Cleaning & Vacuums
Cordless vacuums from a compact 2.4 kg 2-in-1 to a bagged battery cylinder, each matched to its exact Amazon.co.uk listing and checked against the manufacturer’s own page. Read the runtime together with the power mode it was measured in, then compare bin size, weight and whether the battery comes out. Shopicks has not tested any of them.
Our editorial choice to illustrate this subcategory. Featured picks are not a ranking and are not the result of side-by-side testing.
A bagless cordless stick with an exchangeable battery, a flexible extension hose and a docking station, for people who want a replaceable battery pack and a reach tool for low furniture.
Featured as the exchangeable-battery example because Bosch UK prints the battery voltage and capacity, the maximum runtime, the charging time, the weight measured ready for operation, the dust container size and a full accessory list in one specification, and says nothing to condition the runtime figure. It illustrates the type and is not a ranking.
May suit: People who want a replaceable battery pack, a wall dock and a flexible tube for cleaning under and around furniture.
Worth checking: Bosch gives no conditions for its 40 minutes, so do not read it as the time you will get with the motorised brush on the highest level. Amazon.co.uk's weight row (3.6 kg) differs from Bosch's 2.9 kg ready for operation; we use Bosch's figure. Bosch does not say that it converts to a handheld vacuum.
Checked against: Bosch UK (opens in a new tab)
Showing 10 of 10 products
A bagless cordless stick with an exchangeable battery, a flexible extension hose and a docking station, for people who want a replaceable battery pack and a reach tool for low furniture.
A cordless upright with a removable 22 V battery, a 0.8 L bin and a single power setting, aimed by Gtech at homes with pets, for people who prefer a full-height vacuum without choosing a mode.
A cordless stick with a removable ONEPWR battery, a motorised pet tool and a wall mount, for people who want a runtime figure with its test condition printed beside it.
A cordless stick that empties into disposable pods, with a detachable battery and a 1 L drum, for people who would rather not tip out a bin by hand.
A battery-powered cylinder that takes a bag, with a 6 L drum, for people who want Henry's bagged format without a mains cable.
A cordless stick with a DuoClean floorhead, a removable battery and a pet tool, for people who want a runtime figure with its power mode and tool stated.
A compact 2-in-1 stick and handheld that stands up by itself, for small homes and flats where storage and weight matter more than capacity.
A cordless stick with a mop attachment, a motorised pet turbo head and an LED display, for people who want a cordless vacuum that also clips on a mop.
A 2.4 kg bagless cordless stick with a motorised floor nozzle and two power levels, for small homes where a short, clearly conditioned runtime is enough.
A 3.0 kg 2-in-1 cordless with a 50 minute maximum runtime and a handheld mode, for people who want to switch to a handheld for stairs and furniture.
Before you buy
Cordless does not mean one design. The Vax Blade 4 Pet and Shark Stratos are conventional sticks, the Bosch Unlimited 7 adds a flexible tube and the Beko PowerClean adds a clip-on mop attachment. The Bosch Readyy’y and Flexxo pages describe a 2in1 that works as a handheld and as a handstick. The Gtech AirRAM 2 K9 is a cordless upright whose page mentions no handheld mode, and the Henry HVB160 is a battery-powered cylinder that takes a bag.
Emptying differs as well. Most of these use a bin, the Henry Quick empties into disposable pods, and the HVB160 uses HepaFlo bags. Decide whether you want a handheld for stairs and furniture and whether you mind emptying a bin, then compare the specifications.
A runtime is a maximum measured under a stated condition, not a promise. Shark’s 60 minutes is in ECO power mode with a non-motorised tool, and Vax’s 45 minutes is in standard power mode on a hard floor with the floor brush switched off. Kärcher gives about 30 minutes in standard mode without an electric floor nozzle and up to 18 minutes at its highest power level. Bosch, Beko and Numatic print minutes with no conditions at all.
Which? says minimum-power runtime should be at least 30 minutes and more likely around an hour, that around 15 to 16 minutes on maximum power is decent, and that it has found models that overstate battery life by as much as a third. Treat the minutes on the cards as ceilings, and ask which power level and which tool they were measured with.
