We’ve put dozens of the best cordless stick vacuums to the test in The Lab, evaluating factors like suction power, maneuverability, and noise level. Our best overall pick, the Shark Vertex DuoClean PowerFins Cordless Stick Vacuum, has an easy-to-use design and makes short work of debris like crushed cereal, hair, and popcorn kernels. Here are the best cordless stick vacuums, backed by our thorough testing. The Shark Vertex DuoClean PowerFins Cordless Stick Vacuum was a standout product in our testing. It’s our top pick because it has the powerful suction of an upright vacuum, but the maneuverability of a cordless stick vacuum. We recently tested the newest model in this series, the Shark Cordless Pro with Clean Sense IQ, but still found the performance of the PowerFins to be much more impressive. It wasted no time sucking up all of the materials during our test and proving its power on every surface. Our tester gave it 5 stars for its cleaning effectiveness, noting that it “requires very little effort to move and use.” In fact, the vacuum almost pulls itself toward the messes before capturing them in a pass or two. No surface was left unclean in this vacuum’s path. It was equally powerful on hardwood, low-pile, medium-pile, and high-pile carpet, so you can clean with confidence whether you’re sucking up Cheerios off of the kitchen floor or pet hair from the living room carpet. When it came to assembly, this vacuum was also pretty easy to put together, and was only docked because it needed to be charged and the pieces were wrapped individually. However, the vacuum quickly made up for the setup process with its amazing maneuverability. It easily slipped under the low-sitting couch and coffee table we set up in The Lab and was able to navigate all the tight corners. Its handle folds in half for easy storage, too. While the canister did fill up rather quickly, our tester called the movement of this vac “flawless” and was totally impressed with the painless emptying process. A downside of many stick vacuums is short battery life, but this one can run for a notable 60 minutes, which makes it suitable for spot cleaning and whole-house cleaning alike. The noise level wasn’t bothersome, either. In our testing, it was only noisy when picking up the popcorn kernels, which is why it received a 4.5-star rating for noise level. All in all, if you’re looking for the power of an upright vacuum and the ultimate convenience of a top-notch cordless stick vacuum, then this is an excellent pick. Price at time of publish: $250 When it came to testing this vacuum on the different surfaces, it wasn’t as effective on the hardwood. It pushed around the Cheerios a lot, and our tester called it “sloppy.” However, it performed great on high-pile carpet and medium-pile carpet, which is typically a weak spot for cordless stick vacuums. Our tester also concluded that the handheld vac could pick up any leftover messes that the stick vac left behind. It all worked out! Not to mention the light on the floor head made finding messes in dim corners a total breeze, and the entire model stood up on its own. While the vacuum received a 4-star rating for cleaning effectiveness, it excelled in the emptying department and was generally a pleasure to use. Price at time of publish: $130 Aside from its suction power, our tester raved about this vacuum’s lightweight and compact design, which is 24 percent lighter than the Dyson v15 Detect. It also is powered by a button, so there’s no need to consistently pull a trigger to operate it, unlike other Dyson models. The Laser Slim Fluffy cleaner head shines a laser onto tiny particles that you might not normally see while cleaning and is composed of soft nylon and anti-static carbon fibers that help remove dust from small gaps and hard flooring. Our tester also appreciated the point-and-shoot dust bin emptying mechanism, but noted that some hair did need to be manually pulled out. As may be expected, this vacuum’s suction power does make it one of the loudest vacuums we tested. Even on the auto mode, our tester noted it was incredibly loud and said they would not want to use this vacuum on boost mode for any extended period of time. The LCD screen on this vacuum offers insights into the run time, power countdown, and maintenance needs, but our tester said the instruction manual provided little insight into properly understanding all of the features included on the LCD display. Despite these few design concerns, we were overall impressed by this vacuum’s suction power, especially given the fact that our tester found zero hair wrap on any of the attachments after testing. It’s worth the splurge. Price at time of publish: $550 Our tester was only disappointed in the fact that you have to hold the power button for the entire time it is in use. This could get tiring and annoying over time, especially if you’re cleaning a larger room. Plus, it is important to note that the battery only lasts for 20 minutes at a time. However, this vac does operate quietly, and changing its cleaning pad is straightforward and mess-free. To release the pad, you just tap a button on the floor head, which is also outfitted with a light. This vacuum is also very lightweight, so it won’t tire you out carrying it from room to room. It’s a must-have if you’re looking to complete two tough jobs at once. Price at time of publish: $68 They also noted how efficient it is at picking up hair and dust. Plus, you can track the life of your battery on the LED screen on the top of the handle. The only major downside of this vacuum is that its handheld version is quite heavy. Our tester couldn’t hold it over their head and would not recommend relying on it for spot-cleaning jobs around your home. This is a bit disappointing given the price point, but the power of the vacuum is definitely worth investing in. Price at time of publish: $1,050 Just like Tineco’s other vacuum models, the S15 PET features a display screen that turns from red to blue to signify whether there’s dirt on the floor. It also clearly displays the battery’s percentage, so you’re not left guessing. This vacuum’s auto mode is a great option to use for everyday cleaning, but our tester found that switching to max mode from manual mode worked best for ensuring no dirt or pet hair escaped. Keep in mind that this vacuum is not the best for area rugs because of its suction power. When in auto mode, this vacuum also automatically increases suction when it encounters hair or debris, which also helps it to conserve energy so that you can clean up to 1,399 square feet on a single charge. It also easily transitions from hard flooring to carpet and back again. Our tester appreciated this vacuum’s easy-to-empty dust bin, which has a lever that scrapes debris and dust off the filter and sides of the canister. Our tester said he still had to pull out some hair that was stuck high in the canister, but overall appreciated the ease of emptying. Tineco also promises a tangle-free brush head that lifts hairs into the dust bin rather than letting them become trapped around the base of the vacuum. “I thought my home was a pretty clean place, but when I used this Tineco for the first time, I realized I was very, very wrong,” said our at-home tester. “The LED light on the head illuminated tiny white Chihuahua hairs all over my floors—even in rooms that she didn’t usually go in! I’m grateful that this vacuum can suck up all the stray hairs that I don’t see so I can feel confident my dog and I are lounging in a truly clean space.” Our lab tester said this vacuum was well worth its significant price tag since it delivers powerful suction and provides intuitive user information on the display screen. Note that the Tineco PURE ONE S15 PET and the Tineco PURE ONE S15 PRO are essentially the same models, but the PRO model comes with an extra LED soft roller brush, which is great for hard flooring. However, this addition increases the cost by $100, so unless a soft roller brush is very important to you, we recommend opting for the cheaper, but incredibly effective, PET version. Price at time of publish: $500 Aside from its powerful suction, this vacuum has an EasyReach wand that can bend to clean under furniture, and also a lightweight swivel head for navigating turns. “The Kenmore was lightweight, and even though it was top-heavy, the weight distribution still allowed me to vacuum continuously without arm fatigue,” said our tester. They also noted that assembly instructions were thorough, but the process of ensuring all of the parts were in place was challenging because it needed to be upright the entire time. We recommend having another person nearby to help with the assembly process. All in all, our tester said they were shocked at this vacuum’s affordable price tag given its strong performance. They were even considering purchasing one for themselves. Price at time of publish: $180 Tineco A11 Tango Cordless Stick Vacuum: Our tester was initially very excited to learn this vacuum came with 10 different attachments. However, the trick to using this vacuum is finding the attachment that works best on each surface. This made the vacuum not as intuitive as our tester expected. They noted that the soft roller power brush outperformed every other attachment on every surface, and the multitasker brush was actually the least effective. Overall, we expected every attachment to perform better given the over-$300 price tag.

