Dyson alternatives.

Gone are the days where we had to rely on huge, bulky vacuum cleaners to keep our homes clean. Now, engineering wizards have designed motors that can fit inside slim cordless sticks, which are powerful enough to pull dirt from deep within our floors.

The best example of this is the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, which is discounted by an enormous $300 in Dyson's extended holiday sale. It's the lightest vacuum in Dyson's market-leading 'Detect' series, and can banish dust, dirt and hair from floors in seconds.

Dyson has kicked off the Black Friday sale season early, and with an offer this huge on one of our all-time best vacuums, we're in for a treat.

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is as Powerful as The Big, Corded Vacuums

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is the best lightweight vacuum we've ever reviewed. In many ways, this is what it was designed to be: A slimmer, lighter version of Dyson's best, the Dyson V15 Detect, with those same market-leading features packaged into a smaller cordless stick.

But don't be fooled that a slim vacuum can't clean like your bulky, corded one. I tested this cordless vacuum on hard floors, rugs, and thick carpets, then used it in my home for over a year – and it never failed to clean a mess in one or two passes.

If you ever find yourself going over the same spot of carpet again and again while your vacuum struggles to pick up the dirt, it's probably time to switch, and this Dyson will immediately solve that issue while freeing up heaps of storage space.

The V12 Detect Slim used to be the primary vacuum in my home, and it was small enough to stash in a closet or under my bed, storing the vacuum out of sight but still within reach. And weighing just 5.22lbs, it can easily be carried upstairs and from room to room with one hand.

And really, that's where my love of cordless vacuums stems from. It's so easy to grab it and clean whenever you see a mess, and as someone with suspected ADHD, this actually helps me clean. It removes any barriers to cleaning, like taking a heavy appliance out of a closet, then having to plug it in around the house.

Instead, I can clean in seconds, and as the V12 Detect Slim is so thorough, every cleaning session is swift.

What's more, it has a green laser that reveals invisible dust – genuinely. I thought it sounded like a gimmick, but what appears to be a spotless floor will suddenly be full of dust and debris particles once the green light shines on it, as you can see in my video, taken during testing, below:

I've tested vacuums from Shark, Miele, Dreame and more that have tried to recreate this game-changing feature, and none have succeeded. Surprisingly, the only one that's come close is the budget-friendly Ultenic U16 Flex, but it doesn't vacuum as well.

The V12 Detect Slim also has floor sensors that identify what surface you're vacuuming and how dirty it is. This means that – in less than a second – it can automatically up the suction power when needed, then return it to a less intense level to save battery life.

There's even a particle counter that measures how much you've picked up during a cleaning session, down to the individual particle size. This isn't an essential vacuum feature, but it is useful to know there's nothing left to vacuum, like when vacuuming a mattress or upholstery.

More to Shop

While you're looking for cleaning upgrades, here's a selection of other outstanding vacuums from the 82 we've tested.

All prices correct at time of publication.

For more affordable cleaning excellence, see which vacuums top our list of the best Dyson alternatives.

As if Dyson's vacuums weren't already renowned for their incredible performance and innovative features, their newly announced cordless V16 Piston Animal vacuum promises to take Dyson's cleaning excellence to the next level.

At this year's IFA in Berlin, where tech brands from across the world showcase their latest and greatest developments, I was there to see founder James Dyson unveil the new V16, coming to the US in 2026.

It boasts higher suction power than any of the best Dyson vacuums, which top most of our vacuum guides already. As an expert home tech editor who spends my days testing the latest releases, I love the look of Dyson's new and improved Submarine wet vacuum head, which promises to clean even deeper by washing your floors.

Why I'm excited about the powerful new Dyson V16 Piston Animal

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal marks a shift for Dyson's cordless vacuums, taking its latest release to a whopping 315 air watts of suction – higher than any consumer vacuum out there. In comparison, the Dyson V15 Detect is currently our best-on-test, and that delivers just 250 air watts of suction.

I've written extensively about the Dyson V15 Detect and other Dyson vacuums, which repeatedly outperform all of the best vacuum cleaners we've tested, so I'm thrilled to see our favorite vacuum brand up its spec in this way.

The V16 Piston Animal also has a new conical floorhead that promises long hair pickup with no tangling. As Dyson's vacuums are already some of our best vacuums for pet hair, I'm intrigued to see how they've improved performance in this area.

Keeping a home clean with pets, especially furry ones, is no easy task, so any added power for clearing hair from carpets will land well, in my view.

What's more, the Dyson V16 has the same smart features that I adore in Dyson's Detect vacuums (such as the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and the Dyson Gen5detect). A green laser reveals dust that the naked eye can't usually spot, and using floor sensors, the vacuum knows the floor type you're vacuuming and how dirty each area is to automatically adjust the suction and brushroll speed.

This means you don't have to worry about changing the settings yourself. You can pass from hard floors to carpet, and these Dysons know the right level of cleaning power needed, and will preserve the battery life on easier surfaces, including when cleaning hardwood floors.

Less frequent emptying

Another new and exciting feature is the 'CleanCompaktor' dustbin that compresses dust as it's collected, so you don't have to empty it for up to 30 days. Frequent emptying is one of the biggest gripes with the best cordless vacuums, and I'm intrigued to find out if this real-world dust compression comes with a loss of suction as the dustbin fills, or if Dyson's engineers have finally found a way to solve this issue.

In line with the floorcare industry's growing trend towards complete cleaning solutions – as seen in the Roborock 4-in-1 appliance announced at IFA or the best robot vacuums that vacuum, mop, and clean themselves for you – the Dyson V16 Piston Animal has the option for a Submarine floorhead and a self-cleaning dock.

The Submarine floorhead is an upgrade from the one used in the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine, using a motorised, microfiber roller to wash, mop, and remove stains from your floors.

The self-emptying dock has been a key feature in many of the best Shark vacuums, so it's great to see Dyson introduce this as a way to save time and store the vacuum more neatly.

Suffice to say, I was excited about what I heard as part of an early press cohort on this Dyson update. As someone who tests vacuums for a living, this is one of the most significant announcements from a floorcare brand that we've seen in some time and I can't wait to get my hands on the V16 and put it to the test.

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal is available in the UK for £749.99 at Dyson and across Europe for 849€, and will be available in the US in 2026.

What to shop

While the Dyson V16 Piston Animal is only available in select countries, here are some other top-rated vacuum recommendations from our rigorous testing sessions.

If you're considering shopping for a new Dyson now but perhaps want to wait for the V16 Piston Animal, remember: You can trade-in your appliance to get money off an upgrade, direct at Dyson.

All prices were correct at time of publication.

For more floorcare inspiration, check out our guides to the best Miele vacuums and the essential cleaning tools every household should have.

When the Dyson V8 was released back in 2016, it reimagined the cordless vacuum design into what it is today.

James Dyson shared this sentiment at IFA in Berlin on Thursday when announcing the V8's upgrade: The Dyson V8 Cyclone. It combines the V8 with Dyson's latest tech for a cordless vacuum that cleans better, has a longer runtime, and even has a self-emptying dock.

It was already one of the best Dyson vacuums, but this new model, set to be released next year, will make cleaning even easier and cheaper.

Why I'm excited about the new Dyson V8 Cyclone

The Dyson V8 Cyclone brings a suite of upgrades compared to the previous model, to make cleaning more effective without sacrificing on weight or ease of use. In my view, the most significant is the suction power increase, going from 115 air watts to 150.

For reference, that's the same as the advanced (and expensive) Dyson V12 Detect Slim – which on test, had no issues vacuuming hair, dust or large debris from any surface. It's one of the best cordless vacuums we've ever tested.

Plus, like Dyson's newer vacuums, the V8 Cyclone will have three suction modes: Eco, Medium and Boost. As someone who's tested 28 vacuum cleaners, I'm a big fan of this option in cordless vacuums, as it gives you the oomph necessary to deep clean carpets when needed, while giving you the option for lower suction on easier surfaces, like when cleaning hardwood floors, to preserve vital battery life.

Runtime on the latest upgrade has also been extended from 40 minutes to 60, and it's now powered using a single button rather than a trigger to reduce hand strain while cleaning. There's also the option of a self-empty dock that charges and cleans the vacuum between uses – a feature we love in other cordless vacuums such as the Shark PowerDetect Cordless and the Tineco Pure One Station.

The Dyson V8 has long been our top pick for the best budget Dyson, costing around $400 less than the flagship Dyson V15 Detect. But while this used to come at a sacrifice in cleaning power, now it isn't as much of a downgrade.

The Dyson V8 Cyclone will be released in 2026, with pricing information revealed closer to the release date.

What to shop

While the Dyson V8 Cyclone isn't available just yet, its attachments will be compatible with the existing Dyson V8. And as Dyson encourages trade-ins, to take money off a new purchase while responsibly recycling old materials, you could invest in the budget-friendly model for now and upgrade when the new vacuum is released.

We've also tested 82 of the best vacuum cleaners and can recommend some fantastic alternatives.

All prices were correct at time of publication.

For more tried-and-tested floorcare inspiration, browse through our list of the best Dyson alternatives or the best Shark vacuums.

If you have a vacuum, you've probably felt the grossness and frustration of having your brushroll wrapped in hair and being tasked with removing it.

The good news is, you can get this nasty job over and done with in seconds, with one surprising sewing tool reigning supreme. I've spent 250 hours testing vacuums and this tiny $4 seam ripper from Amazon will help you quickly slice through caught-up hair and have you back to cleaning your floors in no time.

Better yet, this regular maintenance task will mean your best vacuum will stay in tip-top shape for longer.

Why a seam ripper is your vacuum cleaner's best friend

Whether you own one of the best vacuums for pet hair to clean up after your beloved animals, or you simply have long hair yourself, you'll be familiar with gross task of cutting hair out of your vacuum's brushroll. It's a task you're also likely also tackle when keeping a house clean with pets.

But instead of taking to the brushroll with a large pair of scissors and risk damaging it (yes, this easily happens), a simple sewing seam ripper is the solution.

It's precise, and the small blade can effortlessly cut through clumps of hair without reaching the vacuum's brushes and bristles that are essential for deep cleaning carpets and floors.

Not doing so can harm your vacuum by putting unnecessary strain on the roller's moving parts, which in turn can overload the vacuum motor. This can cause your vacuum to lose suction power and eventually result in it breaking down sooner than it should.

With your own seam ripper set, you won't have to worry again.

The Ortarco Seam Ripper Set is available for $3.99 at Amazon.

More to shop

Aside from cutting out hair that's gotten tangled up in your vacuum's brushroll, a few other simple maintenance tasks will keep your appliance running at its best and make your life easier when cleaning.

All prices were correct at time of publication.

Next, learn more about the best robot vacuums we've tested to take cleaning chores off your hands.

Usually, you'll never find me recommending a budget vacuum cleaner. I've tested 29 during my time as Homes & Gardens' home tech editor and the cheap ones never do the trick. That is, except for the small but mighty Ultenic U16 Flex.

And right now, the Ultenic U16 Flex is available for just $139.99 at Amazon with code B0CZNTRLJB. It's cheap, practical, and perfect for dorm rooms and small apartments.

It also has features that you typically only find in Dyson vacuums and the best cordless vacuums, while costing less than a quarter of the premium price they charge for. I'd act fast on this if I didn't already own it myself.

Why I always recommend the affordable Ultenic U16 Flex for dorm rooms and small spaces

The Ultenic U16 Flex is one of the best Dyson alternatives that we've tested, thanks to its Dyson-esque green laser that illuminates dust and fine debris that the naked eye can't see. It isn't a vacuum gimmick whatsoever, it helps show when the floor is completely clean.

And fortunately, this cheap vacuum is powerful enough that you can see the floor become spotless. It's one of the best vacuums for hardwood floors if you're on a budget, as the brushroll is safe on delicate surfaces but thorough enough to pick up debris from between floor panels.

It's also one of the most lightweight vacuums we've tested, weighing just 3.75 pounds, and it takes up hardly any space when storing your vacuum.

The wand can bend to reach under furniture more easily (and snaps back together in quite a satisfying way). And after testing it over two weeks, the brushroll never once wrapped with hair, making it a great pick for one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

The Ultenic U16 Flex is available at Amazon for $139.99 with code B0CZNTRLJB.

More to shop

Still shopping around? We've tested 79 of the best vacuum cleaners at Homes & Gardens and can recommend plenty more for dorms and small spaces. All prices correct at time of publication.

For more tried-and-tested vacuum inspiration, our guides of the best multi-surface vacuums and the best robot vacuums can help you decide.

A vacuum-mop is a game-changer. These clever cleaners combine two chores into one, and can give your floors a complete clean in one swift session. It's no surprise that they're becoming so popular.

And as a professional vacuum tester, I like Bissell. Their straightforward appliances are never overpriced, but always tend to do a great job at cleaning up after us.

So, I was excited to try out the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge to find out if it could be my new best vacuum-mop combo. Find out how it fared in our tests on standardized substances and a local pet shelter.

The one-minute review

The Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge isn’t the most powerful vacuum-mop combo we’ve tested, but it’s a solid choice for everyday mopping and vacuuming at a budget-friendly price. It handles solids, mops floors, and tackles light stains with ease, leaving floors dry and fresh in under two minutes. While it may not clean as quickly or thoroughly as pricier models, it’s a great way to combine two tasks and save time. If your budget allows, though, we recommend the Dreame H14 Pro, which earned five stars in our tests.

Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge: Specifications

Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge: Design and features

The Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge promises to be the first vacuum-mop combo that can vacuum without mopping. Usually, these appliances can only do both at the same time, as the roller is soaked in water or a cleaning solution to sanitize the floors.

It makes sense, then, to be able to utilize the suction for other tasks. Bissell advises you to do any vacuuming first, then mop afterwards to avoid wetting your area rugs. 'Carpet' isn't specifically listed as a suitable floor type for the OmniForce Edge, so it's only designed for cleaning hard floors and vacuuming area rugs.

Otherwise, it has all the useful features you'll find in any vacuum-mop. A spinning roller releases fresh cleaning solution onto the floor as it scrubs and mops the floors, vacuuming debris and removing stains in the process. It's perfect if you prefer to clean your floors without streaks.

It's cordless with a 30-minute runtime, and you control it using three buttons on the handle for power, moisture, and suction level.

All you have to do is fill the clean tank with water and solution, click it back into place, and turn it on. The dirty water tank separates liquids and solids inside, too, and although it's a little gross, emptying the vacuum is a quick process.

What is the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge like to use?

Like many Bissell floorcare products, the CrossWave OmniForce Edge is straightforward to use. It took less than two minutes to get familiar with its functions, and the simple display clearly shows battery life, moisture, and suction levels.

The device feels sturdy yet remains highly maneuverable, gliding smoothly across floors thanks to rubber wheels that protect delicate surfaces – an ideal vacuum for hardwood floors.

Plus, its charging dock offers a self-cleaning cycle that rinses the brushroll and internal parts, helping reduce bacteria buildup and unpleasant odors.

Strangely, the OmniForce Edge lacks a self-drying feature. Models like the Dreame H14 Pro include a heated drying cycle to prevent mold, so Bissell’s choice to omit this is surprising, especially since drying floors quickly is a major selling point for this vacuum-mop. Because of this, you can’t vacuum rugs until the roller is fully dry, which can take most of a day. While there’s a slot on the charging base to remove and air-dry the roller, a faster, low-effort heated drying cycle would be much better.

The vacuum also offers only one quick self-cleaning mode, but even after running it twice, I found the roller was still dirty. Other brands have perfected this feature, so it’s disappointing that Bissell hasn’t prioritized self-cleaning and drying.

The 30 fl. oz. clean tank includes clear markings for water and Bissell cleaning solution, but the solution runs out quickly, and you don’t get much to start with. After just five minutes of vacuum-mopping, I’d used about a third of the tank.

Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge: Cleaning tests

In our test center, I used five standardized substances to assess the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge's ability to clean messes with varying properties:

• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lumpy tomato and veg pasta sauce
• 1 egg, dropped from 5 feet
• 1 cup of cereal and milk
• Additional test: Half cup of lentils to test dry vacuuming

Ketchup and pasta sauce are usually the simplest messes for a vacuum-mop to tackle. The OmniForce Edge cleaned them up quickly but did smear some sauce around, requiring a second pass to fully remove the residue. Other vacuum-mops I’ve tested have managed this in just one go.

The mustard was also spread around a little, and took a bit longer to clean than the tomato-based stains. Again, this is weaker performance than what I've seen in others, but the Bissell costs around half the price of those that clean in one (like the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro, for example).

Surprisingly, the CrossWave OmniForce Edge vacuumed up the broken egg in one smooth motion – no easy feat, since thick, sticky egg and shell fragments often cause blockages and are one of the hardest cleaning tasks to master.

However, its performance slipped when tackling milk and cereal; it couldn’t pick up the cereal pieces at first and just pushed them ahead until I crushed them with the roller. Though it took longer than expected, it eventually cleaned everything up.

For dry vacuum testing, I scattered half a cup of lentils along the threshold between linoleum and carpet. The OmniForce Edge picked up everything in a single pass, with suction so strong on carpet you could feel it gripping the fabric – truly impressive. If it weren’t for the lack of self-drying, this would be one of the best multi-surface vacuums available for under $400.

Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge: Pet shelter tests

I also tested the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge at Bristol ARC, a local cat and dog shelter, to see how well it can handle muddy stains and busy messes from an establishment with high foot traffic.

I learned that it's excellent at light mopping while leaving the floors dry 1-2 minutes later, but it wasn't the best at stain removal. Granted, some of the stains were about three years old, but while I could see the floor was visibly cleaner, the stains didn't budge at all.

The pet shelter had a group visiting that day, leaving behind arts and crafts messes. The OmniForce Edge managed to clear most of the debris but struggled with a few stains that seemed fairly simple to clean, like the one pictured above.

Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge: Setup and maintenance

Setup was simple – just attach the handle, wand, and main vacuum unit. I charged the battery from 18% to full, which took a bit over three hours, and then it was ready to go.

Placing the vacuum on the charging dock starts a quick two-minute self-cleaning cycle. However, unlike some other models, there’s no deep clean, and without self-drying, you’ll have to wait quite a while before vacuuming the carpet again.

There’s also a dedicated Bissell FreshStart solution for cleaning the machine, but I found it a bit unnecessary since there’s usually leftover cleaning solution inside already, making it less practical to replace with the special formula.

Emptying the vacuum is straightforward. You detach the dirty tank, throw the solids into the trash, then pour away the liquid.

How does the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge compare?

The CrossWave OmniForce Edge costs $399.99 at Bissell at full price, and is often discounted to $299.99. This is $100-200 cheaper than other models I've tested, but I've learned that the cleaning is less effective, so there's a trade-off of performance against price.

The Dreame H14 Pro is the best we've tested at Homes & Gardens, costing $449.99 at Dreame. It didn't struggle with any of the stain tests, and it leaves the floor looking spotless, sparkling, and dry within two minutes. My full Dreame H14 Pro review reveals why it earned five stars.

Another stand-out pick is the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro, costing $499.99 at Tineco. It's similar to the H14 Pro in many ways, but cleans ever-so-slightly slower, and doesn't lie as flat for reaching under furniture. My full Tineco Floor One S7 Pro review explains why it's such an exceptional floor cleaner.

Should you buy the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge?

The Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge is a nifty, user-friendly floor cleaner that can vacuum and mop simultaneously, or just vacuum. It's a neat feature in the market, being able to utilize the motor's suction to tackle area rugs as well as hard floors, and the small, sleek device would look great in any home.

But it's certainly less effective compared to other, more expensive vacuum-mop combos I've tested. It struggled to remove some stains, pushed residue around, and struggled when picking up large pieces. If money's tight, this is a great entry into the vacuum-mop cleaning world. But if you could spend a little more, I'd go for the better ones.

Next, learn whether mopping or wet vacuuming is right for your home, and browse our tested picks of the best robot vacuums for even easier cleaning.

Skip the steep price tag of a premium vacuum cleaner – you can clean your hard floors just as effectively for $100s less with the right vacuum-mop combo.

Right now, the Shark VACMOP is just $56.84 at Walmart, offering powerful suction and mopping in one sleek device. It uses disposable pads, so your hands stay clean, and it’s designed for quick, efficient floor care.

Hard floors like hardwood and vinyl don’t need high-tech tools to stay spotless. In our experience, one of the best vacuum-mop combos, like the VACMOP, will cut your cleaning time in half – and save you serious money.

Why I'm snapping up this Shark VACMOP deal at Walmart

The VACMOP is essentially a complete hard floor cleaning system, combining spray mopping and vacuuming to remove debris and sanitize your floors. It's perfect if, like me, you're too busy to spend unnecessary time cleaning the kitchen.

From the 250+ hours I've spent testing the best vacuums for hardwood floors, I can confirm that you really don't need high suction. People pay premiums for vacuums that can pull stubborn mess out of thick carpets, but if you don't need that, you can save $100s.

It's also a savior for small spaces and dorms, as the tiny cleaner takes up hardly any storage space, especially compared to storing a vacuum and mop separately. The VACMOP has 'no-touch disposal,' so you can get rid of dirty mop pads without getting your hands dirty.

It's compact, easy to use, and combines two (quite boring) cleaning tasks into one swift cleaning session. And with this discount, that's a no-brainer.

The Shark VACMOP is available at Walmart for $56.84, discounted from $99.99.

More to shop

As Homes & Gardens' resident floorcare expert, I can recommend many more excellent cleaning gadgets that will transform your home cleaning. All prices correct at time of publication.

Next, learn the differences between mopping vs wet vacuuming to find out what your floors need.

I was excited to review the Dreame R20 as it had all the hallmarks of a powerful cordless stick without the high price point of its Dyson and Shark competitors.

It's also a great smart home cleaning brand, and as someone who tests vacuums professionally, I'm always keen to see how the best cordless vacuums can benefit those who rely on them for powerful home cleaning.

I tested the Dreame R20 in our dedicated test center and a local pet shelter to find out whether it's worth your dollars.

The one-minute review

The Dreame R20 is perfect for cleaning hard floors, with smart features that make it an excellent alternative to Dyson's expensive vacuums. It can detect dust volume and floor type (and adjust the suction accordingly), and it has a handy graphic that shows when an area is completely clean.

