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The Best Cordless Vacuum

The Best Cordless Vacuum

Updated March 26th, 2023
the best cordless vacuum

Vacuum manufacturers have made it quite difficult to compare different models of cordless vacuums.

Manufacturers provide

  • Vacuum power in different units of measurement (airwatts, kPa, voltage, etc.)
  • Vacuum battery life in different conditions (cleaner head attached vs not attached, different power settings, etc.)
  • Other specifications like vacuum bin size and weight in different units of measurement and/or under different conditions

Our goal for this guide is to simplify comparisons by giving consistent measured data for all of the cordless vacuums we tested.

Power

We measured vacuum power in terms of airflow and suction.

We measured airflow (CFM)

  • At the cleaner head of the vacuum
  • On its highest power setting

We measured suction (inches of water lift)

  • At the main body of the vacuum
  • On its highest power setting

Here are our test results:

CFMin.
Dyson V11 Outsize53120
Dyson V11 Torque Drive51120
Dyson V10 Absolute4592
LG CordZero A9 Ultimate4570
Tineco Pure ONE S1243100
Dyson V10 Motorhead4292
B+D BSV2020P4224
Dyson V8 Absolute4072
Tineco A11 Master3990
Dyson V7 Animal3772
Moosoo K173640
Roborock H635124
Shark ION P503278
Hoover Linx Signature31NA
Shark Rocket IX1403150
Bissell Adapt Ion XRT30NA
Shark ION F80 IF2813084
Shark ION X403084
Hoover ONEPWR Blade+2916
Shark Rocket Pet Pro2944
B+D HSVB420J26NA
Shark SV110626NA
Bissell ICONPet2538
Bissell ICONPet Pro2538
Bissell AirRam 198425NA

Battery life

We measured battery life

  • with a cleaner head attached to the vacuum and
  • with it running on its highest power setting

This describes how most consumers will use most of these vacuums most of the time - most consumers will primarily use them with a cleaner head attached and on high power, as performance drops off dramatically switching from high to lower power modes on most models.

Only a few models we tested offer adequate performance on lower power settings. Those models are listed in a separate table below.

Additional context

Note that we’ve included each vacuum’s performance in our carpet deep clean testing to add context to the battery life test results below.

Our carpet deep clean testing involved pushing the vacuum back and forth three times over an area of carpet embedded with 30g of fine debris. The tables below show how much of the 30g of debris was picked up by the vacuum in this test.

All models running on high power:

GramsMinutes
Dyson V11 Torque Drive2412.5
Dyson V11 Outsize2414
Tineco Pure ONE S122410.5
Dyson V10 Absolute236
Dyson V8 Absolute228.5
Shark Rocket Pet Pro2214
Dyson V7 Animal217.5
Dyson V10 Motorhead218.5
Roborock H62110
Shark Rocket IX1402116.5
Tineco A11 Master2112.5
LG CordZero A9 Ultimate217
Hoover ONEPWR Blade+1914.5
B+D BSV2020P1814.5
Hoover Linx Signature1620
Moosoo K171616
Shark Ion F801517
Shark ION X401517
Shark SV11061413
Bissell ICONPet1418.5
Bissell ICONPet Pro1416.5
B+D HSVB420J1324.5
Bissell AirRam 19841248
Shark ION P501223.5
Bissell Adapt Ion XRT716

Models that get good performance on lower power:

GramsMinutes
Dyson V11 Torque Drive (medium power)2025.5
Dyson V11 Outsize (medium power)2023.5
Roborock H6 (medium power)2022
Shark Rocket IX140 (non-boost)1931
Shark Rocket Pet Pro (non-boost)2019.5
LG CordZero A9 Ultimate (medium power)1913
Tineco Pure ONE S12 (auto mode estimate)2324

Bin Size

We measured bin size up to the bin’s maximum fill line. Below are the measured values for all of the cordless vacuums we tested.

mL
Dyson V11 Outsize1500
Shark SV1106600
Shark ION P50600
Hoover Linx Signature500
Bissell AirRam 1984500
B+D BSV2020P500
Dyson V10 Absolute500
Tineco A11 Master500
Dyson V11 Torque Drive500
Shark Rocket IX140400
Shark Rocket Pet Pro400
Tineco Pure ONE S12325
Hoover ONEPWR Blade+300
Bissell ICONPet300
Bissell ICONPet Pro300
Dyson V7 Animal300
Dyson V8 Absolute300
Dyson V10 Motorhead300
Shark ION X40300
Shark ION F80300
LG CordZero A9 Ultimate300
Moosoo K17250
Roborock H6250
Bissell Adapt Ion XRT 175
B+D HSVB420J175

Weight

We measured the overall weight (second column) and the weight of each vacuum as you’re holding it in your hand while vacuuming (first column). Below are the measured values for all of the cordless vacuums we tested.

In hand lb. Overall lb.
B+D HSVB420J0.94.8
Bissell AirRam 19840.98
Shark SV11061.27
Bissell Adapt Ion XRT1.35.6
Hoover Linx Signature1.57.3
Moosoo K172.34.4
Dyson V7 Animal2.55.2
Dyson V8 Absolute2.55.6
Roborock H62.65.3
Shark ION P502.612.2
Dyson V10 Absolute2.75.8
Dyson V10 Motorhead2.75.4
Tineco A11 Master2.85.3
LG CordZero A9 Ultimate3.25.7
B+D BSV2020P3.36.6
Shark Rocket IX1403.56.8
Shark ION X403.58.2
Shark ION F803.58.2
Tineco Pure ONE S123.66.7
Shark Rocket Pet Pro3.87.3
Bissell ICONPet3.97.3
Bissell ICONPet Pro3.97.3
Hoover ONEPWR Blade+4.16.5
Dyson V11 Torque Drive4.16.5
Dyson V11 Outsize4.47.8

Top Rated Vacuums

Our recommendations of the best cordless vacuums on the market.

