Best of Cleaning: every stick and handheld vacuum we recommend, by situation

+Strengths

• 5.6 lb, the lightest full-size stick here
• Converts to a handheld for stairs and the car
• Dyson's own run-time figure, not a marketing maximum

−Limitations

• 40 minutes is on low power; high is far shorter
• Five-hour charge, the slowest in the group
• No floor sensor or display

→Good for

• an apartment with mostly hard floors
• a vacuum that lives in a hall closet
• someone who wants Dyson without the V12/V15 price

↺Look elsewhere if

• thick carpet throughout
• an hour of cleaning on one charge

+Strengths

• 5.2 lb and a slim head that turns under furniture
• Up to 60 minutes, by Dyson's figure
• Laser shows dust on hard floors you would otherwise miss

−Limitations

• Origin trim ships with fewer tools than Absolute
• Small bin on a slim machine
• Costs roughly twice the V8

→Good for

• hard floors in an apartment
• anyone who finds dust reassuring to count
• a cleaner who wants the lightest Dyson

↺Look elsewhere if

• deep carpet
• a tight budget

+Strengths

• Run time stated per mode, not just the maximum
• Sealed HEPA with a two-year warranty
• 3.7 lb as a handheld

−Limitations

• 15 minutes on max
• Charge up to 5 h
• Eureka does not publish the cup size

→Good for

• a budget buyer who reads spec sheets
• mixed floors in an apartment
• anyone who wants auto-adjusting power without the Shark's weight

↺Look elsewhere if

• a whole-house clean on one charge at high power
• a buyer who needs a big bin

+Strengths

• 0.7 qt dust cup, the largest in the group
• Five-year warranty — Dyson gives two
• Detects edges, floor type and direction, adjusting power

−Limitations

• 8.1 lb — a two-hand lift up stairs
• Six-hour charge
• 70-minute figure is eco mode at the handheld

→Good for

• a carpeted apartment
• pet hair and edges
• someone who hates emptying bins

↺Look elsewhere if

• a small closet — it is 45.7 in tall
• anyone who wants a light handheld

+Strengths

• The station empties and charges it — no dust cloud
• 280 AW is the highest suction figure in the group
• 6 lb with the brush, by Samsung's spec sheet

−Limitations

• The station needs a permanent spot and an outlet
• Station bags are a consumable
• Priced like a Dyson V15

→Good for

• a household that never wants to empty a bin
• allergy sufferers
• a hallway with room for a dock

↺Look elsewhere if

• a closet with no outlet
• a budget under the Dyson V8

+Strengths

• Bissell publishes both run times, low and turbo
• Removable battery, charges in under 3 h
• Stands on its own — no wall dock needed

−Limitations

• 13 minutes on turbo is short
• 0.4 L tank fills fast with pet hair
• 7.3 lb, heavier than the Dysons

→Good for

• a renter who cannot drill a wall dock
• pet hair on mostly hard floors
• a first cordless on a budget

↺Look elsewhere if

• long sessions on high power
• a house with lots of carpet

+Strengths

• 1.4 lb — lightest here by a wide margin
• Dock keeps it charged and upright on a counter
• One-touch empty into the bin

−Limitations

• 0.1 qt cup fills after one job
• Shark does not publish a run time
• One-year warranty, half the BLACK+DECKERs'

→Good for

• crumbs on a table or desk
• a kitchen counter where it can live on show
• quick car-seat passes

↺Look elsewhere if

• pet hair in bulk
• a full car clean on one charge

+Strengths

• 605 ml bowl — empties less often than the rest
• 2.6 lb and a long nozzle for under car seats
• Washable filter and a 2-year warranty

−Limitations

• 11 minutes is short
• 4-hour charge
• 17.2 in long — needs a shelf, not a drawer

→Good for

• kitchen crumbs and the car
• a household that wants a vacuum always on charge
• cereal, cat litter, dry spills

↺Look elsewhere if

• stairs with pet hair
• anything longer than a ten-minute job

+Strengths

• 15 minutes — the longest run time of the dustbusters
• Charging base instead of a plug-in cord
• Big 589 ml bowl

−Limitations

• 3.5 lb — tiring held at arm's length
• 4-hour charge
• Filter is a consumable, though washable

→Good for

• cars and stairs
• a garage or workshop bench
• someone who wants more suction than the 16 V model

↺Look elsewhere if

• a one-handed quick grab from a kitchen drawer
• light duty only

+Strengths

• Big cup for the weight
• Pet tool and 8-inch crevice tool included
• 1.6 lb

−Limitations

• Shark's product page is gone; figures are from retailers
• 6-hour charge
• 11 minutes

→Good for

• a car with pets
• a bedside drawer handheld
• someone who found the WANDVAC's cup too small

↺Look elsewhere if

• anyone who wants the maker's spec sheet behind the numbers
• long jobs

+Strengths

• Motorized brush lifts hair from sofas and car seats
• 680 ml bowl
• 2.6 lb despite the 20 V battery

−Limitations

• 10 minutes of run time
• 8 in wide — bulky in a drawer
• 4-hour charge

→Good for

• pet hair on furniture and stairs
• car interiors
• a household with a dog that sheds

↺Look elsewhere if

• long cleaning sessions
• someone without pets who wants a slim handheld

+Strengths

• 17 minutes, the longest run time of the handhelds
• 0.7 L tank — the largest
• Motorized brush for hair on fabric

−Limitations

• 3 lb, heavy for a handheld
• Charges from a cord, no dock
• Tools list comes from the listing

→Good for

• pet hair on stairs and sofas
• a car with a dog in it
• longer handheld jobs

↺Look elsewhere if

• a drawer handheld for crumbs
• anyone who wants the lightest option