Its suction is surprisingly strong, but it struggles when vacuuming pet hair from carpet, and it easily becomes blocked when cleaning high volumes of debris.

These design oversights overshadow the cordless vacuum's strong suction, so I wouldn't recommend the Dreame R20 to those with busy, messy homes with kids or pets.

Dreame R20: Specifications

Dreame R20: Design and features

As I've come to expect from Dreame, the R20 has a premium feel with its sleek aesthetic and animated screen display. It has the core features you'll find in any cordless stick, with additional features that make it work effectively as one of the best Dyson alternatives.

Floor sensors and automatic power adjustment were pioneered by the best Dyson vacuums, but other brands have since taken note and implemented them into their own. It's a small but useful touch: Sensors detect carpet and high amounts of dust, and the vacuum will up the suction power to clean more effectively.

Balancing suction power and battery life can be a challenge for cordless vacuum manufacturers, so this feature ensures you have the right power levels when needed, and are preserving runtime when not. It certainly isn't a vacuum feature gimmick.

Another Dyson-influenced design note is the two separate floorheads, one with a soft roller and one with a bristled brushroll:

Having two separate floorheads gives you specialized cleaning across carpets and floors as bristles are needed for carpet, but can be too harsh on certain hard floors such as hardwood and tile (my vacuum jargon buster explains these terms).

The soft roller is also ideal for capturing fine dust and common household allergens, but weirdly, Dreame has only installed a light on the bristled floorhead.

Floor lights can be a tremendous help to illuminate hidden dust particles that you normally wouldn't see, but they never tend to work that well on carpet, so I'm surprised by this design choice.

I tested the R20's airflow using an anemometer, and it reaches 8.7mph in normal mode and 20.8mph on the highest setting. That's higher than the Dyson V11, which has some of the highest suction we've ever seen in a cordless stick.

The R20's touted 90-minute runtime stat is impressive (compared to the average 60 minutes), but on test, the battery went down much faster than expected.

It can likely achieve 90 minutes if you're on the lowest suction mode with no motorized attachments, but otherwise, you're looking at about 40-50 minutes of cleaning before you will need to stop and recharge, which will take four hours.

What is the Dreame R20 like to use?

Overall, the Dreame R20 is responsive, lightweight, and mostly effective at tackling different cleaning tasks – but it has a few drawbacks worth noting.

I found it great at vacuuming modest messes, but it struggled a bit when it came to large amounts of debris and pet hair on carpet.

It's powered using a trigger, but for those who don't enjoy having to hold it down for the entire time you're cleaning, you can lock it using a button on the screen. I like this, as you have the option for both quick cleaning tasks and longer sessions. The trigger is also instant and powers up the vacuum faster than I've seen in other models.

The blue light emitted from the bristled floorhead is somewhat effective at revealing hidden dust, but nowhere near the level of helpful illumination that you'd see in the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, for example. It's a major downside in my opinion that there isn't a light on the soft floorhead.

I'm a fan of the display, with its graphic that changes from red to orange to green to represent dirt levels quickly and visibly.

I found that it glides across floors smoothly, and the wheels are safe to use on delicate hard floors, but the floorhead can wiggle a bit when moving. It can also be hard to turn when reaching far, such as when cleaning under furniture, which is already one of the hardest cleaning tasks.

At 63.2 to 72 decibels, the R20 is as loud as most cordless vacuums. I did find the sound itself a little irritating, however, as it makes a mechanical whir that's different from the usual spinning motor sound that is perhaps easier to hear (or maybe that's just me).

It also overheats. After 10 minutes of intermittent vacuuming in both auto and turbo mode, the battery became too hot and needed a break.

Another time, the vacuum was warm to the touch three minutes after I'd finished vacuuming on turbo mode. I worry that this poor heat management could impact durability down the line.

Dreame R20: Flour and sugar test

I tested the Dreame R20 using a half cup of flour and sugar on carpet, linoleum and hardwood. This tests how well the vacuum can handle fine particles like dust and dead skin, while also working as a visual test to see whether any mess gets left behind or stuck in internal parts.

On hardwood and linoleum, the R20 had no issues vacuuming everything in one. It automatically detected the high dust levels and increased the suction, and picked up everything between the cracks. Impressive!

On carpet, it was able to clear everything after four passes. At this price point, I've tested vacuums that can do this in one or two passes, and some that do it in more than 10 – so its performance was good, but nothing special.

I also noticed that the vacuum lifts itself when pulling backwards, almost as if the brushroll can’t handle moving in that direction and creates distance between itself and the floor. It might not be the best vacuum for carpets.

Dreame R20: Pantry test

I tested the Dreame R20 using a cup of cereal and lentils on carpet, linoleum and hardwood. This tests its ability to handle small and large debris, and to see whether it can vacuum high volumes of mess or fling it across the floor.

On linoleum and hardwood, the Dreame R20 struggled. I used the soft floorhead and pieces kept getting stuck between the roller and scraper, limiting its performance.

It was better with the bristled floorhead, but a significant amount of debris was left behind. I then took the floorhead off to see if that would help:

This helped, but instead of pieces getting stuck in the floorhead, they clogged the inlet valve before the dustbin.

It was fixable, but involved removing the dustbin and clearing the blockage multiple times. It's worth noting that this is an extreme test to see what the vacuum is capable of, so unless you're often vacuuming large piles of debris (pet kibble or litter, for example), this shouldn't be too much of an issue in daily use.

I also ran another test where I vacuumed only lentils using the soft floorhead, and it was flawless. I can still happily recommend it as one of the best vacuums for hardwood floors, as long as you know how to avoid overloading it.

On carpet, it struggled again, but I have now learned the best way to use the Dreame R20. After I finished filming the above video, cereal and lentils started pouring out of the vacuum. I then tried a different approach, and one of the things I've learned from vacuuming at a pet shelter is to use slower vacuuming.

If you wait for the light to turn from red to green before moving onto the next patch, the R20 can handle high volumes of mess. It needs to vacuum bit by bit to be able to work effectively.

After doing this, I found it to be much less of a disaster with debris.

Dreame R20: Pet hair test

I tested the Dreame R20 at Bristol ARC, a cat and dog shelter local to me. It's a key test to see how the vacuum can handle pet hair, as well as high volumes of mess from a busy environment.

Overall, the Dreame R20 is good at vacuuming pet hair. On hard floors in particular, it picked up pet hair in one pass without fail – and without it wrapping around the roller.

On an entrance mat (one of the trickiest tests our vacuums go through), the R20 was able to clear most of the visible hairs using turbo mode, but it couldn't clear everything after I did five more passes. This is better than most cordless sticks I've tested, as I'm yet to see any vacuum clear every strand of hair.

On medium-pile carpet and thick rugs, it can pick up some hair, but quite a lot is left behind. Of course, carpet fibers are one of the reasons why pet hair is so hard to vacuum, but so much hair was left behind that I can't recommend the Dreame R20 to pet owners with carpeted homes.

But if your home has only hard floors, this could be your next best vacuum for pet hair, which doesn't cost too much and has helpful smart features.

Dreame R20: Attachments test

The Dreame R20 comes with a mini motorized brush, one of the best vacuum attachments for pet hair when cleaning upholstery and pet beds.

It's amazing. It had no trouble whatsoever removing pet hair from sofas and padded chairs (which have proved difficult to clean in the past), and it's flexible to adapt to the angle you're cleaning.

The combination tool is designed similarly to Dyson's, as a dual dusting brush and surface cleaner. But the dusting brush doesn't pull back enough to avoid getting caught, making the surface cleaner attachment almost redundant.

Dreame R20: Setup and maintenance

Before using the vacuum, I charged it up to 100% which took two and a half hours (it started at 40%). Then, I attached the vacuum to the wand and floorhead, and it was ready to go.

You have the option of a wall mount for easier vacuum storage, and it even comes with a template sticker to make sure you're certain that the lines are straight.

Emptying the dustbin to avoid overfilling the vacuum is effortless. Dust drops out by itself with minimal blow back, and a small lip within the dustbin helps to avoid dust and hair wrapping around the pre-motor filter.

As I mentioned above, I'm not massively confident about the R20's durability as it overheats so easily, but otherwise, it's easy to take apart and clean each component.

How does the Dreame R20 compare?

The Dreame R20 is priced at $449.99 at Dreame, but is often on offer for around $200-300. At full price, I would recommend other vacuums instead, but if you find it discounted, there aren't many that are better.

I tested the Dreame R20 alongside the Dyson V11, which is occasionally discounted to around $449.99 at Dyson (or $629.99 at full price). This cordless vacuum is better in almost every way – with stronger suction, easier use, and a more durable design. My full Dyson V11 review explains why I recommend it so strongly.

Another similarly-priced vacuum is the Shark Cordless PowerDetect, available for $449.99 at Shark (but often discounted to around $330). This is our favorite non-Dyson cordless, and its suction is strong enough to pull cat fur from carpet. Read our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect review to learn more.

A budget vacuum I love to recommend is the Ultenic U16 Flex. It's available for around $130-$179 at Amazon, depending on promotions, and can clean surprisingly well considering. It's certainly weaker than the Dreame R20, but if you only have hard floors, the Ultenic is a great way to save money. My full Ultenic U16 Flex review shows what it can and can't do.

Should you buy the Dreame R20?

The main takeaway from testing the Dreame R20 is: It's perfect for light cleaning, but struggles with busier messes. I wouldn't recommend it to homes with kids, pets or lots of carpets.

But smaller homes with predominantly smooth floors will benefit from having a lightweight vacuum with smart features and a sleek design.

How I tested the Dreame R20

I tested the Dreame R20 for a full day at our dedicated test center, using standardized substances across carpet, linoleum and hardwood.

I then tested the Dreame R20 for a full day at a local pet shelter to assess its performance on pet hair and busy messes.

Next, learn how to choose a vacuum cleaner that's suited to your home, and consider pairing it with one of the best robot vacuums for truly transformative cleaning.

Ultenic has long been my go-to recommendation for a budget vacuum brand with surprisingly strong offerings. I don't usually advise buying budget vacuums, but Ultenic has been the exception thanks to impressive suction and premium-like features.

So, when the brand-new Ultenic U20 was announced, I was excited to get my hands on it. It's promised to be the more powerful successor to the U16 Flex – one of my favorite budget alternatives to Dyson vacuums.

I put the Ultenic U20 through its paces in a local pet shelter and our dedicated test center, to see if it's worth your time as one of the best cordless vacuums on a budget.

The one-minute review

The Ultenic U20 cleans well when you consider its low price point, but it falls short in some major areas that shouldn't be ignored. It struggles to vacuum pet hair from carpets, and it gets clogged easily when cleaning large amounts of debris.

But unless your home has carpets and pets, this is a great choice to save hundreds of dollars on a vacuum cleaner. It can clean hard floors with no issues, and it's strong enough to vacuum fine dust from between the panels of wooden floors.

If you need something stronger, I'd recommend the Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect, or the Dyson V11 that cost a little bit more. All performed better on test.

• Buy the Ultenic U20 for $219.99 at Ultenic.

Ultenic U20: Specifications

Ultenic U20: Design and features

Three of the U20's main design features are displayed on its floorhead, with a key one being its 'GreenEye Technology' that promises to illuminate hidden dust. It's essentially a green light that shines close to the ground to show dust and hair that you can't normally see. It's fairly common in recent cordless vacuums – but it has to be done right to avoid being one of many vacuum feature gimmicks.

The best Dyson vacuums paved the way with laser illumination to reveal hidden dust, and up until recently, the Ultenic U16 Flex (the predecessor to the U20) was the only vacuum that had managed to recreate it. But sadly, the green light on the U20 is positioned higher up on the floorhead, and is notably less effective at seeking out dust.

You can see this in the video below from when vacuuming at the pet shelter, as the light didn't illuminate any debris or hair more clearly. When I looked closer, there was mess there that was just as visible with or without the light:

That being said, the floorhead itself is bigger and sturdier than the U16. The U20 can also stand up by itself, which is always useful in a cordless vacuum for easier vacuum storage, avoiding having to lean it against the wall or screwing in a mount – both of which can result in you having to patch up your walls.

It also has a dusting brush built into the vacuum unit. So rather than removing the wand then attaching the cleaning tool, you can save yourself from carrying it around the house by simply extending it:

Pet owners and allergy sufferers will be grateful for the HEPA filter, which is essential when shopping for the best vacuums for allergies as it captures pollen, dander and dust that can trigger symptoms. It comes with a spare replacement filter, but it would be more sustainable (and avoid recurring costs) if the HEPA filter was washable.

The U20 can bend at the wand to reach under furniture more easily, similar to the Shark Cordless PowerDetect which is one of our favorites on test.

You get three suction modes: floor, carpet, and turbo. Each is a step-up in suction power from the last, and is a great way to reserve the higher power usage for areas that need it best, and preserve your battery when cleaning easy hard floors.

I tested the airflow for each suction mode using an anemometer. It reaches 8.5 mph on floor mode, 9.6 mph on carpet, and 15.6 mph on turbo. This is higher than I've seen in some cordless vacuums that cost more (such as the Levoit LVAC-300), and significantly lower than premium vacuums (such as the Dyson V11). So at this price, I'd say this is relatively strong.

It's powered using a trigger, but instead of requiring constant pressing, the trigger works as an on/off button. This helps avoid fatigue when cleaning, especially for those with limited mobility.

I'm a fan of the bright gold and purple colorway, and its another example of Ultenic taking design notes from Dyson, making them some of the best Dyson alternatives in this regard.

What is the Ultenic U20 like to use?

The Ultenic U20 weighs just 3.75lbs, making it one of the most lightweight vacuums we've tested (cordless vacuums average around 5-8lbs). Its flexibility isn't to be ignored either, as you can easily weave into tight spaces and reach under furniture thanks to its ability to lie close to the ground and bend at the wand. If it wasn't for the battery positioning, it would be able to lie almost completely flat.

I tested noise levels using the DecibelX app, and it ranges from 61.3 to 72 decibels, depending on suction mode and whether the motorized floorhead is attached. This is a little quieter than your average cordless stick (it's usually around 65 to 75 decibels), and notably quieter than the best upright vacuums which can go louder than 80 decibels.

Its cleaning power is good for the price, but there's still a lot to be desired. It has no problem vacuuming hard floors like hardwood and linoleum, but it struggles a little when tackling carpets – particularly if there's a high volume of debris (more on this below).

You can choose between suction modes using the touch control screen, and it's positioned helpfully so that you can do it with the same hand that's vacuuming. I love this design thought, as it keeps your other hand free to move objects out of the way whilst cleaning.

If you're vacuuming on 'floor' mode, when you turn it off it will do a 2-second burst of high suction to pull any internal debris into the dustbin. It's a nice touch to avoid your vacuum losing suction power by helping to prevent blockages.

I found that when using turbo mode, the handle can get warm. Usually, vacuums are designed to avoid this by limiting heat exposure to internal parts and blowing out cool air, and I'm concerned for the vacuum's durability if its external parts are heating up just from using it normally.

I also found that the U20 can be a little stiff when vacuuming carpets and rugs.

• Buy the Ultenic U20 for $219.99 at Ultenic.

Ultenic U20: Flour and sugar test

I tested the Ultenic U20 using a half cup of flour and sugar in our dedicated test center. This test demonstrates the vacuum's ability to pick up fine powder and small powders, similar to the dust and dead skin you'll find at home. It's also an effective visual test, highlighting where mess has been left behind or become stuck in the internal parts.

On hardwood and linoleum, the Ultenic U20 picked up almost everything in its first pass on floor mode, then carpet mode (in the video above) was able to get those bits left behind between the wooden panels. This is strong performance, as more expensive cordless vacuums have left more behind, and it could easily be one of the best vacuums for hardwood floors if you're on a budget, especially with its safe rubber wheels.

On carpet, the Ultenic U20 impressed once again. On carpet mode, it cleared all visible powder after one forward-and-backward pass. When using turbo mode (in the video above) – it was almost entirely cleared in one forward pass. Cordless vacuums don't typically perform too well in this test, especially when you compare a budget Ultenic vacuum against a $750 Dyson.

Ultenic U20: Pantry test

I tested the Ultenic U20 using a cup of cereal and lentils to see how it handles debris of different sizes. Some vacuums crush the cereal down, some fling it across the floor, and some aren't able to pick it up at all.

On hardwood and linoleum, the Ultenic U20 had varying success across the different suction modes:

• On floor mode, it mostly pushed the pieces forward and vacuumed very little.
• On carpet mode, a few pieces were pushed forward, one was flung to the side, and two fell out – but it picked up almost all of it in the first pass.
• And on turbo mode, it incredibly picked up everything in one and nothing leaked out.

On carpet, the results were less successful. The vacuum powered down and a red light indicated a blockage, so I had to remove the dustbin and see that cereal pieces were getting stuck in the inlet valve between the wand and the dustbin.

This happened two or three more times, and the high volume of mess resulted in the vacuum losing suction power each time. It was quite a messy affair, with cereal pouring out of the floorhead and the dustbin opening every time I tried to unblock it (my vacuum jargon buster explains these terms).

Now – we test with high volumes of debris to see exactly what a vacuum is capable of in the most extreme cases, but unless you’re frequently vacuuming large amounts of pet kibble, for instance, then this shouldn't be an issue. And if so, an easy fix is to vacuum bit-by-bit to avoid overloading the small dustbin opening.

But it's certainly worth taking into account as, over time, it's possible that blockages will happen more and more frequently.

Ultenic U20: Pet hair test

I tested the Ultenic U20 at Bristol ARC, a local cat and dog shelter, to see how well it can handle pet hair across different floor types, as well as the busy mess of an environment with high foot traffic.

I would say the U20's performance on pet hair is its biggest disappointment. On hard floors, it had no problem picking up dust, stones and hair in a single pass. But on carpets, it didn't do much at all.

Barely anything was picked up from the entrance mat. Granted, this is one of the most difficult cleaning tasks as the bumpy, high-friction material poses a challenge for most vacuums. But almost every hair was still there after repeated passes, and many of them didn't even move. It cleaned some feathers and loose debris, but the brushroll doesn’t seem strong enough to agitate the fabric.

When vacuuming carpet using carpet mode - the performance was OK. All debris was vacuumed in one or two passes, but it picked up maybe 60% of visible hairs while the small, stubborn ones were left behind.

I wouldn't recommend it as the best vacuum for pet hair unless your home has exclusively hard floors.

Ultenic U20: Attachments test

Having a built-in dusting brush is handy for quick dusting while you're vacuuming around your house, and it was great at cleaning the pet shelter's baseboards and shelves.

But when it comes to tight spaces, it became frustrating. When trying to vacuum a window sill, the large dustbin blocked the brush from reaching the corner (as seen in the above video).

The only other tool is the crevice tool, which doesn't do a great deal when trying to clean your windows. It would be great to see Ultenic introduce an upholstery tool or motorized brush, to help remove pet hair from fabric and sofas more easily.

Ultenic U20: Setup and maintenance

Before using the Ultenic U20 you have to wait for the battery to fully charge. For me, this took two hours and five minutes, then I attached the battery to the vacuum, attached the wand and floorhead – and it was ready to go.

There isn't too much vacuum maintenance aside from regularly cleaning the vacuum, and as the dustbin is completely removable, this is easier than with other cordless sticks as you can clean it more thoroughly.

After testing at the pet shelter however, barely any pet hair fell out of the dustbin when emptying. I had to go in and pull it out myself – so if you're often vacuuming pet hair, you might want to avoid this model.

It's a nice touch that Ultenic include a replacement HEPA vacuum filter, but I prefer washable filters that don't need replacing, like with the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, as they're better financially and sustainably.

How does the Ultenic U20 compare?

The Ultenic U20 comfortably sits at the lower end of the vacuum market, costing $219.99 at Ultenic. It's the most expensive cordless vacuum from Ultenic thus far.

The Ultenic U16 Flex [at Amazon] is the U20's predecessor, and has been my go-to recommendation for those looking for a budget cordless. It's surprisingly powerful considering it costs around $150 – it doesn't achieve a great deal on carpet, but it's powerful enough for homes with hard floors. It's also the only non-Dyson with a dust-revealing laser that actually works. My full Ultenic U16 Flex review goes into more details.

Another great budget vacuum is the Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off, which also sells for $219.99 when Bissell runs promotions. It performs better than the Ultenic U20 in every single way, except for the fact that it's corded, so you don't get the same freedom of movement. Our full Bissell SurfaceSense Allergen Pet Lift-Off review reveals more.

If you're strictly cordless-only, I'd personally recommend spending a little more and going for the Shark Cordless PowerDetect. It's often on sale for around $319.99, and for that extra $100 you're getting a significant increase in suction, floorhead efficacy, durability, and pet hair performance. Read more in our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect review.

If the Shark Cordless PowerDetect isn't on sale however, and you need a vacuum now, go for the Dyson V11. It costs similar to the Shark and is perhaps the strongest cordless vacuums at that price, as you'll see in my full Dyson V11 review.

Should you buy the Ultenic U20?

The Ultenic U20 certainly has drawbacks, most notably its poor performance on pet hair and how easily it becomes blocked. But if you're looking for a lightweight vacuum that can tackle your home's hard floors, this is a fantastic way to achieve clean floors while spending a fraction of what you would elsewhere.

If you live in a messy, busy home, I wouldn't recommend this. Instead, look at the best corded vacuums to better equip yourself.

• Buy the Ultenic U20 for $219.99 at Ultenic.

How I tested the Ultenic U20

I tested the Ultenic U20 for a full day at our dedicated test center, using standardized substances on carpet, hardwood and linoleum. I then tested it for a day at a local pet shelter where I vacuumed pet hair from low-pile carpet, medium-pile carpet, thick rugs, and hard floors.

Still on the hunt for your next vacuum? Our ultimate best vacuum cleaners guide will help you decide, or our dedicated best robot vacuums guide can take chore time off your hands.

We've tested almost every Dyson vacuum at Homes & Gardens, and they tend to top most of our vacuum guides thanks to market-leading suction and useful features.

