Best cordless vacuum for 2021: Dyson, Tineco, Moosoo, Shark, Samsung, LG and more

Say hello to Dyson's latest and greatest stick vac, the $700 Dyson V15. As the company's flagship cordless vacuum, the V15 has a sky-high price tag to match. It's by far the most expensive machine in our test group. Like its predecessor the V11, the V15 ripped through our suite of vacuum tests with ruthless competence. 

It didn't just outperform competitors from other brands. The V15 demonstrated more suction power than the Dyson V11, the previous cordless vacuum champion. The V15 also achieved these results on our most difficult trial, sand. 

It was able to remove 88.4% of test sand we placed on midpile carpeting. The V11 managed 71.6% on the same test. More impressively, the V15 pulled 95.3% of sand particles we dropped onto low-pile carpeting. That's a lot better than the 78.4 percent the V11 was able to muster here. The V15 wasn't phased by pet hair either. No matter if it was vacuuming across hardwood, low-pile, or mid-pile carpeting, the V15 barely left a tuft in its wake.  

A few other features help set the V15 Detect apart. One is the vacuum's "Laser Slim Fluffy" cleaner head. Designed specifically for hard flooring, it shines a green laser out onto the floor ahead as you clean. Its purpose is to highlight dust and other small bits of debris otherwise hard to spot with the naked eye. The system does work and we observed plenty of dirt we'd normally miss. One drawback though is that the laser isn't visible under strong indoor lighting or sunlight. 

Also interesting is a readout on the back of the vacuum. This report lists the ratio of dirt collected by particle size. Other than that, and a battery that's easier to remove, the D15's design remains much the same. That's a good thing since we found both models' dustbins easy to empty. 

Bundled with the vacuum are seven different cleaning attachments. Including the Laser Slim Fluffy, you get a High Torque cleaner head, a Hair screw tool and crevice tool, just to name a few. All this adds up to why the Dyson V15 Detect is currently the best cordless vacuum cleaner around, if spending lots of money is no barrier. 

Read more about the Dyson V15.

As the second best performer in our current test group, the Tineco A11 Hero represents an outstanding deal. So much so that it has officially bumped the Shark Rocket Pet Pro Cordless out of our top pick for best midrange cordless vacuum. With an average 72.5% sand pick up from mid-pile carpeting, and 82.5% sand removal from low-pile carpet, the Hero performs better. It also costs less than the Shark, a fact that's hard to overlook.

 The A11 Hero tackled pet hair without too much trouble as well. Barely a trace of the material remained after the machine vacuumed mid-pile carpeting and hardwood floors. The Hero left some strands visible when traveling across our low-pile test carpet. Midpile carpeting usually causes vacuums more problems. 

The design of the Hero isn't too shabby either. Its dustbin is almost as easy to empty as the Rocket Pet Pro. The bin's release valve is tricky to engage compared with Shark's model. That said, its battery pack is removable. There's also a handy trigger lock lever to keep the vacuum running without constant finger pressure. 

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Moosoo isn't exactly a household name. Nevertheless, the Moosoo M X6 cordless vacuum packs a respectable punch, considering its low price. Despite costing much less than competing cordless vacuum cleaner options, the M X6 was the fourth-best performer in our test group of eight models.

The stick vac picked up 99% (on average) of our test sand from hardwood. On low-pile carpet, that figure sank to 41.3%. The M X6 fared better across thicker midpile carpet though, earning a higher sand pickup average of 52.2%.

Black rice, our large particle test soil, was a breeze for the Moosoo vacuum. It managed pickup averages above 90% on hardwood, low-pile and midpile carpet (95.4, 96.8 and 94%, respectively).

Don't buy the Moosoo M X6, though, if you're a pet owner. Cons are that at least some visible dander remained after vacuuming, no matter the test surface. The brush roll tends to wrap strands of hair around itself as well.

If you want cordless vacuuming on a tight budget, however, consider the Moosoo M X6. It just might fit the bill, and for much less cash.

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If you'd like to own a Dyson vacuum but you'd rather not spend top dollar, consider the Dyson V8 Absolute hand vac. This step-down cordless model is a few years old, but it still has powerful suction and performs like a champ. On our floor-cleaning tests, the V8 came in a respectable third. In our test group, only the Dyson V11 and Shark Rocket Pet Pro scoured floors better than the V8.

On a hard floor, the vacuum managed to pick up an average of 98% of the sand we dropped. For low-pile carpet, that average fell to 68.3%. The average slipped further across mid-pile carpet, though remained at a respectable 52%.

Pet hair didn't faze the V8 hand vacuum much either. It pulled hair away from mid-pile and low-pile carpets completely. It did fail to remove a small amount of dander on hardwood. Additionally, some fibers became wrapped around the vacuum's brush roll. But the washable filter was handy.

And similar to the V11 Torque Drive, the V8 Absolute upright vacuum comes with a generous assortment of add-ons. That includes gadgets for dusting, a crevice tool for reaching into a tight crevice, a soft cleaning head for bare floors, a motorized brush roll for grabbing ground-in dirt and debris, and a docking station for charging the battery. So for those who'd like to own a Dyson-brand stick vac for a little less cash, the V8 Absolute is worth a look.

Read our Dyson V8 hands-on first take.