Not long ago, when you heard the term cordless vacuum cleaner you would think of a powerless ‘stick’ machine that could barely pick up dirt from your smooth floors. They were really only useful for hard flooring and the battery wouldn’t give you enough time for more than a normal sized room at a time. Sure it was nice not having to plug in and move a cord around while cleaning but the trade off in performance made it not worth the time or money for many households. Most people would instead just opt for a broom and dust pan.
Well that was then and certainly not the case now. Today’s technological advancements have made their way into the vacuum industry, providing improvements to many types, brands, and models. Perhaps the most notable is the overall improvement in performance for lightweight vacuums. Many have the same features as the larger and more expensive full sized uprights or canisters, but in a much more compact frame. They especially work best in homes with a variety of floors like hardwood, tile, laminate, and even carpeting.
A 5 Star Choice
The Dyson Absolute V8 is their best cordless vacuum with an almost unheard of amount of suction from a battery powered motor.
It is actually designed to work as well on carpet as it is on smoother flooring, quickly pulling dirt up into the collection bin. With no cords and a normal runtime of around 40 minutes on a full charge, the V8 is a great choice for the modern household.
Highlighting the list of features is the unique digital motor with remapped electronics to generate more power than prior models. Anyone familiar with Dyson knows about their internal cyclones that redirect air with such force that dust cannot clog anywhere inside. The Absolute comes with a 2 Tier Radial™ cyclone design that is just like those found on their larger cleaners, and when combined with full HEPA filtration the air coming out is free from virtually all allergens.
The battery is a 6 cell lithium ion unit that does not lose suction power as it is running. This gives it a very similar feel to one that is corded, allowing you to move around the house from room to room. There is also a “Max Mode” button to give even more suction for those deep, higher piled carpets though this does drain the battery at a faster rate than the standard mode.
The Absolute V8 comes with 2 different heads to handle different floor types. The soft roller head is perfect for hard floors as it is equipped with soft woven nylon for bigger chunks of debris and anti static carbon fiber to attract fine dust particles. You can quickly remove it and replace it with their direct drive head when vacuuming over carpeting. This option works similar to a standard vacuum, with a motor residing in the brush roll to spin the brushes at a high rate of speed. You also get the standard attachments like a crevice tool, combination tool, and mini motorized head to tackle those ‘above the floor’ surfaces.
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It’s not easy describing how well it works so here is a quick video that demonstrates the versatility that makes it one of the best choices you will find in a growing cordless vacuum industry:
Another 5 Star Rated Vacuum
The Shark IONFlex 2x DuoFlex is an innovative cordless vacuum from a company that is known for innovation. It has quite a few features that really make it a tremendous value for those households that need a versatile cleaning machine, one that can do many things with ease.
When not in use it is free-standing just like a standard upright. This is quite unlike other cordless vacuums that must be connected to their charger or put up against a wall when not in use. This makes the IONFlex easy to store as you can put it into a closet out of the way. The two batteries are removable so you can always be charging one, even when the other is in use.
The flexible neck lets you maneuver it underneath the various items around your home like tables, furniture, and beds. You won’t have to bend way down or get on your knees to remove dust like you would with other models. You can use it full power in this configuration to save you time and effort. The DuoClean head is also designed to work well on hard floors as well as carpets. The soft brushroll attracts fine dirt particles from smooth floors like hardwood, tile, and laminate while the powerful suction pulls up larger items as it travels over.
The Shark IONFlex also transforms into a handheld just like the Dyson V6, V7, and V8. This makes it even more portable and allows you to reach places that larger vacuums simply cannot. Remove it from the main body and use any number of attachments (with or without the wand) to clean just about anything you can think of in and outside of your home. Purchase the optional Pet and Allergy Power Pack to remove allergens and pet hair from all surfaces. It really is one of the best and most innovative cordless vacuums you will find today.
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A Solid 4 Star Option
The Hoover Air Cordless 3.0 is a very good choice that comes in at a much lower price.
Just like the Absolute, the Hoover is also built for all floor types. It comes with dual lithium ion batteries that give close to 50 minutes of operation time. This is enough to clean an average sized house on one charge, though this is accomplished with two batteries instead of one.
As far as cleaning ability it is very similar to their full sized Windtunnel upright cleaners, with 3 channels inside to funnel the air through with more force than more traditional vacuums with only a single path. The result is no dust collects anywhere along the path, as it is quickly carried into the collection canister. The multi stage cyclonic filtration system removes all unhealthy microscopic allergens from the air, making what comes out much healthier than what goes in. To clean the filter simply run it under some water and replace when dry.
The swivel neck lets you move it between and around furniture with fewer turnarounds, and since it weighs just over 10 pounds you will have no trouble carrying it up and down stairs. There are two typical reasons people buy a cordless model: the lightweight design and no cords to constantly move around. The trade off is usually less power, but with the advancements in the internal design, motors, and HEPA filters these vacuums are now on par with much larger and more expensive full sized uprights.
The Air 3.0 is equipped with a 2-in-1 dusting and crevice tool, an extra filter, a hard floor brushroll, and a uniquely designed pivoting dusting tool. You can reach high, low, and under just about anything that you have in your home.
Overall it performs quite well but isn’t quite on par with the Dyson above. It really comes down to your needs though. If you have a larger home with pets or multiple children who tend to create messes then the extra power of the Dyson V8 would come in handy. However, if you don’t have a big house and only clean once a week then the cost savings of this Hoover would make more sense.
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