Hardwood flooring is pretty low maintenance compared to other floor types, and with little room for debris to get worked into cracks and crevices, there are fewer cleaning requirements. That said, you'll still need to give them a thorough cleaning now and then to ensure that there's no significant buildup of dirt and debris, which can abrade the surface if you leave it to get dragged around. A cordless vacuum is a great way to keep these surfaces clean, especially those with a soft roller brush, which won't leave behind the kind of micro-scratches that can accumulate over time when using a floorhead with stiff bristles.
We've tested over 105 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best cordless vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors. We've taken not only each vacuum's performance on bare floors into consideration but also their feature set, design, and price. For more options, look at our lists of the best cordless vacuums and the best vacuums for hardwood floors. If you prefer a more hands-off approach to cleaning, check out our recommendations for the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors.
Quick Look
We've independently bought and tested over 105 vacuums with no cherry-picked manufacturer samples. We run each vacuum through a gauntlet of tests whose results are validated by multiple teams to ensure you get an accurate picture of how each model will perform and can easily compare them. We keep the products in our lab so we can periodically go back and see how they stack up to the newest competition.
Want to learn more about our testing and review pipeline? Check out our How We Test Vacuums article for insight into our lab and writing processes.
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Best Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
Bare Floor7.8User Maintenance7.0Recurring Cost10Portability8.0Total Weight6.46 lbs (2.93 kg)Battery6.9Stains3.0See all our test resultsWet CompatibleNoThe best cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Dyson V15 Detect. This vacuum comes with two floorheads: one features a multi-surface bristled roller, and the other has a soft nylon roller to prevent micro-scratches on delicate surfaces, such as hardwood. Thanks to its powerful motor, it does a fantastic job of handling pet hair and solid debris on hard floors. Its headlining feature is its automatic power adjustment feature. The vacuum automatically increases its suction power setting when transitioning onto a carpeted surface, making it great for areas with area rugs on hardwood floors.
The vacuum can run for more than an hour on a charge, which is good for a cordless vacuum. However, its runtime drops dramatically if you run it continuously in its high-power Boost mode. The vacuum's maneuverability is good, although its strong suction force can cause it to get caught on rug tassels or other loose obstructions. It's also worth noting that the V15 isn't the newest or highest-end model that Dyson offers. There's also the Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine, a wet and dry vacuum with a helical anti-tangle roller floorhead as well as a fluffy mop roller head for spills. We'll be testing this model soon, so check back to see how it compares.
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Best Upper Mid-Range Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
Bare Floor7.7User Maintenance7.0Recurring Cost8.0Portability7.7Total Weight8.73 lbs (3.96 kg)Battery7.0Stains1.0See all our test resultsWet CompatibleNoCheck out the Shark Stratos Cordless if you want something more affordable than the Dyson V15 Detect. It's less powerful than the Dyson and weighs a little more. That said, it's as effective at sucking up debris on hard floors and provides many similar convenience features; chief among them is its Clean Sense IQ automatic power adjustment system. The Stratos automatically adjusts its suction power in real-time, depending on how much debris it sucks up. Its odor-neutralization feature uses a replaceable cartridge that emits a detergent-like scent as you clean. However, this scent can become somewhat overwhelming if you leave the cartridge at its maximum intensity and clean your home multiple times per week.
While it weighs more than the Dyson and has a bulkier twin-roller floorhead, its flexible wand makes it easy to clean under furniture since you won't have to bend too deeply. Build quality is also quite good, and the vacuum isn't especially difficult to clean overall. However, there's a non-removable primary brushroll, which, despite being advertised as self-cleaning, can still get tangled with pet hair and can be a pain to clean.
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Best Mid-Range Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
Bare Floor7.6User Maintenance7.5Recurring Cost8.0Portability7.9Total Weight7.80 lbs (3.54 kg)Battery7.2Stains1.0See all our test resultsWet CompatibleNoThe best mid-range cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Shark Cordless Pro. This mid-range vacuum shares many features with the pricier Shark Stratos Cordless, including the same odor-neutralizing cartridge and Clean Sense IQ system, which enables it to increase suction power when passing over an area with a lot of debris. However, there are a few minor tweaks to reflect its lower purchase price. These include a smaller-capacity battery that can only run the vacuum for approximately 40 minutes, a single-roller floorhead, and a less powerful suction motor.
Thankfully, neither of the last two cost-cutting measures seriously impacts performance, as it delivers superb debris pickup on hard surfaces like hardwood. Its primary brushroll features a fluffy texture to prevent scratching hard surfaces, such as vinyl or hardwood. Unlike the Stratos and, for that matter, almost every other Shark vacuum, this brushroll can be easily removed from its floorhead, so you can quickly cut away any tangled hair or stuck-on debris.
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Best Budget Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
Bare Floor6.9User Maintenance7.5Recurring Cost8.0Portability8.5Total Weight4.96 lbs (2.25 kg)Battery7.0Stains1.0See all our test resultsWet CompatibleNoIf you're on a budget and can do without convenience features like automatic power adjustment, the best cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S. This highly affordable stick vacuum feels less sturdily built than the pricier Shark Cordless Pro, and it doesn't have any features like an automatic power adjustment system or an odor-masking cartridge. That said, it still does a good job of handling most kinds of household debris on bare surfaces like hardwood floors, though it's worth noting that really large debris can get stuck at the entry to its dustbin and at the front of its floorhead. Unusual for a vacuum in this price range, it has an onboard HEPA filter that's fairly effective in trapping fine dust. Its weight of just under five pounds makes it easy to maneuver, even in cramped environments.
