The best cordless vacuum for UK homes

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Every box seems to promise about an hour. You picture finishing the stairs and carrying on upstairs, without hunting for a socket. The catch is the brush bar: the headline hour usually means low power with a non-powered tool, rather than hoovering carpet with the floor head spinning. Which?'s battery measurements show how much that changes things.

A cordless stick vacuum is a battery-powered vacuum on a wand that converts to a handheld. I'd choose one by the cleaning time you can actually use, the head's ability to shed hair and the battery you can buy when the original fades. Those questions make the Shark versus Dyson decision much easier.

Dyson or Shark? I'd start with the Stratos

For most homes, I'd buy the Shark Stratos IZ420UKT. Ideal Home names it best overall, and its two batteries make more sense to me than stretching a single battery through every room. Trusted Reviews awarded it 5/5, praising pickup and hair handling.

I'd pay for the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute if stronger suction and dust-detecting features mattered more. Ideal Home's Stratos comparison gives the V15 the suction advantage; Expert Reviews makes it best overall.

These are the core models side by side. The headline run times include their conditions; the spare column identifies the maker's part, with costs below. Shark's longer machine guarantee needs registration, and its battery cover is shorter.

Cleaning tests tell you more than the numbers printed beside the motors. TechRadar explains why AW, Pa and motor W describe different things; they can't be compared across brands.

The French Glow's October 2023 video, "DYSON V15 vs SHARK STRATOS VAC - Can Shark Compete?", offers a side-by-side demonstration and verdict on this particular pairing.

The hour on the box needs translating

Which? found an average of 60 minutes on minimum power on hard floors, but just 17 minutes on maximum power on carpet. Its brand averages were 12 minutes at maximum for Dyson and 13 for Shark.

The Stratos shows why conditions matter. Trusted Reviews measured about 27 minutes per battery in CleanSense during cleaning, and about 10 on Boost. Expert Reviews got almost 41 minutes in Clean Sense, but held the vacuum stationary. I'd plan around the moving test for a busy cleaning session.

Age eats into that allowance. Which? says some batteries can lose around a third of their capacity after roughly 500 charging cycles. A battery not lasting as long as before was owners' most common cordless fault, accounting for 19% of faults.

A cordless makes most sense as your main vacuum in a smaller home with less carpet. Which? found average carpet-dust pickup of 41% for cordless against 70% for corded. For demanding carpet work, I'd keep a capable corded machine.

Vacuum Wars' May 2025 buying-guide video covers flooring, battery life, filtration, handle weight and maintenance, useful companions to those headline minutes.

The Sharks I'd put on the shortlist

The Stratos reviews stretch back to 2022, with Trusted Reviews updated in 2024 and Ideal Home retesting in 2026. Ideal Home's reviewer reported no need to cut hair off the head over months of use.

At SharkNinjaSharkNinjaSharkNinja is a household appliance brand with a UK site selling hair tools, cleaning machines, kitchen appliances and beauty devices. Its range is broad, so the useful starting po8 current offers · View store →, the IZ420UKT includes two removable batteries and a dual charger. The IZ400UKT and IZ400UK have one; the Pet Pro adds a pet tool. I'd favour the double-battery version when the vacuum will do most of the house. These cards show all three Stratos versions.

The PowerPro IZ380UK and Pet IZ380UKT suit lighter cleaning or a second-vacuum role. Ideal Home rated the Pet four stars but found embedded pet hair remained, even on Max; its 50-minute Eco claim held up. The Pet adds a motorised pet tool. A roller that sheds hair is helpful, but for a heavily shedding pet I'd put pickup first.

PowerDetect is the one I'd consider over the Stratos for cleaning performance: TechRadar's plain PowerDetect Cordless topped every cleaning test, though at 3.8 kg it was the heaviest on its shortlist. That stick has a 0.7 L bin and a claimed 70-minute run time, the same headline claim as our shops' IP1251UK and IP1251UKT sticks. T3's best overall, Expert Reviews' self-emptying pick and Ideal Home's capacity pick come with emptying docks, in the bigger IP3251UKT and IA3241UKT packages.

The next cards compare PowerPro, PowerPro Pet and the two IP1251 PowerDetect models.

Which Dyson would justify the extra spend?

