How to Choose the Best Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

With some top brand names in on the manufacture and performance, choosing the best cordless vacuum cleaner couldn’t be more fun than it is today!

Isn’t it marvellous that traditional vacuum cleaners, so essential in any home, are finally cutting the cord that held them hostage to electrical wires and plugs all this time? Talk about the ultimate in cord-free convenience.

Just so you know, the buzz phrase is actually ‘stick vacuum’, unless you’re looking at a Bosch, which will describe itself as ‘handheld’. Yep, the handheld definition is true enough, but it could be misleading – we’ll help you with that when we explore its features below.

Let’s go bottom line and fast-track you through the logistics so you can get shopping for the best cordless vacuum cleaner that’s just right for you. 

Hopefully, you’ll do that online and have it delivered to your door. Why not make it feel like a gift? After all, it will be one of the best you’ve ever received – of that we’re sure.

Who Makes the Most Powerful Cordless Vacuum?

The best advice is to stick to the names and brands you know to be reliable. Think Bosch and Kärcher, for example. We’ll review their capabilities in a bit.

Dyson comes up time and again. They have a few models to choose from, all of which boast the same great features. The differentiation is only in the sucking strength. You will find yourself with the ultimate power vacuum with this brand.

Which Cordless Vacuum is the Best Value for Money?

Going with the right name and the right price is a double score for you. You need to consider the brand’s stated life expectancy and performance capability. The last thing you want is to have to replace your cordless vacuum in a year because you went for price alone.

Our vote goes to….. Bosch! Their brilliant cordless vacuum cleaner is reasonably priced, with an impressive 25.2V (voltage rating) and three performance levels for different tasks. 

How Many Watts is a Good Cordless Vacuum Cleaner?

Excellent question. The first lightbulb moment to note is that wattage does not, in fact, translate into great suction power! Wattage, dear reader, is an electricity consumption measurement. In other words, a 1000W vacuum cleaner will use 1 kilowatt (1000 Watts) of electricity in an hour.

For the tech-minded, check out this energy-use calculator.

Watts versus Performance

If you really want to understand how to rate the performance of a vacuum cleaner seriously, there are two concepts you need to concern yourself with: wattage is not one of them. Go figure.

The real working power of a cordless vacuum cleaner, which is battery operated for starters – so what for wattage, is its CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) and how it sucks!

Measured by a Suckometer – gotta love that word – the suction prowess of the motor can be ascertained. This is the criterion to watch for when gauging the performance of a vacuum cleaner.

CFM references airflow, which is critical to moving the dirt sucked up. Without the critical dirt displacement enabled by airflow, your suction capacity will suffer. 

Summing Up

You get it now, right? Plenty of people are still going to get stuck on wattage, and just so you’re not left wanting,  a good average that manufacturers will specify is around 1400 watts. Most cordless brands don’t even speak about wattage. You’ll see voltage, and a 1.8V or a 2.5 V is expected. You’ll note ‘air wattage’, which is the industry-standard measurement for suction power, which, as you now know, is the real mitigating factor. A minimum of 15V is needed, with 1.8 and 2.5 being the most popular. 

Wattage is not an issue for the rest of us because we’re going cordless. That means scant concern about the dribble of electricity used to charge a cordless vacuum cleaner’s battery and more interest in the fact that we can clean when there’s load shedding. Hmm, hadn’t thought of that, had you? 

What is the Lifespan of a Cordless Vacuum?

The word on the street is that your cordless vacuum will last you between five to eight years. We would say that only well-known brands can really guarantee you a good lifespan in those numbers. 

Don’t mess around with cheap and nasty makes that you’re going to have to replace more than once where a good brand would have stood the test of time.

Brag List of The Best Cordless Vacuum Cleaners Out There

Certain brands keep coming up on Best of the Best lists. Meet a few here below; check out the stats but understand that there’s one out there that will be just right for you. 

Compare all the features and functions because only you know your cleaning requirements and idiosyncrasies.

The Dyson V8™ Motorhead Cordless Vacuum

The seven-cell, nickel-cobalt-aluminium battery has the fade-free power to clean here, there, and everywhere around your home on a 40-minute full suction run-time. 

Most important to anyone with allergies is the fully-sealed HEPA filtration system, which traps 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns – expelling cleaner air.

