These days, a well made cordless vacuum cleaner can often replace the bulky plug-in vacuums of yesteryear. The best cordless vacs out now are strong enough to clean just as well (or nearly as well) as their plug-in brethren, even on most carpets.
They’re particularly excellent if you live in a smaller house or apartment, or if you have your place professionally cleaned regularly and just need to spot clean between visits from your cleaning service.
Having said that, cordless vacuums cost more, don’t last as long overall, and may not have enough run time to clean big homes in one go. For many however, these tradeoffs are totally worth it though, because they’ve got some amazing benefits.
Benefits of a Cordless Stick Vac
They’re small and lightweight for one – a huge plus for smaller folks or people with mobility issues that might have difficulty lugging around larger units. And they’re easy to navigate around a cramped floor plan, partially because they don’t have a super annoying cord to get caught up on things.
Even for people with larger homes, many find that they are totally fine with just cleaning a couple rooms at a time, meaning battery life really isn’t that big of a deal.
Another added bonus is that most cordless stick vacuums can also convert into handheld vacuums, so you can pretty much get two vacuums for the price of one. Clean the floors in your house your car with one vacuum instead of buying two.
Even if you have a robot vac, there are going to be those sad times when you need to get out a real vacuum. Those little guys just can’t get into every nook and cranny.
So despite their drawbacks, we love cordless stick vacs. One in particular that we have tested extensively and really love is the Shark IX141 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum
Why we recommend it
There’s no denying it, some cordless vacuums can be very pricey. We love the Shark because it strikes a good balance with its price point – not cheap, but not as expensive as the most expensive ones on the market (looking at you, Dyson). But it performs extremely well for the price, so we think it’s an excellent vac if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck without breaking the bank.
What reviewers on Amazon like best
Verified reviews on Amazon consistently mention how lightweight and easy to use this vacuum is without a cord. Because of this, people tend to use it more (no surprise there). Because who wants to lug out some heavy thing and deal with the hassle of a cord? Often the best tool is the one you have at hand, and cordless vacs like the sharks are simply easier to take out and start using.
They also consistently mention how well this unit performs with pet hair. Also no surprise, seeing how it’s the non-clogging pet model. But even if you don’t have pets, you might want to consider this model regardless, because models like this are designed with fur in mind and are much less likely to get jammed up with human hair.
Many people also mentioned how they bought this instead of a Dyson handheld, since it gives you nearly the same performance for far less money.
What reviewers on Amazon dislike
No vacuum is perfect, and the Shark isn’t either. There are a few things that reviewers mentioned they didn’t like.
For one, some users didn’t like that it’s heavier than some handheld vacuums when being used as a handheld vacuum (with the carpet attachment taken off). This makes sense, since the motor and dirt canister are somewhat larger than many handheld vacs. So if you’re only planning to use it as a handheld vac, this might tire you out faster and you may be better with a strictly handheld unit.
Reviewers also mentioned that for very deep rugs, they still preferred their more powerful corded vacuums. So if you have a house full of shaggy, very deep rugs, you might want to look elsewhere.
Lastly, for some users the suction just wasn’t strong enough for them. Again, this is a fair argument as cordless vacuums in general are not always going to be as strong as corded models. For many, the tradeoff is that you can use it more easily, and so they don’t mind a little less suction power. For others though, this was a deal breaker – so it’s best to go into this knowing that the suction may be a bit less than your used to.
Bonus points for
- Easy to empty
- Recyclable packaging – just toss it in the recycle bin!
- Large dirt holding canister
- Non-clogging rollers perfect for pet hair
- Replaceable battery
- Fast charge time
- Light enough for kids and the elderly to use
- Feels durable
- Great styling
Buy: Shark IX141 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum
Chris Gannon lives in Fort Lauderdale with his wife and 2 young daughters and is the Editor-in-Chief at Clean Finds. He enjoys helping readers learn more about living responsibly by writing primarily about conscious consumerism, green business trends, and environmental conservation.
