The 6 Best Cordless Vacuums For Hardwood Floors of 2024

The best cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Dyson V15 Detect. This vacuum comes with two floorheads, one with a multi-surface bristled roller and the other with a soft nylon roller to avoid creating micro-scratches on delicate surfaces like 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 passing onto a carpeted surface, so it's great if you have any area rugs on your 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. 

Check 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 the 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 .

The best mid-range cordless vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested is the Shark Cordless Pro. This mid-range vacuum shares a lot with the pricier Shark Stratos Cordless, as it has the same odor-neutralizing cartridge and Clean Sense IQ system that allows it to increase its 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 about 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 has a fluffy texture to avoid scratching hard surfaces like 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.

If 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. 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 over 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, they 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.

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim is a great choice if you're looking for a cordless vacuum that weighs and is 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.

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 wet and scrub away dried-on stains. The BISSELL is also fully capable of sucking up liquid spills. 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.