For frequent pick-ups of crumbs and dust on hard floors, a cordless stick vacuum is a good choice if you have somewhere to charge it and its battery life in the mode you use is long enough for your cleaning sessions. A compact cylinder vacuum is worth considering if you regularly clean rugs, carpets or floors more thoroughly. A handheld vacuum is mainly useful for furniture and small areas, as a complement to a floor vacuum.
If you mainly pick up crumbs and dust between more thorough cleans, a cordless stick vacuum makes it easy to do quick top-up cleans. UFC-Que Choisir highlights how easy these vacuums are to manoeuvre, while reminding shoppers to check battery life in the conditions they expect to use it in and make sure there’s somewhere to charge it.
If rugs, carpets or floorboards with gaps need regular cleaning, compare test results for those specific floor types. A compact cylinder vacuum may suit you if you also want to do more thorough cleans, provided you have room to store the main unit and hose.
A handheld vacuum is handy for a table, sofa or a few awkward corners, without having to get out a floor vacuum. It won’t replace one if you need to vacuum the entire home regularly.
Choose this if: you do frequent, short cleaning sessions and can keep the vacuum charged and close to hand.
Bear in mind: according to UFC-Que Choisir, the stated battery life at low power can drop significantly in the highest setting.
Choose this if: you want one vacuum for more thorough cleans too, especially on carpeted surfaces.
Bear in mind: there’s no battery to recharge, but the main unit, hose and cable take up space.
Choose this if: you mainly need to tackle crumbs, furniture and small areas.
Its limitation: this handy supplementary option isn’t designed for regular cleaning of all your floors.
Once you’ve chosen a type, compare its features with your floors, the length of your cleaning sessions and the space you have available.
| Priority | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life and charging | For a battery-powered model, compare the stated runtime for each mode and accessory. Make sure there’s a suitable plug socket and space for the charging dock; check whether a spare battery is included. | I want to finish my usual cleaning sessions without having to stop and recharge. |
| Results on different floors | Look for separate test results for your floor types, especially floorboards with gaps, rugs or carpets. UFC-Que Choisir points out that volts and air watts alone aren’t enough to predict performance on every floor. | My hard floors get dirty quickly, but I don’t want to neglect the rug or gaps between the floorboards. |
| Manoeuvrability and storage | Compare the weight with the tube and floorhead attached, as well as the space needed to store the vacuum. Check whether it can reach under your furniture and where the dock will go, if included. | With limited space, I want to be able to get the vacuum out, move around and put it away without shifting other things. |
| Emptying and maintenance | Check how the dust container opens, how to clean the filter and how easy it is to access the brush. In France, the repairability index provides information on factors such as ease of disassembly, documentation and spare parts, according to the ministries responsible for the ecological transition. | Even a quick clean needs to be easy to finish: emptying the dust container and maintaining the brush matter to me. |
| Noise | Check noise measurements from comparable tests and consider which suction mode you’ll need for your floors. UFC-Que Choisir also measures the noise level when testing stick vacuums. | If I often clean at noise-sensitive times, I want to know how loud the mode I’ll actually use is. |
According to UFC-Que Choisir, the stated battery life often refers to a low-power setting and drops significantly in the highest setting.
Check which mode and accessories the stated runtime applies to, then compare it with the way you clean.
A spare battery may be sold separately, so check what’s included if you’re planning to use two.
Air watts, volts and stated power don’t tell you on their own how well a vacuum picks up dirt from different surfaces, as UFC-Que Choisir points out.
For your floors, look for comparable test results, broken down by floor type.
This type of vacuum is for crumbs and small areas; it isn’t designed to make regular cleaning of all your floors just as easy.
Keep it as a supplementary option if you also need to vacuum an entire room regularly.
Emptying the dust container and accessing the filter or brush are part of everyday use, even for quick cleans.
Check how easy these tasks are before you buy, and compare the repairability index displayed in France, which provides information on factors such as ease of disassembly and parts availability, according to the ministries responsible for the ecological transition.
These ranges give you features to compare. Features vary by model and aren’t necessarily found on the products featured below.
The X-Force Flex range includes several cordless stick vacuums; check the features of the version you’re considering.
The Unlimited 6 is a good option to consider if you’re interested in a swappable battery.
The V8 is a cordless stick vacuum that converts into a handheld, with a wall-mounted docking station, according to Dyson France.
These options are mainly for manually cleaning floors in a small home: four cordless stick vacuums and one corded stick vacuum. If you’re considering a compact cylinder vacuum or a separate handheld vacuum instead, use the criteria above to compare those types.
Image unavailable
Worth considering for quick cleans on hard floors if you have somewhere to charge it. The product listing states that it can stand upright on its own, has a removable battery and offers up to 50 minutes of runtime. Check which mode and floorhead this runtime applies to.
Image unavailable
The self-standing design may be useful if you need to put the vacuum down between cleans in a small space. The product listing states that it has an anti-tangle brush and offers up to 65 minutes of runtime. Check the runtime with the accessories and mode you plan to use. The stated suction figure alone isn’t enough to determine how well it will clean your floors.
Image unavailable
The self-standing design can come in handy if you need to pause briefly while cleaning. The product listing states that it has a detachable battery and offers up to 60 minutes of runtime. Check the runtime for each mode, as well as the full weight and how much storage space it needs.
Image unavailable
Its two speed settings let you choose the right one for the job. The product listing mentions a removable battery; check the runtime and charging time to see how they fit your routine. The stated power figure alone doesn’t tell you how well it will pick up dirt from rugs or floorboards.
Image unavailable
This corded stick vacuum avoids the need to recharge, but you’ll need an accessible plug socket while cleaning. Check that the cable and vacuum are easy to store in your home, and look at its weight when set up for floor cleaning. The stated power figure is no substitute for test results on your floor types.
Check which mode and accessories were used to achieve the stated runtime, rather than looking only at the number of minutes. UFC-Que Choisir says the maximum figure often applies to a low-power setting and drops significantly in the highest setting, so compare it with the length of your usual cleaning sessions.
Not if you need to vacuum all the floors regularly. Handheld vacuums are mainly for crumbs, furniture and small areas; choose a floor vacuum for frequent cleaning of the whole room.
Look for separate results for wooden floors and rugs, rather than a single overall score. UFC-Que Choisir assesses cylinder vacuum performance on different floors and also measures suction, battery life, noise and ease of maintenance for stick vacuums.
Yes, it provides an additional point of comparison for the vacuum cleaners it covers. According to the ministries responsible for the ecological transition, the index takes account of factors such as ease of disassembly, documentation and the availability of spare parts. You should also check how easy the vacuum is to empty and clean.