Dyson Review 2024
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If you deal with frequent small messes, or if you hate lugging out your full-size, plug-in vacuum cleaner, a cordless stick vacuum could be your dream cleaning partner. But like a good marriage, using a cordless stick vacuum requires you to make some compromises. We’ve tested dozens of them, and the perfect model just doesn’t exist.
How we picked
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Hands-on testing
We’ve tested hundreds of vacuums since 2014, most recently evaluating 25 cordless stick models priced from $100 to $1,000.
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Cleaning ability
We measured how much baking soda, cereal, birdseed, glitter, and hair each vac pulled from four types of rugs and bare floors.
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Warranty and repairs
We looked for cordless stick vacuums with at least a two-year warranty, as well as a replaceable battery—a major plus.
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Convenience
We considered how easy and comfortable it was to maneuver each vacuum, and whether its attachments fit their purpose.
The Dyson V12 Detect Slim comes closer to an ideal stick vac than any model we’ve tested. It’s light and nimble around furniture and on stairs, and it even works on shelves, walls, and ceilings.
The V12 Detect Slim rivals more expensive vacuums (such as the Dyson V15) in suction, airflow, and cleaning power, and it comes with multiple brushes and attachments, including a motorized brush for pet hair. It runs for 45 minutes on a single charge, longer than most of the other vacuums we’ve tested.
It has high-tech features that make it almost fun to use, including a sensor that automatically adjusts suction, a laser headlight that illuminates dust in dim corners, and an LCD screen with a battery countdown and other information. It’s also one of the quietest models we’ve tested.
The biggest downside of the V12 Detect Slim is its tiny, 12-ounce dustbin, which requires frequent emptying. You also have to swap between two different brushes depending on whether you use it on carpet or bare floor.
It takes four hours to recharge—longer than most other models—and doesn’t stand up on its own. Dyson covers it with a two-year warranty.
The Ryobi 18V One+ HP Cordless Pet Stick Vac Kit with Dual-Roller Bar is a well-rounded workhorse, though it’s heavy and harder to maneuver on stairs.
In our tests, it offered outstanding performance, picking up debris particles of different sizes and weights on all types of floors. Its large, 27-ounce dustbin, which is more than double the size of our other top pick’s bin, won’t quickly fill up with debris or fur.
Its motorized cleaner head works equally well on bare floor and carpet (you don’t have to swap brushes, as with the Dyson V12 Detect Slim), and it comes with a variety of useful attachments, including a motorized brush for pet hair and a surprisingly useful micro crevice tool for tight cracks.
The vacuum stands upright on its own and runs for about 35 minutes. The battery charges in two hours (one of the fastest charge times we saw in our tests) and is compatible with a variety of Ryobi tools.
This model has a three-year warranty—longer than the coverage on most other stick vacs we’ve tested.
Most cordless stick vacuums that cost less than $200 are terrible. The Kenmore Elite CSV Max Cordless Stick Vacuum DS4095 is a rare exception, but it still makes major trade-offs.
We found that it’s a superb cleaner on both rugs and bare floors, picking up fur and debris as effectively as our top picks.
This lightweight model cleverly folds in half for easier cleaning under furniture, and it has an extra-large, 33-ounce dustbin. It offers a solid 38-minute run time and recharges in four hours, similar to the Dyson V12 Detect Slim.
It lacks the convenient, versatile attachments that our top picks have for cleaning fur off upholstery, dusting shelves, or reaching into crannies.
But its biggest drawbacks are its weak one-year warranty and non-replaceable battery. We’re doubtful that this model will last for the long haul—or even more than a year or two.
Why you should trust us
Staff writer Sabine Heinlein has been a journalist for over two decades. With a menagerie of rabbits and cats, she obsesses over how different types of fur adhere to upholstery and how to remove hairballs from heirloom rugs. Liam McCabe wrote the previous versions of this guide, testing more than a hundred vacuums for this and other vacuum guides.
For this guide:
- We’ve tested over 100 models since 2011 (25 of them in 2023).
- We’ve interviewed experts, including present and former engineers at Dyson, Lupe, and Shark; product managers of major vacuum manufacturers; and vacuum collectors and repair specialists.
- We’ve read dozens of articles about vacuum history, design, and engineering.
- We’ve analyzed thousands of customer reviews on Amazon using the FindOurView artificial-intelligence-driven tool, pored over owner reviews on online forums, and talked to dozens of real-life cordless vacuum owners.
Who this is for
At their best, cordless stick vacuums are versatile, shape-shifting creatures that transform into different configurations with the help of useful attachments. They promise to clean everywhere, all at once, untethered by cords. Most cordless models are lithe and comfortable to use, even in cramped spaces or on stairs. Because cordless vacuums are compact and often packaged with either a wall-mountable charging dock or a floor stand, it’s common to store them within arm’s reach in plain sight.
But even the priciest cordless stick vacuum can’t match the suction and deep-cleaning power of a good upright or canister vacuum, especially if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, lots of rugs, or shedding pets. Their batteries typically last 30 to 40 minutes on a full charge, enough to clean a room or two but unlikely to tackle your whole home top to bottom. Cordless stick vacuums also have a shorter life expectancy than good plug-in vacuums. For most people, a cordless stick vac should be a sidekick to a plug-in vacuum.
Our pick: Dyson V12 Detect Slim
Of all the models we’ve tested, the nimble and powerful Dyson V12 Detect Slim comes closest to being the ideal cordless stick vacuum.
It’s lithe and graceful. Weighing just over 5 pounds, the V12 Detect Slim maneuvers easily in awkward spaces and on stairs. Though most of its weight sits on top, we found the V12 Detect Slim comfortable for our hands and wrists. Its cleaner head swivels 180 degrees, allowing it to reach into tight corners, around table legs, and between furniture better than other vacuums we’ve tested. It’s also very quiet (73 dB) compared with other models. Whereas previous Dyson models featured an uncomfortable trigger-style switch that you needed to squeeze for operation, the V12 Detect Slim has an on/off button.