The 5 Best Cordless Stick Vacuums - Fall 2021 Reviews

The best cordless stick vacuum for bare floors that we've tested is the Shark Rocket Pet Pro with MultiFlex IZ163H. This vacuum delivers superb performance on bare, even floor types like hardwood or tile, as it easily clears bulky debris like cereal, small debris like rice, and pet hair. Suction performance remains consistent as its dirt compartment fills up, which is good when dealing with several large messes.

Its pre-motor and allergen-trapping HEPA filters shouldn't need to be replaced too often, so recurring costs are low. While there are quite a few parts that need periodic cleaning, they're easy to access for the most part. Its lightweight construction is also highly maneuverable, even in tight, closed-off areas. Depending on your choice of suction power setting and usage habits, runtime can vary from roughly anywhere between 10 to 40 minutes, which should be sufficient for most areas.

Unfortunately, this vacuum doesn't come with a turbo brush for dealing with messes on upholstered surfaces while using the vacuum in a handheld configuration. In addition, while it feels decently sturdy overall, some parts do feel a little flimsy, especially its clear plastic dustbin, which could break if you were to drop it. Otherwise, its maneuverable design and strong cleaning performance help make it one of the best laminate floor vacuums we've tested.

The Dyson V15 Detect is the best cordless stick vacuum for carpets that we've tested. This cordless stick vacuum is incredibly effective when it comes to cleaning pet hair, fine debris like baking soda, and larger material like sand from low and high-pile carpet. Its surface detection feature enables it to automatically adjust its suction power level depending on the floor type that it's on. Its HEPA filter traps allergens as you clean, and since it's washable, recurring costs shouldn't be a major concern.

You can easily reconfigure it into a handheld to better clean hard-to-reach areas. It comes with a wide assortment of attachments, including a motorized conical turbo brush, a crevice tool, and a secondary vacuum head with a laser light to help you see small debris on bare floors. Its maximum battery life of over 70 minutes should be sufficient for cleaning most areas, though this can drop significantly if you run the vacuum continuously in max-suction 'Boost' mode. An LED display at the back of the vacuum can help you monitor the remaining battery life in real-time.

However, this vacuum's strong suction power can make it a little hard to push and pull on some carpets and can cause it to drag around lighter rugs. In addition, its mainly plastic construction feels a little cheap in places. Still, if you're looking for a stick vacuum that can easily keep your carpets clean, this is a great option.

The best cordless stick vacuum that we've tested for those on a budget is the JASHEN V16. It feels fairly well-built and is reasonably easy to maintain, though there are still some parts that need regular cleaning. Thankfully, it has virtually no recurring costs as long as its parts are well maintained. It also comes with some extra brushes and accessories, including two different brushrolls for bare floors and carpets.

It's lightweight and has decent maneuverability. Overall, it performs okay on carpets, and it has no issues picking up pet hair. It does a decent job cleaning larger debris like sand on low-pile and high-pile carpeting, but it can struggle with fine debris like baking soda, especially as its dirt compartment fills up. Its dirt compartment has an acceptable dirt capacity and has a clearly marked max fill line, so you know when to empty it.

Unfortunately, this vacuum's bare floor performance is disappointing. It's fine with pet hair and smaller debris like rice, but it struggles with bulky material like cereal, which can block the entryway of its brushroll. Also, its max battery life is just decent, and it takes a long time to recharge. Still, this is a solid choice if you're looking for a lightweight stick vacuum that won't break the bank.