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#1
a11 verdict
#1

Tineco A11

The Tineco A11 is the best cordless vacuum for most people.

Of the 20+ cordless vacuums we’ve tested so far, it provides the best all-around cleaning performance and battery life for the price.

The A11 doesn’t have the highest airflow or suction. But it provides sufficient airflow and suction for most applications, and to get substantially more airflow and suction you have to buy a considerably more expensive vacuum.

The A11 doesn’t have the best battery life. But it provides sufficient battery life for most applications, and to get substantially better battery life you have to buy a considerably more expensive vacuum.

The bottom line is that the A11 may not provide the absolute best all-around performance, but it gets you close to it at a much more reasonable price than the absolute best performing models (like the Dyson V11). It also outperforms all other similarly priced cordless vacuums (like the Dyson V7 and V8).

There are multiple submodels of the A11 available but these are the two we recommend:

A11 Hero

The A11 Hero comes with only one battery and doesn't come with a soft roller cleaner head. As such, it's usually the least expensive A11 you can buy. In terms of airflow, suction, general cleaning performance, etc. it's identical to more expensive submodels like the A11 Master+. It just comes with less accessories and is a different color. If you're looking for the best (usually) cheapest option, this is the submodel we recommend.

A11 Master+

The A11 Master+ is more expensive but it comes with an extra battery and a soft roller cleaner head for better hard floor performance. Its standard multi-surface cleaner head (which also comes with the A11 Hero) works fine for hard floors, but if you’re looking for the absolute best performance on hard floors and/or you need the extra runtime provided by an extra battery, this is the submodel we recommend.

March 2023 Update

It appears this A11 submodel is now discontinued. To get the equivalent components that used to be included with the Master+ (the extra battery and soft roller cleaner head), you now have to buy two separate products:

1. The A11 Tango - See Price on Amazon

2. An extra A11 battery - See Price on Amazon

The net cost of the A11 Tango + an extra battery is still the same as the cost of the Master+, but for some reason Tineco is no longer including everything in one package with the Master+.

If you're looking for the best performance on hard floors we now recommend the A11 Tango. At current pricing it's also a great value .

#2
v11 verdict
#2

Dyson V11 Outsize

The Dyson V11 Outsize is the best cordless vacuum not accounting for price and value.

No other cordless vacuum we tested offers a better combination of performance and battery life.

No other cordless vacuum we tested cleans more efficiently either. The Outsize has a uniquely wide cleaner head (which is about 25% wider than most other cleaner heads on the market) and a uniquely large dust bin (with a maximum capacity - at 1.5 L - that is about three times that of any other cordless vacuum we tested) which work in tandem to facilitate maximum efficiency while cleaning.

The one major downside for this vacuum is its price. The Outsize is a very expensive cordless vacuum.

But, if you want the best of the best and budget is not a concern, the Dyson V11 Outsize is our recommendation.

Alternative Options

Dyson V7 Fluffy

If you’re on a budget and need a cordless vacuum only for hard floors, the Dyson V7 Fluffy can be a good option.

The V7 Fluffy only comes with a soft roller cleaner head and so it can only clean hard floors (the soft roller head cannot clean carpet), but with its soft roller cleaner head it cleans hard floors very well.

The V7 Fluffy has considerably less battery life, doesn’t come with a swappable battery, and has a smaller bin than the Tineco A11, but if you’re only concerned about cleaning performance and price, it can be a good alternative to the A11 for cleaning hard floors.

Dyson V7 Allergy

The best budget alternative to the Tineco A11 for multi-surface (carpet and hard floor) cleaning is the Dyson V7 Allergy.

It again has less battery life, doesn’t come with a swappable battery, and has a smaller bin than the A11. But, it is often priced lower than the A11. And if you’re only concerned about cleaning performance and price, can be a good alternative to the A11 for cleaning a combination of floor types.

Add a Comment

Have a question or comment? Let us know below.

 
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Comments (5)

Teresasays...

A11 Master has been discontinued. A11 Hero does not come with soft roller for hardwood floors. You did not include A11 Tango in your review. A11 Tango appears to be the same as Hero model except it comes with soft roller. Do you concur? Have you reviewed the A11Tango model?

Consumer Analysissays...

I've now updated my recommendations to address the A11 Master being discontinued. I generally don't recommend the Tango because it's usually cheaper to buy the A11 Hero and soft roller head separately than it is to buy the Tango.

Emilysays...

Have you tried the shark vertex? I would love to hear your thoughts on that!

Scottsays...

Have you had a chance to test the Dyson V15 Detect yet? I am trying to decide whether to hold out for the Dyson V15 Detect (out of stock most places - costs around $700) or get the Tineco Pure ONE S12 Pro EX from Costco on sale for $500. Your thoughts?

Michael chierottisays...

How do the A11 and S11 pure one Spartan compare

Consumer Analysissays...

I haven't had the chance to test the S11 Pure One Spartan yet, unfortunately, so I cannot really compare its performance to that of the A11.

Jennifer Dalysays...

I found an s11 tango on sale for the same price as the a11 hero ex. I have mostly hardwood floors and furniture and a long haired cat... Which would you buy

Consumer Analysissays...

I've unfortunately not had the chance to test the S11 Tango yet so I can't really compare it to the A11.