Cutting the cord and being able to roam all levels of the house is one of the main reasons to buy one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners. We are big fans of these types of vacuum cleaners, not only because we don't like to be held back, but also because we love how versatile they are, how light they are and how easy they are to use.
Cordless vacuum cleaners and Black Friday
Just FYI, if you're looking to buy a cordless vacuum, now might be the perfect time to start shopping. Black Friday deals are just a few weeks away, and we expect to see some terrific Black Friday vacuum cleaner deals soon. You might even see deals on Black Friday Dyson vacuum cleaners, if you're willing to splurge. For more affordable options, we're also planning plenty of Black Friday Shark vacuum cleaner deals. Both brands have some highly sought after cordless vacuums worth keeping an eye on.
While cordless vacuums are great, one of the main things we test, and one of the first things we look at in any vacuum spec, is runtime. Range is how long the battery lasts before it needs another charge. There's nothing more annoying than a vacuum stopping dead while you're vacuuming upstairs rugs, or when you're almost done dumping crumbs into the trash can of the car parked down the street. These are trivial problems compared to some, of course, but when a vacuum cleaner that isn't connected to mains power dies during a cleaning mission, it's still a problem.
Some brands of vacuum cleaners sell separate batteries, which means you can buy an additional battery and get double the available power. Some even include a spare battery as standard, turning a 60-minute runtime into 120 minutes.
Sounds like a dream: an answer to a vacuum problem. But what is the reality of this? Well let me share...
Today's best cordless vacuum cleaner prices:
Oh, the cordless vacuum. They come in very different shapes, sizes and colours, some being much more technical than other simpler models, but just as effective. The higher priced ones usually come with more features, which makes sense, and some have more battery and/or more battery options.
Take the Dyson V15 Detect, for example. There's a lot going on, as we discovered while testing it for our Dyson V15 Detect review. For example, it has a high-torque cleaner head that, when used in automatic mode, adjusts power based on the type of floor you're cleaning; intelligent. It also features a Laser Slim Fluffy cleaning head, which has a soft brush bar to ensure hard floors don't get marred. In addition, it features a class 1 laser diode (therefore safe for humans and pets) mounted at an angle of 1,5 degrees and 7,2mm from the ground, which projects a beam of green light in front of the cleaning head to highlight microscopic dust particles. There is also a color LCD screen, which shows the level of dust collected and the remaining run time.
In short, it is a feature-rich device, and therefore it needs a lot of power. Dyson claims the battery will last up to 60 minutes on the lowest Eco setting, and that's what we found in our tests - it goes on for 59 minutes before needing a recharge.
Although 60 minutes may seem like a lot, some people may need more. And while the battery can be swapped out to double the runtime, it will cost you more, making an already very expensive vacuum cleaner even more expensive.
Of course, if you do eventually get a second battery, you'll need to make sure to keep it charged at all times, so you can quickly swap it out if the vacuum runs out of juice during cleaning. You will also need to figure out how to remove the dead battery and replace it with the new battery. This may or may not be a major issue for you, but it always pays to prepare a little.
(*two*)
(Image credit: Dyson)I also tested the Miele Triflex HX2 Pro cordless vacuum cleaner recently. It's slightly lower spec'd than the previous Dyson, but it's a really tough, versatile and powerful model that expertly deals with any little debris in its path.
Unlike the Dyson, this one comes with two batteries as standard. Miele claims each provides 60 minutes of runtime, so two batteries will obviously get you 120 minutes. It sounds great, and if you don't compare the Miele HX2 range beforehand, you'll probably feel like you're getting a bargain.
However, it is not as simple as that. Simply put, you're paying $200 more for that extra battery compared to the Miele HX2 Cat & Dog, which only has one but is cheaper by that amount. You may find this a reasonable compromise, as you won't have to search and buy an extra battery.
I found that on the HX2 Pro I wasn't hitting the 60 minute run time when going between 'Eco' and 'Max' settings; I was lucky to have 35 minutes in this case. You'll be closer to max execution time on the 'Min' setting, but that won't be much help if you have some really heavy cleanup to do.
That's where the second battery could come in handy then, but unfortunately when I came to change the new one I found that it wasn't charged; not ideal as it meant I had to reschedule the vacuuming task until it was done.
And don't think it's a quick process either. Miele HX2 models normally need 4 hours to charge; the Dyson V15 Detect takes 5 hours. If you find that the second battery is dead in the middle of cleaning, like me, you are waiting a long time.
Of course, that's just user error on my part, but it's something you should be aware of if you want to see the benefits of the dual battery vacuum approach. In theory, it's a great option, but you'll need to plan ahead — and have a lot of money — to make it worthwhile.