Best Cordless Stick Vacuums in 2023

The stick vacuum – You can think of this cleaning wonder as a hybrid that combines the lightweight portability of a handheld with some of the power of an upright. When you have a high-quality stick vacuum, it’s easy to maintain the cleanliness of your floors in between major vacuuming sessions. However, like any other home appliance, stick vacuums come in many varieties.

Often, people buy the first vacuum cleaner they find with an appealing color that has a well-known brand name slapped on it, and they don’t look beyond the surface. You have to do your research before you buy a cordless stick vacuum, so you aren’t stuck with a battery-powered piece of junk.

We’ve done the legwork for you by not only reviewing the top cordless sticks out there but also compiling a buying guide to help you finalize your decision.

Recommended Cordless Stick Vacuums in 2023

4. Eureka NEC222 HyperClean Cordless Vacuum

The Eureka NEC222 HyperClean is both a powerful stick vacuum and handheld unit. Powered by a fade-free lithium-ion battery, this cordless stick vacuum can run for up to 30 minutes on normal suction mode. It comes with various cleaning tools that clean a wide range of surfaces, including carpeted or bare floors.

To increase suction, press and hold down the MAX power button and press the MAX indicator light. This will alert you to the fact that you’re in MAX mode, even though it’s obvious because of the louder operation and stronger suction. Built with a multi-tier filtration system, users can rest assured that the NEC222 will retain most microscopic particles in its dust tank until emptied out.

3. Shark IZ163H Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum

The IZ163H is a cordless vacuum cleaner from Shark that is sleek and easy to use. It does a fantastic job of cleaning up after your pets on both hard and carpeted surfaces. The small design and fancy cleaning attachments, such as the LED crevice tool, progress indicator on the charging dock’s inside, place it a step above the rest in terms of convenience.

As for how well this tool cleans, it’s a great cordless stick vac to have for all kinds of carpets. It manages to loosen and lift pet hair, as well as debris like dust and sand, in just a single pass.

2. Tineco A11 Hero Cordless Vacuum

Finished with a sleek combo of gunmetal blue and white, this Tineco A11 Hero Cordless Vacuum is a real looker. It features a trigger-style handle that helps conserve battery life; however, you may also lock the trigger for continuous suction.

This 5-pound, 30-inch-tall Tineco stick vacuum not only pivots while it vacuums floors but also separates for cleaning ceiling fans and furniture. You can remove the handheld portion or just the floor head, giving you up to 11 feet of above-floor reach.

The 9-inch brushroll offers a decent-sized cleaning path, and the 0.6-liter translucent cup holds a lot of dirt and debris. You don’t have to worry about puffs of dust infiltrating the air because the cup opens from the bottom, and the HEPA system traps fine particles.

For whole-house cleaning, you get a crevice attachment, dust brush and rubberized upholstery tool; all of these accessories can be stored along with the stick vacuum on the included wall mount.

In addition to these attachments, you get a 2-year limited warranty and an easy-to-use adapter charger. With its 2 batteries, you can vacuum your house for up to 50 minutes. The vacuum’s indicator light illuminates while the battery recharges, which takes a couple.

1. Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cord-Free Vacuum

Last on our list is the Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cord-Free Vacuum. At 13.7 pounds, this device is still easy to lift.

Dyson’s latest VI1 cord-free vacuum intelligently senses and adjusts suction and run time-based on floor type. Soft carbon fiber filaments capture fine dust from hard floors. While stiff bristles dislodge ground in dirt from your carpets and the new digital display lets you check and control performance enabling you to deep clean everywhere.

The Dyson V11 Torque and the Dyson V11 Absolute have this cool LCD screen where you can select between low, medium, and high power, as well as the “auto mode”. It also shows the estimated battery life you’ve left.

What Stick Vacuum Features to Look At?

The main purpose of a cordless stick vacuum is to give you a portable, powerful vacuum that you can use when you don’t need or want to pull out your upright. Just like each vacuum is different, so is every household.

While you may need an extremely lightweight cordless stick vac that you can carry up and down the stairs of your two-story home, your neighbor down the street may need a stick vacuum that can handle the large amount of fur his three dogs constantly shed.

Therefore, what you deem to be important in a vacuum cleaner may not be as crucial for the next person. Regardless, you should know about all the features that cordless sticks have to offer, so you can make the right choice for your lifestyle.

