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Your Next Vacuum Cleaner Should Be Cordless. Here’s Why

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If you’ve recently purchased a vacuum cleaner, you know that the options are virtually endless. There are so many styles and types of vacuum cleaners to choose from these days that it can be daunting to even do a lot of research, let alone buy the best one for you. Between some excellent robot vacuums and more traditional models, there’s so much to consider before you buy one.

CNET’s list of the best vacuum cleaners you can buy includes picks from each of the top vacuum categories, but there are plenty of reasons why your next vacuum should be a cordless one. One big reason for the rise of cordless vacuums over the years is their convenience. Aside from the fact that these types of vacuums are lighter and make it easier to dispose of the dirt you’ve picked up, you can also forget about lugging around a long cord and moving electrical outlets for every room you clean.

Here are six reasons why you should consider a cordless vacuum for your next machine. For more vacuuming tips, discover The Right Way to Vacuum Your Floors.

1. Wireless convenience

From talking refrigerators to iPhones, our experts help you make the world a little less complicated.

That’s obvious, but the best thing about a cordless vacuum is the lack of a cord, which makes your vacuuming routine increasingly difficult. I can’t stress enough how much more convenient it is to vacuum without a cord: no need to accidentally unplug the power cord, and no need to worry about the cord getting caught on chair or table legs or knocking over fragile objects.

You can move freely around the room wherever you want, without stopping or dodging obstacles.

In addition, many of the cordless vacuums on the market today have long-lasting batteries. And many newer models offer removable batteries, so you can quickly swap out a dead battery for a new one if necessary. A few vacuum models — such as the Samsung and LG — even equipped with charging stations that allow you to charge two batteries at the same time.

Dyson V15 Detect is standing against a wall. Dyson V15 Detect is standing against a wall.

Cordless vacuum cleaners are ultra-thin and discreet, making them easy to store.

Brian Bennett/CNET
From talking refrigerators to iPhones, our experts help you make the world a little less complicated.

2. Enjoy the lightness of cordless vacuums

Before I switched to a cordless vacuum, my least favorite thing about my vacuum was how damn heavy it was. I felt like I was lugging around a bag of rocks, which made vacuuming feel more like a workout than a necessary chore.

Many traditional vacuum cleaners can easily weigh more than 15 poundsand in some cases even 22 pounds. Let’s compare that to Dyson’s cordless stick vacuum, the V15 Detectwhich weighs 6.8 pounds, or the Tineco A11 Herowhich weighs even less, namely 5.5 pounds. These lighter machines ensure less strain while vacuuming.

3. Small and easy to store

Due to their compact size and wand-like appearance, cordless vacuums are often referred to as stick vacuums. Their ultra-slim design makes them easier to handle and store than traditional upright vacuums.

My closet is rightly called “the vacuum house” because my previous vacuum took up most of the closet space. Now I can also store a cooler, other cleaning supplies, and my tennis rackets in the closet, thanks to the cordless vacuum that takes up only a quarter of the space. The discreet size of cordless vacuums makes storage so much easier — especially in smaller homes or apartments.

4. Simply empty the trash

Cordless vacuum cleaner models usually have dust bins that are designed to be emptied easily. Current Dyson models and the Tineco A11 Hero throw the contents of their dust bins directly into the bin.

Top class Samsung and LG stick vacuum cleaners go one step further and integrate charging stations that also automatically empty the waste bins.

A woman uses the Tineco Pure One S11 cordless vacuum cleaner to clean up some dry cat food that has been spread across the hardwood floor of the kitchen by a fluffy, white cat with brown spots. A woman uses the Tineco Pure One S11 cordless vacuum cleaner to clean up some dry cat food that has been spread across the hardwood floor of the kitchen by a fluffy, white cat with brown spots.

Cordless vacuum cleaners come with a variety of attachments for specific tasks and floor types.

Tineco

5. Cordless vacuums are versatile and adjustable

Many cordless vacuums come with modular, interchangeable attachments, so you can make the unit smaller or adapt it to specific vacuuming needs, such as reaching high places or the top of baseboards.

You can remove the long wands and then reattach the cleaning heads to transform a cordless vacuum into a highly maneuverable handheld vacuum that’s perfect for cleaning stairs or reaching corners or other tight spaces. You can swap in a crevice tool to create a couch or car vacuum. You can reattach the wand and then attach a vacuum head to turn it into a long-reach duster.

You can customize your cordless vacuum to be efficient and suitable for almost any room or task.

6. Potential bonus: Cordless vacuums can be more energy efficient

Yes, cordless vacuums can save you energy. And I don’t just mean that you save the energy of physical exertion while vacuuming. I mean that they tend to use less energy and electricity of your home than a corded model. That’s because cordless vacuums only draw energy from your home while they’re charging — not when they’re actually running.

The trade-off is that cordless vacuums need to be constantly charged, with batteries lasting about 40 minutes and then taking anywhere from 2 to 16 hours to fully charge, depending on battery capacity. If you have a larger home or thicker carpets that can take longer than an hour or so to vacuum, the energy savings may not be worth it.

For more helpful information about vacuum cleaners, check out the best Roomba alternatives, the best budget vacuum cleaners, the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair to keep your floors clean, and the best robot vacuum deals right now.

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