The Dyson V11 was one of the final models for us to test, so I put it through its paces in our test center and a local pet shelter to see if it lives up to the brand's reputation.

I own two Dysons and have spent more than 250+ hours testing vacuums, and overall, I'm seriously impressed. Read on to find out why this is one of the best Dyson vacuums you can buy, with videos from my rigorous testing.

The one-minute review

The Dyson V11 boasts stronger cleaning performance than most cordless vacuums at this price range. I used it to banish everything from small powders to large debris on all floor types, and I tested it in a pet shelter where it had no issues whatsoever plucking hair from thick carpets.

As it's a Dyson – it also has a straightforward and ergonomic design. It doesn't take much to figure out how to use this vacuum and its three suction modes to the fullest, and those with limited mobility will enjoy that it can clean almost flawlessly while being lightweight enough to easily carry up and down stairs.

Dyson V11: Specifications

Dyson V11: Design and features

The V11 has all the hallmarks of a Dyson vacuum: high suction power, a lightweight and straightforward design, and a floorhead that avoids hair tangling.

In fact, the V11 has the third highest suction of any of Dyson's best cordless vacuums with 185 air watts. Only the Dyson V15 Detect and Dyson Gen5detect boast higher (250 and 261 air watts respectively) – and these are the two best vacuums we've tested (but they cost $100s more).

This translates to a consistently strong performance when vacuuming both carpets and smooth floors, and its whole-machine HEPA filtration allows it capture common household allergens with ease.

I tested the V11's airflow using an anemometer and it reaches a whopping 19.6mph in boost mode, 11.1mph in medium and 9.8mph in eco. For reference, other cordless sticks tend to have lower stats, such as the Levoit LVAC-300 reaching 12.3mph at maximum speed.

It also has one of our favorite-ever vacuum floorheads, the Motorbar, that is a key feature of cordless Dysons, picking up all manner of dirt and hair without anything getting tangled in the brushes.

Its runtime is stated as 60 minutes but, on test, it can run up to 67 minutes on eco mode without the motorized floorhead attached. On medium mode it averaged around 37 minutes, and boost mode only has a maximum runtime of 15 minutes – but it can't run for that long without overheating first.

You can choose suction mode from the LCD screen, that also displays remaining runtime and any faults you should be aware of (clean your filter or dislodge a blockage, for example).

What is the Dyson V11 like to use?

The Dyson V11 is remarkably easy to use. Dyson has evidently dedicated time to making this vacuum as ergonomic as possible, minimizing how often we need to do anything other than vacuum.

Almost every time, it picks up everything in one pass. It's one of the best multi-surface vacuums in this regard, as it competently handles mess from carpets and floors while rarely leaving anything behind. I tested it in a local pet shelter, too, and its performance seriously impressed me (more on that below).

It can maneuver easily, getting between chair legs or passing from soft to hard flooring with little fuss. Less expensive cordless vacuums can struggle here by losing grip and skipping over parts of the floor, so it's great to see the V11 have no issues.

I love that you can change suction mode using the same hand that's holding the vacuum, allowing you to clear cables and objects out of the way while cleaning.

I tested the noise levels using the DecibelX app and it got as loud as 80.2 decibels at the highest setting, and as quiet as 65 decibels on eco mode with no motorized floorhead attached. That's fairly standard for most cordless vacuums.

I would prefer if there was a light on the floorhead, as many cheaper cordless vacuums now have this feature to better illuminate what's on your floors. It also doesn't have a floorhead with a soft roller, an essential feature of the best vacuums for hardwood floors and one you'll find in the Dyson V12 Detect Slim – which only costs $50 more.

Dyson V11: Flour and sugar test

I tested the Dyson V11 using a half cup of flour and sugar in our test center. This test shows how a vacuum cleaner can handle fine powders like dust and dander, and it's a great visual test as I can see what's been left behind on the floor or in the vacuum's parts.

On hardwood and linoleum, the Dyson V11 performed exactly as I'd hoped – which is, to say, excellently. The strong suction and fast-spinning brushroll had no issues vacuuming almost everything in one pass, only leaving the tiniest residue to be vacuumed on the pull back. I tested it on medium mode and didn't need to up it to boost mode, even though this mess is greater than what you'd usually find at home.

On carpet, it impressed once again when using all three suction modes. Medium picked up almost everything in one pass, and getting the rest on the pull back. Boost mode easily handled everything.

And surprisingly, it could pick up everything in eco mode. Some flour and sugar was flung upwards showing the loss in suction power, but it still cleared everything after 2-3 passes.

Dyson V11: Pantry test

I tested the Dyson V11 using one cup of cereal and lentils, to assess its performance when handling large debris. These high-volume messes aren't typical for an average household, but it helps us see exactly what the vacuum can handle, and whether it's able to crush down debris (such as pet kibble and food), fling it across the floor, or get stuck internally.

On hardwood and linoleum, I found that eco mode wasn't powerful enough for this volume of mess. Medium mode was strong enough to capture everything but the brushroll did fling pieces around. It didn’t take long to clear the remaining pieces however as it easily sucked in both large and small debris.

On carpet, the V11 was fantastic in all three suction modes:

• Medium: Almost everything was vacuumed in one pass, and the backwards pass then captured the few bits left behind
• Boost (seen in the above video): Relentless, could feel the vacuum suction itself to the carpet. All large cereal pieces were instantly destroyed and sucked up.
• Eco: Surprisingly capable, almost similar performance to medium except for a few extra lentils left behind, which took a few seconds to then vacuum afterwards.

I can happily recommend the Dyson V11 as one of the best vacuums for carpet.

Dyson V11: Pet hair test

I tested the Dyson V11 in a local cat and dog shelter, Bristol ARC, to see how well it can pet hair on different surfaces, along with the high volumes of mess from a busy environment.

Spending the day in the pet shelter with the Dyson V11 proved what I'd learned during standardized testing: This vacuum has outstanding performance. It cleaned pet hair from thick rugs and carpets, and I ended up using it to vacuum any mess that the other vacuums I was testing had left behind.

The entrance mat (in the above video) is the most difficult cleaning challenge at Bristol ARC, as the rough, high-friction surface traps all manner of dirt and hair. The V11 performed better than even some of the best corded vacuums here, pulling both short and long fur from the ridges.

More generally, there was nothing that the V11 couldn't reasonably clean. On hard floors, it cleared hair, dirt, dust, stones and everything else in one pass, every time. On low-pile carpet, I never needed to use boost mode to clear everything in one or two passes.

At no point did hair wrap around the brushroll, which is easily one of the main reasons why pet hair is so hard to vacuum. By the end of the day, there was maybe 5x as much hair in the dustbin compared to the cordless vacuums from Dreame and Ultenic that I was testing at the same time.

If you're looking for the best vacuum for pet hair, the Dyson V11 is a stand-out cordless choice.

Dyson V11: Attachments test

I'm more than familiar with what all the vacuum attachments do in Dyson's vacuums. They're some of the best vacuum attachments for pet hair that we've tested, and are super lightweight and easy to swap out.

With the V11, it's no different. My model came with a crevice tool and combination tool, and both of them proved effective when vacuuming the baseboards at the pet shelter, cleaning between sofa cushions, and most importantly: Pulling fur from thick, padded chairs.

The combination tool has a rugged, rubber strip that helps to agitate dirt and hair in fabrics, making it easy to vacuum pet hair from fabric, like pet beds.

Dyson V11: Setup and maintenance

It's recommended to wait until the vacuum is fully charged before using it for the first time. For me, the V11 arrived with 35% battery and took just over two hours to reach 100%, and Dyson states that charging it from 0% to 100% takes four and a half hours.

Otherwise, setting it up involves attaching the wand to the vacuum cleaner, then attaching the floorhead to the wand. It takes about a minute and then you're ready to clean your house.

In terms of maintenance, the Dyson V11 is a great choice as it has a washable, lifetime HEPA filter. Other vacuums require you to replace these over time, so being able to clean the Dyson vacuum filter fully by giving it a rinse and air drying it is much cheaper.

Most of the parts can be taken apart to be cleaned, except for the built-in dustbin. While other vacuum brands allow you to remove it for a complete clean, unfortunately the Dyson must be wiped from the inside.

Emptying the dustbin to avoid overfilling the vacuum is a breeze. Simply press the button and dust descends into the trash, with minimal blow back.

How does the Dyson V11 compare?

The Dyson V11 is priced at around $449.99 to $599.99, depending on model and any promotions. It's cheaper than Dyson's flagship models, but still more expensive than most cordless vacuums on the market.

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim costs around $50 more, and has all of Dyson's leading smart tech including a green laser that reveals dust that you can't normally see, and a sensor to automatically detect which suction mode is optimal. However, its suction is 35AW lower than the V11, and on test, I found the V11 was a better cleaner. Our full Dyson V12 Detect Slim review reveals more.

The Dyson V15 Detect is the perfect balance of function and smart tech. It has the same game-changing features as the V12 Detect Slim, while also having 250AW of suction power that is so immensely high that it rivals some of the best upright vacuums. My full Dyson V15 Detect review explains why it's the best vacuum we've tested.

Or for something a little cheaper, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect does things differently. It has a dual-brushroll floorhead, with both a soft roller and bristed brushroll to capture different-sized debris. It isn't as powerful as the V11, but it still did a fantastic job of vacuuming a cat hair-ridden carpet. Read more in our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect review.

Should you buy the Dyson V11?

It's hard to find faults with the Dyson V11. Its suction is powerful, providing the thorough clean you'd hope from this level of investment. It's easy to use, easy to empty, and its attachments are effective for different cleaning tasks around the house.

However, it's still a big investment, and when you compare it among the Dyson lineup you don't have to spend much more for a big increase in suction. I would also love to see a light on the floorhead for more visibility, and a soft roller to better capture fine dust on hard floors.

How did we test the Dyson V11?

You can find more detail on our testing methodology at how we test vacuums. With the Dyson V11, I tested it for a full day at our test center using standardized substances on carpet, linoleum and hardwood.

I then tested the Dyson V11 for another day at a local cat and dog shelter, where I vacuumed pet hair and general mess from low-pile and medium-pile carpets, thick rugs, and hard floors.

Next, browse our tested guide of the best Dyson alternatives, for quality cleaning at a lower cost.

Hardwood floors add warmth and elegance to any home, but every day habits can cause lasting damage if you’re not careful. From dragging furniture to using harsh cleaners, it doesn’t take long for wear and tear to show.

Even with the best vacuums for hardwood floors, improper care can scratch, dull, or warp your floorboards. Thankfully, a few quick changes can help you avoid expensive repairs and extend the life of your flooring.

We asked cleaning and flooring experts to share the top three mistakes they often see – and what to do instead.

1. Furniture pads and pet nails

Scratches are one of the most common – and preventable – types of hardwood damage and they can happen when cleaning hardwood floors.

‘Moving furniture without protective pads causes scratches to the flooring,’ says Jessica Gonzalez, COO at Sparkly Maid San Antonio. This doesn't just apply to having a refresh of your room's layout, but also when you're pulling forward furniture to clean overlooked spots.

‘Even outdoor shoes grind grit and dirt into the surface,’ she adds, highlighting the importance of proper care to avoid having to refinish your hardwood floors.

Felt pads are a must for chairs and stools, especially on soft woods like pine or walnut. If your floors are already showing wear, it’s worth learning how to restore hardwood floors without sanding.

Joe Marchionni, owner of Amity Home Maintenance Solutions, also flags pet nails as an issue, ‘If you don’t keep them trimmed, they’ll leave scratches as your dog runs around.’

2. Harsh cleaners

We've written about the best ways to mop hardwood floors and why you should never steam-clean hardwood floors. But it’s not just moisture that warps hardwood – harsh chemicals can do just as much damage.

‘Multi-surface cleaners often strip the finish, exposing the wood underneath,’ Jessica explains. That finish protects against everything from dirt to water, so keeping it intact is essential.

Jessica recommends Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner at Walmart, and avoiding vinegar solutions, too, ‘Both are unhealthy for wood floors in the long run.’

3. Vacuuming

Vacuuming regularly helps prevent fine dust and debris from acting like sandpaper on hardwood floors – but only if you’re using the right tools.

‘Avoid rotating brushes or beater bars,’ says Paul Hambidge, Managing Director at Factory Direct Flooring, adding, ‘Use a soft brush attachment and hard floor setting.’

We've tested 75 of the best vacuums on hardwood floors, so I can only emphasize how important this is. Don't invest in a vacuum with a bristled brushroll that can't be turned off; otherwise, you'll be scratching your expensive floors every time you clean.

And don’t forget under the rugs. ‘When dirt builds up underneath, walking on the rug grinds it into the wood,’ says Joe. Once you see how much it costs to refinish hardwood floors, you'll be avoiding this at all costs.

If you’re in the market for a better vacuum, the best Dyson vacuums are repeatedly our favorite picks for safe hardwood floor cleaning, but you don't have to break the bank to find the right vacuum:

While you're at it, check how to fix creaky wood floors and compare carpets vs hardwood flooring for some home renovation inspiration.

As somebody who has spent more than 250 hours testing vacuum cleaners, I'm more than familiar with Dyson's offerings. They make some of the most advanced vacuums in the world, with high suction and useful features to transform how easy it is to clean our homes.

So, when they announced a new handheld vacuum, I was excited to get my hands on it. The Dyson Car+Boat is a rare release from a brand that typically only makes full-sized vacuum cleaners, and I was intrigued to see whether Dyson's signature suction power translates to a small device.

Find out how well the Dyson Car+Boat performed in my tests at our dedicated center, a local cat and dog shelter, and my own home – to find out if it's one of the best Dyson vacuums worth buying.

Dyson Car+Boat: Specifications

The one-minute verdict

The Dyson Car+Boat is a powerful handheld vacuum that can remove dust, dirt, hair and pretty much any mess from any surface. Its motorized attachment is great for pulling hairs from furniture, even if it occasionally misses a few.

Its dustbin is bigger than some of Dyson's full-sized cordless models, and you can clean every component including the filter, avoiding replacement costs down the line.

It's a great choice for vacuuming furniture, cleaning up when crumbs and pet hair clumps start appearing, and giving your car the deep clean it deserves.

But even with this stand-out cleaning power, it's around twice the price compared to other handheld vacuums that largely achieve similar results. If you're keen to find the best of the best, then this is the handheld vacuum to go for, but if not, I'd save the money and shop the alternatives.

Dyson Car+Boat: Setup

The first thing I noticed when unboxing the Dyson Car+Boat is the large 'Dyson V8' graphic printed onto the box. After digging deeper, I learned that the Car+Boat is essentially a repurposed Dyson V8, which we've reviewed.

I was initially skeptical about what seemed like a lazy release from one of our favorite brands, but as it's sold for around $100 less than the V8, the Car+Boat is still a great option if you only need one of the best handheld vacuums.

It took around three hours to fully charge the Car+Boat, then no other setup was required.

Dyson Car+Boat: Design and features

The Dyson Car+Boat has the features of any classic Dyson. There's a toggle to switch between normal and max suction modes, the dustbin empties by pulling the latch, and you swap out attachments by slotting them in and out of the vacuum unit.

As it's a handheld vacuum, there isn't a great deal to learn. It's powered via a trigger, which users of the Dyson V15 Detect found to be a bit cumbersome in long cleaning sessions. But as this is a handheld vacuum, the trigger is perfect to save battery life between those quick bursts of cleaning.

The mini motorized tool is the star of the show, with anti-tangle brushes to vacuum hair without the frustrating task of cutting it out afterwards (it's one of the best vacuum attachments for pet hair for a reason).

I also tested the vacuum's airflow using an anemometer, and the Car+Boat can generate 7.8mph of airflow in standard mode and 11.6mph in max mode. That's almost as high as some full-sized best cordless vacuums, which can generate around 13mph of airflow on average.

What is the Dyson Car+Boat like to use?

The Car+Boat might be my favourite handheld vacuum I've tested. It takes no time at all to figure out everything that it does and how to effectively use it to clean furniture, vacuum pet hair, or use it as one of the best car vacuums.

At just over four pounds, it's a little heavier than other handheld vacuums (our current best-on-test, the Black+Decker dustbuster furbuster, weighs just two pounds). But it's still light enough that most people will be able to hold it comfortably.

I tested the Car+Boat's noise levels using the DecibelX app and, depending on suction mode, it ranges from 58 to 70 decibels – a little quieter than a full-sized Dyson like the Dyson V12 Detect Slim.

The mini motorized tool is flexible and adjusts to the angle you're vacuuming. I found this to be a huge help when vacuuming sofas and upholstery as it suctions itself to the furniture's cushions and edges.

Dyson Car+Boat: Flour and sugar test

I tested the Dyson Car+Boat using a quarter cup of flour and sugar on linoleum, hardwood and carpet in our dedicated test center. This is a great visual test to see what the vacuum leaves behind, while the flour and sugar also act as proxies for dust and dead skin.

On hardwood, the Car+Boat left no flour or sugar behind after a single forward and backward pass. Even some full-sized cordless vacuums can't handle that. This could be one of the best vacuums for hardwood floors if you're looking for a handheld vacuum.

On carpet, it struggled on standard mode, but on max mode it cleared it all in one forward and backward pass. Impressive.

Dyson Car+Boat: Pantry test

I tested the Dyson Car+Boat using a quarter cup of cereal and lentils on linoleum, hardwood and carpet in our dedicated test center. This test demonstrates how well a vacuum can handle larger debris of varying consistencies, as lentils can easily bounce around, while cereal pieces can be crushed down and fling across the floor.

Using the motorized attachment on hard floors, the Car+Boat flung lentils and cereal around the room because of its spinning brushroll. I then switched to the crevice tool and it sucked them all up without any issues.

Pieces were also thrown around when vacuuming carpet but not quite as far. I didn't need to switch to the crevice tool, and if I did, it wouldn't really clean the carpet. So instead I switched to max mode which cleared the rest of the debris. When on this high suction mode, it's one of the best vacuums for carpet from the handheld models I've tested.

Dyson Car+Boat: Pet hair

I tested the Dyson Car+Boat in a local pet shelter, Bristol ARC, to see how well the handheld vacuum can handle pet hair and lots of mess.

It was by no means as powerful as the best vacuums for pet hair, but for a handheld model, it did a great job at pulling stubborn fur from carpet and furniture.

On one of the trickiest tests at the pet shelter, a soft padded chair, it vacuumed all the long hairs but couldn’t vacuum the stubborn smaller ones, even on max mode and after many repeated passes.

Dyson Car+Boat: Attachments

All three attachments – the crevice tool, combination brush and mini motorized brush – work exactly as you'd hope. As you can see above, the vacuum's suction is strong enough that you can clear mess from tight corners using the crevice tool.

The dusting brush is great for cleaning furniture, and I've used the mini motorized brush to vacuum my mattress. It might not be the most exhaustive set of attachments but this is really all you need to tackle cleaning tasks around the house.

Dyson Car+Boat: Cleaning & maintenance

The first time I opened the dustbin, I was worried I was breaking something. It isn't as fluid as other Dyson vacuums I've tested, and it sounds almost like something is snapping. But over time, the mechanism has become smoother, making it easier to avoid overfilling the vacuum.

All the parts are removable and can be thoroughly cleaned. You can even clean the Dyson vacuum filter yourself to avoid having to spend on replacement filters every few months.

How does the Dyson Car+Boat compare?

Now, while the Dyson Car+Boat is a powerful and straightforward handheld vacuum, it's a lot more expensive than others. The Black+Decker dustbuster furbuster is our favorite handheld vacuum so far, and it costs just $79.99 at Amazon. It also has two suction modes, a motorized brush, a crevice tool – plus it comes with a handy charging dock. It just isn't quite as powerful as the Car+Boat.

Any cordless vacuum can be turned into a handheld vacuum by detaching the wand. As this is essentially a repurposed V8, you could spend a little extra for the real thing. The Dyson V8 costs $349.99, just $65 more than the Car+Boat, and you can use it as a whole-home vacuum cleaner. I recently wrote about why the Dyson V8 is still worth it in 2025.

Should you buy the Dyson Car+Boat?

The Dyson Car+Boat is an excellent handheld vacuum, certainly one of the best we've tested. Its strong suction and well-designed attachments make cleaning almost effortless, and being able to clean every part means it can last for years.

But there's no ignoring the cost. This is 2-3 times as expensive as most handheld vacuums which largely do the same thing. So, if you want the best suction power, choose the Car+Boat. If not, there are plenty other handheld vacuums to choose from.

How we test vacuums

At Homes & Gardens, we have a dedicated and thorough procedure of how we test vacuums. At our test center, we test various substances (outlined above) on three floor types (carpet, wood, linoleum) to recreate real-life circumstances.

I tested the Dyson Car+Boat over two weeks in our test center, a local pet shelter, and my own home.

Next, browse through our tested guides of the best lightweight vacuums and the best vacuum-mop combos for ultimate home cleaning.

British brand Gtech's latest cordless vacuum does things a little differently. Instead of having a handheld vacuum unit, the vacuum exists within the floorhead, meaning it can only be used as a floor cleaner.

It has a compact, stylish design, and a dustbin that compresses itself to make the most of its space. It's definitely an interesting and unique design, and one that I was excited to get my hands on after seeing it demoed at a Gtech event in March 2025.

After spending more than 200 hours testing vacuums, I put the Gtech AirRAM 3 through its paces in our test center, a local pet shelter, and my own home to find out if it's one of the best cordless vacuums.

Gtech AirRAM 3: Specifications

• Buy the Gtech AirRAM for $329.99 at Amazon.

Gtech AirRAM 3: Setup

The Gtech AirRAM 3 arrived in a compact box, with the brand's logo and a British Union Jack flag with the text: 'Designed, developed and patented in the UK by Gtech.'

This is one of the quickest cordless vacuums I've ever set up. As it doesn't have any handheld attachments (or any vacuum attachments for pet hair), all you have to do is attach the handle, wand and vacuum together. Then, plug in the charging base and wait for the AirRAM 3 to fully charge – for me, this took under two hours.

It stands up by itself, and the handle can be shortened so that it takes up hardly any space. It might be one of the easiest options I've seen if you prefer to hide your vacuum when storing it.

