A cordless vacuum can make cleaning easier: from daily upkeep in the kitchen to crumbs in the crevice of your car seat. Some can even make cleaning fun, or at least a lot more fun than lugging around a heavy upright vacuum, in our experience.
But cordless vacuums range widely in size, style and price, with many seemingly identical models. That’s why we spoke with cleaning experts to get their recommendations and understand the pros and cons of cordless vacuums. Plus we share some NBC Select staff-favorite options to shop for.
SKIP AHEAD The best cordless vacuums in 2025 | Why use a cordless vacuum? | Where cordless vacuums fall short | Why trust NBC Select?
How we picked the best cordless vacuums
If you are shopping for a new vacuum, our experts recommend keeping the following tips in mind:
- Battery life: Kadi Dulude, owner of the cleaning and domestic referral agency Wizard of Homes, says the battery is the most important part of any cordless vacuum. She recommends cordless vacuums that come with a backup rechargeable battery, so you can keep working while the other battery is charging.
- Size and weight: You want your vacuum to be as light and small as possible without giving up functionality, says Dulude. This is especially true if you are cleaning a large, multi-story space.
- Dustbin: The size of the dustbin determines how often you need to stop and empty it. Check to see if the dustbin is easy to empty into a garbage can when it’s full, says Dulude.
- Vacuum type: We included different kinds of cordless vacuums across different budgets.
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The best cordless vacuums in 2025
Most of our top picks are expert or staff-recommended vacuums from large cleaning brands like Dyson, Shark, Black+Decker and more. We included specs like run time and dustbin capacity below each recommendation.
Best overall: Tineco Pure One S11
- Great suction and filtration
- Informative LED panel
- Detachable battery pack
- Some trouble on thick carpets
This is one of the best vacuums on the market, according to Dulude and NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin. Malin has used it for years to clean every spot of her New York City apartment — hardwood flooring, bathroom tile, carpets, furniture, you name it.
It has strong suction and automatically adjusts its speed depending on the dust it senses on the floor. It also has headlights that reveal hidden dirt, making it easier to get a deep clean, says Malin. The 40-minute runtime is enough to clean Malin’s entire apartment or spot clean throughout the week.
Like most competitors, it converts into a handheld vacuum or a simple canister for storage — essential for small spaces.
Type: multi | Run time: up to 40 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.6 L | Weight: 5.73 lbs
Best budget: Levoit LVAC-200
- Competitive price
- Lightweight
- Long run time
- Not the best for carpets
Levoit is better known for its air purifiers, but this vacuum checks a lot of boxes without costing hundreds of dollars. It is lightweight, powerful, convertible, and even comes with headlights on the main cleaning attachments. Plus it has a run time of up to 50 minutes — cordless vacuums at this price point usually get under 30 minutes.
The vacuum has a pre-motor filter that should be replaced every three months, according to the brand.
Type: multi | Run time: up to 50 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.75 L | Weight: 3.2 lbs
Best premium: Dyson Outsize Origin
- Huge dustbin capacity
- Self-cleaning brush bar
- Good runtime
- Pricey
Dyson makes some of the best vacuums and is a favorite brand among NBC Select staffers. NBC Select editor Mili Godio uses this model to clean all the dirt, dog hair and dust bunnies in her apartment within minutes. While it’s larger and heavier than other options on our list, it’s still easy to maneuver, says Godio. Plus the LED screen on the back of the vacuum shows battery life, suction power and more.
It comes with multiple cleaning tools, including the main XL motorbar brush, a smaller hair screw tool, a crevice tool and a combination brush. Like most cordless Dyson vacuums, it can be converted into a handheld vacuum easily.
Type: multi | Run time: up to 60 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 1.9 L | Weight: 7.85 lbs
Expert-pick: Shark Rocket Pet Plus (IZ163H)
- Flexible wand
- Folds for compact storing
- Smaller bin size
This vacuum has a flexible design that makes everyday cleaning easier, says Kathy Turley, the director of marketing at the cleaning service company Home Clean Heroes. The main wand can hinge and bend in the center, which makes vacuuming under furniture and in corners a breeze, says Turley. It’s also great at catching hair, both from pets and people.
Like our other favorites, it has a good run time and can be converted into a smaller handheld vacuum when needed.
Type: multi | Run time: up to 40 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.5 L | Weight: 7.2 lbs
Staff-pick: Shark Detect Pro
- Automatic motor speed
- Charging and emptying dock
- Dock is large to store
This model from Shark is a favorite of NBC Select editorial projects manager Rebecca Rodriguez — it helped redefine her relationship to vacuuming for the better. It can automatically detect debris, and increases or decreases its motor speed depending on what its sensor detects. The light on the front of the vacuum also helps to better illuminate dirt in front of you.
