The best cordless stick vacuums for 2026 will allow you to cut the cord while achieving a whole new level of clean. (Amazon) (Amazon)
Lugging around a big, clunky vacuum? We'd rather not, thanks. The best cordless stick vacuums deliver as much — if not more — cleaning power as their bulky counterparts, but are significantly lighter in weight and more nimble. Many can even transform into a handheld vacuum, allowing you to suck up every speck of dust and dirt, no matter where it's hiding.
As Yahoo's resident cleaning expert, I've tested more than 60 of the best vacuums over the past few years (including lightweight models and vacuums designed specifically for pet hair). For this guide, I tested 14 of the best cordless stick vacuums, putting these machines through their paces against a range of floor surfaces and materials. I set up obstacle courses to see how well they could bob and weave and tackled stairs, sofas and other spots with their various attachment tools. In the end, I settled on four glowing (sometimes, literally!) models across various budgets and needs.
Size: Higher stick vacuums generally equate to longer tubes and greater reach, particularly helpful for those who are tall or navigating vast, shallow surface areas (like beneath platform beds). That said, more height means you’ll be farther from your target, in which case extendable or flexible tubes can help with maneuverability (and lights can help with visibility). Longer brush rolls mean fewer swipes for wider floors but they may need turning when tackling narrow areas, such as under a small nightstand. Wider brushes require shorter strokes for longer floors but may necessitate additional swipes for wider surfaces.
Weight: The lighter the vacuum, the easier the lift (and steer). Lightweight designs glide across hardwood floors seamlessly but can have a difficult time bearing down on, say, thick carpets. Lighter models tend to be associated with smaller dust cups, though not always, and fewer tech components (like LCD screens and respective engineering that can prove top-heavy).
Cup capacity: Larger cups house more dirt so you don’t have to take as many trips to the trash can. Most of the stick vacuums I scouted — and tested — fell between 0.4 and 0.8 liters, with the Kenmore Elite at 1 liter plus and the Dyson Outsize taking the lead with almost 2 liters. Aside from capacity, I preferred cups with lids that opened automatically with the help of a lever (usually on the side or along the backside of the bin) versus having to manually unclip the lids and, in some cases, having to reach my fingers in.
Runtime: According to my research, the average cordless stick vacuum runtime hovers around 30 to 40 minutes for a budget-friendly model, 40 to 50 minutes for mid-priced and 50 minutes or above for luxury, with the Dyson Gen5detect topping my list at 70 minutes. I suggest at least 40 to 50 minutes for multi-floor jobs, and thorough cleanings incorporating "max" modes and attachments. Most of the cordless stick vacuum cleaners I tried require four(ish) hours of charging to reach full battery potential.
Filter type: A lot of cordless stick vacuums available today are equipped with a filter for zapping pollutants and improving air quality, with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters considered the gold standard. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), HEPA filters "theoretically remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns," with larger or smaller particles “trapped with even higher efficiency.” Follow instruction manuals for how and when to replace filters for optimal results (many, like Dyson, now use washable filters for cost efficiency).
Wattage: A higher wattage often correlates to greater suction power. High-voltage batteries generally have a longer shelf life, or runtime, so you can tackle more space or several vacuum jobs in one go without recharging.
Brushes and attachments: Most of the cordless stick vacuums I tested come with a detangling brush roller that can be used for multiple floor types including carpets, some with an additional soft brush roller for hard surfaces. Brush cleaner headlights offer more visibility in low lighting and beneath furniture, while mini roller attachments help tackle tighter spaces (such as inside your car; they’re also great for getting stubborn pet fur from couch interiors). Brush tools aid in detailing and spot-treating (cushions, curtains), whereas crevice tools are a must for navigating ceilings and wall corners.
Docking and storing: With freestanding docks, you don't have to screw a wall mount into place to keep your stick vacuum upright. Alternatively, all of the vacuum head "uppers" on this list can be charged separately via plug. You just have to then reattach them to the vacuum tube and cleaner head base when finished.
I set up several obstacle courses to test these cordless stick vacuums against materials with varying shapes, textures and depths on different surfaces (carpet and hardwood) and their respective attachments on sofa and other upholsteries. Additionally, I put them through their paces in real-life scenarios, prioritizing homes that needed a good cleaning and/or had pet inhabitants. The nitty gritty:
"Carpet course" test: I spaced out materials — faux fur, rice, Cheerios, kitty litter and sand — across a plush carpet to see how the vacuums managed to cut through the clutter.