Gtech AirRAM 3: Design and features

Pretty much all cordless sticks, like the best Dyson vacuums, have their motor in the handheld unit, so that you can swap out the wand and floorhead for any attachments (my vacuum jargon buster clears up these terms).

But the Gtech AirRAM 3 houses the vacuum inside the floorhead itself. This means that dust isn't travelling up the vacuum and avoids getting caught in any tubes or internal parts.

I'm a fan of this design choice, and it means the floorhead can house some useful technology to make the most of its shape and size. For example, the dustbin is also located in the same unit, and thanks to its wide shape, it compresses dust as you go to maximize the available space. It helps reduce how often you need to empty it to avoid overfilling your vacuum.

It also automatically compresses the dust and cleans the filter when you take breaks between vacuuming. This takes around 3 seconds: a loud voice prompt says 'cleaning the filter' followed by another loud whirring sound, then it's ready to vacuum again.

As the AirRAM 3 doesn't have any handheld tools like a crevice tool or dusting brush, Gtech has instead put small, sweeping brushes on the side of the floorhead to dislodge dirt from edges and corners, some of the hardest household cleaning tasks.

There are also LED headlights to illuminate the floor, and the vacuum self-propels itself forward when cleaning, but they don't achieve much when vacuuming carpet. And personally, I'm a fan of the leather handles. It's a nice, aesthetically pleasing touch.

What is the Gtech AirRAM 3 like to use?

The Gtech AirRAM 3 is a great floor cleaner with a suite of features that make it easy to use, but there are a few drawbacks that prevent it from being as good as it could be. It struggled with the more extreme vacuum tests that you'll see below, but for general cleaning, I was impressed.

Similar to many of our best multi-surface vacuums, the AirRAM 3 has strong cleaning performance across all floor types. It doesn't have different suction modes or dust detection like you'll find in the best Shark vacuums, which means you can pass from carpets to hard floors without changing the settings.

This can be seen as a good or bad thing, as other vacuums do this so that the higher suction is available when cleaning dirtier areas or thick carpets, but the battery can be preserved when it isn't needed. Instead, the AirRAM 3 maintains the same maximum suction at all times, meaning it only lasts for up to 30 minutes, but its cleaning performance stays consistent.

But if you had the Dyson laser vacuums, you wouldn't have to change the settings yourself as the vacuum has floor sensors to automatically adjust for you.

I love that you can tap it with your foot to turn it on. It's a great way to make sure you're vacuuming using only one hand, keeping the other free for moving cables or furniture out of the way.

The battery indicator is located behind the floorhead and is helpfully always visible when you're cleaning. It also lies completely flat so that you can reach under furniture:

It's super easy to maneuver, and the vacuum's self-propulsion means it glides across floors effortlessly. The sweeping brushes do a great job at dislodging dust, crumbs, or hair, but when cleaning carpet, the brushes flung mess into the air. It would be helpful to be able to turn them off without taking them off entirely.

And although these brushes are mostly great, you're still limited by not being able to vacuum furniture, shelves, upholstery – or anything that isn't the floor.

• Buy the Gtech AirRAM for $329.99 at Amazon.

Gtech AirRAM 3: Flour and sugar test

I tested the Gtech AirRAM 3 in our test center using a cup of flour and sugar on carpet, linoleum and hardwood. It's a great visual test to see what the vacuum leaves behind, and flour and sugar work as an effective proxy to dust and dead skin.

The AirRAM 3's suction is clearly strong, but because of the brushes, a fair amount of flour and sugar was left behind in a trail. It took around four passes to vacuum everything except for between the cracks, then 2-4 passes for each crack. This is a little slower than the best cordless vacuums we've tested, but similar to many of the best Dyson alternatives.

On carpets, it took around 10 passes to vacuum everything. The spinning brushes flung some powder into the air which then made things more difficult to clean. If your home is mostly carpeted, I'd recommend one of the best vacuums for carpet.

Gtech AirRAM 3: Pantry test

I tested the Gtech AirRAM 3 using a cup of cereal and lentils on carpet, linoleum and hardwood. This tests how well a vacuum can handle larger debris, and whether it is able to crush down big pieces or fling them around.

For the most part, this is one of the best cleaning performances I've seen on hard floors. The brushes swept the large pieces into the floorhead and it vacuumed them up without fuss. But when it came to vacuuming the final few pieces of cereal, I had to lift up and drop the vacuum on them to get each one.

Usually, taking off the floorhead is the best way to suck them up, but you don't have this option with the AirRAM 3. It might not be the best vacuum for hardwood floors without this feature.

On carpets, I again found that the brushes made a mess. Lentils and cereal pieces were flung around, and it ended up taking a long time to vacuum everything as I had to repeatedly go back and clean areas I've already covered.

Gtech AirRAM 3: Pet hair

I tested the Gtech AirRAM 3 in Bristol ARC, a local pet shelter, to see how well it can handle fur and the general messes found in a building with high foot traffic.

This is where I was impressed by the AirRAM 3. Using it as a general floor cleaner proved effective, and I was able to clear decent amounts of fur, dirt, dust and other mess from all the floors I cleaned.

It could certainly be considered as one of the best vacuums for pet hair. On an entrance mat, the notoriously difficult spot to clean at Bristol ARC, the Gtech AirRAM 3 cleaned about as well as the best Miele vacuums – which are much more expensive and have larger, more powerful motors.

On low-pile carpet it gave a really strong performance. Almost every visible bit of hair was vacuumed in two passes. I found that the suction is quite satisfying when pulling backwards.

And on hard floors, the Gtech AirRAM 3 had no issues whatsoever to clear all mess – hair, dust, dirt – in a single pass.

Gtech AirRAM 3: Cleaning & maintenance

The AirRAM 3's unique dust compression means that its small, 0.8L dust capacity can fit more than you'd expect. And the fact that it periodically cleans its own filters means that you don't have to clean the vacuum filters too often yourself, which is always a bonus.

But unfortunately, emptying it is a messy affair. It pops out quite easily, but when doing so, a large amount of cereal and dust scattered across the floor and inside the vacuum. There were also a few moments where mess fell out of the floorhead while I was cleaning.

I also had to vacuum the floorhead using a separate vacuum to make sure no mess spilled out in the car on my way home.

And as it can't be taken apart like most cordless vacuums can, cleaning the vacuum is a little more challenging, but less involved as there are fewer parts to clean.

How does the Gtech AirRAM 3 compare?

The Gtech AirRAM 3 has a unique design, so there aren't like-for-like comparisons to draw.

But the Shark Cordless PowerDetect is sold for a similar price and cleans much more effectively, with handheld attachments for cleaning furniture, and dual brushrolls that can tackle different floor types well.

The Levoit LVAC-300 is a more affordable option, and although it isn't the most powerful we've tested, it did an impressive job at cleaning considering its price point. It can do what most cordless vacuums can, just less efficiently.

Or, if you fancy spending a little extra, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim is an incredibly powerful vacuum, with automatic dust detection and a green laser that reveals invisible dust.

Should you buy the Gtech AirRAM 3?

The Gtech AirRAM 3 certainly failed a few of our tests, but it's worth mentioning that these tests are an extreme way to see what a vacuum is capable of. I wouldn't trust the Gtech AirRAM 3 to vacuum a massive amount of debris or dust, but for general day-to-day cleaning, I think this is worth considering.

Its brushes sweep mess from edges, its suction is powerful and consistent, it cleans pet hair well, it can be compacted for easier storage, and it periodically cleans its own filter. It's also aesthetically pleasing, and glides across floors effortlessly.

But its drawbacks shouldn't be ignored. It can be messy to empty, the brushes can sometimes make things worse, it can't handle large volumes of debris, and it can only clean floors. If this is the vacuum for you, I'd recommend pairing it with one of the best handheld vacuums to tackle anything the AirRAM 3 can't.

• Buy the Gtech AirRAM for $329.99 at Amazon.

How we test vacuums

At Homes & Gardens, we have a dedicated and thorough procedure of how we test vacuums. At our test center, we test various substances on three floor types (carpet, wood, linoleum) to recreate real-life circumstances.

I also tested the Gtech AirRAM 3 in a local pet shelter to evaluate its pet hair performance, and in my own home to get a complete feel for its features.

Next, browse our tested picks of the best upright vacuums for more serious cleaning, or the best lightweight vacuums for convenience.

Levoit is becoming a more common household name, with their range of vacuums, purifiers and fans offering strong performance without unnecessarily high prices.

I've tested a few of their goods in my time as Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, and I like what I've seen so far. So, I was excited to get my hands on the new Levoit LVAC-300, the brand's latest cordless stick at a low-to-mid price point.

I've spent more than 200 hours testing vacuum cleaners, so I put the LVAC-300 through its paces in our test center, a local pet shelter and my own home to find out if it's one of the best cordless vacuums.

Levoit LVAC-300: Specifications

• Buy the Levoit LVAC-300 for $299.99 at Amazon.

Levoit LVAC-300: Setup

The Levoit LVAC-300 arrived in one of the smallest boxes I've seen for a vacuum cleaner. It was compactly packaged, with each component wrapped in soft plastic to avoid scratching; however, sadly, the packaging was not biodegradable.

It took around three hours to charge the battery from 36% to 100%. Otherwise, the only setup required was to attach the wand and floorhead. It's a small vacuum that can stand up by itself, meaning it's easy to store the vacuum without taking up much space.

Included are a dual crevice tool and dusting brush, a mini motorized brush (one of the best vacuum attachments for pet hair), and a wall mount if you want to be able to charge the vacuum off the floor.

Levoit LVAC-300: Design and features

The Levoit LVAC-300 uses a multi-surface floorhead, similar to the best Shark vacuums that use one floorhead to avoid you swapping it out when cleaning different floor types. It's Levoit's third-generation floorhead, using anti-tangle rollers to avoid hair wrap.

It also has different suction modes: eco, auto and turbo. I love seeing this feature in cordless vacuums because it helps to adjust suction power when moving from hard floors to carpets. It's one of the many reasons why the best Dyson vacuums work so well.

I tested the airflow for each suction mode using an anemometer. The LVAC-300 generates 7.1mph, 9.6mph and 12.3mph in each mode, respectively. That's about the same range as the Dyson V8, Dyson's entry-level cordless stick. Also similar to Dyson and Shark, the LVAC-300 has lights on the floorhead to illuminate hidden dust on the floors.

The vacuum HEPA filter actually surpasses official HEPA standards by being able to capture 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns (HEPA filters only need to be able to capture 99.97%). This is great news for anybody who, like me, suffers from allergies, as a HEPA filter can trap almost all common household allergens.

Its 60-minute runtime is what you'll find across most cordless vacuums. As that's a maximum runtime, you'll get around 40 minutes in auto mode using the floorhead or mini motorized attachment, or 12 minutes using the same setup on turbo mode.

What is the Levoit LVAC-300 like to use?

Overall, the Levoit LVAC-300 is an easy, light and agile cordless stick, with relatively strong suction and a straightforward design. Plus, I tested it in a local pet shelter and the brushroll never wrapped with hair.

I tested it across hard floors, carpets, rugs, and upholstery, and for the price, this is a great vacuum. It isn't as groundbreaking as some of the more expensive and best Miele vacuums, for example, but as a low-to-mid-range cordless vacuum, I was impressed by its cleaning ability.

I tested the noise levels using the DecibelX app and it averages around 60.5 to 68.9 decibels, which is a little quieter than other cordless vacuums (they tend to run at 65 to 75 decibels).

It's easy to use, with the power and suction mode buttons sitting right where the thumb goes. And as the vacuum stands up by itself and can be reclined using your foot, you can comfortably use it with one hand, keeping the other free for moving items such as cables and furniture.

And as it can lie completely flat, it's easy to reach under sofas and other furniture:

However, annoyingly, the vacuum always starts on eco mode when you power it on. So, if you're doing quick bursts to clean different areas without using up the battery, you have to press the cleaning mode button each time to get to the standard suction.

It's definitely one of the best lightweight vacuums I've tested, weighing just over six pounds. But because of the handle's design, it can be a little unbalanced when using it in handheld mode. The battery sits at the end of the vacuum unit, so it's slightly harder to lift compared to the other best handheld vacuums I've reviewed.

It also wiggles around a bit when moving across bumpy or textured floors, such as thick carpets or hardwood. This isn't a major issue, though, as the suction seems consistent compared to when it isn't wobbling.

This is also owed to the lightweight materials used, and the LVAC-300's gentle floorhead is great if you're looking for one of the best vacuums for hardwood floors.

• Buy the Levoit LVAC-300 for $299.99 at Amazon.

Levoit LVAC-300: Flour and sugar test

I tested the Levoit LVAC-300 in our dedicated test center using a cup of flour and sugar. This is an effective visual test to see what the vacuum leaves behind and whether the mess gets stuck in internal parts. Flour and sugar are also great proxies for dust and dead skin.

On hardwood and linoleum floors, the LVAC-300 was able to pick up most of the mess minus leaving some residue between the wood panels. Using turbo mode I was then able to clear the rest of it. This is pretty good performance for a vacuum at this price.

Interestingly on carpets, the LVAC-300 performed similarly on eco, auto and turbo mode. Slight residue was left behind on all of them, but when it came to vacuuming up the main bulk of it, eco mode was pretty much as effective as the rest. It might not be the best vacuum for carpet that we've tested, but it still did a decent job.

Levoit LVAC-300: Pantry test

I tested the Levoit LVAC-300 on carpet, linoleum and hardwood floors using a cup of cereal and lentils. This is to test how well the vacuum can handle larger debris, particularly the cereal which is often too large for a vacuum to suck up.

On hard floors, this is where the LVAC-300 let itself down. It was only able to push the debris forward – hardly any was vacuumed up. This occasionally happens as not all vacuum floorheads are wide enough to vacuum large pieces, so then the test becomes vacuuming with just the wand.

It was able to vacuum everything once I removed the floorhead, but I had to hold it closer to the cereal and lentils compared to others I've tested. Stronger vacuums like the Dyson V15 Detect can pull pieces in from an inch or two away, but the LVAC-300 had to be almost touching them.

On carpet, the performance was much more impressive. The higher friction meant that the cereal was able to be crushed down into pieces that the LVAC-300 could vacuum, and in just a single forward-and-backward pass, the mess was almost entirely gone.

A few cereal pieces fell out of the brushroll after vacuuming, but then it was easy to pick them up again after. No flinging around debris, no major crumb leak, no need to get the attachments out.

Levoit LVAC-300: Pet hair

I tested the Levoit LVAC-300 in a local pet shelter, Bristol ARC, to see how well it can vacuum cat and dog hair, as well as the messes you'd find in a busy environment with high foot traffic.

When looking for the best vacuums for pet hair, you need strong suction and anti-tangle brushrolls to avoid hair wrap. The LVAC-300 mostly meets that criteria, and when I tested it on hard floors, the vacuum picked everything up in 1-2 passes without getting anything tangled.

On low-pile carpet it did well too, especially considering the size and price of this vacuum. It picked up most hairs in two passes, and if you slow down the lights show if there are any left.

On a thick, entrance mat, it didn't manage to vacuum very much. Quite a few hairs were left behind, but I will say that it's incredibly rare for a vacuum to be able to completely clean this tricky surface.

Larger vacuums like the best upright vacuums perform much more effectively when it comes to carpets, and you can often feel the vacuum suctioning itself to the floor as you clean. There was very little suction attaching the LVAC-300 to the carpets, but surprisingly it still vacuumed a decent amount almost every time.

Levoit LVAC-300: Attachments

The attachments work exactly as described. The crevice tool could clear flour and sugar from edges right to the corner where the floor meets the wall.

And when vacuuming pet hair from upholstery at the pet shelter, the LVAC-300 could clear all fur from a sofa in a few repeated passes on turbo mode. On thick upholstery, it still did well but left a few hairs behind.

Levoit LVAC-300: Cleaning & maintenance

I love how the LVAC-300 blows minimal dust upwards when emptying it. Press the button and the dustbin's contents descend, and in the multiple times I had to do this, I never got dust back in my face. It's perfect when avoiding overfilling your vacuum.

It's also super easy to take apart and clean, with almost every component able to be cleaned or rinsed. And as I already mentioned, the fact that the brushroll never wrapped with hair means you can clean the vacuum less often.

A removable sticker on the dustbin gives some general guidance when maintaining your vacuum: clean the felt and foam filters once a month, and replace them once every three months, and clean the HEPA filter at least once a year.

Our guide on cleaning your vacuum filter shows you the best ways to do this.

How does the Levoit LVAC-300 compare?

The Levoit LVAC-300 costs $349.99 at full price at Amazon, but is often on offer for around $299.99. After thoroughly testing it, I think this is a reasonable price when you consider how well it cleans and the few snags holding it back.

But for $100 more, you can buy the Shark Cordless PowerDetect, a more powerful and nimble vacuum that performed better on tests. It folds at the wand, too, for easier cleaning under furniture without straining your back. Or, the Dyson V8 has stronger suction power, but a shorter runtime and fewer cleaning modes.

If you look outside of the world of cordless vacuums, the Shark POWERDETECT Upright is often on offer for the same price as the LVAC-300. It's a bigger, bulkier vacuum but one that outshines the LVAC-300's cleaning performance in every way, and even leaves a fresh scent behind as you clean.

Should you buy the Levoit LVAC-300?

The Levoit LVAC-300 performs well at a modest price point. We've tested other cordless sticks that perform better than this, but at this $300-350 price, there aren't many I'd recommend over this.

It cleans hard floors and carpets well, but can struggle a bit with large debris on hard floors, and it won't clean everything from carpets. But for regular cleaning, and perhaps with the help of the best robot vacuum, this could be all you need for spotless floors and easy, lightweight cleaning.

• Buy the Levoit LVAC-300 for $299.99 at Amazon.

How we test vacuums

At Homes & Gardens, we have a dedicated and thorough procedure of how we test vacuums. At our test center, we test various substances on three floor types (carpet, wood, linoleum) to recreate real-life circumstances.

I tested the Levoit LVAC-300 over two weeks in our test center, a local pet shelter and my own home.

Next, browse through our tested picks of the best Dyson alternatives for more excellent cleaning without the high price point.

Keeping floors spotless can feel like a never-ending task. The time spent cleaning up after everybody in the house can quickly add up, and before you know it, the mess has returned.

That's why it might be time to rethink your approach. As a professional vacuum tester, I can tell you the secret solution is not to have one great vacuum. Instead, you should be pairing one of the best robot vacuums with one of the best cordless vacuums.

This might seem like overkill, but hear me out. The robot will keep your floors spotless, while the small, light, cordless stick is on hand for any mess the robot can't handle. It's the perfect way to cut down on your chore time.

Why having two vacuums is better than one

Nobody wants to be vacuuming every day. What we actually want is clean floors every day, rather than the time spent on chores that could otherwise be spent living.

To cut down on how often you should be vacuuming, let a robot do it for you. It can run daily so that you can comfortably walk around barefoot without that constant layer of fine debris bothering you.

And for all the places the robot can't clean – stairs, furniture, mattresses, awkward corners – a cordless stick can take care of it quickly and conveniently without the hassle of plugging it into the wall or winding and unwinding the cord.

Immaculate floors, minimal effort

Your robot vacuum will handle the day-to-day maintenance, even when you're sleeping or out of the house. The best robot vacuums for pet hair can pick up after your furry friends, and many of our favorite models have a mop, too, for spotless and sparkling hard floors.

Then, whenever the robot misses something (which they often do), or you see some crumbs on the sofa, that's when you reach for the cordless vacuum. That's the beauty of such an agile cleaning tool, and the reason why they're the best lightweight vacuums you can buy.

You can grab it and clean it in a moment's notice. No cord, no lugging a hefty appliance out of storage. They're also the quietest vacuums, and as somebody with suspected ADHD, a cordless vacuum actually helps me clean.

This setup means you'll spend hardly any time cleaning. Part of why vacuuming is such a cumbersome task is owed to the build-up of dirt, but with a robot vacuum, this is completely avoided. You can reduce chore time by up to 90%, as we learned when reviewing the excellent eufy Omni S1 Pro.

You'll also enjoy the extra storage space, as it's much easier to hide your vacuum when storing a cordless stick than one of the best upright vacuums. And while the robot vacuum's cleaning station will take up floor space, these are often used as side tables, with the best example being the luxuriously stylish iRobot Roomba Combo j9+.

Making full use of recent technological advancements can genuinely improve your life. Your floors will be cleaner, you can finally get rid of your old vacuum that's taking up too much space, and you'll have more time to spend on the things you truly enjoy.

What to shop

We've tested 31 cordless vacuums and 18 robot vacuums, so we know which ones get the job done. And as the chief vacuum tester at Homes & Gardens, here are my recommendations to get the most for your money.

Happy to spend a little extra for the best-of-the-best? Pair the eufy Omni S1 Pro with the Dyson V15 Detect and you'll have the cleanest home you've ever seen.

Our expert tester, Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden found the Omni S1 Pro slashed her canister vacuum cleaning needs by a whopping 90%.

Dyson have just unveiled the PencilVac – a vacuum cleaner with a diameter of only 38mm, the slimmest ever made. That's just 0.04 inches wide, about the same as a watch face.

Packed with innovations like four conical rollers, real-time app connectivity, and a new dust compression system, it's a striking departure from Dyson’s traditional cyclone technology.

But as a home tech editor who's spent more than 200 hours testing vacuums, I'm intrigued but sceptical. With it being such a small appliance, how well can it clean, and could this really be one of the best Dyson vacuums?

What can the Dyson PencilVac do?

The PencilVac is Dyson’s latest attempt to revolutionize the world of the best cordless vacuums. Designed exclusively for hard floors, it introduces the new ‘Fluffycones’ floorhead: four conical rollers that spin in opposing, inward directions to pull in dust, dirt and hair. It doesn't matter if you're facing forward or backward, as the cones roll all debris into the center, and you can rotate it fully to 360 degrees.

Dyson's cyclone engineering is key to the brand's titan reputation for excellent floor cleaning, so without it, I am left wondering how well this slimline vacuum can power through debris on floors.

However, much like our favorite vacuum the Dyson V15 Detect, the PencilVac has a green light that reveals microscopic dust that the naked eye can't see, but this time it's used in both directions.

