Cleaning & VacuumsComparison
Cordless or corded? The answer depends on your floors, your stairs and how far the socket is from the room, and no average settles it. These are the differences that matter, with the makers’ own figures where we have them.
A battery-powered vacuum, usually a stick, with no cable to plug in. Designs in our listing range from compact 2-in-1s to a cordless upright and a bagged battery cylinder.
Smaller homes with less carpet, quick cleans, stairs, and people who find heavier machines hard work.
Research-based assessment
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. We have not physically tested this product.
A mains-powered upright or cylinder, bagged or bagless, that runs for as long as it is plugged in, with its reach set by the cable and hose.
Larger and carpet-heavy homes, whole-house cleaning, and buyers who want a long clean without stopping to charge.
Research-based assessment
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. We have not physically tested this product.
A cordless vacuum is the one you can pick up without finding a socket. Which? says cordless sticks suit quick cleans, smaller homes with less carpet and people who struggle with heavier machines, and many convert to a handheld for stairs, furniture and the car. A corded vacuum asks you to unwind the cable and change sockets, and in return it does not stop part way through the job.
Convenience also depends on how often you charge, empty and clean the machine. Makers’ charge times for the cordless vacuums in our listing run from 150 minutes for the Henry Quick to 345 minutes for the Kärcher, and a flat battery is the corded vacuum’s advantage.
A corded vacuum draws mains electricity for as long as it is plugged in. A cordless vacuum runs from a lithium-ion battery, such as the 18.0 V, 3.00 Ah pack on the Bosch Unlimited 7 or Vax’s 4.0 Ah ONEPWR. Ratings in watts describe the motor: Hoover and Bosch rate their corded cylinders at 850 W, while Numatic rates its cordless Henry HVB160 at 250 W and the Henry Quick at 300 W.
A rating is not a measure of how much dirt reaches the bin, so we do not use it to say one type is stronger. Which? tested carpet dust pick-up and found an average of 41% for the cordless vacuums and 70% for the corded ones, with the best cordless at 83% and the best corded at 86%. Averages hide wide differences between models, and Shopicks has not tested any vacuum.
Cordless runtimes are maximums measured under a condition. Shark’s 60 minutes for the Stratos IZ400UKT is in ECO power mode with a non-motorised tool, Vax’s 45 minutes is in standard mode on a hard floor with the floor brush off, and Kärcher gives about 30 minutes in standard mode without an electric floor nozzle and up to 18 minutes at its highest level. Several makers print minutes with no condition. Which? says minimum-power runtime should be at least 30 minutes and that it has found models overstating battery life by as much as a third.
Batteries wear out. Some makers say the battery is removable and Bosch calls the Unlimited 7 pack exchangeable, but Which? says swappable batteries usually cost extra, so ask whether a spare is sold. A corded vacuum has no battery to wear out, and no runtime to plan around.
A cordless vacuum can go wherever you can carry it, for as long as the battery lasts. A corded vacuum is limited by its cable and hose. Which? says corded cables run from about six metres to more than fifteen, and that uprights reach 8.6 metres on average and cylinders 10.1 metres.
Makers define reach differently. Vax counts a 13 m cable plus a 3.6 m stretch hose as up to 17 m, Bosch gives a 10 m operating radius with a 7 m cable, and Numatic’s ‘cleaning range’ for the Henry is not defined on its page. Compare the cable and hose with the distance from your socket to the furthest corner you clean.
Which? puts the average cordless at about 3 kg against roughly 6 to 7 kg for a standard vacuum. In our listing the cordless sticks and uprights are listed at 2.4 to 4.1 kg, the bagged battery cylinder at 6.88 kg, and the corded vacuums at 3.92 to 8 kg where a weight is printed.
A cordless stick usually lives on a wall mount or dock beside a plug point, and the Bosch Readyy’y stands up by itself. A corded cylinder needs a cupboard and a corded upright needs floor space. Measure the spot before you choose.
