For a quick clean of your floors, a cordless stick vacuum is a good place to start; a handheld vacuum is better suited to crumbs, while a robot vacuum is designed for scheduled cleaning. If you also need one appliance to handle a full clean of your home, compare how it performs on your floors and its runtime at the power setting you need with the storage space required for a compact cylinder vacuum. A stick vacuum’s maximum advertised runtime won’t necessarily reflect how long it lasts at full power.
You want to clean the floors quickly and put the appliance away without a fuss. UFC-Que Choisir highlights the benefits of a stick vacuum that’s easy to take out and put away; also check how much room you’ll need to charge it.
You keep a main vacuum for full cleans and want a secondary appliance for crumbs or a small area, so you don’t have to get out your floor-cleaning equipment every time.
You want the same appliance to handle quick clean-ups and a full clean of your home. Compare how it performs on your floors and its runtime at the power setting you actually need.
Choose this if : you want to grab an appliance quickly to clean the floor, without having to plug in a cable.
Bear in mind : runtime, charging and cleaning the dust container and brush.
Choose this if : you mainly need to clean up crumbs, furniture or a small area that’s within reach of the nozzle.
Bear in mind : a handheld appliance won’t necessarily replace a vacuum designed for regular floor cleaning.
Choose this if : you prefer regular scheduled cleaning and can keep its route clear.
Bear in mind : you’ll need space for the dock, and a robot won’t respond as directly to an unexpected mess.
Choose this if : you want one appliance for both quick clean-ups and a full clean.
Bear in mind : the body, hose and cable all need storage space, and you’ll need to plug it in.
| What matters | What to check | Who is this relevant to ? |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to use on floors | Weight in floor-cleaning mode, how easy the floor head is to manoeuvre, and how easily the appliance can be put away. | If I want to clean the floor quickly between full cleans, ease of use matters a lot. Around 29 % of consumers prioritise how easy a floor-cleaning appliance is to get out and manoeuvre. |
| Small messes | A suitable nozzle, dust container capacity and where to put the charging dock. | For quickly clearing crumbs from a table, sofa or small area, a handheld appliance can save me getting out the floor vacuum. Around 23 % of consumers prioritise these localised messes. |
| Runtime and cleaning performance | Runtime by mode, performance on your floors, charging time and dust container capacity. | If I only want to keep one vacuum, it needs to clean the areas I need at a power setting suited to my floors. Around 18 % of consumers prioritise being able to do their cleaning with one appliance. |
| Storage and charging | Space needed to store the complete appliance, a nearby socket and the type of dock or charging base. | In a home where every bit of storage space counts, I want to be able to put away the complete appliance, including its charger or base. Around 18 % of consumers prioritise a small storage footprint. |
| Automated cleaning | How it moves around rooms, where to put the dock, scheduling and emptying the dust container. | If I’d rather schedule regular cleaning than hold the appliance myself, a robot could suit my needs, as long as I can keep its route clear. Around 12 % of consumers prioritise automated floor cleaning. |
A runtime quoted for a low-power mode won’t necessarily tell you how long the appliance lasts at full power. In its stick vacuum tests, UFC-Que Choisir reports an average of around ten minutes at full power. This result applies to the appliances tested, not every model.
Compare runtimes measured in similar modes, and look for tests of pick-up performance on the floors in your home before relying on a stick vacuum as your only appliance.
The charger, accessories, hose or dock may also need to be stored. A robot vacuum’s storage footprint also depends on how much room you have for its dock.
Measure the space needed for the whole appliance when it’s stored or charging, not just the dimensions of the vacuum itself.
A handheld vacuum is suited to small messes within reach of its nozzle; a robot is designed more for autonomous cleaning. Neither is guaranteed to meet your need to grab a floor-cleaning vacuum quickly.
Before you choose, work out whether you mainly want to clean up a small mess, quickly vacuum the floor or schedule regular cleaning.
A cordless vacuum may need parts such as the battery, filters or brushes to be maintained or replaced. Which parts to check depends on the model and type of appliance.
Check which parts are compatible with the exact model and what maintenance it requires. Don’t assume that any particular technology has no running costs.
The X-Pert 7.60 range is an example of a stick vacuum worth comparing for quick floor cleans and, depending on the configuration, cleaning furniture too.
The Dustbuster NVC215WA-QW is an example of a handheld vacuum designed for crumbs, accessible surfaces and use alongside a floor vacuum.
The V8 Advanced is a cordless stick vacuum to compare based on the accessories included with the variant and how you plan to use it.
The Q7 M5 Set is an example of a robot vacuum with mapping navigation that can be scheduled to clean floors.
The Boost CX1 PowerLine is an example of a compact bagless cylinder vacuum for anyone happy to use a cable who also wants to do a more thorough clean.
These Joybuy models offer a cordless stick vacuum option for quick clean-ups on the floors in your home.
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Worth considering if you want a cordless stick vacuum for cleaning different surfaces.
The product listing specifies two modes, a removable battery and up to 40 minutes in low-power mode. It also mentions an anti-tangle brush and an LED display.
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Worth considering if a folding tube and wall-mounted storage and charging would suit your home.
The listing specifies 50 000 Pa of suction, a 1.2 litre dust container and up to 60 minutes in low-power mode. It also mentions a removable battery and folding tube.
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Worth considering if you want a stick vacuum that can also convert to a handheld for cleaning specific surfaces.
The listing specifies up to 65 minutes in standard mode and a self-standing design. It also mentions conversion to a handheld vacuum and a floor head that swivels flat.
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Worth considering if you want a cordless stick vacuum that converts to a handheld for cleaning floors and furniture.
The listing specifies up to 60 minutes of runtime and a removable battery. It also gives a weight of 1.4 kg in handheld mode and mentions a self-standing design.
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Worth considering if a charging station with automatic emptying would suit the space you have available.
The listing specifies up to 45 minutes in Eco mode and mentions an automatic emptying station and a self-standing design.
Yes, if pick-up tests show it performs well on your floors and its runtime at the power setting you need is enough for your usual cleaning. Otherwise, it can remain a secondary appliance alongside a main vacuum; the maximum advertised runtime alone isn’t enough to decide.
Check the power mode and configuration specified for each runtime, then look for independent measurements made under comparable conditions. UFC-Que Choisir points out that a maximum runtime quoted at low power may differ from the runtime at full power.
Check how much space and access to a socket you’ll need for the dock or charger. For a stick vacuum, plan to clean the dust container, filters and brush as instructed; for a robot, also check what its station takes care of and what you’ll still need to do by hand.
Before buying, check which parts are compatible with the exact model, particularly the battery in a cordless appliance. In France, for goods bought by a private individual from a professional seller, the DGCCRF states that a claim under the legal guarantee of conformity can be made within two years of delivery; any commercial warranty is separate.
Yes, the French Ministry of the Economy includes vacuum cleaners among the categories covered by the repairability index in France. The index provides information about repairability according to its criteria; it doesn’t guarantee that the appliance won’t break down or that a specific battery will be immediately available.