"Kitchen sink" test: I poured rice and Cheerios on a hardwood kitchen floor to gauge how well the vacuums could get a grip — especially against trims and in cabinet crevices.
"Passenger pet" test: I asked family and friends to avoid vacuuming for a week, then used car mats to collect the fur their pet companions had shed, to see which vacuums had the best suction.
"Vacs gone wild" test: I didn’t stop there! I clocked over 30 hours testing these vacuums in different houses and settings to see if they could rise to different occasions.
Dyson V8 Cordless Stick Vacuum: This is among Dyson's more compact and budget-conscious Dyson models and a touch taller and longer than the V7 with a slightly wider brush head and a bit more pickup. The vacuum maneuvers effortlessly over and around rugs and hardwood floors, and the hair screw tool worked miracles when it came to tight corners and detailing pet-loved couch interiors. The carpet suction isn't on the level of what I found with Dyson’s adjustable brush cleaner head (more below). Because of this, combined with the smaller dust cup (0.4 liters) and shorter runtime (40 minutes; I clocked 25 minutes when toggling between the higher power mode), I suggest it for smaller spaces with hardwood floors or shallow carpets and quicker jobs. Of note, the V8 doesn't have a digital display with battery life readings, so you don't know when it’s going to stop.
Dyson V11 Cordless Stick Vacuum: With this vac, you get the same roller brush, attachments and operation style as the V8 but with a tad taller and heavier yet still incredibly nimble frame (yay, upgrades!). For around a $90 price increase (before sales), you get extended runtime (60 minutes total) and a bigger cup size, ideal for tackling multiple rooms (I also found the cup release lever, located on the underbelly of the bin, more effective at ridding waste than the V8). Plus, you get an LCD interface displaying power modes — in this case, three — along with battery life readings for keeping track of your juice.
Dyson Outsize Cordless Stick Vacuum: Essentially a jumbo-sized Dyson (hence the name), this vac is the tallest and has the longest, widest brush roller, plus the largest cup capacity, of the Dyson vacuums I tried. It functions similarly to the Dyson V11 (there’s an LCD screen, three modes and a 60-minute runtime; the attachments are the same), but the Outsize has an adjustable cleaner head that allows you to toggle between three settings. The "-" optimizes performance for hardwood floors and the "+" offers better traction on carpets, a difference that really stood out in my "kitchen sink" and "carpet course" tests. It's a worthy splurge for bigger homes and wide, open spaces such as basements.
Dyson V15 Detect: This Dyson is slightly heavier and pricier than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, equipped with the same attachments, runtime, LCD screen and neon-emitting fluffy brush, which comes in handy when you want to do a deep cleaning. As mentioned above, it has a larger dust cup (0.8 liters), a bit more pickup (240 watts) and an adjustable anti-tangle roller brush that can be optimized for hardwood ("-") or thick rug ("+") surfaces, which appeared to make a difference in my traditional "kitchen sink" and "passenger pet" tests. The catch? As with most Dyson stick vacuums, you need to continuously press the V15 Detect's power switch to keep it going.
Dyson's gen5Detect: You'll get the same bells and whistles as the Dyson V15 Detect — a detangling digital cleaner head and fluffy laser cleaner head, attachments and equal dust cup capacity — with slightly more power and a battery life of 70 minutes. The digital readouts are a nudge more sophisticated and — unique to all of the Dyson vacuums I tested except one — there’s a Start/Stop button versus a switch. It can be a little awkward to press the top button with one hand in the handle groove, and the vacuum is slightly top-heavy, but the button means you can relax your finger as you move. I would have given this best overall from a pure performance standpoint if I didn't consider price as a factor for the category.
Tineco Pure One S15 Pet Smart Stick Vacuum (currently out of stock): This delivers one of the sleekest designs and smartest digital displays in its price range. Like many of the other vacuums on this list, it can be set up in a matter of seconds and comes with an equally minimalistic-looking, freestanding charging mount that requires no assembly. The LCD screen is similar to the Pure One S11, with Wi-Fi connectivity and a color-coded halo to distinguish the level of cleanliness, plus battery reads, and the brush cleaner head has ample light for visibility. As evident in our "passenger pet" test, the suction is a bit stronger than the Tineco Pure One S11 (just behind the Dyson and Shark vacuums I tested) and attachments include a mini anti-tangle brush for getting into grooves. Of note: there were a few instances where the S15 had trouble holding down its meals, spitting out finer particles such as rice from our "kitchen sink" test (should you want to vacuum up such things).
