Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2025, tested in real homes

Let’s be honest, being tied to a power socket and having to manoeuvre a vacuum cleaner around a tangled cord can be exasperating. Thankfully, we have cordless options, which mean you can navigate your home without being held back.

And, thanks to developments in vacuum cleaner technology, ditching the cord doesn’t mean a less effective clean, or that you’ll have to rush around your home before the appliance runs out of juice. These days, their battery lives are longer than ever, while their suction power can rival that of their corded cousins (some models can last for up to an hour). And as they’re light and easy to steer, zipping around a three-bedroom home in that time is very doable.

There are two main types of cordless vacuum cleaners: handheld and upright stick. All of the models we tested are upright models that lift out to convert to handheld, which means you can use them on sofas and car upholstery as well as floors.

Some have LED lights, so you can see under furniture, while others have anti-hair-wrap brushes to prevent tangled pet hair from getting in the way of cleaning. You can even get ones with digital displays to show what suction power setting you’re using and how much battery time you have left.

How we tested

We tested each cordless vacuum cleaner (on carpets and hard floors) for a month, to assess suction power for all types of clean-ups. From picking up crumbs dropped by children at mealtimes to sucking up dog hair, each cordless vacuum cleaner was tested on its dirt-removal performance as well as on weight, manoeuvrability and overall design. Top scores were given to models that were compact and easy to store, as well as ones that were sleek, minimalist and easy on the eye. For more information on our testing process, read our in-depth guide, which details the checklist used when it comes to testing cordless vacuums.

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

All of the products we feature within our guides have been tried and tested in the same real-life environments you’ll be using them. Zoe Griffin has been reviewing vacuum cleaners for IndyBest for years, researching different features (from anti-hair-wrap technology and suction power to models with lights and bagged versus bagless designs) to find the models that are worth your money.

The best cordless vacuum cleaners for 2025 are:

• Best overall – Shark Stratos anti-hair-wrap plus pet pro cordless vacuum, IZ420UKT: £289, Amazon.co.uk
• Best budget buy – Levoit cordless vacuum: £159.99, Amazon.co.uk
• Best for a complete clean – Dyson v15 detect absolute cordless vacuum: £649.99, Currys.co.uk
• Best for wet and dry surfaces – Bissell crosswave cordless max: £269.99, Bisselldirect.co.uk