Which? puts the average cordless dust capacity at about 0.7 litres, against about 2.3 litres for a corded vacuum, and the average cordless weight at about 3 kg. The listed bins run from Bosch’s 0.3 l on the Unlimited 7 and 0.4 l on the Readyy’y and Flexxo to Gtech’s 0.8 L and Numatic’s 1 L Henry Quick drum, and the bagged HVB160 holds 6 L. Weights in the makers’ own words run from 2.4 kg for the Bosch Readyy’y and Kärcher to 4.1 kg for the Shark Stratos.
Weight is what you feel on the stairs and when you hold the machine at arm’s length. Capacity decides how often you empty it. A larger bin or bag also means a bigger machine, so neither number settles the choice alone.
The Vax, Henry Quick, Gtech and Shark pages say the battery is removable, Numatic’s HVB160 data sheet lists a quick and easy battery change, and Bosch calls the Unlimited 7 pack exchangeable. The Bosch Readyy’y and Flexxo, Beko and Kärcher pages do not say. A removable battery can in principle be replaced when it wears out, but ask the maker whether a spare is sold, because Which? says swappable batteries usually cost extra. Charge times quoted run from 150 minutes for the Henry Quick to 345 minutes for the Kärcher.
Electrical Safety First’s advice for rechargeable floor cleaners is to use only the original charger or one sourced from or approved by the manufacturer, and to unplug when not in use or being charged. Rechargeable batteries and cordless appliances belong at a local recycling centre, not in the household bin.
We chose models that differ in shape, battery arrangement, bin size and pet tools, not different colours of one model, and we kept a model only where we could open its exact Amazon.co.uk listing and the manufacturer’s own page and match them. We rejected candidates whose maker’s page was missing, would not load or disagreed with the listing. Dyson’s UK site refused automated access, so no Dyson model is listed.
The list is not a ranking and makes no claim about sales or value. One card is marked as a featured example to illustrate the page, and the card says why. Prices, stock, star ratings and review counts are not shown because Amazon only permits them from its own site, so each button takes you to Amazon.co.uk to check the current price and availability.
Minimum and maximum power runtimes, overstated battery life, spare batteries, handheld mode and typical dust capacity and weight. Test results are behind a paywall and are not used.
Where cordless sticks suit, average carpet dust pick-up across tested cordless and corded vacuums, typical dust capacity and weight.
Lithium-ion batteries, using the original or manufacturer-approved charger and unplugging when not in use.
Rechargeable batteries and cordless appliances with rechargeable batteries go to a local recycling centre.
Each card’s source links are recorded in the Cleaning & Vacuums evidence dataset. Henry data sheets were read as PDF text.
Buying guide
A research-based UK guide to cordless vacuum cleaners covering runtime conditions, removable batteries, bin size, weight, attachments and floor suitability, with five examples checked against manufacturer pages.
Comparison
How cordless and corded vacuum cleaners differ in convenience, power supply, battery limits, cleaning reach, storage, maintenance, capacity and suitability for different UK homes, using manufacturer figures and Which? advice.
It depends on the power mode and the tool. Makers quote a maximum for a stated condition, such as Shark’s 60 minutes in ECO mode with a non-motorised tool, and Which? says some models overstate battery life by as much as a third. Check the minutes at the power level you will actually use.
On some models. The Vax, Henry Quick, Gtech and Shark pages say the battery is removable and Bosch calls the Unlimited 7 pack exchangeable. Other pages do not say. Ask the maker whether a spare is sold and what it costs, and take a worn battery to a recycling centre.
Which? says cordless sticks suit smaller homes with less carpet, and in its lab tests cordless models picked up an average of 41% of carpet dust against 70% for corded vacuums. Averages hide a wide spread between models. Shopicks has not tested these vacuums and makes no carpet cleaning claim for any of them.
We do not rank them. Look at what each maker lists: the Vax Blade 4 Pet has a Mini Motorised Pet Tool, the Shark Stratos a Pet Tool, the Beko a motorised pet turbo brush head and the Gtech a Hair Removal Tool. What a tool does to real pet hair is something only testing can show.
Only Beko’s table uses the word, as ‘Hepa 12’ without an explanation, and Numatic’s HepaFlo is the name of a bag, not a filter claim. A washable filter is not the same thing as a HEPA filter, and we make no claim that any of these removes allergens.
Amazon only permits prices, ratings and review counts to be shown from its own site or API, and a stale value would mislead you. Each button links to the Amazon.co.uk listing, where you can see the current price, availability and customer reviews.
No. The cards are based on each manufacturer’s own page or data sheet, matched to the Amazon.co.uk listing. We do not describe cleaning results we have not seen.