Best cordless vacuum for 2021: Bissell, Hoover, Moosoo, Shark, Dyson and more – CNET

Rice from low-pile
Hoover Linx
Hoover OnePwr Blade Max
Sand from hardwood
I certainly like how easy the V11’s dust bin is to empty. Just aim the vacuum into the trash, and push a release tab to open the dust bin’s lid. To close it, pull the tab in the opposite direction. Other models we tested were a nightmare in this regard. The Hoover BladeMax gave us the most trouble. Hair and dust typically became trapped deep inside its dirt cup. I found its bin tricky to open, too. Worse, it isn’t always clear that the dirt bin is securely attached.

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Chris Monroe/CNET

We perform three runs (at minimum) on each floor type. We also test with sand and rice separately. That comes to at least 18 tests per vacuum. We weigh the vacuum’s dust bin both before and after each run. 
Hoover Linx
Read more about the Dyson V11.
Dyson V11 Torque Drive
Pet hair didn’t faze the V8 hand vacuum much either. It pulled hair away from midpile and low-pile carpets completely. It did fail to remove a small amount of dander on hardwood. Additionally, some fibers became wrapped around the vacuum’s brush roll. But the washable filter was handy.

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Chris Monroe/CNET

Hoover OnePwr Blade Max
Shark Rocket Pet Pro
And similar to the V11 Torque Drive, the V8 Absolute upright vacuum comes with a generous assortment of add-ons. That includes gadgets for dusting, a crevice tool for reaching into a tight crevice, a soft cleaning head for bare floors, a motorized brush roll for grabbing ground-in dirt and debris, and a docking station for charging the battery. So for those who’d like to own a Dyson brand stick vac a little less cash, the V8 Absolute is worth a look.
The second-best performer in our group of cordless vacuums was the Shark Rocket Pet Pro Cordless. It came very close to cleaning floors as well as the Dyson V11, but costs hundreds less. The Rocket cordless and bagless vacuum removed just as much sand from both midpile carpet and hardwood floors. In fact, the only area where the Shark trailed the V11 as the best cordless vacuum was over low-pile carpet. There, the cordless cleaner pulled away an overage of 67.6% of our test sand. By contrast, the Dyson V11 removed a greater amount of sand from our low-pile carpeting (78.4% on average).

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Chris Monroe/CNET

The second-best performer in our group of cordless vacuums was the Shark Rocket Pet Pro Cordless. It came very close to cleaning floors as well as the Dyson V11, but costs hundreds less. The Rocket cordless and bagless vacuum removed just as much sand from both midpile carpet and hardwood floors. In fact, the only area where the Shark trailed the V11 as the best cordless vacuum was over low-pile carpet. There, the cordless cleaner pulled away an overage of 67.6% of our test sand. By contrast, the Dyson V11 removed a greater amount of sand from our low-pile carpeting (78.4% on average).

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Chris Monroe/CNET

The Rocket didn’t have trouble handling pet hair either. On both low-pile carpet and hardwood, this handheld cordless vacuum wiped away all traces of animal dander. Results were favorable across midpile carpet, too. Only a small tuft of hair remained after the vacuum passed over the thicker, more challenging surface.
From there we can calculate the percentage of dirt and debris pickup for every run and the average amount of soil a vacuum manages to remove. Additionally, we run anecdotal (visual) pet hair tests for each vacuum, on all three floor types to help us select the best cordless vacuum.
If you’d like to own a Dyson but would rather not spend top dollar, consider the Dyson V8 Absolute hand vac. This step-down cordless model is a few years old, yet still has powerful suction and performs like a champ. On our floor-cleaning tests, the V8 came in a respectable third. In our test group, only the Dyson V11 and Shark Rocket Pet Pro scoured floors better than the V8.
Bissell Iconpet
If you want cordless vacuuming on a tight budget, however, consider the Moosoo M X6. It just might fit the bill, and for much less cash.

How we test cordless vacuums

Pet owners will also appreciate the V11’s prowess at eliminating pet hair. During anecdotal tests, the vacuum completely removed hair fibers and dust from mid-pile and low-pile carpet. Pet hair pickup across hardwood flooring went almost as well. The only detractors were a stray clump the vacuum missed at the top of our test area and a few strands that ended up wrapped around the V11’s brush roll.

On a hard floor, the vacuum managed to pick up an average of 98% of the sand we dropped. For low-pile carpet, that average fell to 68.3%. The average slipped further across midpile carpet, though remained at a respectable 52%.

Read our Dyson V8 hands-on first take.

Putting cordless vacuums through their paces isn’t as complicated as testing a robot vacuum cleaner, but it still takes lots of time and careful effort to find the best cordless vacuum. We run each vacuum in a straight line across three different surfaces (hardwood, low-pile carpet, midpile carpet). On all three test beds, the test area is the same length (30.25 inches).

Percentage of sand removed

Rice from hardwood

Rice from hardwood

Moosoo M X6 Cordless

Want more cordless vacuum options? Here’s a list of the other stick vacs we tested besides the models listed above:

Dyson also bundles numerous attachments in the box. Among them are a crevice tool for cleaning tight spaces, a motorized tool for upholstery, a soft dusting brush and a stubborn dirt brush head for pulling ground-in dirt from a carpet with strong suction. All this makes the Dyson V11 the clear choice for the best cordless vacuum money can buy.

Onson D18E Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Dyson V8 Absolute

While no longer Dyson’s latest and greatest, this stick vac remains an impressive performer. It’s also the most expensive machine in our test group. On hardwood floor surfaces, this Dyson vacuum literally wiped the bare floors clean from dust and dirt. The vacuum, which has a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack, demonstrated near-flawless pickup of both sand and black rice test samples (99.6% and 100%, respectively). 

Black rice, our large particle test soil, was a breeze for the Moosoo vacuum. It managed pickup averages above 90% on hardwood, low-pile and midpile carpet (95.4, 96.8 and 94%, respectively).

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