It even features app-connectivity to monitor battery and filter performance – a first for Dyson cordless vacuums, and one that will avoid unnecessary Dyson vacuum faults down the line.

To make it work as one of the best vacuums for pet hair, whenever these cones wrap with hair, they roll the hair to the edge until it falls off the brushroll in a clump. Then, you vacuum the clump easily in one swoop.

I own two Dysons and they've never wrapped with hair before. My guess is that this new design is to compensate for the smaller motor that may be unable to vacuum pet hair as effectively.

Also, as someone who regularly tests vacuum cleaners at a local pet shelter, I can’t help but wonder what happens when the clump of hair being pushed aside is attached to mud or dirt. That sounds like a mess you wouldn't want back on your floors after you've already cleaned, nor would you want it wrapping around the same rollers that are cleaning your home.

That being said, this can only work because the rollers are exposed at the edges, meaning the PencilVac might just have the best edge cleaning we've seen in a long time. The soft rollers are perfect for safely and effectively cleaning mess from any surface, no matter how delicate. It's why Dyson vacuums consistently top our list of the best vacuums for hardwood floors.

Dyson claims that these soft, opposing rollers create the feeling of it floating across hard floors. While I haven't had a chance to try the PencilVac yet, I can say that's likely to be true, as many of the best vacuum-mop combos, including Dyson's WashG1, do exactly that. I'm excited to get my hands on it to find out.

But despite the smart tech and elegant engineering, the PencilVac doesn’t clean carpets at all, only hard floors. This makes it a less versatile household cleaning staple and more of a niche device ideal for homes without carpets and limited space.

It also only offers 55 air watts of suction. At 55 air watts, the PencilVac is significantly less powerful than most other Dyson models, which typically reach 100–240AW (more on what this means in my vacuum jargon buster).

Dyson argues this is a purposeful shift – engineering for edge-to-edge efficiency on hard floors rather than brute force, but I wonder if the money could be better spent on a different Dyson model like the Dyson V8 – which boasts 115 air watts even though it's almost a decade old.

How is the Dyson PencilVac so slim?

To achieve the PencilVac’s ultra-slim 38mm diameter, Dyson have rethought almost every part of the vacuum. It’s powered by the company’s smallest and fastest motor yet – the Hyperdymium 140k – which spins at up to 140,000RPM. This 28mm motor had to be miniaturized down to the micron level, and is reportedly 34% more power-dense than its predecessor.

In place of Dyson’s iconic cyclone technology, which you can find in every classic Dyson from the Dyson V8 to the Dyson Gen5detect, the PencilVac uses a new two-stage linear dust separation system. In true Dyson fashion, its filtration exceeds HEPA vacuum filter standards with a 99.99% efficiency rate for particles as small as 0.3 microns.

As dust enters the vacuum the air is compressed similar to the Gtech AirRAM 3, maximizing bin capacity while claiming to prevent filter clogs, so you might not have to clean your Dyson filter quite as often. But it’s worth noting the total bin volume is just 0.08 liters. For context, many cordless sticks offer two to four times that.

This design philosophy – chasing form at the expense of the company’s usual cyclone-and-suction legacy – prompts the question: is this innovation for the sake of innovation? Or could the PencilVac usher in a new class of lighter, more focused tools for modern homes?

The Dyson PencilVac will be available in the US and UK in 2026. Pricing information has not been released.

What to shop

In the meantime, here are three of my favorite cordless Dysons with stronger suction power than the PencilVac:

Next, browse through our tried-and-tested picks of the best Dyson alternatives, for incredible cleaning power at lower prices.

Saying goodbye to unwanted smells when vacuuming is sometimes easier said than done. From essential oils to carpet deodorizers, there are countless hacks that claim to leave a fresh smell after vacuuming. But they don't always work.

So, when I saw that simply putting ground cinnamon in a vacuum's dustbin can banish nasty odors, I was intrigued. Most of us have ground cinnamon in our homes, and it's much cheaper than many of the branded products that aim to do the same.

Here's how to do the vacuum cinnamon hack and make the most out of your best vacuum cleaner.

Why you should put ground cinnamon in your vacuum

I've spent more than 200 hours testing vacuum cleaners, and I've delved into whether carpet deodorizers are safe to use (spoiler alert: they're not). I've even used a teabag hack to banish vacuum smells, all in the name of finding the absolute most effective ways to remove messy smells.

However, the cinnamon technique is safer than other methods I've seen, as it uses such a small volume of ground cinnamon (not powdered), which mimics dust.

Karina Toner, professional cleaner and operations manager at Speckless, says, 'A small sprinkle – about ½ to 1 teaspoon – is more than enough.' Karina shares. 'You don’t need much to freshen the air as you vacuum, and using too much can overwhelm the vacuum’s filters or motor.'

I've learned the same thing from my four years of vacuum testing: don't vacuum fine powders. It's one of the things you should never vacuum, as a high volume of fine powder can clog your filters and damage your motor, which is why you shouldn't vacuum baking soda or used powdered carpet deodorizers.

How to do it

This cinnamon vacuum hack is simple. Sprinkle ground cinnamon into your vacuum's dustbin, or if yours is a bagged one like the best Miele vacuums, pop it on the floor and vacuum it up.

As for how often, that really depends on how often you're vacuuming and how much of a fresher smell you want.

If you're often vacuuming pet hair or cleaning up smelly food crumbs, you might want to do it before each clean. If not, stick to whenever it's really necessary to avoid overfilling your vacuum.

When doing the cinnamon hack, make sure to always use ground cinnamon, not cinnamon powder. It's a small but important distinction as cinnamon powder is much finer, and could potentially cause damage.

'Some vacuums aren’t designed to handle anything other than dust and debris, so always check your model’s manual,' Karina advises. And remember, make sure that nobody in your household – including guests – is allergic to cinnamon.

What to shop

Now that you're equipped with a new vacuuming hack, it might be a good time to stock up on ground cinnamon so that you're ready for your next clean.

Next, browse our tested picks of the best robot vacuums for cleaner floors and minimal effort.

Miele and Dyson are two of the most premium, high-end vacuum brands on the market. They're also both incredibly well established – Miele was founded all the way back in 1899, and Dyson, although only going since 1991, is now a global multi-tech company that has pioneered much of the best vacuum technology we see today.

As Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, my dedicated team of product testers and I have reviewed 71 of the world's best vacuum cleaners, including 13 from Dyson and 5 from Miele. That's almost the entire Dyson lineup and most of Miele's, including all of their latest and greatest releases.

To find out which vacuum brand is right for your needs, here, I compare the two in terms of vacuum models, filtration, performance, pet hair pickup, durability and value for money. I've had extensive hands-on experience with vacuums from both brands and understand the ins and outs of their offerings.

I compared Miele vs Dyson vacuums

Miele vs Dyson: Which has the better product range?

For the most part, comparing Miele and Dyson isn't about which brand has the 'better' product range, as they each offer something distinct that they have become experts in. The best Miele vacuums are canister vacuums, with only a small selection of cordless and robot vacuums, and the best Dyson vacuums are cordless vacuums, along with one canister vacuum, one robot vacuum and two upright vacuums.

Before getting into the rest of the comparisons, this could be an easy way to pick between the two. If you're looking for a corded canister vacuum, Miele's your one. If you're looking for a cordless or upright, then Dyson has more choice.

• Browse Miele's full vacuum range
• Browse Dyson's full vacuum range

Miele vs Dyson: Which cordless is best?

Winner: Dyson V15 Detect

For as long as I've been testing vacuum cleaners, Dyson have topped our list of the best cordless vacuums. They're known for being in a league of their own, and our tests have confirmed just how great they are. The best vacuum cleaner we've ever tested is the Dyson Gen5detect, but I actually recommend the Dyson V15 Detect as it's $200 cheaper and, although the Gen5detect is slightly better at cleaning, they both share the same features. There isn't enough of a difference to warrant that price increase, but if you can afford it, the Gen5detect is the best you'll get.

The Gen5detect and V15 Detect are part of Dyson's flagship range of vacuums, along with the smaller and lighter Dyson V12 Detect Slim. Put simply these are three of the best vacuums you'll ever use – I have a V12 and a V15 in my own home and I've never had a problem vacuuming everything in one pass, it doesn't struggle with pet hair at all, and the green laser reveals dust on the floor that I otherwise can't see.

But I recently tested Miele's best two cordless models, the Miele Triflex HX2 and the Miele Duoflex HX1, and was pleasantly surprised by how similarly they clean. The Duoflex HX1 actually gave one of the strongest cleaning performances in our tests, easily vacuuming fine powders from between the panels of wood floors which most vacuums struggle with.

The Miele Triflex HX2 is an incredible vacuum with a sleek, premium aesthetic, but it's a little too expensive considering its cons. It's heavier and less flexible than most cordless vacs, and it struggled a few times to vacuum as well as the Dysons would.

But they're priced similarly to the Dyson V15 Detect and Dyson V12 Detect Slim, and if you're spending that much money, I absolutely recommend the Dysons over the Mieles. Even though the Miele vacuums' drawbacks were only minor, there are practically no faults with the Dysons aside from how much they cost. Plus, Dyson's cordless vacuums come with particle detection and the unique green laser that improves how you clean.

More generally, Miele and Dyson both sit in the high end of the market, with their best-of-the-best cordless vacuums costing over $1,000. These are the Miele Triflex HX2 Pro and the Dyson Gen5outsize, the full package models of the Miele Triflex HX2 and Dyson Gen5detect. While these are the best performers, I don't recommend them due to the sheer price, as the improvements compared to the Miele Duoflex HX1 and the Dyson V15 Detect are minor considering the $100s more that they cost.

Miele vs Dyson: Which canister vacuum is best?

Winner: Miele Complete C3 and Miele Blizzard CX1

We're yet to get our hands on Dyson's only canister vacuum, the Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead, but we've tested three of Miele's bests: the Miele Boost CX1, the Miele Blizzard CX1, and the Miele Complete C3.

On test, our best bagged canister vacuum is the Miele Complete C3 and our best bagless canister vacuum is the Miele Blizzard CX1. If you're after a canister vacuum, along with all the benefits you'll get from a canister vs upright vacuum, go for Miele. Not only are these vacuums tried-and-tested for decades, but there's so much more choice available.

What's great about Miele's canister range is the versatility. There are only five different models available (three bagged and two bagless), but they're packaged in so many different versions that you can easily find the right one to suit your home's needs.

For each vacuum, you can find versions designed specifically for cleaning hard floors or carpets, versions for pet owners, or the full package that has every vacuum attachment you could possibly need.

I'll update this page once we've reviewed the Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead, but in the meantime, it's worth noting that this Dyson canister vac (and almost any other Dyson vacuum) uses whole-machine filtration whereas Miele's do not.

The Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead is also just $350, which can only be said for Miele's most basic model the Miele Classic C1. All others cost anywhere between $400 and $1,700.

Miele vs Dyson: Which is better on pet hair?

Winner: Dyson V15 Detect, closely followed by Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog

The Dyson V15 Detect and most cordless Dyson vacuums come with a specialized floorhead called the Motorbar. It's a multi-surface floorhead but it works exceptionally well on carpets, and has incredible anti-tangle veins that are able to pull pet hair out of the most stubborn floors.

The best vacuum for pet hair that we've tested is the Dyson V15 Detect. This is partly thanks to the Motorbar floorhead but also thanks to the vacuum's incredible suction power. And actually, this pet hair performance is similar across many of Dyson's vacuums, so you could even opt for a more affordable model like the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and still stay on top of fur at home.

I've visited the Dyson labs in Malmesbury, UK, and saw the mounds and mounds of donated fur that Dyson use to test their vacuums with, so it's no surprise that they've figured out exactly what's necessary to vacuum pet hair the right way.

But although they're not quite up to Dyson's standards, Miele's canister vacs are still exceptional at dealing with pet hair. Almost all of their vacuums are available in a 'Cat & Dog' package that includes specialized cleaning tools for digging hair out of every surface.

I've tested a Cat & Dog model myself (the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog) and found that the TurboTeQ floorhead that's included is an absolute powerhouse when picking up pet hair, even from carpets. I tested it in a local pet shelter and it pulled fur out of a high-friction floor mat better than almost all others I've tested.

The downside to Miele's Cat & Dog models however is the cost. Prices vary, but typically you're looking at spending at least $1,000. The Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog, which we've tested and loved its performance on pet hair, costs more than $1,200 at full price.

The Dyson V15 Detect however is only $750 at full price, often discounted to around $450-650.

Miele vs Dyson: Which has the better filtration?

Winner: Dyson, followed by Miele's vacuum bags

Generally, Dyson vacuums have tighter filtration. They use whole-machine HEPA filtration with layers throughout the appliance to trap particles at different stages.

Miele doesn't use whole-machine filtration in their vacuums, and many of their filters aren't even HEPA-certified. A HEPA filter is essential for allergy sufferers as it must meet official standards certifying that it capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, which covers many of the pollutants that trigger allergies like dust, pollen and dander.

HEPA filters are available in every Miele vacuum but they aren't included with every vacuum. They must either be bought separately or included as part of one of the more expensive packages.

But Miele's bagged canister vacuums provide extra filtration. The vacuums still use filters (that are occasionally HEPA), then the bags themselves act as another filter, trapping everything inside and being disposed of when full without you having to come into contact with what's inside.

Miele vs Dyson: Which vacuums are more durable?

Winner: Miele

This is perhaps Miele's biggest win. Miele appliances are famously known for their durability, and people have used their vacuums for longer than 10 years at a time with just a little maintenance and regular vacuum cleaning to keep it working. Stumble upon any online vacuum forum and you'll see users discussing the decade(s) that they've owned a Miele vacuum for and how well it still performs.

Our Head of Solved Punteha van Terheyden can attest to this, owning two separate Miele vacuums for eight years and four years respectively, without an issue ever arising in either.

Dyson vacuums are also known to last for years, but not to the same extent as Miele. Plus, cordless vacuums are generally less durable because of all the interchanging parts.

Miele vs Dyson: Which vacuums are better value?

Winner: Dyson

I never thought I'd say that the famously expensive Dyson vacuums offer better value-for-money than another brand. But compared with Miele, with vacuums costing upwards of $1,700, Dyson is the winner here.

Put simply, the Dyson Gen5detect is the best vacuum we've ever tested (better than any Miele vacuum), and it costs $950 at full price. Miele's best vacuums cost that much as a bare minimum.

A counter-argument is to consider how long you'll likely own a Miele vacuum for. You might have to replace a Dyson vacuum within 5-10 years, but a Miele will far outlive that, meaning it'll be a long time until you have to spend on the next one.

I also appreciate that Miele's most expensive vacuums are well-suited to professional cleaners who vacuum large, busy and messy areas on a frequent basis, and need something rugged to keep up with it. But this level of durability isn't required for the average consumer and homeowner, who would be better off investing in a Dyson vacuum that can clean common home messes flawlessly (and take up less space when not in use).

Still looking too expensive? Consider one of the best Dyson alternatives for similar cleaning power for a fraction of the cost.

While Miele's presence in the vacuum market is more famously attributed to their lineup of canister vacuums, they also have two sleek cordless sticks for more convenient cleaning.

The Miele Duoflex is the more affordable out of the two, promising 55 minutes of powerful and intelligent cleaning across all floor types, 99.99% dust retention and a lightweight build.

Of all the 18 best vacuum cleaners I've tested for H&G, the Miele Duoflex might be one of my favorites. Find out why after testing it in my home, in our dedicated test center, and in a local cat and dog shelter.

Miele DuoFlex HX1: Specifications

Miele DuoFlex HX1: Unboxing and setup

The Miele Duoflex has all the components of any cordless vacuum you'll buy these days. A set of attachments, parts for a wall dock and the main vacuum cleaner are inside the box, as well as a manual on how to properly use and assemble it.

The attachments included vary from model to model, but can include: crevice tool, upholstery tool, motorized pet brush and dusting brush.

Miele DuoFlex HX1: Design and features

I'm personally a fan of Miele's line of cordless vacuums. Miele is a premium appliance brand, and it's clear from the aesthetics of the Duoflex that they're keen to maintain a certain image with their products.

The Duoflex has the key features you'd expect from a cordless vacuum at this price point. It has two suction modes – normal and boost – to be able to keep up with varying levels of mess around the house. It will detect dirtier areas of the floor or when you pass onto carpets and rugs to automatically up the suction power when it's needed, but you can also manually select it yourself.

Boost mode is a welcomed feature in any cordless vacuum as you can prioritize using the battery life on messier areas, but in all honesty, the Duoflex cleaned so well that I rarely had to use it.

The Miele Duoflex doesn't use an officially certified HEPA filter, which would mean that it captures 99.97% of fine particles as small as 0.3 microns (more on this in my vacuum jargon buster). Instead it uses two-stage filtration that's said to retain 99.99% of fine dust. So while it can't rank in our guide to the best HEPA vacuums, it should still be great for allergy sufferers.

The floorhead is universal making it a multi-surface vacuum, designed to thoroughly clean all floor types while protecting more delicate surfaces like tile and hardwood.

And although the model I tested is called 'Cat & Dog,' any Miele Duoflex is designed with pet owners in mind. It has a motorized, spinning brushroll to dig up hair from your floors, as well as a separate, smaller motorized attachment for cleaning hair from upholstery and pet beds.

One thing I noticed about the Duoflex is how quiet it is. The product sheet lists it as 78dB but that's on the highest setting. I found that it ran at around 65-67dB in normal operation, which is quieter than the other best cordless vacuums I've tested.

My only concern is a slight scratching sound that it makes on hard floors, which might pose a scratching risk when cleaning hardwood floors. But the sound appears to be coming from the wheels turning as the floorhead itself seems delicate enough to not cause any damage.

Miele Duoflex HX1: Flour and sugar tests

In our test center, I tested the Miele Duoflex using flour and sugar as proxies for dust and dead skin, as well as being a strong visual test to see what the vacuum is capable of picking up.

The Miele Duoflex performed better in this test than almost all other vacuums I've reviewed, even rivaling the best Dyson vacuums that typically outperform the competition. On hardwood, it picked up pretty much everything in a single pass, leaving behind only tiny amounts of residue between the panels that were easily picked up with the brushes afterwards.

On linoleum and carpet, everything was vacuumed in one pass. Multi-surface floorheads don't often excel on both soft and hard flooring but the Miele Duoflex's brushroll is just as good at digging dirt out of carpet than they are on smooth surfaces.

Miele Duoflex HX1: Pantry tests

I tested cereal and lentils with the Miele Duoflex in our test center to assess its ability to handle larger pieces and common household messes.

On linoleum and wood, the Duoflex struggled slightly to get every piece, especially with the cereal. It vacuumed everything eventually but it took a fair amount of lifting the vacuum up and placing it on top of each piece. This is a common issue as many vacuums aren't big enough to pick up such large debris, but the best vacuums are able to crush these pieces down. The Duoflex, with its soft, multi-purpose roller, could not.

The performance was better on carpets as the friction from the soft flooring meant that the pieces were getting crushed down and it was able to clear it all in just two passes.

Miele Duoflex HX1: Pet hair tests

I also tested the Miele Duoflex in a local pet shelter, Bristol ARC, to assess its performance when dealing with pet hair and the messes that come from high-traffic areas.

I quickly realised that the Miele Duoflex is a strong contender for the best vacuum for pet hair. Its hair pickup is excellent on all floors. On hard floors, hair was pulled in from an inch or two away, and on carpets, it whirred into higher suction mode with faster brushroll spin speed and picked up pretty much every visible hair (except for a few at the edges).

The trickiest test at the pet shelter is barrier matting at the entrance, a high-friction material that sees foot traffic all day. The Duoflex cleaned most of the longer hairs but struggled with the smaller ones, which is impressive considering how stubborn the fabric is.

I tested the Duoflex alongside the Miele Triflex and the Ultenic U16 Flex and, by the end of the session at the pet shelter, the Duoflex's dustbin was the most full of pet hair.

The only real downside however is that the brushroll is absolutely not anti-tangle. It didn't take long for the brushroll to become completely wrapped with hair. I also used the Duoflex to help a friend of mine move out of her apartment, and after finishing vacuuming, the hair was about as thick as the brushes.

Miele Duoflex HX1: Cleaning and maintenance

Aside from having to manually remove hair from the brushroll, the rest of the Duoflex is straightforward to maintain. Dust doesn't get caught in the dustbin and you can easily pull out the filter to shake off any stubborn residue.

The wand, crevice tool, upholstery tool and dusting brush are all washable, and the floorhead and mini motorized brush can be taken apart for thorough cleaning.

Miele Duoflex HX1: My verdict

The Miele Duoflex is a seriously impressive cordless vacuum, with superb cleaning performance across all floors when dealing with all types of mess, particularly pet hair. It's quiet, easy to take care of and has a premium feel to it. However it falls short in how easily hair wraps around the brushroll, which is a let down considering this is otherwise such a strong pet hair vacuum.

At this price point you could alternatively opt for either the Dyson V15 Detect or the Dyson V12 Detect Slim which are two of our best-on-test vacuums ever. They're similar to the Miele Duoflex in cleaning performance, suction modes and floor detection, but they instead use two separate floorheads for different surfaces which can add a bit of time to your cleaning. But, with the Dysons, there's no hair wrap.

Next, check out our guide to the best Dyson alternatives to find out what you can grab for a fraction of the price.

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System is a great product that, for the most part, moves the needle forward from Shark's previous floorcare appliances. One thing that really elevates it amongst its own lineup is the fact that its telescopic tube can fold for easier access under furniture.

Of course, there are other things on offer that make it worthy of consideration among the best cordless vacuums. It comes with powerful suction, especially for a cordless stick, more powerful in fact than the Shark Cordless Detect Pro. It has a stable self-emptying base station with a place for all the attachment tools – I typically have at least one that’s just floating around – not to mention that it houses Shark’s odor neutralizer puck.

I tested the Shark Cordless PowerDetect to find out how well it performs, how useful the features are, and whether it's worth the $500 price point.

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System: Price

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System is priced as high as any of the company’s other products, going for an MSRP of $499.99 directly through Shark, though it’s discounted to $449.99 at the time of writing.

