A Great Budget Cordless
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Courtesy of Black & Decker
Black & Decker
Powerseries Extreme Max Cordless Vacuum
The Black & Decker Powerseries Extreme Max is a great stick vacuum that’s cheaper than most others. It stands up on its own, has three power levels you can easily control on the handle, and handled well on the different surfaces in my home. It cleaned out a dirty litter mat with ease without getting the mat itself stuck in it.
It also turns into a hand vacuum and comes with three attachments, including a unique silicone pet brush that easily gets hair off your furniture. I liked this vacuum a lot, but it didn’t stand as stable as the Bissell above did, and the handle build felt a little plasticky compared to it and other vacuums I tested. It did have a larger capacity dustbin, though, and felt similarly powerful.
| Capacity | 0.75 liter |
| Additional attachments | Crevice tool, 2 in 1 brush, pet brush |
| Power | Not stated |
| Run time | 37 minutes in stick vac mode, 42 minutes in hand vac mode |
| Filter | Washable filter |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Another Great Pet Hair Vac
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Photograph: Molly Higgins
Ryobi
18V One+ HP Advanced Stick Vacuum Kit
This cordless vac has powerful suction, cyclonic filtration, a brushless motor, an easily removable roller bar, and lights on the vacuum head to better see pet hair and dander. The vac has dual plush rolls for hard floors and brush rolls for carpet to work effectively at sucking up hair and debris on multiple types of floors.
It has a simple, easily removable roller bar that makes dealing with any hair or fur tangles so much easier. The dust cup is also super convenient to empty, so you don’t have to touch any of the fur or dander, and when it’s time to clean it, the filter is easy to access and clean. It also doubles as a handheld vac, with crevice tools and a dust brush that I loved using to clear fur and dust from vents around my house and on the often-forgotten stairs. My only gripe with this model is that it’s a bit heavier with its battery positioned right behind the handle, but the vacuum stands upright unsupported, which is an added bonus. —Molly Higgins
| Capacity | 0.8 liter |
| Additional attachments | Crevice tools, dust brush |
| Power | 18 volts |
| Run time | Around 30 minutes |
| Filter | Netted, washable circular filter |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Honorable Mentions
We haven’t tried a vacuum yet that we absolutely hate. These ones below are solid vacuums, and in some cases are much cheaper than our top picks, but we didn’t like them as much.
Bissell IconPet Turbo Edge for $200: Bissell’s OG stick vacuum is a popular model that’s been around for a while. It does a good job picking up hair and cat litter, and easily turns into a handheld vac, too. The battery lasts a little longer, but former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano wasn’t impressed by its Cheerio-gathering skills, and it can’t stand up on its own.
Dirt Devil Power Swerve Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum for $93: We previously recommended this as a budget pick. It’s a good vacuum for the money, but there are mixed results on how long the battery will last and the build quality.
Dyson V12 Detect for $580: The V12 Detect (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one to consider if you want something even slightly cheaper and lighter than the V15 (though it’s not as powerful and has a smaller bin).
Eufy Robot Vacuum 3-In-1 E20 for $400: WIRED reviewer Adrienne So was stoked to try Eufy’s E20 (8/10, WIRED Reviews) that is a stick vacuum, handheld vacuum, and robot vacuum all in one. It’s a handy, well-designed device, but it’s only good for light cleaning.
Eureka Innova Cordless Stick Multi-Surface Vacuum for $207: This is a good stick vacuum at a reasonable price. It cleaned up a litter mat especially well, and there are specific carpet and hardwood settings. However, to suck up larger pieces like Cheerios, I had to lift the vacuum up and place it directly on top of them.
Greenworks Powerall 24V Cordless Stick Vacuum for $288: I liked this stick vac’s LED screen to let me know what power level I was on and how much battery power I had left based on the power level I was using. It comes with a nice array of attachments, and has a battery like a power tool which makes it top-heavy.
Hoover OnePwr Emerge Pet for $153: Our tester said that this wasn’t a bad vacuum in regular mode, but the attachments felt flimsy with weak suction power. Otherwise, it got the job done.
Mova S1 Detect Cordless Vacuum for $299: This is a nice stick vacuum that comes with a nice set of attachments, and it worked well in my home. Our top pick can do a similar job for cheaper, though, and it takes a considerable effort to place the canister back into place when you empty it.
Proscenic P13 Cordless Vacuum for $130: Our tester was amazed how well the green light on this vacuum illuminated dust and dirt. It was almost gross to see how much goes unnoticed in regular lighting. However, it required many passes to actually clean most of that debris. For the price, it’s not bad as an untethered day-to-day vacuum, but you’ll definitely need a more powerful upright vacuum for deeper cleans.
Tineco Go Pet Cordless Vacuum for $300: WIRED reviewer Molly Higgins tested this vacuum for pet hair, and she was left underwhelmed with the experience. It’s a solid vac, but we recommend better options.
Worx 20V Cordless Stick Vacuum for $160: This is a fine enough vacuum, but the dustbin was difficult to clean out compared to others I tested.
How We Tested
The best way to test a vacuum is to use it like you usually would. So, for a few months, we lived with these cordless vacuums, rotating through them to handle day-to-day messes and weekly deep cleans on hardwood floors, area rugs, and carpets. We charged them, asked our partners to use them, and even took some to a retail store to clean up after antique furniture and heavy foot traffic.
We also performed head-to-head testing, comparing how each picked up piles of Cheerios and cat litter, seeing if they blew debris around or needed several passes. We also took heaps of already matted dust and dirt from inside the vacuum bins to see how easily the vacuums could suck them back up in their thickened state.
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