It comes with attachments that let you convert it into a handheld or crevice vacuum. It also comes with a dock that automatically clears the dust bin and charges the vacuum when not in use. It is a bit large, so make sure you have enough spacer to store it in your home. You can read more in our Shark Detect Pro review.
Type: multi | Run time: up to 60 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.4 L vacuum, 2.4 L dock | Weight: 6 lbs
Best cordless vacuum under $100: Dirt Devil Versa 3-in-1
- Low price
- Lightweight and portable
- Small bin size
- Short run time
If you need a vacuum under $100, Turley recommends this Dirt Devil — it’s affordable, lightweight and powerful. Part of that versatility is in the design: it can be adjusted between upright, handheld and stick setups. It has a short battery life and small bin size compared to other options on our list — so it’s best for cleaning smaller spaces.
Type: multi | Run time: up to 12 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.4 L | Weight: 5 lbs
Best handheld: Black+Decker Dustbuster Advanced Clean
- Small and portable
- Extending crevice tool
- Washable filter
- So-so suction power
- Short run time
Turley describes this vacuum as “the little engine that could” — it’s the smallest and most portable vacuum on our list and one of our favorite handheld vacuums. It comes with a crevice tool and a slim nozzle that can rotate 180 degrees. Both attachments are great for cleaning behind appliances or under hard-to-reach places, says Turley. Its portability also makes it good for cleaning places outside your home, like a car or shed.
Type: handheld | Run time: up to 10 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.6 L | Weight: 2.6 lbs
Best handheld for pets: Black+Decker Furbuster AdvancedClean+
- Easily picks up pet hair
- Small and portable
- Decent capacity for its size
- Nothing at this time
This handheld cordless vacuum has anti-tangle rubber bristles that easily pick up pet hairs, says Turley, who has two dogs. It has two speeds plus a boost button that increases suction to help clean tough messes. Its extra-long crevice tool attachment comes in handy for nabbing hair under the sofa or in crevices in your car, says Turley.
Type: handheld | Run time: up to 25 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.70 L | Weight: 4.2 lbs
Best wet and dry: Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Multi-Surface
- Vacuum and mop with one tool
- Good runtime for the features
- A little heavy
Our experts recommend the Bissell Crosswave for anyone looking to vacuum and mop with just one tool. It has two water tanks, one for fresh water with a cleaning solution and one that stores dirty water and debris. The main roller has LED lights on the front to better illuminate your path as you clean. When you are finished cleaning, it automatically self-cleans the brush roll and the inside of the canister so it’s fresh for the next use, according to the brand.
Keep in mind that it is larger and heavier than most options on our list.
Type: stick, vacuum & mop | Run time: up to 30 minutes | Dustbin capacity: 0.82 L | Weight: 10.6 lbs
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Why use a cordless vacuum?
There are many different kinds of vacuums, but most are sorted into six types: upright, canister, stick, cordless, handheld and robot. Our experts love cordless vacuums because they are:
- Portable: Cordless vacuums don’t need to be plugged in while you clean, making them much better for a quick cleanup in, around or outside your home. Many can be converted into a small, handheld-sized vacuum with the included attachments.
- Lightweight: They are typically smaller and weigh less than upright and canister vacuums. This makes them easier to handle, carry and store.
- Quiet: Many cordless vacuums are quieter than their corded counterparts, says Turley. If you are looking for a particularly quiet vacuum, she recommends checking reviews and manufacturer details for decibel information.
Where cordless vacuums fall short
Our experts admit there are some downsides to cordless vacuums. If you are considering a new one, be aware of these limitations:
- Not ideal for heavy-duty cleaning: “Cordless vacuums need battery power to function, and once the battery starts dying, the suction gets weaker,” says Dulude. If you want consistent power for long cleaning sessions in a large space, you may be better off with a corded upright or canister vacuum.
- Low suction power: Cordless vacuums typically have slightly lesser suction power than corded options, according to our experts. How much suction power you need depends largely on the types of floors you have. If you are mostly vacuuming hardwood, you likely don’t need as much power as someone vacuuming a lot of carpet, says Turley.
- Must be recharged often: Most of our recommended cordless vacuums have a battery life between 15 and 60 minutes. Charge times vary between brands, but can take up to four hours on some models, meaning a lot of waiting around if you haven’t finished cleaning with one charge.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Kadi Dulude is the founder and owner of the cleaning and domestic referral agency Wizard of Homes in New York City.
- Kathy Turley is the director of marketing at Home Clean Heroes, a customizable home cleaning service company with locations in six states.
Why trust NBC Select?
I am a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology including guides to smartwatches, air purifiers and over-ear headphones. For this piece, I spoke with cleaning experts to learn more about the complexities of cordless vacuums. I combined their recommendations with that of NBC Select staff to select the best cordless vacuums on the market.
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