You got to love that it is acoustically designed to absorb vibrations and dampen sound to keep noise levels down. Root Cyclone™ technology backs you up and facilitates lightweight and ergonomic to clean hard-to-reach places, including high-up reach capability. 

This cordless marvel quickly transforms into a handheld vacuum cleaner and back again in just one click. 

Neat and sweet enough to clip into a docking station means it is tidily stored while your Dyson V8™ vacuum recharges, so it’s always ready for use.

Additional features

• Two power modes: With two modes to choose from to suit any task,  you can select the right power when needed. 
• Bagless 2-Tier Radial Cyclone technology for increased suction means no more clogged bags or filters.
• The ‘point and shoot’ mechanism hygienically ejects dust and debris in one action, so there’s no need to touch the dirt. And a note-to-self here: the only time your machine will lag or even cut out on you is if you’ve run over the battery time or your bag is too full. Empty the bag regularly if it’s carpet vacuuming day.   

Dyson V12™ Detect Slim Absolute Cordless Vacuum

This is Dyson’s most powerful, versatile compact cordless vacuum for powerful cleaning of floors, hard-to-reach places, and mattresses.

A piezo sensor continuously sizes and counts dust particles – automatically increasing suction power when needed. The LCD screen shows what’s been sucked up, displaying real-time scientific proof of a deep clean!

We reckon this state-of-the-art machine will one day be the perfect partner for your AI housemaid whenever Elon Musk’s team remembers us back on earth when they’re doing all that and more on Mars!

Skip the feature details (although we can’t help bragging about them below) and watch the video here to see for yourself.

Futuristic features list

• Energy-dense battery. Each Click-in battery provides up to 60 minutes of fade-free power to clean here, there, and everywhere around your home.
• Multi-stage filtration. Dyson’s fully-sealed filtration traps 99.99% of microscopic particles and allergens as small as 0.3 microns – and expels cleaner air.
• Single-button power control. No need to hold an ‘on’ function trigger. You can swap hands while navigating obstacles or drink your coffee with the other hand.
• Wall dock. The Dyson V12 Detect Slim™ vacuum drops into the wall-mounted charging dock, ready for your next clean.
• No-touch bin emptying. Hygienic ejection mechanism drives dust and debris deep into your bin in one action.
• LCD screen: Reports performance in real-time, including second-by-second run time display – maintenance alerts, power modes, and battery life.
• Easy to maintain: The filter and Fluffy™ brush bar can be washed, and the bin and tools wiped clean to remove dust build-up and help optimise your Dyson vacuum’s performance.
• Optional click-in battery pack: Remove and replace at the press of a button for even longer cleans.

Kärcher VC4 & VC6 Cordless, our family Vacuum Cleaner

This brand is all about manoeuvrability. In fact, they specify ‘extreme’ manoeuvrability. That means you can go under the lounge furniture and beds. Kärcher is proud of the practical 3-stage filter system with cyclonic, air inlet, and sponge filters.

This cordless marvel of a vacuum demonstrates dynamic cleaning prowess on ALL surfaces.  It’s bagless, and what could be easier than their 1-click filter emptying?

Bosch Rechargeable, Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Bosch opted to name their cordless vacuum range as ‘handheld’. Don’t confuse this with the little nifty hand vacuum variety of yesteryear. This well-crafted Bosch appliance is every bit a stick vacuum and one of the most comfortable cordless vacuums on the market.

It’s bagless and super light at 2.9 kg, with an 18.0 voltage, which is perfect for a household without pet dander to keep at bay. 

Have You Found The Best Cordless Vacuum Cleaner For Your Home?

We are confident that between the brands and models highlighted above and your browsing the Hirsch online store for their excellent selection, your answer is, Yes. If so, congratulations. 

You are investing in an essential household appliance that is docked on the wall, ready to grab and go. You’ll create more cupboard space for that wine cellar you’ve been dreaming of.

Your family will love the best cordless vacuum cleaner you could find even more than you do. After-party cleanups with the cordless vacuum hanging ready and waiting make it easy for everyone to pitch in and do their part.

If you need personal assistance or advice, feel free to contact your Hirsch’s branch, and our friendly team will happily guide you.