The 6 Best Stick Vacuums, Tested and Reviewed by Our Editors

The Shark Cordless Pro has almost everything you’d want in a cordless stick vacuum: A 2-liter auto-empty charging dock, an odor-neutralizer puck, a lithium-ion battery, an 8-inch crevice tool and a pet multi-tool.

With odor-neutralizing technology, it helps guard against bad odors and detects and reacts to dirt for up to 50% better pickup. Plus, once it’s placed back on its base to charge, it empties itself.

“When I need to quickly suck up food that my one-year-old decided to drop from her highchair, I reach for the Shark Cordless Pro,” says Senior Shopping Editor Caitlyn Fitzpatrick. “I simply lift it out of its docking station, press the on/off button, and off I go. When it’s time to put the machine away, I slightly hover it over the docking station and bring it down to house it in place. It’s a one-handed operation, which comes in handy when my daughter refuses to leave my hip.”

Fitzpatrick tested the vacuum on various floor types for her Shark Cordless Pro review, including hardwood, carpet, an area rug and tile. “The first time I used it in my daughter’s carpeted playroom, which we play in every day, I was shocked (and slightly horrified) over how much the Shark picked up,’ she says. “To the eye, the carpet didn’t look dirty. Plus, it’s less than two years old. But the machine pulled up hair, crumbs and dust I didn’t know was there.”

The Shark Cordless Pro also has a quiet operation. Fitzpatrick noted how sleep-baby-friendly the vacuum was during testing. Her only gripe with the cordless vacuum is its runtime. If you were to use it as a handheld vacuum in Eco mode, you could get up to 60 minutes of usage. But she uses it in Auto mode 99% of the time, and the runtime only lasts about 15 to 20 minutes. While that’s still a fair amount of time to tackle multiple rooms, it probably isn’t enough if you’re trying to vacuum an entire multi-level home.

The Dyson V12 Slim is another cordless Dyson vacuum, but much more compact and lightweight. For instance, finding a lightweight vacuum cleaner can be essential to keeping your space clean if you suffer from backaches and pain. The V12 weighs just 4.8 pounds yet has 30 percent more suction power than the Dyson V8.

It has two cleaner heads—a standard de-tangling head and a fluffy head with a green light to reveal and pick up dust on hard floors—and five accessories. Its LCD screen displays things like battery life, runtime, particles picked up and when a clog occurs. It also converts into a handheld vacuum to clean furniture and cars.

I’ve also had the pleasure of testing the V12 Slim in my home and I have to say, this is my go-to vacuum for hard floors. There’s nothing quite like Dyson’s Fluffy Optic cleaner head. Even in its cleanest state, my hardwood flooring is still prone to collecting dust, dander and hair. The fluffy head illuminates the floor to make dust particles visible while vacuuming, and the fluffy head picks up fine particles and dirt.

The other cleaning head is standard for no-tangle stick vacuum heads, but the suction power is superb. I’m surprised by how quiet and efficient the V12 is each time I use it. Out of all of my vacuums, the V12 seems to collect the most dust and dirt in the shortest amount of time. This is also the most technologically advanced vacuum I’ve tested. Its LCD screen display notifies you when something is clogging the vacuum and when it’s time to clean the filter. However, Dyson takes it further; the display screen even shows you a visual guide to cleaning the filter. There is no need to pull up the app or a how-to video; simply look down at the vacuum for step-by-step instructions.”

Additionally, I suffer from chronic back pain; the Dyson V12 Slim doesn’t leave my back aching like other vacuum cleaners often do. I also love how lightweight this vacuum stick cleaner is. It’s easy to move it from room to room, change out the attachments and slide it underneath furniture without straining. My only qualm is that it doesn’t have a long runtime, especially in Boost mode, but I suppose a smaller battery is the tradeoff for a featherweight vacuum.

After personally testing a Dyson stick vacuum, I didn’t think I’d ever be impressed by another stick vacuum, but the Bissell IconPet Turbo Edge blew me away. While it doesn’t come with all the fancy attachments that the Dyson V12 Slim does, the Bissell IconPet rivals the V12 in suction power, weight and runtime. Plus, I think the IconPet is better at sucking up hair without tangling than the V12.

The IconPet is extra powerful and lightweight (less than eight pounds). The full-width suction head is outfitted with bright LED headlights so you can see what you’re cleaning in any room. It also has an extension hose to reach tight corners and hard-to-reach spots easily. The canister pulls off completely, so there’s no need to touch dirt and debris when emptying the dirt tank.

This has become my go-to vacuum for quick clean-ups and sucking up hair. Even my Dyson stick vacuum gets tangled up sometimes with all the hair my household sheds. Not the IconPet—to my surprise, it hasn’t tangled once. Even long hair doesn’t wrap around the brush roll.

One of my favorite things about the IconPet is that all attachment pieces are outfitted with LED lights. Even the extension hose has LED lights. I use the LED crevice tool in closet corners to vacuum out dark, hard-to-reach places. The well-lit attachment takes the guesswork out of vacuuming those spaces.

The Bissell IconPet is an excellent value. It’s more affordable than some competitors from other brands yet offers unbeatable cleaning power—especially when cleaning pet and human hair. If you’re looking for a stick vacuum to combat hair, provide extra illumination for visibility while cleaning and be straightforward to use, the IconPet is for you.

My only issue with the IconPet—no surprise here—is the runtime, but I’ve learned that low runtime is one thing to be expected with cordless stick vacuums. However, most have convenient docking stations that make charging easy between cleaning sessions.

This compact, lightweight Kenmore Cordless Stick Vacuum is a game-changer for cleaning stairs and daily messes. Weighing less than five pounds, it is easy to maneuver and move from room to room. An LED light illuminates the area in front of you, so it’s easy to see what needs vacuuming.

Senior Editor Dawn Yanek says the Kenmore Stick Vacuum works wonders on her carpeted stairs. “The black carpet runner that came with my house attracts every bit of dust, dirt, lint and hair, and I never felt like I got my stairs fully clean… until now,” Yanek says. “It is perfectly sized for stairs and swivels, so I don’t have to do contortions to get it to cover the entire area.”

“Like all stairs, though, it is impossible for me to clean the crevices between them with this vacuum,” Yanek adds. “Kenmore thought of that: The dust buster portion of the vacuum detaches, so you can use it with the crevice tool. Apply a little pressure, and the ground-in dirt is gone!”

During testing, Yanek mainly used the Kenmore vacuum on stairs and for touch-ups around the house—specifically, area rugs. Overall, she found it to have strong suction power and easy maneuvering capabilities. “Did I have to pass over the spot a few times? Yes, but mostly because this carpet clings to attached hair and lint and there was so much of it after previous sub-par vacuum attempts,” Yanek adds. “Interestingly, my stairs stay cleaner longer after using this vacuum.”

Some Amazon reviewers say the brush can get jammed. However, Yanek says, “As long as you cut out the hair after use, you will be fine. I have a lot of long hair (and so does my 8-year-old daughter), so trust me on this one!”