Smaller cordless bins mean more emptying and filter cleaning. The bins in our cordless listing are 0.3 to 1 L where the makers print a size, against 1.5 to 3 L bins and 3.5 to 9 L bags in the corded listing. Bagged corded models mean buying bags, which Which? calls an ongoing cost, and Which? found that bagless models released much more dust into the room when emptied than bagged ones.
Cordless vacuums add a battery to look after. Use the original or manufacturer-approved charger, unplug when not charging, and take a worn-out battery to a recycling centre, as Electrical Safety First advises.
In a flat with hard floors and little to carry up, a cordless vacuum is the easier fit, provided its runtime at the power level you use covers the job. In a larger home with deep carpet and many rooms, Which? says corded models are the better choice, and a cylinder’s hose or an upright’s stretch hose can help with stairs.
Some households keep both, a corded vacuum for the weekly clean and a cordless for quick jobs. That means buying and storing two, so decide whether the second machine earns its space. Our two buying guides each work through five examples.
| Cordless | Corded | |
|---|---|---|
| Power source | Rechargeable battery, 150 to 345 minutes to charge | Mains cable, 6.5 m to 13 m where printed |
| Runtime limit | 30 to 70 minutes at the makers’ stated maximum, under differing conditions | None; the cable and hose set the reach |
| Weight (makers) | 2.4 to 4.1 kg sticks and uprights; 6.88 kg bagged battery cylinder | 3.92 to 8 kg where printed |
| Bin or bag (makers) | 0.3 to 1 L bins where printed; a 6 L bag on the HVB160 | 1.5 to 3 L bins; 3.5 to 9 L bags |
| Handheld or stairs | 2in1 handheld and handstick on some; none mentioned on the Gtech upright | Powered Lift-Away on the Shark; stretch hose on the Vax |
| Battery replacement | Removable on some models, not stated on others | No battery |
| Carpet dust pick-up (Which? lab average) | 41%, best 83% | 70%, best 86% |
| Reliability (Which?) | No claim made here | Better reliability record |
Planned. We do not have a listing or guide for robot vacuums yet, so we make no recommendation about them.
Our assessment is based on product specifications, manufacturer information, market research and comparison with competing products. The products on this page have not been physically tested by Shopicks.
For many smaller homes it can. Which? says cordless sticks suit smaller homes with less carpet, while corded models suit larger, carpet-heavy homes. Check that the runtime at the power level you will use covers the whole job.
A wattage rating cannot tell you, and we do not compare suction figures. Which? found an average carpet dust pick-up of 41% for cordless and 70% for corded vacuums, with the best at 83% and 86%. Averages hide wide differences between models, and Shopicks has not tested any.
Which? says corded vacuums have a better reliability record. We have no reliability data of our own, so we cannot say how any particular model will last.
It depends on the model. A cordless with a handheld mode is easy to carry, and a corded cylinder’s long hose reaches stairs from one spot, while Which? says uprights can be harder to use on stairs. We have not tested any of them on stairs.
Some households keep both, but it means buying and storing two machines. A smaller home with hard floors may need only a cordless, and a large carpeted home may manage with a corded one.
Where each type suits, average carpet dust pick-up, reliability, typical dust capacity and weight. Test results are behind a paywall and are not used.
Minimum and maximum power runtimes, overstated battery life and spare batteries.
Cable lengths and average reach for uprights and cylinders, stairs, bagged versus bagless.
Charging with the original or approved charger and unplugging when not in use.
Rechargeable batteries and cordless appliances go to a local recycling centre.
The figures for weights, bins, cables, charge times and runtimes are from the makers’ pages recorded in the Cleaning & Vacuums evidence dataset.
Cleaning & Vacuums
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.
Cleaning & Vacuums
A research-based UK guide to corded vacuum cleaners covering upright versus cylinder, bagged versus bagless, cable and hose reach, floor heads, pet tools and filters, with five examples checked against manufacturer pages.