Height and Weight

Even if you don’t have stairs to worry about, it’s still pointless to use a heavy stick vacuum that feels more like an upright vacuum cleaner than a featherlight stick. Any cordless stick vac over 10 pounds is just too heavy.

If you have a staircase or a medical condition that limits your mobility, shoot for a vacuum in the 5-pound range.

Don’t forget to look at the stick vac’s total height. If you’re a tall person, you want a vacuum cleaner that doesn’t force you to bend your back – 45 inches or above is usually a comfortable height.

Working and Charging Times

Although cordless stick vacuums are geared toward quick clean-up jobs, don’t let yourself get shortchanged when it comes to the vacuum’s working time.

A stick vacuum that lasts 20 minutes or longer gives you enough time to vacuum messes in a couple of bedrooms and your main living spaces.

Some people see a stick vacuum with a long run time and forget to look at its charge time. If the stick vacuum takes 6 to 8 hours to charge, it may not be ready when you need it.

Brushroll and Floor Head

Between the width and material, brushrolls vary greatly from one stick vac to the next. Some stick vacuums don’t have a brushroll, but you’ll need one that does if you have carpet in your house. The wider the brushroll, the more floor area it can clean per pass; a width of 9 inches is an acceptable size.

If you have hardwoods or tile, make sure the bristles are soft to prevent scratches or choose a cordless stick that lets you turn off the brushroll when cleaning hard floors or switch between multiple floor heads.

Although it’s not necessary, a floor head that’s equipped with LED lights makes it much easier to see under furniture.

Maneuverability and Convertibility

A vacuum cleaner that moves with you, not against you, allows you to clean fast, and speed matters when you want to finish vacuuming before the battery dies. Many stick vacuums have floor heads that swivel, so you can steer them around chair legs and wall corners.

It also helps if the stick vacuum has a backward bending joint where the head meets the wand. This flexibility allows you to reach every spot underneath your bed or couch without having to move your furniture.

There are even some models with a detachable handheld vacuum, so you can get all the benefits of two vacuums in one, including the ability to clean your upholstery, blinds, automobile and other non-floor areas.

Attachments and Reach

No matter the quantity, high-quality stick vacuums come with attachments. Usually, it has all or some of the following accessory assortment – an upholstery tool, a crevice cleaner and a dusting brush.

These attachments should quickly slide or lock into place to make switching them out as easy as possible.

If you want to use a cordless stick to vacuum high spots, make sure the vacuum gives you the option of leaving the pole on the handle, so you can reach ceiling fans, door frames and tall bookshelves.

Size and Storage

The size of the cordless stick vacuum and your home’s storage options will determine where you can put the vacuum at the end of the day. If you have closets galore, you don’t have to worry about how much room the stick vac needs.

However, if your available storage space is minimal at best, you should look for a cordless stick that can fold in half at the base of the pole.

Alternatively, there are cordless stick vacuums that come with wall mounting hardware, saving valuable closet space. Most of these mounts are even equipped with an area to keep the vacuum’s attachments, so you won’t lose them.

FAQ

How Do Cordless Sticks Compare to Handhelds and Uprights?

When it comes to vacuuming surfaces other than floors, handhelds usually win. They are smaller and weigh a little less than stick vacs. Therefore, you can use any handheld vacuum to clean your automobiles, windowsills and sofa. However, the game changes in terms of cleaning under your furniture.

Standard handhelds don’t have a long wand like sticks do, so you can’t get the same reach with a handheld.

You might as well forget about trying to vacuum your floor with a hand vac – It would take you all day to clean your floors, but floor cleaning is quick and easy with a cordless stick.

Then, there are upright vacuums. These vacuum cleaners offer the most suction and dirt-lifting power, but they are heavier and more cumbersome than stick vacuums. Unlike stick vacs, you can’t use uprights to clean staircases.

Since upright vacuums are heavier and larger than their stick counterparts, they take up more room in your storage closet.

Cordless sticks also come out on top in regard to maneuverability and reach. Sure, you can usually vacuum some of the space under your furniture with an upright; however, the slim profile and lighter weight of cordless stick vacuums let you clean more areas of your house, including the dark recesses under your living room furniture.

What Is the Main Advantage Offered by Cordless Stick Vacs?

