The Best Cordless Vacuums for Your Entire Home (2026)

What about the Dyson PencilVac?

I’m breaking out the Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones (yes, that’s the full name) because although it’s still a vacuum, its design is so different that it stands out from any other vacuum I’ve tried.

The main difference is that the motor, litter box, and battery are all housed in the slim handle. No more bulky and heavy construction that these cordless vacuums are known for. The body and feel remind me of a Swiffer, but it’s a vacuum instead of just a quick mop. The PencilVac uses a Dyson Hyperdymium motor – the same motor typically found in the brand’s hair tools – and has a small 0.08-litre dustbin, but it compacts the debris to make that small amount of space last. It also has a short battery life of just 30 minutes.

It has much lower power than other vacuums in the Dyson lineup and can only be used on hard floors. It has four soft rollers, aptly called Fluffycones, on the head of the cleaner, and is designed to prevent hair from getting tangled. It worked, but instead of getting it tangled, the vacuum would sometimes twist my hair and spit it out instead of sending it into the trash. It was great for quick cleaning up of things like trash, dust, and grains, but it’s a steep price for something more limited than cheap vacuums.

However, I think there is a use case here, especially from an accessibility perspective. This is a good option for households where someone may not be strong enough or have the mobility to push a heavy stick vacuum easily, and the charging base makes it easy to store and pick up quickly without putting it down or bending. Small size is also an argument for small homes, and smaller crevices may fit better than standard-sized vacuums (think the space between a toilet and the wall). The Dyson V15 is a better option all-round, but I think there are people who might be really attracted to this particular vacuum. Dyson also launched the PencilWash last month, a similar design but wet vacuum, which I’ll be testing next.

Honorable mentions

We haven’t tried the vacuum yet which we absolutely hate. The following are solid vacuums that, in some cases, are much cheaper than our top picks, but we didn’t like them very much.

Bissell IconPet Turbo Edge for $200: Bissell’s OG Stick Vacuum is a popular model that has been around for a while. It does a good job of picking up hair and cat litter, and easily converts into a handheld vacuum as well. The battery lasts a little longer, but Medea Giordano, a former WIRED reviewer, wasn’t impressed with its joy-gathering skills, and it can’t stand on its own.

Bissell PowerClean FurFinder for $200: It’s a great vacuum, and was our previous top pick. It does an all-around good job on all types of flooring, comes with a great range of accessories, and has a FurFinder to help with pet hair. It’s still a great vacuum, especially if you have pets, but unless you use the FurFinder frequently, you can get the slightly cheaper regular Bissell PowerClean for a similar experience.

Bosch Unlimited 10 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for $699: This vacuum has six cleaning modes and can bend in the middle, but it doesn’t always contain debris after you’re done cleaning. It has a 10-year warranty on the motor, which is more than what other brands offer.

Black & Decker Powerseries Extreme Max for $169: The Black & Decker Powerseries Extreme Max is a great vacuum at a lower price than most. It stands on its own, has three power levels that you can easily control from the handle, and handles different surfaces in my house well. I liked this vacuum a lot, but it wasn’t as stable as the Bissell vacuum above, and the handle felt a little soft compared to it and other vacuums I’ve tested. However, it had a larger capacity trash can.

Dirt Devil Power Swerve Pet Cordless Vacuum for $72: We’ve previously recommended this as a budget pick. It’s a good vacuum for the money, but there have been questions about battery life and build quality.

Dyson V12 revealed for $550: The V12 Detect is worth considering if you want something a little cheaper and lighter than the V15 (although it is less powerful and has a smaller box).

Eufy Robot 3-in-1 E20 Vacuum, $500: WIRED reviewer Adrienne So was excited to try Eufy’s E20, a stick vacuum, handheld vacuum, and robot vacuum all-in-one. It’s easy to use and well designed, but it’s only good for light cleaning.

Eureka Stylus Elite $280: It is a good vacuum cleaner with a self-emptying container at a reasonable price. It cleaned trash rugs well, and there are specific settings for carpet and hardwood. However, to suck up larger pieces like Cheerios, I had to lift the vacuum up and place it directly on top of them.

Levoit LVAC-300, $270: It’s a well-rounded vacuum and has a good price (and is often on sale). It has a battery life of up to an hour, comes with two accessories, and has similar specifications to our favorite Dyson vacuum. The 6.6-pound weight also made it fairly easy to clean the three sets of stairs in WIRED reviewer Luke Larson’s home, which is equipped with HEPA filtration. Although it can stand on its own, it easily tips over during the process.

Ryobi 18V One+ HP Advanced Stick Vacuum Kit for $399: This is our second cordless vacuum pick for the best pet hair vacuums. It features powerful suction, cyclone filtration, a brushless motor, an easily removable swivel bar, and lights on the vacuum head to better see pet hair and dander.

Tineco Pure One 5 Station for $459: I love that this vacuum has a self-emptying base station. It’s a solid vacuum overall, but my favorite part about it is the docking station. You don’t need to choose Tineco to get this; Shark now has a few models with self-emptying stations, and Dyson has one scheduled to launch this year.

Worx 20V cordless vacuum cleaner for $250: It’s a good vacuum, but cleaning the trash was more difficult than those of other models I tested.

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