Whether you get it through the company directly or an external retailer won’t make a difference price-wise as Amazon, The Home Depot, and Best Buy all offer it at the same price and with the same 10% discount.

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System: Specifications

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System: Unboxing and setup

Setting up the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System is relatively easy. Like most cordless vacuums, it comes in a handful of pieces that quickly clip together to go from disassembled to assembled.

The box it comes in is fairly tall as the base station comes in one piece, with the exception of a little side stand that provides an extra attachment tool seat – there’s also one on the base station itself (there are two included attachment tools).

The cordless vacuum itself comes in three pieces: the floorhead, the telescopic tube, and the handheld vacuum that houses the dust cup and motor. It takes about a minute to clip these altogether once removed from the box.

Lastly, this unit comes with Shark’s odor neutralizer technology. The puck comes in a sealed package that takes a second to open. There’s a slot in the base station where you insert and twist the puck into place. Note that it does need to be replaced from time to time.

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System: Design and features

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System, which comes in an interesting dark gray, white, purple, and clear colorway, is a stick vacuum with a self-emptying base station, two attachment tools, and an odor-neutralizer puck that slots in the base station.

The base station also acts as a dock for the stick vacuum, charging it when not in use and holding it up so you don’t have to find a place to store it. It even has a place to put one of the attachment tools and an extra base that slips underneath the side to put the other.

Its dustbin, which is supposed to hold about 45 days worth of debris (it all depends on how dirty your place is), pulls out fairly easily from the back and opens at the bottom to drop the contents in the trash. I appreciate that you don’t have to invest in replaceable bags, though some might prefer that since there’s more risk of dirt and debris escaping when being emptied.

The only real issue I have with the base station is the fact that the cradle fits the stick vacuum quite snugly so that, if you don’t gingerly place it back on there, it won’t fit properly and, therefore, won’t start charging back up or self-empty.

Moving on to the stick vacuum, it’s pretty straightforward if you’ve ever used a cordless stick vacuum with just a few twists. The floorhead has two brushrolls – one covered in a felt-type material and anti-hair-tangle-type rubber one with a line of bristles – that only starts turning when not fully upright, meaning it will disengage if you stand it fully up (maybe you have to pick something up off the floor). It also has lights that will illuminate dirt and debris on the floor that you might not see.

The telescopic tube is probably the most unique part of this vacuum since it has a foldable section near the top. You press a lever in the back and it folds back in an L-shape so that you can push the vacuum under furniture.

The handheld section holds the controls, which consists of a power button on top and a trigger button on the handle to switch between modes, and an LED panel that indicates which of the three modes you’re on. There’s an eco mode, auto mode, and max mode. The LED panel will also let you know how much battery is left, but only via four indicators so you won’t know exactly how much battery is left.

Lastly, there are two attachment tools: a crevice tool and a pet-multi tool. They clip easily onto the handheld portion so that, like most stick vacuums, you can use the vacuum to tackle jobs like upholstery, cleaning out a car, or reaching higher places.

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System: Performance tests

The Shark Cordless PowerDetect is pretty powerful. I’ve reviewed a few other cordless models from Shark and this one seems to have the strongest suction. Just for comparison’s sake, it has 380 watts on hand, which is the amount of power that the vacuum uses during cleaning. The Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum uses 309, and the Shark Cordless Detect Pro uses 240. I’ve had personal experience with both and found them to do the job well.

As far as cordless vacuums go, it’s hard to ask for more from the Shark Cordless PowerDetect. I tested it on carpets, upholstery, and hard flooring and it had no issues sucking up debris and dust. I even used it to vacuum two rooms that had been untouched for a week, but that seemed clean, and found its 0.74qt dust cup to be a quarter full of pet hair, dust, and dirt.

I also did our go-to test for vacuums with a number of substances lined up on the ground, in this case: cereal, flour, granulated sugar, and breadcrumbs. On forward passes, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect picked everything that it could fit in its floorhead.

Now, since the cereal (specifically Cheerio's if you’re curious) was larger, not all of it was picked up on the first go. Since Shark advertises this vacuum as being able to vacuum in both forward and backward passes, this represented the perfect chance to see how it does when reversing to finish the job. Unfortunately, backwards pickup, while there, was not as good as when moving in a forward motion with cereal getting stuck behind the vacuum and requiring extra effort or turning around and vacuuming into the cereal to pick it up.

Outside of that though, the performance is quite good for a cordless vacuum. It does well on edges so I only needed to break out the crevice tool for hard-to-reach places and could cover an entire room’s floor in the vacuum’s standard setup.

Plus, with that foldable section in the telescopic tube, it’s much easier to get under furniture than I’ve experienced with any other vacuum. There are other vacuums that can get as deep, but they bend at the floorhead, so you have to adjust your posture to reach under, say, a couch. With this, you just press the lever for it to fold and go on as usual. And once you’re done, you can use a forward motion while holding it to snap it back into its regular orientation.

As far as other uses go, its handheld portion is lightweight enough that using one of the attachments on a wall for cobwebs or on upholstery is easy and not all that taxing. Bear in mind that it’s not as light as corded stick vacuums as they don’t also have a lithium battery that you also have to hold up. Its performance in those tasks were good as well, being able to easily suck up pet hair off a couch cushion, for instance.

Those with vast amounts of carpet will find that this does a good job there as well. I used this vacuum on the carpet in a room where our cat likes to spend most of her time and it pulled up a good amount of hair out of the carpet that I didn’t even see. It’s not going to be as powerful as standard upright vacuums – that’s the case for cordless vacuums in general – but it’s powerful enough.

Regardless of what surface you use the Shark Cordless PowerDetect on, it is on the louder side. The eco mode is the quietest at 68 dB while Max is about 72 dB. That’s not atypical for vacuums, but you’re not going to be able to vacuum with this model in the middle of the night (well, you shouldn’t if you share your household or walls with anyone).

Lastly, the battery life here is listed as 70 minutes. Though the LED display only shows four indicators for battery life, it took me about 15 minutes to go from four indicators lit up to three on the heavy setting. So, if you use the eco mode, you’ll get your 70 minutes (and eco mode still picks up at least most visible debris just as well). But using the more powerful settings will still net a very reasonable 60 minutes of use.

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System: Maintenance

When it comes to maintenance, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System is pretty straightforward, like most modular vacuums. You can easily unclip the floorhead from the telescopic tube from the handheld if something is stuck. The dust cup and the dust bin are easily accessible.

And in the base station, when you remove the dust bin, not only is it easy to open but it sits on filters that can be removed and washed or replaced.

Cleaning out the floorhead is fairly easy as the felt brushroll, which is the one in front has a latch on the side that allows you to remove and clean it. While the other brushroll isn’t removable, it does have plenty of clearance if there’s a blockage or you need to get in there to cut something that’s tangled around it. That said, I have yet to see any hair wrapped in there and have been using this vacuum in a household with two dogs, two women with long hair, and three men, two of which have plenty of facial hair.

How does the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System compare?

It might be unfair to compare the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System to the Dyson Gen5detect, a cordless vacuum that is not only twice the price but one of our favorite cordless vacuums available right now. But it is instructive to see how it compares, considering that the Shark does a lot of the same things insofar that it can also get to 70 minutes of battery life, has washable filters, and can illuminate all sorts of dirt on the floor, not to mention be used on multiple surface types. Plus, it adds a twist in that foldable telescopic tube.

However, the Dyson is a little lighter, has much stronger illumination, and offers much more detail on the LED panel, specifically on the particles it picks up. It is the better vacuum, but it’s also twice the price and doesn’t come with a self-emptying base station like the Shark Cordless PowerDetect.

Since many people’s barometers are Dysons, let’s pick another to compare the Shark to: the Dyson V8 Animal cordless vacuum, which is actually cheaper but only when the Shark Cordless PowerDetect is not on sale. In this case, the main benefit of the Dyson is that it’s lighter, comes with four attachments, and has the name Dyson.

It doesn’t have a self-emptying base station, it only has 40 minutes of battery, the dust cup on the vacuum itself is smaller, and the Dyson has issues with hair wrapping around the brushroll. If you need a Dyson, it’s a great vacuum. But, if you’re willing to get away from that name – and Shark as a brand is no slouch, either – the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System has more to offer in terms of features.

Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System: Verdict

I have gotten my hands on a few different Shark products, most notably the Shark Stratos Cordless Vacuum and the Shark Cordless Detect Pro, and can honestly say that the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty System is the company’s best cordless product to date.

The price tag is a bit high if you’re not the kind of person that’s willing to pay Dyson-type prices. But its $500 cost is worth it when you consider the fact that it can fold to get under furniture, has a long battery life, can transform into various modes the way stick vacuums can, and has a lot of power for a cordless. It’s still not going to match something like the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum, but again, cordless stick vacuums are typically less powerful than their corded brethren precisely because their functionality is built around convenience.

Outside of price, the only real issues are that it can be tricky to put back in the self-emptying base station’s cradle and the fact that its reverse pickup isn’t as strong as advertised. But, what it has to offer really mitigates those small issues.

Tineco, whose expertise in floor care goes beyond vacuum cleaners, has steadily released a series of different vacuums. Their latest, the Pure One range, brings Tineco's most advanced cordless vacuum tech into the home.

To find out whether it's worthy of being among the best cordless vacuums, I tested the Tineco Pure One Station – a vacuum cleaner that comes with a self-emptying and self-cleaning station. The station is said to hold debris for up to 60 days while cleaning the vacuum every time it's recharged.

I put it through its paces, testing dust, small debris, large debris, and hair among different floor types to see what it's capable of. Read on to find out how it performed in our tests, and whether this sleek vacuum cleaner is worth your money.

Tineco Pure One Station: Models & availability

There are a few variations in Tineco's series of Pure One Station cordless vacuums. All models use the same vacuum cleaner tech, the differences between them are:

The standard model is the Tineco Pure One Station, available in both the US and UK. It retails for $449.99 at Tineco or $599 at Amazon and Best Buy. In the UK, it's available for £379 at Tineco or £415.83 at Amazon.

The Tineco Pure One Station PET (the UK-available model that I tested) has all the same features, except the cleaning station has a voice assistant to tell you when cleaning is complete, and when you need to clean the dustbin, air channel, and filter. It's available for £557.50 at Amazon.

The Tineco Pure One Station FurFree (available in the US) is similar to the PET edition, with an added 'Furfree Kit' for pet grooming. It's said to be able to safely remove hair without harming your pet's skin. It's available for $559 at Tineco or $778 at Amazon.

Tineco Pure One Station: Specifications

Tineco Pure One Station: Unboxing & setup

The cleaning station naturally has a fair weight to it, so the Tineco Pure One Station package is heavier and bulkier than other cordless vacuums. Included in the box are: a vacuum cleaner, wand, ZeroTangle Power Brush floor head, Mini Power Brush, 2-in-1 crevice brush tool, two cleaning brushes, and the OmniHub cleaning station.

The only setup that's required is assembling the cleaning station, arriving in four parts that you attach together. Then all that's left is to plug in the cleaning station and dock the vacuum cleaner to charge it.

Tineco Pure One Station: Design & features

The vacuum cleaner has what Tineco calls an 'iLoop sensor' that's able to detect dust levels on your floors and adjust suction power accordingly. It puts it into the same category as recent Dyson and Shark vacuums with similar features, along with the lights on the floor head to illuminate what's on the floor.

You can see this info on a digital display at the top of the vacuum cleaner. A colorful loop on the outside indicates dust volume (from red to blue), and you can see whether you're on auto mode or max mode. You can also see battery life and Wi-Fi connection, as well as notices if the airway is blocked, the dust sensor is malfunctioning, or the brush roller is tangled.

The main floor head, the ZeroTangle Power Brush, is designed similarly to many of Tineco's cordless vacs, with a V-shaped brush roll design to avoid hair wrap. It also comes with a Mini Power Brush which is ideal for furniture, mattresses, and upholstery, as well as a combination crevice and brush tool.

The vacuum cleaner has a sleek and polished design, and the cleaning station carries the same purple and black aesthetic. The station is the real draw here: it empties and cleans your vacuum every time you dock it. So, instead of having to regularly empty the vacuum cleaner after each clean, you only have to do this once every 60 days or so thanks to a 3-liter capacity. Plus, it keeps your vacuum in better condition over time as it routinely and regularly cleans the HEPA filter, airways, and brush roll.

What is the Tineco Pure One Station like to use?

I first noticed that, compared to your normal cordless vacuum, there's a lot to get used to here. But this is because the cleaning station and the vacuum's digital display have info that other vacuums don't, so it's just a case of understanding what it all means.

The cleaning station will let out voice prompts when it's going through the processes of emptying, cleaning, and charging the vacuum. But anybody who's used a self-cleaning vacuum before will appreciate just how loud it is when it's happening, and the voice prompts explain things to you before getting cut off by this noise, so you don't hear what's being said. For this reason, I don't think the voice prompts are massively necessary, except perhaps for if something is malfunctioning (although, this could easily be displayed on the LED screen). You can adjust the volume or mute them, though.

Something I enjoyed about the vacuum cleaner is how easily it glides along the floor. It makes it smooth and easy to maneuver, and it helps that the vacuum's also lightweight. It's notably quiet, too, and it doesn't seem as if there's a sacrifice in power because of it. The floor head's LED lights don't reveal much-hidden dirt, however, and I feel they'd only be useful if vacuuming in dark spaces.

Tineco Pure One Station: Flour & sugar test

We use flour and sugar as proxies for dust and dead skin, as well as being a mess we'd typically find at home. Flour is also a great visual test, as we can see when it's left on the floor or stuck in any of the vacuum's parts.

Hard floors (wood & linoleum)
It's easy to tell how effective a vacuum is: whether it can pick up everything on the first run. The Tineco Pure One Station vacuum picked up almost everything on the first run minus some residue within the cracks between the wooden panels. It was able to get the rest of it after a few more runs.

When tackling the floor's edges next to the walls, it picked up barely anything on the first run. But fortunately, it was able to get the rest after a couple more.

Carpets
On the carpet, the Tineco wasn't as effective. It took a while to get everything off, but it did get there eventually. Even with the boost mode (the automatic detection is great), it wasn't as effective as you'd hope.

Tineco Pure One Station: Pantry test

We use cereal and red lentils as examples of the type of debris we find on our floors. Cereal (we use off-brand Cheerios) emulates many types of large debris, while lentils are smaller and have a texture that makes them stick to hard floors more easily.

Hard floors (wood & linoleum)
I noticed that the vacuum pushed large debris around, rather than sucking them up, whenever there were large amounts on the floor. If I moved it slowly (or if they were more sparsely spread out), the vacuum had no problem at all and easily picked it up. It also easily collected debris in the wooden panel cracks, but it didn't always recognize when it needed to boost.

I felt this again when vacuuming at the edges, as a lot of the cereal was just pushed around. I had to go back and forth, crush them, and move them around to be able to get it all.

However, it is worth noting here that we'd rarely be vacuuming this level of large debris at once - this is just to find out what the vacuum's capable of. When it came to smaller debris, crumbs, and smaller amounts of cereal, the vacuum performed well.

Carpets
There was no problem at all vacuuming the solids on the carpet. It picked up almost everything on the first run then got the remaining crumbs on the second.

Tineco Pure One Station: Hair test

To simulate pet hair, we chop up hair extensions and spread them across wood, linoleum and carpet floors. With carpet, we push the strands deep into the fibers to recreate the conditions of homes with pets.

Hard floors (wood & linoleum)
Vacuuming hair is where the Tineco really shone. On hard floors, it picked everything up in one run and did so in a satisfying way. The hair was sucked into the middle of the floor head as if the center of the brush roll was able to suck in hairs that it wasn’t even touching.

Carpets
On carpets, again, it picked it all up on the first run with no problems.

Tineco Pure One Station: Cleaning & maintenance

The cleaning station is huge, 3 liters in full, so you can get lots of use out of it before needing to do anything yourself. There's also a dark tint so that you can't quite see what's inside, which is a nice touch as it'll be kept indoors at all times, as well as a soft padded close which helps to keep the odors within.

It self-empties impressively quickly, as all the vacuum's dustbin contents are almost instantly gone. But of course, as this is a vacuum vacuuming a vacuum, it does so at an incredibly loud volume that will undoubtedly scare pets or even neighbors – but this is no different from any other self-emptying vacuum.

How does the Tineco Pure One Station compare?

The best vacuum with a cleaning station that we've reviewed so far is the Samsung Bespoke Jet Pro. It was almost perfect, with excellent suction power and easy maneuverability, but it was originally listed at over $700. It's now available for $500, putting it in the same price range as the Tineco Pure One Station.

Both have similar features, except the Tineco has a larger station dustbin and the vacuum digital display, while the Samsung has stronger and more reliable suction.

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim sits at a similar price point, too, but it comes without a cleaning station. It does, however, more accurately detect what's on your floor, has a light that actually reveals hidden dust, and offers unrivaled suction power. It mostly depends on what's more important when cleaning.

Should you buy the Tineco Pure One Station?

It might seem expensive, but this Tineco vacuum comes with a thoughtful set of features, like adaptive suction, smooth vacuuming, and a digital display with important and specific info. The cleaning station is great, too, and protectively seals and hides the contents for up to 2 months.

For the price, there may be better-performing vacuums out there. But although the Tineco Pure One Station struggled in a few of the tests, it was still able to get the job done.

How we test vacuums

At Homes & Gardens, we have a dedicated and thorough procedure for how we test vacuums. At our test center, we test various substances on three-floor types (carpet, wood, linoleum) to recreate real-life circumstances.

Outside of this rigorous testing, I've been using the Tineco Pure One Station cordless vacuum in my home.

If you're still looking for a reliable vacuum cleaner, consider our guides to the best vacuums for pet hair or the best robot vacuums.

We've tested the majority of Shark's vacuum lineup over the years. Whether it's a cordless, upright, robot or carpet vacuum cleaner – we're usually pretty impressed. They often bring the cleaning power of premium vacuums but without the high price tag.

So, we've got our hands on the Shark Detect Pro Cordless to see if it could shape up to be one of the best cordless vacuums. It brings new tech for Shark, where the vacuum is able to sense what's on our floors and adjust the cleaning power accordingly.

I tested the vacuum cleaner for weeks to see what it's capable of, and whether it's worth your money. Read on to find out how the Shark Detect Pro Cordless performs on different floor types, when vacuuming hair, and for how easy it is to clean and maintain.

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Specifications

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Unboxing & setup

Like all recent Shark products, the Detect Pro Cordless packaging is vibrant and free from any soft plastic. The setup is what you'd expect from every cordless vacuum: assemble the parts together and charge the battery. It took around an hour or two for the battery to fully charge, then it was ready to use.

The Detect Pro Cordless includes the vacuum, QuadClean floor head, wand, charger, removable battery and crevice tool.

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Design & features

The Detect Pro Cordless is one of the nicest-looking vacuums I've seen. It's a small detail, and not at all a dealbreaker, but it's always thoughtful when vacuum brands consider how the product will look in somebody's home.

It doesn't come with as many attachments as other cordless vacuums, as the QuadClean brush-roll is said to be suitable on all floor types. Still, it's built the same as most cordless vacs, with a detachable wand allowing you to switch it to a handheld vacuum.

Detection is the new feature of the Detect Pro Cordless. It's able to sense the dust and dirt volume of your floors and adjust suction power when needed. And at the front of the brush-roll are LED lights to illuminate the dust and debris on your floors. It's Shark's first contender into the 'detect' types of vacuum cleaner that started with Dyson's V15 Detect and Gen5detect.

An LED display at the top of the vacuum will show battery life and suction mode, and it has light rings indicating whether high amounts of debris are detected. As the area is cleaned, the colors change from red to orange to blue.

What is the Shark Detect Pro Cordless like to use?

The Detect Pro Cordless maneuvers well and easily reaches under furniture and around corners, and it glides smoothly across both carpets and hard floors. Although the vacuum uses a redesigned TurboDrive motor that's said to be 30% lighter, the vacuum is still a bit weightier than others I've used from brands like Dyson and Miele. The brushroll's wheels also roll heavily making it loud on hard floors.

The LED display isn't over-complicated and just displays the basic essentials. You can reach the power and suction mode buttons with the same hand that's vacuuming, and the colored rings are a nice touch for a quick and clear visual to know how dirty the floors are. The only inconvenience here is that you have to fully turn the vacuum on to see the battery level (when charging you get a red, amber or green light).

I noticed when cleaning the floor's edges that the wand, without any attachment on the end, is built at an angle for you to easily press it against the floor without having to do so at 90 degrees. It makes the vacuuming less taxing, and means you don't need to attach the crevice tool every time you're getting into tight spaces.

The removable battery can be a big help when it comes to charging, especially in homes where the space to store a vacuum isn't near an outlet. It can also be stored completely freestanding by removing the vacuum and attaching it to the wand clip.

The LED lights on the brushroll will illuminate wherever dirt is detected. It's a neat feature, and it shows that the vacuum cleaner is actually able to detect where the debris is, but the lights don't reveal anything hidden on the floor unless you're vacuuming in the dark.

Generally, the vacuum is as easy to use as any cordless vacuum, albeit a bit heavier. It has strong detection and a helpful screen and, as you'll see below, I found it performed better on carpets than hard floors.

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Flour & sugar test

Flour and sugar are accurate proxies for dust and dead skin, as well as being a mess we'd typically find at home. Flour is also a great visual test, as we can spot when it's left on the floor or stuck in any of the vacuum's parts.

Hard floors (wood & linoleum)
One of the telltale signs of a capable vacuum cleaner is how many runs it takes to clear everything. Surprisingly, the Detect Pro struggled to get everything in the first or second run, and took a few goes back-and-forth to get it all. On wooden floors the flour and sugar was getting left in the cracks between the panels, and on linoleum it was getting stuck in the surface's small grooves.

Most of the flour and sugar were picked up on the first run when tackling the edges, but it struggled with the flour that was right at the edge, so Shark's claim of full-width brush-roll cleaning might not be completely accurate. The wand was able to pick up much of the rest, but I needed the brush on the crevice tool to fully clear it all away.

Carpets
On carpets, the Detect Pro left a noticeable amount of residue after the first run, but was able to clear almost all of it by the second run. Boost mode helped here, especially when cleaning up to the edges, and was able to pull up any remaining remnants from within the carpet. The crevice tool didn't work well at all, however.

