For frequent, quick clean-ups, a cordless stick vacuum is a good choice if its battery lasts long enough for your usual cleaning sessions. If you need one appliance to clean a large home or a variety of floor types, consider a cylinder vacuum instead. A robot can take care of some routine cleaning on accessible floors, but it won’t replace manual cleaning on stairs, furniture or skirting boards. These distinctions are based on guides from Que Choisir and, on the limitations of robot vacuums, a comparison by Les Numériques.
Start by deciding what you need the appliance to do: tackle quick clean-ups, handle a full clean or automatically maintain some of your floors.
If you want to get the vacuum out and put it away quickly between full cleans, a cordless stick vacuum is well suited to the quick clean-ups described by Que Choisir. Be sure to check that its battery will last long enough for your floors.
For a larger home, several floor types or areas beyond the floor, consider a cylinder vacuum and its accessories. Que Choisir describes this type as suitable for larger areas, but you should still compare performance across the floors in your home.
A robot vacuum can clean regularly in rooms it can move around. Les Numériques’ comparison points out that you’ll still need a manual solution for stairs, furniture and skirting boards.
First, decide what you need the appliance to clean on its own. Then compare its run time and accessories with the surfaces in your home.
Consider it: for frequent, quick clean-ups, particularly alongside a more thorough clean.
Limitation: according to Que Choisir, battery life and suction can limit longer cleaning sessions, especially at high power.
Consider it: when one appliance needs to cover a large area and a range of floor types.
Consideration: you’ll need to move the main unit around and take the cable and plug sockets into account.
Consider it: for scheduled cleaning on clear, accessible floors.
Limitation: stairs, furniture and skirting boards still need to be cleaned manually, as Les Numériques points out.
| Criterion | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Run time | For a stick vacuum, compare the battery life in the mode you’ll use, with the brush you need for your floors. If you plan to clean in several sessions, check how long it takes to recharge, too. In its tests, Que Choisir finds an average of around ten minutes at maximum power. This result doesn’t apply to every model. | I want to finish my usual cleaning session without stopping to recharge the appliance. |
| Floor types and accessories | Look for separate results for your hard floors, rugs or carpets, using a comparable test method. If you’ll also clean upholstery or furniture, check which floor head and accessories are actually included. Que Choisir’s testing procedure assesses several floor types, among other things. | My vacuum will need to clean several types of flooring, not just an easy-to-clean surface. |
| Getting around and storage | Consider the weight you’ll need to handle, how much storage space you have and, for a corded appliance, access to plug sockets. For a robot, check thresholds, narrow passages, objects on the floor and the clearance under furniture. | For quick clean-ups, I want an appliance that’s easy to get out. If I choose a robot, it needs to move around the rooms I want it to clean. |
| Maintenance | Check which filters, brushes, bags or docking station parts are compatible with your chosen model, and read the care instructions. For a stick vacuum, also check how and when the battery can be replaced. | I want to be able to maintain the appliance and find parts that are compatible with the version I’m buying. |
Battery life can be very different at high power. In its tests, Que Choisir records an average of around ten minutes at the maximum setting.
Compare the run time in the mode you’ll use, with the brush you need, and check that it will cover the area you want to clean before the vacuum needs recharging.
A motor or suction figure alone won’t tell you how well an appliance picks up dust from your floors. Que Choisir’s testing procedures, for example, assess carpets, tiles and parquet flooring separately.
Look for tests on the floors that matter to you, and check which brush is included with the exact model you’re considering.
Les Numériques points out that robot vacuums don’t clean stairs, furniture or skirting boards. Cluttered or hard-to-reach rooms also need to be assessed for their layout.
Check for thresholds, rugs, objects on the floor and low furniture. Keep a manual vacuum for areas the robot can’t reach.
If the robot comes with a docking station, check which consumables are compatible and what maintenance the station requires. Roborock, for example, offers bags, filters and mop pads for some of its models.
Replacing a bag, emptying a bin or cleaning a brush are all part of regular use. The parts you need to maintain will vary by model.
Before choosing, check which parts are compatible and read the cleaning instructions for the filter, bin and brush.
These ranges give you a few options to compare by vacuum type. A brand’s inclusion here doesn’t indicate how well any particular model performs.
Rowenta’s French website features cordless stick, robot and cylinder vacuums, with and without bags.
Dyson France lists cordless stick vacuums, as well as other types of vacuum cleaner.
Roborock’s French website features robot vacuums with navigation features and docking stations, depending on the model.
This Joybuy selection includes a cylinder vacuum for full cleans, two cordless stick vacuums for regular clean-ups, a corded stick vacuum for cleaning without recharging, and a robot vacuum for maintaining accessible floors. The corded stick vacuum is a separate option from both the cordless stick vacuums and the cylinder vacuum.
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This type of vacuum is worth considering if you need one appliance to handle a full clean across several floor types. This model uses a bag, so check which bags are compatible, which brushes are included and how well it picks up dirt from the floors you need to clean most. You’ll also need to plan how to manage the cable between plug sockets.
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Its cordless design is handy for frequent clean-ups when you want to move the appliance around quickly. The product title states a battery life of up to 65 minutes and an anti-tangle brush. Check the run time at the setting you’ll use and how well it cleans your rugs or hard floors. Clean the filter according to the model’s instructions and let it dry before putting it back.
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This corded stick vacuum avoids interruptions for recharging, but you’ll need to manage the cable and have access to plug sockets. If you plan to clean several rooms in one session, check its reach and the accessories included. Confirm the power and suction specifications for this version before comparing them, and look for results on the floor types in your home.
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This cordless stick vacuum is worth considering for regular clean-ups between longer cleaning sessions. The product title mentions a removable battery, a self-standing design and a stated battery life of up to 60 minutes. Check the run time in the mode your floors require, how well the brush cleans rugs and hard floors, and the filter care instructions.
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This robot vacuum and mop with a self-cleaning docking station is worth considering for regular cleaning on floors it can reach. Check the thresholds, clearance under furniture and station maintenance requirements in your home. As Les Numériques points out for this type of appliance, you’ll still need to clean stairs, furniture and skirting boards by hand.
Yes, if it cleans your floors effectively and its battery lasts long enough at the setting you need for your usual cleaning routine. For a large area or long, varied cleaning sessions, compare it with a cylinder vacuum, too. Que Choisir describes stick vacuums as best suited to quick clean-ups and cylinder vacuums as suitable for larger areas.
Check the run time in the mode you need, with the brush you’ll be using, rather than relying on the ‘up to’ figure alone. In its tests, Que Choisir finds an average of around ten minutes at maximum power, so check how the model you’re considering performs during the type of cleaning session you have in mind.
Not if your cleaning routine includes stairs, furniture or skirting boards. Les Numériques says these areas remain out of reach for robot vacuums. Use a robot for accessible floors and keep a stick or cylinder vacuum for everything else.
Check which parts your model uses, such as bags or a dust bin, filters and brushes, then follow the care instructions. For a stick vacuum, also check how and when the battery can be replaced. If your robot has a docking station, check which bags, filters or mop pads are compatible with its features.