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The 6 Best Cordless Vacuums For Hardwood Floors - Winter 2023 Reviews

Updated

Compared to most other floor types, hardwood is pretty low maintenance in cleaning requirements, with little room for debris to get worked into cracks and crevices. 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 130 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best cordless vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors. These picks are selected not only based on their performance on bare floors 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.


  1. Best Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors

    The best cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Samsung Jet 90 Complete. The Complete variant of this vacuum comes with two floorheads; one with a multi-surface bristled roller and the other with a soft roller to avoid creating micro-scratches on hard surfaces like hardwood. You can bundle it with Samsung's Spinning Sweeper attachment, a uniquely-designed floorhead that uses rotating disposable mop pads to scrub away dried-on debris, though it doesn't suck anything up.

    Maneuverability is good, although the top-mounted dustbin can get in the way when trying to reach to clean under tables and chairs. The vacuum can run for up to 60 minutes on a charge, which is fairly good for a cordless vacuum, though its runtime does drop dramatically if you run it continuously in its high-power 'Max' mode. Thanks to its powerful 200 AW motor, it does a fantastic job of handling pet hair and solid debris on hard floors. However, unlike the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, it isn't capable of automatically adjusting its suction power on the fly, though it's worth noting the Dyson is flimsier and has a tiny dustbin that'll need emptying very often.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors

    Check out the Shark Stratos Cordless if you want something more affordable than the Samsung Jet 90 Complete. Unlike the Samsung, you can't use it to tackle stains, as there's no compatible mopping floorhead. It also takes longer to recharge without offering a longer overall runtime. That said, it's just as effective at sucking up debris on hard floors and offers a wide range of convenience features. Chief among them is its Clean Sense IQ system, which automatically adjusts its suction power in real time depending on the amount of debris being sucked up. There's also its odor-neutralization feature, which uses a replaceable cartridge that emits a pleasant detergent-like scent as you clean.

    While it weighs more than the Samsung and has a bulkier twin-roller floorhead, its flexible wand makes it very easy to clean under the furniture. Build quality is also quite sturdy, and it isn't especially difficult to clean either. The sole exception to the latter is its non-removable primary brushroll, which, despite its self-cleaning billing, can still get tangled with pet hair. Check out the Miele Triflex HX1 if you're looking for a sturdily-built cordless vacuum with strong performance on bare floors and a removable brushroll, but do note that it has a smaller dustbin and a much shorter battery life.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors

    The best mid-range cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Tineco PURE ONE S11. This cordless stick vacuum feels flimsier than the Shark Stratos Cordless, and its max runtime of 40 minutes is notably less than the Shark's peak battery life of an hour. That said, the Tango variant of this vacuum comes with a wide array of attachments for a much cheaper price, with a secondary soft-roller floorhead intended for use on easily-scratched surfaces like hardwood. While it doesn't have the Shark's odor-neutralizing system or flexible wand, it does have a somewhat similar automatic power adjustment feature that allows it to raise its suction power when passing over an area with a lot of debris.

    If you're willing to give up the Tineco's automatic power adjustment feature in exchange for improved deep-cleaning performance, the Samsung Jet 75 is another very good option, though you'll have to pay a premium for a variant that comes bundled with a soft roller attachment.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors

    If you're on a budget, the best cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Wyze Cordless Vacuum. While you're giving up the Tineco PURE ONE S11's automatic power adjustment feature and soft roller floorhead, this cordless stick vacuum still offers a lot of bang for the buck. It easily clears away pet hair as well as small household debris, though while its suction motor is powerful enough to lift away heavier debris, larger material can clog the narrow entry point to its dustbin. On the plus side, it has a HEPA filter that's reasonably effective in sealing in allergens like dust or pet dander.

    At up to about 50 minutes on a single charge, battery life is also pretty impressive, especially for a vacuum in this price range. Its plastic construction is pretty lightweight, though this does come at the cost of overall durability. Still, if you can't do without an automatic power adjustment feature, the Tineco PURE ONE X is worth a look, even if it has a weaker suction motor than the Wyze and a smaller dustbin.

    See our review

  5. Best Lightweight Cordless Vacuum For Hardwood Floors

    If you're looking to buy a cordless vacuum that weighs very little and is pretty well-suited to cleaning hardwood floors, the Xiaomi Mi Vacuum Cleaner Light is a solid option. At a little over four pounds, this cordless stick weighs even less than other lightweight cordless stick vacuums like the Wyze Cordless Vacuum, making it a cinch to carry around. Despite its budget-friendly price point and flyweight construction, the build quality is also relatively sturdy. However, its highly compact design comes at the cost of a tiny dirt compartment that'll need emptying at the end of every cleaning session and a weak suction motor that struggles with lifting debris from crevices. While it doesn't have a completely soft floorhead, the bristles on its brushroll are very soft and aren't likely to damage hardwood floors.

    The Dyson Omni-glide is another good option for cleaning hardwood floors if you're looking for something lightweight. Its pivoting multi-directional floorhead makes it highly maneuverable, but unlike the Xiaomi, it's completely useless for cleaning the occasional rug, as its twin nylon rollers provide almost no surface agitation on carpets. It also has a much harder time dealing with bulkier debris, has an even smaller dustbin, and has a shorter battery life.

    See our review

  6. Best Cordless Wet/Dry Vacuum For Hardwood Floors

    Check 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 scrub away dried-on stains. Unlike the more conventional Samsung Jet 90 Complete when used with its Spinning Sweeper attachment, the BISSELL is also fully capable of sucking up liquid spills. That said, it doesn't exert as much in the way of raw suction power compared to a conventional cordless model. Battery life is fairly unremarkable, with a runtime of about 40 minutes.

    Unfortunately, it can be a bit of a hassle to maneuver in tight spaces 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.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Dyson V15 Detect: The Dyson V15 Detect is Dyson's flagship cordless stick vacuum. While it has an even more powerful suction motor than the Samsung Jet 90 Complete and can automatically adjust its suction power, it's also significantly pricier and isn't currently offered with an attachment that's comparable to the Samsung's Spinning Sweeper mop accessory. See our review
  • Dyson V8: The Dyson V8 is a mid-range cordless stick vacuum that's easier to maneuver than the Tineco PURE ONE S11. However, the latter does have a bigger dustbin, a wider array of accessories when purchasing the Tango model, and an automatic power adjustment system. See our review
  • Samsung Bespoke Jet: The Samsung Bespoke Jet is the brand's flagship cordless stick vacuum and comes bundled with an even wider array of features than the Samsung Jet 90 Complete, including a combination charging rack/automatic emptying station and a pair of batteries. If you don't need those features, however, the Jet 90 offers the same level of cleaning performance at a more affordable price point. See our review
  • Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away: The Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away is a cordless upright vacuum with a greater debris capacity than the Shark Stratos Cordless, though it has a more limited set of convenience features, with no automatic power adjustment capability or odor-neutralization cartridge. Its upright configuration also makes it more of a hassle to maneuver in tight spots. See our review
  • JASHEN V16: The JASHEN V16 is a budget-friendly cordless stick vacuum with a wider array of attachments than the Wyze Cordless Vacuum, including a secondary floorhead with a soft roller intended for use on surfaces like hardwood. That said, it lags behind when it comes to actual debris-pickup performance. See our review

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 reader 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.

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