The 8 Very Best Cordless Vacuums

Suction power: 280 AW | Run time: 70 min | Weight: 7.72 lbs. | Extras: Fluffy Optic cleaner head, hair screw tool, crevice tool, combination tool, mountable docking station, LCD data display, washable HEPA filter

It’s no surprise that the Gen5detect also tops the Strategist’s list of best vacuums. With 280 AW of suction power — the highest on this list — the Gen5 boasts an impressive run time. It’s also one of three models on this list, along with the Shark Stratos and Shark Pet, equipped with a HEPA filter, a must for a dust-sensitive household like mine (both I and one of my cats have asthma). As Melanie Carver, chief mission officer for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, explains, some vacuums release dust particles back into the air, “so you’ll want one with a system proven to trap and remove those particles.”

As a long-time Dyson user, I found that the automatic power-on button and increased suction power of the Gen5detect were noticeable improvements on the V15 series, our previous best-overall pick. Higher suction meant I didn’t need to run the vacuum over particularly crumb-ridden areas, like under our dining room table, more than once. And since this model, like every vacuum we’ve chosen, doesn’t require you to hold the start trigger down, I found it refreshing to maneuver a stick vacuum without fear of a hand cramp.

The Gen5detect is also replete with the latest Dyson innovations: a built-in crevice tool, an LCD screen which displays the remaining run time, and a piezo sensor that measures dust particles (a particularly high reading of microscopic particles while vacuuming my bedroom rugs simultaneously gave me the ick and brought relief that I was finally expunging them).

When I put on the Fluffy Optic cleaner attachment, its targeted green light illuminated seemingly endless amounts of once-invisible cat hair on my hardwood floors. The 0.2-gallon dustbin is on the smaller side compared to those of other vacuums on this list (only the Dyson V12 Detect Slim holds less), but the HEPA filter ensured it trapped as many dirty particles as possible.

Suction power: Not listed | Run time: 60 min | Weight: 8.90 lbs. | Extras: Dust crevice tool, anti-allergen brush, LCD data display, washable HEPA filter

This vacuum is advertised as having the most powerful suction of any Shark cordless models, and I quickly saw why: It sucked up an impressive amount of dust and floor filth from my carpets, filling its 0.18-gallon dustbin, the largest bin capacity on this list, without burning through its 60-minute run time. The inclusion of a HEPA filter and anti-allergen seal, which together trap up to 99.9 percent of dust and other allergens, matched the Gen5detect’s filtration, though the suction did not feel as strong.

While the Shark Stratos is heftier than the Dyson Gen5detect, it didn’t make the machine more cumbersome. Like the Gen5’s display, the LCD screen on the handle shows remaining battery power. Like the Dyson, the Stratos has an automatic start button, maneuvered just as easily, and illuminated dirt as well with the LED lights on its flat swivel-head. But one advantage it has over the Dyson is that it comes equipped with a dual brush roll, so when I pivoted from eradicating a warren of dust bunnies on my hardwood floors to tackling pet hair embedded in my living-room rug, I didn’t need to switch attachments.

Another perk: The Stratos’s stick body has a hinge that allows the vacuum to bend in half, which enabled me to flatten the brush head to roll under places in my apartment with low clearance without resorting to power squats or awkward bending.

A button on the handle makes switching between the three modes convenient. The Stratos features Eco, Boost, and Clean Sense IQ mode, an infrared dirt-detecting sensor that will automatically boost power for grimier sections of your floor. I found the sensor worked best on my thick rugs and wooden floors, though it did drain the battery faster. It was overkill for my more delicate woven bedroom rug, where the Eco mode’s reduced suction power worked better. This model comes with fewer attachments than the Gen5detect, but I found the ones included covered all the bases I needed. A surprise was the anti-allergen brush, which worked well to clean the tops of hung paintings, doorway frames, and other typically harder-to-reach places.

This Stratos also comes with an odor neutralizer puck that pops into the base of a vacuum brush head. I can see the benefit in covering musty pet smells — it did the job — though I found the aroma too cloying for my taste and opted to go without.

Suction power: 280 AW | Run time: 70 min | Weight: 7.72 lbs. | Extras: Fluffy Optic cleaner head, hair screw tool, crevice tool, combination tool, mountable docking station, LCD data display, washable HEPA filter

As an owner of two cats who shed as if they were put on this earth to do so, tackling pet hair and dander is top-of-list for any vacuum. Unsurprisingly, our best overall pick is also the best we found at cleaning up after pets. And if, like me, you’re a pet owner who must vacuum several times a week to beat back the mountains of excess fur, you’ll appreciate the Gen5detect’s automatic start button and HEPA filter; this vacuum was designed with pet owners in mind. The motorbar cleaner head and Fluffy Optic cleaner head make a powerful duo: The motorbar’s 56 detangling vanes kept hair from wrapping around the brush bar while I was vacuuming, and the Fluffy Optic head illuminated pet hair and dander on my hardwood and tile floors that would have otherwise escaped my notice. Additionally, the hair-screw tool attachment swiftly eradicated pet hair from my sofa, chairs, and bed. To the eternal dismay of my gray tabby, the built-in dust and crevice tool decimated the layers of matted fur in his lounge basket.

Suction power: Not listed | Run time: 40 minutes | Weight: 7.63 lbs | Extras: Crevice tool, HEPA filter, anti-allergen seal

The formidable combination of HEPA filtration and anti-allergen seal in the Shark Pet combined with robust suction trapped a considerable amount of dust, dander, and other allergens that had been squatting on the floors and in corners of my apartment. The dust cup holds enough that I didn’t have to empty it repeatedly while vacuuming. At 0.21 gallons, it’s bigger than both those of the Gen5detect and the Stratos and is equipped with an easy eject button, limiting my exposure to dust. The head swiveled effortlessly around my floor, enabling me to get into the nooks and crannies and under the chairs and sofa, places favored by my cats and thus overflowing with abandoned fur. The handle has an automatic power button and a trigger for Boost mode, and a switch let me conveniently toggle between floor and carpet mode, saving me the hassle of stopping and changing attachments, though the crevice tool attachment came in handy when sucking up old bits of dried cat food around their bowls, and the removable hand vac made vacuuming the top of my fur-laden sofa a breeze.

Suction power: 160 AW | Run time: up to 50 minutes | Weight: 5.7 lbs. | Extras: portable stand-alone charging stand, handheld convertible, telescope wand

Content creator Alexandra Beuter recommends the LG CordZero A9 for those looking for a portable charging stand, saving you the hassle of drilling holes into your wall for a charging mount. “I’ve tested a crazy amount of vacuums,” says Beuter, “and I have yet to find a comparable product at this price range, especially one that comes with a stand-alone charging base.” Beuter also likes the simplicity of the LG CordZero, which she’s had for two years and is still going strong battery-wise. “I find cordless vacuums that come with many attachments end up only taking up space or are easily lost. You’re essentially paying for items you’ll rarely use.” With its convertible handheld, five-step filtration system, and powerful suction, Beuter says the CordZero has enough power and battery to clean her entire two-story home; it’s especially good at getting into the corners of stairs and cleaning up her car. “It’s a real game-changer,” she says.