Undoubtedly, the number one benefit of a cordless stick vacuum can be deduced by the word cordless. Since there is no power cord, you have free reign over where you can take the vacuum. Do you need to vacuum 40 feet away from the nearest electrical outlet?

That’s no problem. Do you need to clean the outdoor carpet on your back porch? Grab your cordless stick.

What Is the Biggest Disadvantage of a Cordless Stick?

Stick vacuums that run on battery power instead of a cord have one downfall. The battery that gives you portability is a double-edged sword.

You can only use the cordless stick for as long as the battery lasts. This means you usually have to wait an hour or longer for the battery to recharge before you can fire up your vacuum cleaner again.

Does the Type of Battery Matter?

Absolutely! The type of battery that a manufacturer puts in a stick vacuum determines how long it can run on one charge, the amount of time it takes to recharge it and its overall lifespan.

The three most common kinds of batteries used in cordless sticks are lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride and nickel cadmium. You also have to consider the battery’s capacity and voltage.

Without turning this guide into a science and math lesson, the higher a battery’s capacity and voltage, the more power it can produce, which is measured in watts. Additionally, a battery with a large capacity can run for longer period of time per charge than a battery with a smaller capacity.

Lithium-Ion
A cordless stick with a lithium-ion battery is going to give you great performance. These batteries tend to have the largest capacity in comparison to the nickel types.

Also, they don’t lose their ability to hold a charge if you frequently keep them docked when not in use, and they can last for up to the 3 years before you need to replace them. The discharge rate is high, which equates to a long run time.

Nickel-Metal Hydride
Nickel-metal hydride batteries are an excellent alternative to lithium-ion batteries. While nickel-metal hydride batteries cost less, they weigh more, which adds to the stick vac’s overall weight. However, some of these batteries tend to suffer from memory effect on occasion.

While their discharge rate is lower than those of lithium-ion batteries, their high capacity makes up the difference.

Nickel Cadmium
Before nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries became commercialized, nickel-cadmium batteries were the top choice among manufacturers of appliances and electronics. While their discharge rates are excellent, these batteries are plagued by the memory effect.

In fact, frequent and prolonged charging can kill the battery in 1 year or less. You can combat this issue by making sure to let the battery completely discharge, immediately followed by a complete recharge, at least one time per month.

Which One Is Better – A Charging Dock or Adapter Cord?

While one type of charging apparatus is no better than the other, there are some differences in terms of benefits. A dock gives you a nice, tidy place to keep your stick vac when not in use.

Some docks even come with storage compartments for the vacuum’s attachments. There are also docks that are meant to hold just the battery. This means you have to take the battery out of the vacuum to recharge it.

On the other hand, an adapter cord lets you recharge the battery while it’s still in the stick vac, which is convenient. What you feel is the best type of charger really depends on your personal preference because they all have the same essential purpose.

What Kind of Dirt Collection System Do Cordless Stick Vacuums Have?

Like an upright, the filtration system in a stick vacuum varies from model to model. Some have a dust bag while others have a bin. With a bag, you don’t get much dust blown back into the air when you remove it.

However, it can be a hassle to securely attach a new one. Plus, you have to buy replacement bags, which adds to the vacuum’s maintenance cost. Conversely, a dust bin doesn’t drain your wallet.

All you have to do is open it, dump the contents and reattach it. Despite their convenience, bins release dust into the air when you empty them. Bottom-release bins are becoming a popular choice because they keep most of the dust out of your face as opposed to bins that open from the top, forcing you to turn them upside down to dump them.

How Difficult Is It to Maintain a Cordless Stick?

Taking care of a stick vacuum is no different thant maintaining an upright vacuum. If the stick vac’s floor head is equipped with a brush roll, you should check it regularly for tangled hair.

A clean rolling brush reduces the likelihood of a broken belt, which is a component that does need to be replaced when it breaks. However, belts are inexpensive and easy to change.

Be sure to refrain from using your stick vac when the bag or bin is full; otherwise, the suction system will get clogged, and the filters won’t last as long. On the subject of filters, these also need regular attention.

The user guide that comes with the vacuum will tell you how often to wash or replace your stick vac’s filter.

If you have any questions or comments, please add them below in the comment section. Similarly, please let us know if you spot any mistakes or omissions. Thanks!

Last Update: 2023-03-23 | Affiliate links/Images from Amazon Product Advertising API