How We Tested the Cordless Stick Vacuums

We’ve tested over 50 vacuums in The Lab and at home in real-world situations. Dozens of these were cordless stick vacuums. In The Lab, we started our testing with unboxing and setup, timing how long it took to assemble each vacuum and rating how clear the instructions were. Then, we put them through their paces to test their effectiveness and see how successful they were at cleaning up measured amounts of hair, popcorn kernels, and cereal on a hardwood surface and three types of carpet. We evaluated such categories as the vacuums’ weight and portability, how well they transitioned from smooth floors to carpeting, and how long each model stayed charged. We also rated their noise level. While testing, we noted how many passes were needed to clean up the materials and if any hair was tangled in the brush roll. We also designed a living room obstacle course and ran the vacuum through it to see how it maneuvered under low-sitting couches and around tables to reach a maneuverability rating. Our testers wrapped up by testing the ease of emptying the bins and rating how messy or complex the process is, and using their entire experience to rate the overall value of the product as well. Our editors took all the testing data and boiled it down to the cordless stick vacuums we believe are the very best. When considering your model’s battery life, though, know that it’s not always cut and dry. For instance, if you use the max or boost mode on your vacuum, the battery can drain quicker than advertised for each session. You’ll also need to take the charge time into account. Some models take a few hours to charge up, while others will be ready for use much quicker than that.

Dust Bin Capacity

The dust bins on cordless stick vacuums are significantly smaller than those on upright vacuums. It is for that reason that many people will opt for a bulkier vacuum, so they can tackle more messes at one time and before they have to make a dash to the trash can. However, you can find stick models with pretty spacious dust bins, at nearly 2 quarts. If you want to streamline your routine, it’s in your best interest to pick out a cordless stick vacuum with a dust bin capacity of at least 0.5 quarts—or more.

Compatible Floor Types

Thanks to included attachments, specialty floor heads, and thoughtfully designed brush rolls, some cordless stick vacuums are more suitable for carpet or hardwood. When shopping, you’ll want to not only consider the types of surfaces in your home but also what surfaces the cordless stick vacuum is compatible with. For instance, a wet-dry model can only be used on hard floors, but will complete two jobs at once. A pick with a motorized cleaning head will be most effective on carpet as it’ll help to loosen the debris and dust before sucking it into the canister.

Why Trust The Spruce?

Marisa Casciano is the senior commerce editor for appliances, cleaning, and organization for The Spruce and has been in The Lab for our vacuum tests. She has firsthand knowledge of how our vacuum tests were developed and performed, as well as where each product excelled or fell short. Before conducting testing, she scoured brand and retailer websites and considered price, verified customer reviews, features, and design when selecting the vacuums to test. She also considered real-world cleaning situations and the latest technology. Emma Phelps, an updates writer for The Spruce, also assisted in updating this roundup to include a few of the latest vacuum models that we’ve tested in The Lab. Like with a bagged vacuum, though, it’s important to empty your stick vacuum regularly to ensure optimal performance. For additional background, we consulted with cleaning expert Lauren Simonelli. As the co-founder of ThreeMain, a subscription-based, eco-friendly cleaning brand, she knows the ins and outs of all that it takes to maintain a clean, healthy home.

What Is Spruce Approved?

Here at The Spruce, we want to ensure we fully stand behind every product we recommend and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all these products ourselves, though occasionally, we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free.