Unlike the Shark's fluffy roller, the Wyze uses a more conventional multi-surface brushroll with bristles. Thankfully, the bristles aren't stiff enough to scratch your wooden floors, and they still provide a degree of surface agitation on any rugs you might have in your living room.
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Best Lightweight Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
Bare Floor7.8User Maintenance7.5Recurring Cost10Portability8.3Total Weight5.20 lbs (2.36 kg)Battery7.2Stains3.0See all our test resultsWet CompatibleNoThe Dyson V12 Detect Slim is a great choice if you're looking for a lightweight cordless vacuum that's well-suited to cleaning hardwood floors. At just over five pounds, it's one of the lightest models in Dyson's lineup, and its performance on bare floors is exceptional. Despite its trimmed-down size and weight, it still offers a wide variety of features. It can automatically increase its suction power on carpet, or whenever it's on an area with a large concentration of debris, so you don't need to worry about moving from your hardwood to an area rug while you're cleaning.
There's also a built-in particle sensor that gives you a real-time estimate of the allergen quantities it's picking up. In addition to its primary multi-surface floorhead, it comes with a floorhead that includes a soft roller and a laser light to help identify fine debris and pet hair on hard floors. The battery lasts up to an hour, which is pretty lengthy for this type of vacuum. Unsurprisingly, given the vacuum's small size, its dirt compartment is tiny and needs frequent emptying.
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Best Cordless Wet/Dry Vacuum For Hardwood Floors
Bare Floor6.6User Maintenance6.5Recurring Cost6.0Portability7.6Total Weight11.57 lbs (5.25 kg)Battery7.5Stains7.5Water8.0See all our test resultsWet CompatibleCompatible without immersionCheck out the BISSELL CrossWave Cordless Max if you're looking for an all-in-one machine for all kinds of messes on hardwood floors. This vacuum uses an absorbent fluffy roller and a detergent-dispersal function to wet and scrub away dried-on stains. The BISSELL is also fully capable of sucking up liquid spills. However, it doesn't exert as much raw suction power as a conventional cordless model like the Shark Stratos Cordless. Battery life is unremarkable, with a runtime of about 40 minutes.
Unfortunately, maneuvering in tight spaces can be a hassle due to its heavy weight. It feels decently well-built but does have a few parts that need periodic washing. Thankfully, you can keep track of its maintenance schedule with the vacuum's smartphone companion app.
Notable Mentions
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Dyson Gen5detect:
Dyson's flagship Gen5detect/Gen5detect Absolute performs a little better than the Dyson V15 Detect and has a few more convenience features, but it's not enough to justify its sizeable cost increase.
See our review -
Miele Duoflex HX1:
The Miele DuoFlex HX1 is a premium cordless stick vacuum that delivers good overall performance on hardwood floors. It feels much sturdier and better built than the Dyson V15 Detect, but it has a smaller dirt compartment and a slightly less powerful motor.
See our review -
Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra:
The Samsung Bespoke Jet AI Ultra is the brand's flagship cordless stick vacuum. It uses a very powerful 400 AW motor and comes bundled with a combination charging rack/automatic emptying station. AI adjusts the suction power and brushroll speed automatically based on the floor surface. However, it doesn't perform as well as the Dyson V15 Detect due to its bulkier double-brushroll floorhead.
See our review -
Shark PowerDetect Cordless IP1251:
The Shark PowerDetect Cordless performs about the same as the Shark Stratos Cordless on hardwood floors. However, it has a smaller dirt compartment and is less powerful. Its available self-empty station may prove convenient, though.
See our review - Dyson V8: The Dyson V8 is a mid-range cordless stick vacuum that's easier to maneuver than the Shark Cordless Pro. However, the latter does have a bigger dustbin and an automatic power adjustment system. See our review
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Samsung Jet 60:
The Samsung Jet 60 is a mid-range cordless stick vacuum with a relatively powerful 150 AW suction motor. That said, it does a worse job of dealing with large debris compared to the Shark Cordless Pro, as its floorhead can push around debris instead of passing over it and allowing the vacuum to suck it up.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 17, 2025:
We mentioned the upcoming Dyson V16 Piston Animal Submarine and removed a mention of the long-discontinued original Wyze Cordless Vacuum. We checked all recommendations for accuracy and availability.
Jun 30, 2025:
We replaced the Samsung Bespoke Jet, which was a Notable Mention, with the new Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra due to its improvements in maneuverability, airflow, and noise. We checked all recommendations for accuracy and availability.
Mar 11, 2025:
We removed the Wyze Cordless Vacuum and replaced it with the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S as a budget recommendation since the original was discontinued. The Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away, which we had as a Notable Mention, is discontinued; we replaced it with Shark PowerDetect Cordless. We also added the Dyson Gen5detect/Gen5detect Absolute as a Notable Mention. Made some minor text adjustments.
Dec 03, 2024:
We've replaced the Dyson Omni-Glide with the Dyson V12 Detect Slim as our recommendation for the 'Best Lightweight Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors'; it offers better performance and features. We've also replaced the Miele Triflex HX2 with the Miele Duoflex HX1 in the Notable Mentions, as it performs better, is cheaper, and offers better build quality.
Aug 28, 2024: Minor in-text adjustments to further clarify product details.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best cordless vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors. We don't just base our results on overall performance but also on factors like availability, price, and user feedback.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our cordless vacuum reviews, ranked by their performance on bare floors. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no vacuum is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.