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Pantry test

We use cereal and red lentils as strong examples of the type of debris we find on our floors. Cereal (we use off-brand Cheerio's) emulates many types of large debris, while lentils are smaller and have a texture that makes them stick to hard floors more easily.

Hard floors (wood & linoleum)
Getting the lentils out of the cracks between the wood panels was a challenge. Whilst almost everything else was cleared away, it took a few runs on boost mode to get those left in between. However, on linoleum floors, where there aren't any cracks, the vacuum had no problem at all. Barely anything was stuck to the roller afterward.

When cleaning the edges, the boost mode was automatically activated as soon as it neared the high-debris area. The vacuum cleared everything on the first run except for one Cheerio.

Carpets
In one run it was able to suck virtually everything minus a couple of Cheerios that were flung forward. It did struggle with lentils that were against the wall, and in the end, I had to remove the brush-roll and press the wand down on every section to clear it all.

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Hair test

To simulate pet hair, we chop up hair extensions and spread them across wood, linoleum and carpet floors. With carpet, we push the strands deep into the fibers to recreate the conditions of homes with pets.

Hard floors (wood & linoleum)
When vacuuming sparse, smaller amounts of hair, the Detect Pro performed ok. But when dealing with larger amounts, it all clumped at the end of the brushroll. Nothing was wrapped around the brushroll, but these clumps then fell out when tapped on the floor, bringing flour dust with it. For this reason, I'm not sure if I can recommend the Shark Detect Pro Cordless as one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

Carpets
It performed better on carpets. Even after pushing the hair deep into the carpet's fibers, the vacuum was able to pick everything up on the second run/pull back.

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Cleaning & maintenance

The dust cup and filter are completely removable, which is a big help when it comes to making sure everything is emptied out. However, I've found this to be essential, as dust gets caught really frequently in the cup and filter.

The dust can be shaken off (and high-impact shaking helps to knock the stubborn dust loose) but I still often used my hands to clear the rest of it away. Luckily, dust is the only culprit, as there's nowhere for hair to get caught in the dustbin.

Shark Detect Pro Cordless: Price & availability

The Shark Detect Pro Cordless retails at full price for $379.99, but is often on offer for under $200 (as it is now at the time of writing). You can find it direct from Shark, or from Amazon, Walmart and QVC.

In the UK, it sells for a similar £349.99 from Shark, Currys and Argos, or £286.57 from Amazon.

This is comfortably in the mid-range for a cordless vacuum. Those below $300 tend to not be amazing, and the more premium models typically cost upwards of $500.

You can also buy the Shark Detect Pro Cordless with a self-empty station for $449.99 from Shark.

How does the Shark Detect Pro Cordless compare?

The Detect Pro Cordless is Shark's entry into the new wave of detection vacuums that have become popular since Dyson first introduced the feature. The Dyson V15 Detect, the Gen5detect and the V12 Detect Slim are Dyson's offerings and, on test, all three of these performed better than the Shark Detect Pro Cordless. But they also come with a higher price tag, with the cheapest (the V12 Detect Slim) retailing for around $650 at full price and $450 in sale season at Dyson.

I tested the Detect Pro Cordless alongside the Henry Quick, the Tineco Pure One Station, the Proscenic P11 and the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. Out of these, I'd recommend the Henry Quick as a strong alternative: the suction power was great, it worked well on pet hair, and nothing got caught in the roller.

Should you buy the Shark Detect Pro Cordless?

The Shark Detect Pro is perhaps a little too expensive considering there are some clear kinks to iron out. It struggled to pick up debris caught between the floors' cracks, couldn't handle large amounts of hair, and required manual cleaning to completely empty the dust cup.

But if you were to grab it in a sale for around $200, it is an intuitively easy-to-use vacuum with decent suction power and an attractive design. It also works great on carpets.

How we test vacuums

At Homes & Gardens, we have a dedicated and thorough procedure of how we test vacuums. At our test center, we test various substances on three floor types (carpet, wood, linoleum) to recreate real-life circumstances.

Outside of this rigorous testing, I've been using the Shark Detect Pro Cordless as one of the many vacuums in my home.

If you're still looking for a reliable vacuum cleaner without a scary price tag, consider our guides to the best Dyson alternatives or the best vacuums for pet hair.

Vacuuming the house is a tedious task at the best of times. But with the right tools, this chore can become a lot more manageable.

I've tried many of the best vacuum cleaners over the years, and after tripping over power cords and lugging a heavy machine up the stairs, I’ve found that cordless models are much better suited to my household needs.

Not only do they look a lot sleeker than most traditional models, but cordless vacuum cleaners, like the LG CordZero™ series, come with a range of helpful functions and are easy to maneuver around your home.

Reasons why I prefer a cordless vacuum

With so many advantages, it’s no wonder cordless vacuums have become my go-to cleaning tool. Below, I’ll share the top five reasons why I've chosen to ditch the power cord and why a cordless model might be the perfect choice for you, too.

Cord Free Convenience

The biggest advantage of a cordless vacuum is, without a doubt, the sheer convenience it offers. Without the hassle of plugging and unplugging a cord, I can move freely from room to room, never having to pause my cleaning session. This is particularly handy, considering I live in a period property with limited power outlets and a rather unusual layout.

I also appreciate the freedom to move around without being tethered to a socket. It means I can reach far corners and high shelves without bending over backward. Cordless models, like the LG CordZero™ A937KGMS, are also perfect for homes with stairs, as you can easily carry them up and down without tripping over a cord in the process.

Moreover, their lightweight design makes them incredibly portable, reducing strain on my back and arms. Whether I'm vacuuming the stairs, cleaning the car, or moving between floors, the ease of handling is unmatched by traditional machines.

Accessibility and storage

I love how accessible and easy to store my cordless vacuum is. Its compact design means I can tuck it neatly into closets or small storage spaces, freeing up valuable room and eliminating the need for bulky utility room storage.

Without a cord, it's so much easier to grab and my vacuum and tackle unexpected messes. Whether it's crumbs on the kitchen floor or pet hair on the couch, my cordless vacuum makes the clean-up process fast and hassle-free.

One of my favorite features of the LG CordZero™ A937KGMS is its ability to transform into a handheld device, offering the same benefits as the best handheld vacuums without the need to buy more than one product.

Power and Longevity

In previous years, cordless vacuums earned a bit of bad rep for poor performance and battery life. However, when it comes to power and longevity, the latest and greatest cordless tech rarely disappoints.

For instance, models in the LG CordZero™ series offer some impressive battery life. The LG CordZero™ A949KTMS boasts two upgraded batteries, allowing you to charge one while using the other and providing up to 200 minutes of uninterupted cleaning time. Thanks to this enhanced battery life, I can tackle my entire home in one go without worrying about running out of power midway through a cleaning session.

Despite being cordless, these models also deliver some powerful suction, competing head-to-head with other top brands like Dyson and Shark. It’s reassuring to know that I don’t have to sacrifice performance for convenience.

Smart Features

What really sets modern cordless vacuums apart is how they have embraced smart technology. For example, connecting my machine to a smart app allows me to monitor battery life, receive maintenance alerts, and track cleaning history right from my phone. It’s incredibly convenient to have all this information at my fingertips.

What's more, some models even feature self-emptying docks, meaning I don’t have to worry about emptying the dustbin as frequently. This smart tech not only enhances the performance of my vacuum but also takes a lot of the stress out of the cleaning process.

Aesthetics

Although it's not a reason to rush out and buy one, another thing I genuinely appreciate about cordless vacuums is their modern design. Unlike cumbersome traditional vacuum cleaners, these models are designed to look sleek and contemporary.

Many of the best cordless vacuums feature charging docks or, in the case of the LG Cordzero™ series, an All-in-One Tower™ that self-empties the dust bin when the device is docked. These units tend to have clean, modern designs that complement most home decor. Thoughtful touches such as this make me more likely to keep my cordless vacuum outside of the cupboard rather than stowed away with my other essential cleaning tools.

Finding the right cordless vacuum should help make cleaning your home far less of a chore. But if you really want to take the stress out of vacuuming, consider buying a self-emptying vacuum cleaner.

Cordless vacuums are often ideal for quick everyday cleaning, and if you have pets, these cleaning tools are perfect for sucking up clumps of hair and removing fur from furniture and other upholstery. However, many cordless vacuums are quite pricey, which is why the Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum caught my eye. 

Also marketed as the Shark Rocket, this cordless vacuum has a lightweight, battery-operated design, and it’s more affordable than many other stick vacuums, retailing for around $200. By comparison, Dyson’s popular stick vacuums start at $400 and rise to more than $1000. The Shark has a large floorhead and multiple suction settings, and I wanted to see how well it would handle the surplus of pet hair in my home, and earn a place as one of the best vacuums for pet hair.

I tested this vacuum for two weeks, using it to clean up after my two long-haired dogs and rambunctious cat. While there were several things I liked about its design
– such as the lightweight form and HEPA filtration – I don’t think it’s the right vacuum for everyone. 

Product specifications

Who would it suit?

The Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum is best-suited for light-duty cleaning around the house. Its floorhead isn’t the most powerful, even on the boost setting. It can pick up dirt and spilled food, but it’s not very effective for getting deep into carpets. While it’s marketed as a pet vacuum, it’s also not the best for picking up fur – long strands of pet hair can get wrapped around the brushroll, and because there’s no pet attachment, it can’t be used to clean upholstery or furniture. 

I actually think this model works best as a hand vacuum – it was great for vacuuming the stairs in my house and cleaning in tight areas of the bathroom, thanks to its cordless design. The battery lasts long enough for most cleaning sessions, and its lightweight form is easy to carry up and down stairs. 

Unboxing

The Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum was quick and easy to unbox and put together. The pieces were packaged in cardboard and each wrapped in plastic to prevent scratching, and there were only five total items in the box—the vacuum body, tube, and floorhead, along with the charger and crevice tool. 

I was able to snap the pieces together without consulting the directions, but I quickly realized that there was no way the vacuum would stand up while assembled, as it’s very top-heavy. After looking at the diagrams on the box, I realized that the body of the vacuum can be removed and hooked onto the front of the tube. This allows it to stand upright for charging, but it is a bit inconvenient to have to take the vacuum apart before storing it. I think a wall-mounting docking station would have been a better design, instead of the plain plug-in charger. 

The main body of this vacuum is designed to be hooked onto the front of the tube while charging – this allows the vacuum to stand upright – and you do have to reassemble it before use. The body clicks into the tube easily, and the controls are right at your fingertips. There are separate suction settings for hard floors and carpeting, and the latter increases the brushroll speed. There’s also a trigger that you can pull to activate the “boost” setting, increasing the vacuum’s suction, but I typically only used it for short cleaning spurts, as you have to hold it down the whole time.

Test 1: Hard floors

The vacuum performs fairly well on hard floors, including hardwood and laminate, and it’s easy to drive around and maneuver into tight spaces thanks to its small, lightweight form.

I used it to vacuum my kitchen and bathroom, and while it’s not the most powerful in terms of suction, it was able to pick up loose pet hair, crumbs, and even cat litter without sending particles flying around. The dustbin is large enough that I only needed to empty it once per cleaning session, and I love that the vacuum has a HEPA filter and allergen seal to keep dust trapped inside.  

Test 2: Carpet

However, the vacuum didn’t do as well on carpeting. The area rug in my living room gets dirty quickly, as my two dogs lay on it constantly, so I tend to vacuum it every other day. The Shark was able to pick up visible dirt and any debris that was tracked onto the rug, but it didn’t do well pulling up dog hair. Even after using its boost setting, there was still quite a bit of fur left on the rug, and the surface didn’t look nearly as clean as when I use my full-size vacuum.  

Test 3: Handheld mode

After a few weeks of testing, I found myself mostly using the Shark as a handheld vacuum, as its lightweight size is easy to carry around the house. It comes with a crevice tool that attaches directly to the vacuum body, and it’s perfect for cleaning stairs, around baseboards, and in tight areas of my bathroom. I wish it came with other attachments, though – a dusting brush and upholstery tool would have made the vacuum even more versatile. I also don’t like that there’s nowhere to store the crevice tool on the body of the vacuum.

Cleaning and maintenance

The Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum has a fairly large 0.83-quart dustbin, and I typically only needed to empty it at the end of each cleaning session. To empty it, you remove the tube and hold the body of the vacuum over the trash can. There’s a lever on the side of the dustbin that you press down, and it opens the bottom of the bin to let debris fall out. A clump of pet fur would occasionally get stuck inside the bin and need to be fished out, but overall, it’s quite easy to empty and generally a hands-free task.  

How does it rate online?

The Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum has 120 reviews on the Shark website and an average rating of 3.6 stars. While people like the vacuum’s lightweight cordless design, many agree that the suction isn’t strong enough. Additionally, several reviewers say that the battery life decreases after several months of use. 

This vacuum also has a 3.6-star rating from around 670 reviewers on the Target website, many of whom have the same complaints about the suction power and waning battery life. However, like me, lots of people noted that the vacuum works better on hard floors than carpeting.    

How does it compare?

The best cordless vacuum we’ve tested is the Dyson Gen5, which costs around $650. It’s significantly more powerful than the Shark and can run for up to 60 minutes per charge. We particularly love that the Gen5 comes with a wide variety of attachments, including specialty heads for hard floors and carpeting, making it highly effective on both types of flooring. While it is quite an investment, it’s a worthwhile splurge if you want a cordless vacuum that performs just as well as a corded model.  

If you want a vacuum for pet hair, I can personally recommend the Shark Stratos upright. It's great on pet hair and loaded with handy pet features like anti-odor cartirdges, and lifts out of its body so that it's almost as nimble as this cordless. It's not that much more expensive, and while it's a little bulkier, I think it's much better than this vacuum. 

Should you buy the Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum?

The Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum isn’t the most powerful or versatile option out there today. It’s effective for quick cleaning tasks, working well as a hand vacuum and on hard floors, but it’s not ideal if your pets have long hair or your home has a lot of carpeting. It might be a worthwhile buy for everyday tidying if you can find it on sale, but its performance doesn’t justify its regular price tag of $200. If you’re going to pay that much, you’re better off spending a little extra to get a more powerful upright vacuum.  

How we test vacuums

If you want to know how we test vacuums, there are two main methods; in our homes and in our dedicated test centre. We use the test centre for more precise evaluation, and in our homes for a sense of how these vacuums perform in the real world. 

In all of our reviews, we test a range of debris on different surfaces. We use flour and sugar as a proxy for dust and tiny dirt, which shows us if a vacuum can handle this sort of fine cleaning. We use a 'pantry test' on spilled cereal to see how well the vacuum can handle larger crumbs, and it's an especially useful test if you have young kids. Finally, we test on old hair extensions to see how the vacuums can handle hair and fur. We test vacuums marketed as 'pet hair vacuums' in homes with dogs and cats to ensure that the vacuums we include genuinely remove pet hair. 

We repeat these tests on several floor types. We test on wood to see how well a vacuum can pick up dirt between the cracks of the planks, We test on lineoleum to see if the vacuum will scratch floors, and how well it forms a seal with the floor, and on carpet to see if the brush bar can beat dirt and debris out of the fibres. We also test all of these debris types on handheld mode, where applicable. 

For more information, see how we test.

Cordless vacuums are becoming increasingly clever and several now have self-emptying charging bases. But whilst whilst I love this self-emptying tech, I definitely don’t love the price tag. However, it seems Ultenic, have spotted this gap in the market, offering reasonably priced vacuums with self-emptying tech.

Having tested and enjoyed the Ultenic U12, I was keen to get my hands on other models made by the brand. The FS1 offers smart self-emptying, a neat charging station, and total cordless convenience. According to these specifications, it should rival the best vacuum cleaners on the market.

I took it to our test centre and wasn’t disappointed. The FS1’s suction power is pretty faultless. Its agility and weight leaves a little to be desired and some features are quite gimmicky, but if you want a cheap vacuum, this is one of the best. 

Specifications

Unboxing

Unboxing and setting up the Ultenic is easy. It comes in a few pieces: the floor head, the adjustable hose, the bin, and the charging station. There are some extra accessories, including a replacement filter, two dustbin bags, and accessories for couches and crevices. These are all good to have and a nice touch for a cheap vacuum, but they’re about what I would expect.

The pieces of the Ultenic all click satisfyingly into place. My battery came fully charged, but if yours doesn’t, Ultenic estimates that it will take approximately two and a half hours to load with up to one hour of charge, which could be a lot better. The station has the bin pre-inserted, so there’s very little prep to do before you can start vacuuming.

Who would it suit?

There’s no escaping it, for $230 this is a cheap cordless vacuum. It’s perfect for those who are on a budget, but still looking for a reasonable vacuum. It does a good job of cordless cleaning and the dustbin has reasonable capacity, so it suits large homes. In fact, if you’re short on space, you might not like having to store the charging station in full view. It’s not ugly, but it’s no design feature either.

I wouldn’t recommend this to people who need an ultra-light vacuum and those who will vacuum the ceilings. It’s heavier than the average cordless and a little cumbersome because of the way the weight is distributed. 

What is it like to use?

I never know what to expect when testing cheaper vacuums but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this. It’s a good, basic model. The performance is near-perfect, there are, however, a few things to know.

Test 1: flour and sugar

Our first test for any vacuum is how well it vacuums flour and sugar on hard wood, carpet, and linoleum floor. The Ultenic was brilliant. I don’t actually have much more to say. I didn’t have to do multiple passes and the vacuum didn't redeposit any flour. 

The wheels moved smoothly across every surfaces. I could imagine that they would struggle on long, fluffy rugs, but most vacuums would. It’s not the most nimble for navigating around furniture, but, for the price, you get something that will easily pick up light debris. 

There is also a floor laser, imitating the Dyson V15.  It might help you for showing dust under furniture, but, for the most part, this is a bit of a gimmick and doesn't work like the Dyson. 

Test 2: cereal

Scattering cereal across the floor is an excellent test for how vacuums handle bigger debris. If it's not cereal from the aftermath of weekday breakfasts, it could be your pet’s kibble. I wish I had more to say, but this was pretty faultless across the floors again. It pushed a few cereal pieces across the hard floor, but cleared everything up quickly. 

At this point, the dust bin was full. I had suctioned flour, sugar, and cereal across three different floor types by this point, so I was expecting the bin to be full before this. 

But here is where the Ultenic fell down. Simply sitting the vacuum in the station will open the bin, but, unlike other models, it won’t automatically empty. I lifted the bin up and scattered flour all around the station, making quite a mess. You need to hold the button down to activate the bin emptying process. This is generally thorough, although it will leave little debris at the top. I ended up reaching in to remove it. This Ultenic offers premium features, but misses the finesse of more expensive appliances.

Test 3: hair

Our final test is on one of the toughest opponents for most vacuums: hair. This is probably the Ultenic’s greatest success. In line with all the other tasks, the Ultenic demonstrated exceptional suction power across all floor types. I thought it would struggle, but this was seriously impressive. However, when I flipped the vacuum over to check the floor head, there was some hair wrapped around the rollers. This could be a lot better, but all the hair was picked up from every surface. If you have pets or live in a large home, this will clean it, albeit with a few quirks. 

Cleaning, storage, and maintenance

I’ve mentioned that this has a charging station, where you can sit the vacuum when it's not in use. You’ll need to separate the battery to charge it, which isn’t an intuitive thing to do, but it’s relatively easy and tidy. The floor head fits neatly underneath and aside from remembering to press the button on the vacuum to ensure that it empties properly, it’s all very easy.

As far as vacuum storage goes, having a station is stylish. It’s quite big, so if you live in a small apartment, I’d think carefully about positioning, but it’s brilliant nonetheless. The filter, unlike the other Ultenic, didn’t clog and is really easy to access and remove. 

How does it rate online?

As you might expect, this is a popular vacuum. On Amazon, it boasts 4.3 stars, with most people citing the power and luxurious features. If you have allergies, this is better than other bagless vacuums, because it empties into a bin and has an HEPA filter too. I found plenty of allergy sufferers who used this without any issues.

I had to turn to other expert reviewers to find some criticisms and these mostly centred around the agility and overall feel of the Ultenic. My issue with the self-emptying came up in other reviewers' tests, as it's not completely hands-off. Others also commented on the chunky handle, which isn't comfortable to handle for long periods of time.

How does it compare?

The first vacuum I thought of when I saw the Ultenic is the Samsung Bespoke Jet. This is triple the price and, for some people, could be worth it. The Samsung feels more premium, it’s ultra-lightweight, boasts the same brilliant suction power, and automatically empties the bin when the vacuum is in the charging station. It’s more svelte and stylish too, so, if you have the money to spend, you might be tempted to invest in the Samsung.

However, I’d like to re-emphasise the ‘if you have the money to spend’ part of that phrase. Buying the Ultenic could save you $400. If you’re not fussed about a few pounds of weight and some luxury features, which most people aren’t, this is a better bet.

Should you buy it?

If you’re looking for a cheap cordless vacuum This almost guarantees that your money will be well spent. The suction power is second to none; the overall design is slick and stylish; and it’s incredible value. However, if you have more money to spend and you really care about luxury features you may be better off buying the Samsung.

How we test

At Homes and Gardens, we really care about how we test vacuums. Before we recommend any cordless vacuum to you we take it to our test centre where we put it through a range of tests designed to emulate home use. We’ll see how well it can vacuum sugar, flour, cereal and hair up from hard floor carpets.

Our team will also make notes on the unboxing, cleaning, storage and maintenance, so you know what it’s like to use in your own home. If there are any quirks or features we think you need to know about, we write them in the review so that there are no surprises when the vacuum arrives at your home. If you’d like to find out more, you can read our page detailing how we test vacuums.

If you're looking for a vacuum with strong suction, premium features, and a reasonable price tag, consider Shark's lineup. But as they make cordless and upright vacuums in the Stratos vs. Vertex lines, which is better?

Our experts have tested the best Shark vacuums alongside 74 vacuums from 23 brands, and here, we pit Shark's Stratos and Vertex models against each other to figure out the better one for your needs.

From capacity to agility, here's everything you need to know when deciding between Shark's Stratos and Vertex vacuums.