Shark Rocket Pet Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum: It has some of the most powerful suction of the cordless stick vacuums I tried. In "boost" mode, comparable or just behind the Dyson Detects and Shark Stratos in our "passenger pet" test. In our "kitchen sink" test, regardless of the mode, it gobbled everything in its path — even down to finer Cheerio pieces and (most) rice particles in cabinet edges. Like the Stratos, it has a headlight for visibility and you can hinge the tube and brush cleaner head for controlled carrying; you don't need a wall mount to charge it standing. I like how the Samsung Stratos automatically adjusts its modes based on the job at hand (for the Rocket, you select between "hardwood" and "carpet" modes but have to hold the "boost" lever throughout) — and offers 20 additional minutes of run time. All things considered, the Rocket is still a solid choice for pet owners or anyone else who's looking for serious pickup on a smaller-than-Dyson dime. Note, however, this vacuum is currently out of stock.
Bissell's IconPet Cordless Stick Vacuum: This stick vacuum is designed with an anti-tangle brush and a glowy LED brush cleaner headlight that illuminates fur and other fine fibers. It fell in the mid-range for weight (8 pounds) and cup size (0.4 liters) amidst my testing group and navigated regular carpets and hardwood floors just fine. It boasts an LED crevice and dusting brush tool and mini LED brush tool for added visibility and versatility. But the IconPet didn’t perform as well as some vacuums in my "passenger pet" test, requiring a few passes to get the fur out of the car mats. In the "kitchen sink" test, it had some trouble swallowing Cheerios, spitting them out here and there. In "turbo" mode, this baby sounds like a turbojet, so I wouldn’t recommend using it if someone is sleeping or you have very thin walls.
Hoover OnePwr Blade+ (currently out of stock): Easy to put together and operate, this vacuum lets you charge the battery on its own without the vacuum head for added convenience. With the brush cleaner headlight on, it performed great in my “carpet course" test and fine in my "kitchen sink" test (save for some smaller particles here and there, usually against ledges). It struggled without the cleaner brush headlight on, however, stumbling on Cheerios and skipping particles of sand. It got clogged a few times and released some materials through the cleaner head while in use or when shuffled from room to room. Additionally, I wish the cup size were bigger (it’s only 0.3 liters) and that I didn’t have to unclip it from the rest of the vacuum for emptying (though it’s a clean release, so I didn't need to put my hands in).
Stick vacuums typically consist of a vacuum head, complete with a battery, dust cup, filter, control buttons, and sometimes a digital display screen (think of the head, or “upper,” as its central processing and operating unit). The head attaches to a thin tube, which then connects to a brush cleaner head with roller(s). Alternatively, the "upper" can be attached to various attachment tools (versus the tube) for handheld use.
Like many upright vacuums designed today, stick vacuums are often bagless (thanks to their dust cups), the biggest distinguisher being that stick vacuums are usually cordless. Because of this, you can move them around a room or home freely, though you’ll have to charge — and are limited to — the battery. Given their svelte silhouettes, cordless stick vacuums also tend to be more nimble and storage-friendly.
Not typically. Part of what makes stick vacuums so nimble is that they’re generally lightweight. Most of the stick vacuums I evaluated weigh in at around 6 or 7 pounds when completely configured, with Kenmore Elite and Homeika Pro handhelds weighing in at just over 3 (meaning fewer back aches and less elbow grease).
Because cordless stick vacuums tend to be lighter and less powerful than corded upright vacuums, they are thought not to “hunker down” quite like corded upright vacuums. That said, I experienced good rug traction with the models I tested, especially when it came to Tineco (may need an extra pass), Shark (hold your throws!) and Dyson (the V8 and V11 being adequate, with the Dyson Outsize, Dyson V15 Detect and Dyson Gen5detect including "+" toggle on the brush head for even greater suction power against plush carpets).
Weight | Bin capacity | Runtime | Power | |
Tineco Pure ONE S11 Cordless Vacuum | 7.1 pounds | 0.6 liter | 40 minutes | 450 watts |
Kenmore Elite Cordless Stick Vacuum | 6 pounds | 1 liter | 40 minutes | 250 watts |
Shark Stratos Cordless Stick Vacuum | 8.9 pounds | 0.7 liter | 60 minutes | 309 watts |
Dyson V12 Detect Slim Cordless Vacuum Cleaner | 5.22 pounds | 0.34 liter | 60 minutes | 150 watts |
Update, Nov. 18, 2025: We’ve confirmed current pricing and availability for all products. Our number one pick for the best cordless stick vacuum remains unchanged.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.
