The Cordless Pro isn’t as robust as the Stratos, but it comes with similarly show-stopping features. Those looking for equally impressive performance without the bells and whistles should snag the Shark Vertex instead, which offers similar features and price without the additional attachments. In its defence, the HX2 is extremely powerful and definitely punches above its shark pet vacuum 322W rating. I’d say its suction power was equivalent to the Dyson Gen5 Detect at the top of this list. Firstly, the large bezel makes it impossible to clean in tight corners and up to, or on top of, skirting boards (which is actually where most of the dust collects). Secondly, it doesn’t feature a handheld section as standard (it’s included as a bundle for £599.98).
That convenience used to come at the cost of power, but not anymore. Modern cordless vacuums have the right balance of convenience and capability. When picking the best cordless vacuum for yourself, you’ll want to pick an option that’s light and easy to move around but still has enough power to remove as much filth from the floor as possible. CNET tested dozens of models to find the cordless vacuums, considering cleaning power, value and ease of use. After more than 50 hours of testing cord-free models, our top pick of the best cordless stick vacuum of 2024 is the Tineco Pure One S11.
As the company’s flagship cordless model, it’s expensive, retailing at $ but, like its predecessor the V11, the V15 ripped through our suite of vacuum cleaner tests with ruthless power and complete. The 15 cordless vacuums we’ve tested in recent years range in price from $105 to $899. The Tineco Pure One S11 sits right in the middle of that pack with a retail price of $ but it performs as if it costs a lot more, with outstanding shark stick vacuum results in each of our main cleaning tests. The very first time I turned on the Shark Cordless Detect Pro, I was stunned by how surprisingly quiet it is compared to others I’ve used — including earlier models of Shark vacs. It’s comfortable to handle and glides over both carpet and hard flooring like a dream. As someone who swears by Shark vacuums, I didn’t think I’d notice a huge difference, but this one proved me wrong.
We particularly liked this vacuum’s crevice tool, which was ideal for cleaning out tight cracks between car seats, but the nozzle did occasionally get stuck to the fabric when we tried to clean the seat upholstery. The beauty of this vacuum is that it’s only 3 pounds, making it easy to carry all around your house. You do have to hold a button to activate the vacuum’s suction, but it’s mostly designed for supplementary cleaning — not to be the main vacuum in your home. When you’re finished cleaning, the mopping pads can be ejected without you ever having to touch the dirt and grime, and the whole thing is so compact that it can be easily stored in even the smallest apartments. Attachments shouldn’t be an afterthought when shopping for a Shark vacuum, because the right tools can help you complete your cleaning tasks more quickly and easily. It’s easy to spray the solution onto your floor though, thanks to a well-placed button on the handle, and a light on the floor head allows you to see and catch debris hiding under furniture.
In order to get the HEPA label, a vacuum air filter must remove at least 99.7% of pollen, dust, bacteria, and any other airborne particles (0.3 microns in size). With carpet, we found that the trick is to put the vacuum directly over clumps of hair for the most effective results. We loved the swivel steer design of the Shark SV1106 Navigator Freestyle Upright Bagless Cordless Stick Vacuum, which made it easy to move and maneuver around the floor. It held up well over the course of six months and even replaced the vacuum we were using previously. The cord is long enough to allow you to carry the vacuum up and down the stairs; however, this vacuum is quite hefty.
The battery can be charged separately, though we wish it had a light to alert you when charging is complete. Nice extras that we didn’t see on other stick vacuums included a capsule to neutralize odors and a wand that flexes in the center to reach under low furniture. The flex wand also allows you to fold the vacuum in half for more compact storage or to stand it on its own without the need for wall mounting. Its cleaning performance on bare floors was very good, but this Shark model struggled with our carpet edge cleaning and pet hair pickup tests. It struggles a little with fine debris embedded in low-pile carpet fibers, but it does a great job with larger material and easily clears away pet hair on this surface type.