What's the difference between Shark Stratos and Shark Vertex?

The Stratos vacuums tend to have more advanced technology for avoiding hair tangling in the rollers as well as odor neutralizing cartridges. Other differences, such as dimensions, weight, and capacity are model dependent.

Stratos Upright vs. Vertex DuoClean

Winner: Stratos Upright

The Shark Stratos was once the best upright vacuum we'd reviewed, before the newer Shark POWERDETECT was released. It has powerful suction, an agile design, and the same effective, odor-neutralizing cartridge that we love in their cordless models. Even as a vacuum for pet hair this was mess free and easy to clean.

The Shark Vertex comes close to the Stratos in power. It's excellent across a range of debris and floor types. It's also lighter than the Stratos, so easier to move around. However, when we tested the Stratos, we found the dustbin limiting. The Vertex's dustbin is another 0.5 quarts smaller, making it a little frustrating to do thorough cleans with.

Both the Stratos and the Vertex have LED lights on the nozzle and DuoClean PowerFins, but the Stratos is wins for two key reasons: it has the HairPro Power brush and odor neutralizer cartridges.

Even though this takes longer to assemble, if you're often vacuuming pet hair and the smells that come with it, the Stratos is unmatched.

The Vertex boasts a 12" cleaning path, which is wider than other vacuums and 1.4 inches wider than the Stratos. If you have a big home, this kind of distance adds up. It makes for an effortless clean, especially considering the Vertex is half a pound lighter.

Bottom line: The Stratos is best for pets, deep cleans, and those who suffer from allergies. The Vertex is best if you want a (slightly) lighter vacuum and you don't mind often emptying it.

Cordless: Stratos vs Vertex

Winner: Shark Vertex Pro

In terms of sheer power, the Shark Vertex Lightweight Cordless is better. It was close to faultless across our tests, with our only complaint being that the dustbin is small.

And, the newer and more advanced Shark Vertex Pro has topped our guide of the best Dyson alternatives for months now. It has higher suction power, a larger dustbin and a digital display for when you're cleaning. Out of the two, the Vertex Pro wins.

The Stratos has great suction, too. We haven't managed to test this ourselves, but some reviews suggest that this is better than the Vertex on low-pile carpets. The Vertex, on the other hand, is said to be better as one of the best vacuums for hardwood floors. This could be a deciding factor depending on the floor types in your home.

If you have pets and need that extra something, the Stratos is consistently reviewed online to have strong anti-tangle technology, one of the reasons why pet hair is so hard to vacuum, reducing how often you'll have to cut hair out yourself.

A key difference is the Stratos' ability to sense what's on your floor and adjust the power setting itself, similar to the best Dyson vacuums. With both Vertex models, you have to do this manually, but it only takes the push of a button.

Bottom line: The Vertex Pro is the best for cleaning power, but the Stratos' floor sensors make it more user-friendly. The Vertex Lightweight is best if you're on a budget.

FAQs

What is better, Shark Stratos or Shark Vertex?

The Shark Stratos (cheapest at Amazon) wins if you're looking for an upright vacuum, perhaps if you want the best vacuum for carpets. But the Shark Vertex Pro takes the top spot when looking at the best cordless vacuums.

How we test vacuums

At Homes & Gardens we have a thorough process for how we test vacuums. We test each of them in our dedicated test center on carpet, linoleum and hardwood to see how they clean different surfaces. We vacuum standardized amounts of flour, sugar, cereal and lentils to see how they fare against everything from fine powders to large debris.

To distinguish between pet vacuums vs regular vacuums, we test pet vacuums in a local cat and dog shelter. It's a busy environment that's full of fur and general mess, so it's a great opportunity to see what the vacuum can handle.

In the incredibly rare event that we can't test a vacuum or are waiting on a review, we will do diligent research into a model. Our experts spend hours reading through user and professional reviews so that they know everything they need to about a vacuum.

Next, browse our tried-and-tested guides of the best vacuums for hardwood floors and the best lightweight vacuums.

The best Black Friday deal may have dropped more than a week out from the main sales event. I've just found that the Hoover ONEPWR Blade MAX is on sale for just $99.

I was incredibly surprised when I first caught this dropping down to $153 in the first Prime Day in summer and $183 in the second Prime Day in October. Dropping down to $99 is almost unheard o, (with the exception of a very brief drop to $94 on a random day in August.

But this is far from the best vacuum in the world. We found lots of faults in our test center, and I also happen to use this vacuum at home. Over the past few months, I've found that it has lots of drawbacks and fiddly, mildly annoying quirks.

However, if just need something that does a good job of cleaning your floors, this is the vacuum for you. It justifiably has a spot in our picks of the best vacuums for pet hair. It's a good vacuum, just not a great one. If you want a good Black Friday deal, this is the one. 

What's the deal?

Should you buy it?

Yes, but with a couple caveats. You should buy this vacuum if you aren't a cleaning obsessive. If you don't need the microscopic particulate feedback of a Dyson, or the anti-pet smell tech of a Shark, I'd buy this. As a product tester, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that most people simply don't care about this stuff. If you want a cordless vacuum that will clean your apartment for under $100, this is the one. 

However, the first caveat is right there; this is definitely better suited for an apartment than for a house. It's great for cleaning my apartment, but the runtime would definitely struggle on a larger home. It also wraps hair around the brush roll, so if there's a lot of long hair in your home, prepare to cut it out from this vacuum every few weeks. If you want the very best, this vacuum isn't for you. 

Is the vacuum any good?

That sounds like a lot of drawbacks, but the performance on this vacuum is pretty good. I know that first hand. Not only was I there when it was put through the test, I happened to move into a new place right after we tested it and needed a vacuum, so I've been using this for the past couple months to tide me over.

In our test center, we found that it's exceptionally good for cleaning carpets and wood floors, but it's so powerful that it can be tricky on lineoleum. I've found this to be true at home, too. Most of our apartment is carpet, and it does a great job at cleaning it. Our carpets are always spotless after I running this round the living room. We also recently bought an area rug that's been shedding like crazy and it does a great job of keeping it fluff-free. It definitely feels overpowered on the lino in our kitchen and bathroom, making it tricky to push, but if you drop the power level as low as you can it does a great job.

However, it has some drawbacks. First of all, it is bizarrely tricky to empty. The dustbin mechanism feels counterintuitive and I'm yet to empty it into the trash without the sensation I'm about to dump dust onto onto the floor I just cleaned. This hasn't happened yet, but it's pretty likely. It wraps hair around the brushroll, too, and while that's evidence of a thorough job, no one likes cutting that out every few uses. The runtime on max power is a little short, but that's true of almost every cordless vacuums. You may also find that it feels a little heavy after a while.

In short, this vacuum is good but not great. It performs well but can be annoying to use. It's nowhere near as good as a Dyson or a Shark, but at this price it can't be.

What are the alternatives?

FAQs

The Hoover ONEPWR Blade MAX is a great deal, but there are plenty of other candidates for the best vacuum. That's before you even think about floorcare alternatives like the best robot vacuum, too.  

It's a truth universally acknowledged, that a well-used entryway will always need a clean. In fact, they get messy almost as quickly as you tidy them. If you have kids or dogs, you’ll know the struggle particularly well. Treading in leaves and dirt creates notable, but not deep mess. 

Oftentimes this doesn’t feel significant enough to justify unpacking your main vacuum cleaner to sort, which is when it's handy to have the cordless Brigii handheld vacuum nearby. Smaller than most water bottles, it’s an easy and convenient way to keep your home spotless. 

I took it to our test center and put it through its paces across a range of floor and debris types. Overall, this is an impressive handheld vacuum. It's basic, but a brilliant complement to your main vacuum cleaner.

Specifications

Unboxing

The Brigii is characterised by its compactness. I'll try not to re-state the size too much, but just so you know, it's smaller than a rolling pin. The cardboard box that it arrived in was tiny and surprisingly lightweight. The Brigii has some plastic sleeves and packaging around it to keep it scratch-free, but there’s not too much to dispose of. 

I love that this comes with a drawstring bag. If you wanted to hook this on a coat stand or store it discreetly in a drawer, you can. All the accessories fit inside, so you can keep the charger and brush together. 

Who would it suit?

If you’re someone who notices every speck of dirt on the floor, you might as well buy a belt loop to keep this in. It’s incredibly useful for spot cleans, especially in smaller homes where your main vacuum might be more effort to unpack and use. 

If you have pets, this kind of handheld vacuum is really useful for small cleans. For example, if your furry friend leaves lots of hair on the sofa, the Brigii will clear it expertly. The same applies for cleaning drawers and cars; this would be easy to keep in the glovebox and then bring out for any spills or light cleans.

It's almost too obvious to mention, but this is a handheld vacuum, so it won't replace your main cleaner. It's a brilliant complement, rather than a small supplement.

What is it like to use?

I loved using the Brigii and have found myself wondering why it’s not standard practice to have a main vacuum and then a little handheld. It’s incredibly useful and easy to store. The crevice tool is ultra useful for precision cleaning around baseboards and in drawers and seams too. There’s almost no end to what the Brigii can do. When I put it though our tests, I was even more pleased.

Test 1: Cereal

The first test for any vacuum involves suctioning cereal from the floor. Not only is this a common mess in most households, they’re a good indicator for how a vacuum will handle large debris such as kibble too. 

Having scattered cereal across linoleum, hard wood, and carpet floors, I used the Brigii on its low suction setting and got testing. I had absolutely no trouble and this cleared the floor in seconds. It was relatively quiet, never making more than 74 dBA of noise. 

Of course, at the end of this round of tests, the small dust bin was full and needed to be emptied, but it had done a fantastic job. I didn't find it as effective when holding it upside down. You'll need to move your body if you want to vacuum at different angles, but with a vacuum this small, that’s no effort at all.

Test 2: Flour and sugar

The next test for any vacuum is how well it can pick up flour and sugar from carpet, linoleum, and hard wood floor. Again, I was impressed with the Brigii. The suction power was good enough to lift sugar granules from the cracks in hardwood floor that bigger and more expensive vacuums had left behind in our other tests. 

You can see in the image above that the Brigii, without any nozzle attachments, struggled to totally clear the carpet of flour and debris. I attached the brush to give the Brigii some extra help and it restored the carpet to its former, clean state. I put this down to the fact that the Brigii floorhead doesn’t have rollers like big vacuums, instead it’s just an open mouth. But with that in mind, I was pretty pleased with the Brigii.

Test 3: Hair

I was a little apprehensive about vacuuming hair with the Brigii. However, the lack of rollers and a floor head, which had hindered it on carpets, made it an incredibly clean and effective vacuum when lifting hair up from all floors. 

I would even argue that this was the Brigii’s best performance; it sucked up hair in seconds. Even better, there were no rollers for me to cut hair out of after. If you have pets and will need to vacuum a spot on the chair or in your car, this will come in endlessly useful. 

Cleaning, storage, and maintenance

As I’ve mentioned, without a floor head, this is incredibly easy to clear after cleans. The body pops off and can be emptied straight into the bin. It’s easy to slide the filter out and rinse it from there, but this didn’t clog quickly at all. 

When you’re finished with the Brigii, it can be stored in its drawstring bag and left pretty much anywhere. It’s really compact. Of course, you’ll need to remember to charge it, which doesn’t take long. I haven't experienced it running out of battery, because Brigii says that it will last for 20 minutes. I always used my Brigii for quick cleans; I don't think it would be comfortable to use for more than 20 minutes and then I put it on charge every time that I used it, so that I didn't ever go to use it on a flat battery.

How does it rate online?

I wondered whether people would call the Brigii cheap, because it’s pretty basic, small and plastic, but they didn’t. In fact, this is a hit with reviewers. The most gushing owners of Brigii’s had pets - unsurprisingly - and used it to clean up after them. People commented on how small and yet also how powerful the Brigii is and I have to agree: it’s remarkable. 

It has 4.4 stars on Amazon, with people's main criticism being that this is single speed. Normally, I wouldn't like this in a vacuum, but when you're clearing small messes, you don't really need to adjust it much.

How does it compare?

Brigii has an H5 model, which comes with another speed, an LED display and a neat floorhead attachment. This is like the upgraded version of the Brigii Crevice that I tested, because it comes with a stand, wider nozzle, and floor head. If both vacuums costed the same, I would recommend the H5. However, you'll be paying another $40 for these features and I'm not sure it's worth it. The Brigii Crevice did a brilliant job.

The best 'upgrade' from the Brigii is the Dyson Omni-glide. This is much bigger than the Brigii - think five rolling pins rather than one - but it behaves more like a classic vacuum cleaner. The battery life tends to last longer and the dustbin is more than triple the Brigii's. The issue with the Omni-glide is that it's not nearly as compact as the Brigii, so if you live in a spall space and want a handheld vacuum for quick clean ups, the Brigii will be a better space-saving option.

Final thoughts

Anyone can make room for one of these, even me in my compact urban apartment. It’s really useful for topping up your home cleaning without having to unpack a whole vacuum cleaner - plus this is cordless, making it even more convenient to use at a moment’s notice. 

How we test

At Homes & Gardens we test every appliance before we recommend them. Our experts take them to our test center, where we put them through our standardized tests as well as some extra ones if an appliance claims special features. We test our vacuums on a range of debris and floor types, so that you will know how well this suits your home before you buy it. If you want to know more, you can visit our 'how we test vacuums' page.

I consider myself to be a bit of a vacuum snob. As a product tester, I’ve been exposed to some of the best vacuums on the market, so when handling models that are super cheap, more often than not, I’m disappointed. That was until I tested Ultenic’s U12.

At under $200 this cordless vacuum delivers on features which would rival vacuums which cost five times the price, and which sit at the top of our guides to the best vacuums on the market. Even when vacuuming hair, this maintained its almost unbelievable appeal. 

I had read great things about the Ultenic, but it wasn't until I took it to our test center that I could confirm these for myself. There is, of course, an undeniably cheap feel to the plastic body when you stand it alongside a Dyson vacuum, for example. The filter clogs up quite quickly too and yet, for all these shortcomings, there are some improvements on some other luxury vacuum features. 

If you’re on a budget, but still looking for high quality, I think you’ll love what the Ultenic has to offer. 

Specifications

Unboxing

I didn’t realise that the Ultenic had arrived when a box appeared with my name and address on it. Lightweight and compact, I’ve had parcels bigger than this for a pair of shoes before. However, when I opened the box, I found the Ultenic neatly packaged up. There are a few non-recyclable plastic wraps in the bag, designed to protect from scratches, but most of the packaging is recyclable, which is great to see.

Who would it suit?

Compact, and cordless, this is cleaning convenience at its finest. If you live in a large home without many plugs, you’ll find this is easy to use in your regular cleaning routine. It’s light enough to carry up stairs and, if they’re particularly steep, you can compact the height adjustable wand, making this even easier to lift and maneuver. 

Generally, the Ultenic was good across a range of floor types, even with hair. It struggled the most on carpets with fine particles of flour, so if that sounds like your home, an upright vacuum might be a better suited cleaning option.

What is it like to use?

Although Ultenic includes instructions, this couldn’t be easier to set up. The height-adjustable wand clicks neatly into place with the floor head and dustbin. I put the battery on charge as a precaution, but ours arrived close to fully charged, so I could start vacuuming as soon as our tests were set up. 

Test 1: cereals

The first test we put any vacuum through is clearing cereal and larger pieces of debris up from floor. This includes pet kibble as well as mess under the table. I used a relatively low power setting and this didn’t hesitate to clear the floor. It sucked up cereal effortlessly and quietly from hardwood, linoleum, and carpet floors: a totally faultless performance. 

The Ultenic was easy to push and change speed settings on too thanks to the clear dashboard, which counts down how much vacuum time you have left. This will depend on your power setting, the Ultenic boasts five, and even the slowest was still incredibly effective at vacuuming cereals up.

After vacuuming, the dustbin was full. This isn’t unusual in our tests because we tend to ensure that any mess we set up is extreme, but it’s worth noting that the dustbin, not the runtime or your arm strength will be the limiting factor in your cleaning. It shows excellent performance but you might find it frustrating to keep running to the trashcan.  

The bin pops open at the press of a button (most of the vacuum is controlled by buttons: the power, the battery, the speed settings too). It empties easily, so I didn’t get my hands messy at the end of a clear up - a surprisingly rare treat for a vacuum of this price point.

Test 2: flour and sugar

This is where the vacuum struggled. It could clear up all the flour but the green sensor exposed some granules of sugar left behind. After clearing the linoleum, we moved on to hardwood floor when the vacuum flashed red warning signs and changed to high speed and then it's low speed eco setting. These signs suggested a blocked airway (which there wasn’t) so we continued to vacuum up most of the rest of the flour and sugar on an enforced ‘eco’ mode, feeling somewhat disappointed that the Ultenic wasn’t quite what we thought it was.

After taking a look at the vacuum, we realised the filter had clogged with flour and sugar. Pulling off the dust bin, we cleared the filter out and the vacuum was restored to its former excellence, expertly clearing everything from cereal to flour and hair off the floor. 

But while it's worth noting that the filter clogs easily, it won't be worth worrying about unless your home is particularly dusty. It was also is straightforward and simple to fix, so while not a problem we've encountered with other vacuums, it's not a deal-breaker. 

Test 3: hair

The hair test will make or break a vacuum. Clearing hair, especially pet hair can be a tricky and messy job. However, even on eco mode, the Ultenic was brilliant. It pushed hair around on the carpet a little, but successfully cleared everything relatively quickly. On linoleum and hardwood floor, this was completely faultless.

However, the the anti hair wrap technology leaves a lot to be desired. You can see in the image above that as I had to remove a lot of hair from the brush roll. There's a groove you can run a pair of scissors along to make it faster but it's still poor compared to a Dyson or a Shark. If you have long hair you'll certainly clean it all up but it might be a little gross to deal with afterwards. However, it bodes well for homes with pets, because no hair was left on the floors. That’s fantastic news if you need an affordable vacuum for pet hair.

Cleaning, storage, and maintenance

This is relatively compact, but it comes with quite a few accessories, so you’ll want to find somewhere to keep them safe. Annoyingly, the Ultenic can’t stand on its own, but there is a wall mount provided. However, if you live in rented accommodation, this screws into the wall, so you'd have double check this with your landlord first.

As I mentioned, the filter is the most high maintenance part of the vacuum as well as remembering to charge the vacuum. Ultenic claims 1 hour of battery life and the dashboard gives you a useful countdown timer to follow how long you have left - if varies depending on power - but you will need to keep an eye on charge.

How does it rate online?

A quick scroll down Google or through Amazon reviews will show you lots of postive reviews. This has been called 'extremely manoeuvrable', 'incredibly priced', 'very good looking', and 'game-changing'. That's from other expert testers too. User reviews average at 4.5 stars out of 5 from nearly 200 people. Lots of users, alongside the compliments issued by experts, said that this was easy to use and incredibly effective, even with dog hair. 

We felt that the green light sensor, although useful for lighting the way, was a bit of a gimmick. The laser on the Dyson v15 is set at an angle to show up dust. This one is really just a green headlight. However, people seem to love it. It's one of the most mentioned features in the Amazon reviews. 

I wasn't surprised by any of the criticisms that I read. People said that they would like it to be free standing and some expert reviewers also experienced issues with the filter. If you're willing to regularly clean it, this shouldn't be a compromise. If it saves you close to $500, filter cleaning is a worthwhile sacrifice.

How does it compare?

It might seem unfair to compare Dyson's V15 to the Ultenic U12, because the Dyson is nearly four times the price and it's the top pick in our cordless vacuum cleaner guide. However, since the Ultenic U12 has been dubbed a 'Dyson dupe' in lots of reviews, it's only fair to test out the nickname. 

The Ultenic is lighter, more compact, and has a slightly larger dust bin capacity than the Dyson V15. The numbers look good for the Ultenic, especially considering that it is $500 cheaper than the Dyson too. If you'll be moving up and down stairs a lot, you'll enjoy how much lighter the Ultenic is. Plus, you don't have to constantly depress a trigger to use the vacuum, a common grievance that people raise with Dysons.

Both vacuums offer some numerical feedback and data for your cleaning: the Ultenic's dashboard will time your cleaning and let you know about the range of suction settings. However, the Dyson gives you feedback on your cleaning and how much dust you're collecting on top of lots of other useful information. Some of this isn't really necessary, but if you're detail oriented, the Dyson comes out on top.

Whilst the Ultenic's performance was really good, it still wasn't quite as good as the Dyson. When it came to finer details and extracting all the dust and debris from each floor type the Dyson V15 was better, especially on carpets. Hair didn't get as tangled in the Dyson and it was much easier to remove from the floorhead. The Dyson also feels more premium and moves like a luxury vacuum. So, whilst the Ultenic hasn't knocked the Dyson V15 off top spot, it's put up a good fight and, for Dyson quality without the price tag, this is a fantastic option.

Final thoughts

This is a brilliant vacuum. Regardless of the price tag, it's easy to use, comfortable to hold, and excellent across our tests. The futuristic dashboard gives you essential, useful metrics to help you manage how you clean your home too. Add in that this is under $200 and this is the best budget vacuum that we've tested. It's not perfect, especially with the filter clogging, but every fault is worth the compromise if you're trying to save money.

How we test

At Homes & Gardens, we take our tests very seriously. That's why our dedicated team of experts tests every vacuum before we recommend them. We have a test center where we make notes on every aspect of vacuums. From unboxing to cleaning, storage and maintenance, to how they perform across a range of dirt, dust and dander. Our reviews are all independent, so if you'd like to know more about the process, you can visit our dedicated page for how we test vacuums.

There's been a lot of talk around Samsung's latest update to their Bespoke Jet Vacuum series. Updated with smart technology, power-saving sensors, and extra suction power, it could be the next best cordless vacuum on the market.

It's also the next most expensive. Some retailers are selling this for nearly $1,000. I was fortunate enough to preview this before it was launched and I remembered being impressed. It's lightweight and beautiful, but also really powerful, which is unusual for a cordless vacuum. 

Once Samsung released this to the market, our team of experts took this to our test center, so that we could give the new updates a thorough test. We've already reviewed the older Bespoke Jet model (you can click through to see the review) and loved it, so had high expectations for the latest iteration.