The V15 Detect Absolute is my Dyson pick because its features have a clear job. Dyson's Fluffy Optic head lights up fine dust, its particle sensor feeds the display, and the Digital Motorbar detangles hair. Its battery clicks out without screws, making a later spare practical.

Expert Reviews measured 50 minutes in Economy and 11 on Max. That older review covered an earlier head; Ideal Home's later review reported about 20 minutes on Boost. T3 calls the V15 its best Dyson. This panel shows the V15 Detect Absolute.

Prices at UK shops / 1 product

Dyson V15 Detect Absolute

Dyson · 2 shopsDyson V15 Detect Absolute Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner up to 60 Minutes Run Time Yellow/Nickel

From £479 at Electricshop, with delivery

1. ElectricshopIn stock · Lowest price here£479 with deliveryShop at Electricshop
2. Sonic DirectStock at the shop£499.99 with deliveryShop at Sonic Direct

Compare all 2 prices

Prices, stock and delivery as each shop listed them, checked 2 hours ago. Some shops pay us when you buy through these links; that never changes the order. How that works.

The new V10 Konical is on none of those current lists yet. At Dyson's shopDysonDyson is the British engineering company James Dyson started with the bagless cyclone vacuum. Its UK shop sells vacuums, hair tools, air purifiers, fans and heaters, headphones, liBuying guide · View store →, its All Floor Cones head and swappable battery make a lighter alternative to the V15. Vacuum Wars measured 7.8 minutes on maximum with the head attached, a more useful limit than the handheld Eco hour.

Ideal Home gave the Konical and Auto-empty Dok four stars, liking the vacuum but finding the dock struggled to expel hair. Its 2.5 L bags also mean another consumable. For that reason, I'd lean towards the vacuum alone.

The V8 Cyclone is Ideal Home's best-value choice, with a detangling Motorbar, 0.54 L bin and now-swappable battery. Dyson lists 2.604 kg and claims up to 60 minutes. It shares the Konical's spare battery and Dyson's two-year cordless guarantee.

The V16 Piston Animal is the premium pick for T3 and Ideal Home, but TechRadar found its cleaning disappointing. Dyson's specification lists 70 minutes, a 1.3 L bin and 3.4 kg. The claim's mode isn't specified, and the same two-year cordless guarantee applies. Its conical head and Hair Screw Tool appeal for hair, but its spare battery was out of stock when I checked, which would put me off. These cards show the V10 Konical, V8 Cyclone and V16 Piston Animal.

Vacuum Wars' October 2026 "Dyson V10 Konical Review: Can One Vacuum Head Really Clean Every Floor Type?" includes lab tests of pickup, hair tangles and battery life.

The Miele has a useful trick and a battery question

The Triflex HX3 can put its motor near the floor in upright configuration. Expert Reviews found it easier to handle that way than as a top-heavy stick, awarded four stars, and measured 68 minutes 45 seconds on Eco and 15 on High. That's a real reason to consider it if weight at your wrist matters.

Miele's own run-time table gives about 38 minutes on Low with electrical accessories, against the 70-minute headline without the electrobrush. I'd use that powered-head figure for planning. The Cat & Dog adds a handheld electrobrush; the Plus supplies a second battery. The range has a two-year guarantee, but no anti-tangle head.

The spare is my sticking point. Miele's UK HX-LA listing names HX1 and HX2, not HX3. I wouldn't buy that battery for an HX3 without confirmation. Which? now withholds Best Buys where maker spares cannot be bought. These cards show the HX3, Cat & Dog and Plus.

Pet hair and long hair ask different things

Hair handling deserves more than a Pet badge. UK Pet Food's 2026 survey says 62% of UK households have a pet. I'd distinguish lifting fur out of carpet from stopping long strands wrapping round the roller.

Shark's Anti Hair Wrap Plus removes hair from the brush roll; Expert Reviews found none stuck on the Stratos rollers. Dyson's Konical uses cones to detangle, but Vacuum Wars scored it 7/10 in its long-hair test.

The Miele makes the distinction plain. Expert Reviews found the HX3 Cat & Dog collected cat hair but wrapped long hair, which needed cutting away. I'd favour Stratos for long hair and judge PowerPro cautiously for embedded fur. This poll asks which mess actually drives your choice.

The battery bill matters after the guarantee

A replaceable battery gives you a way to keep the vacuum going when the original fades. These are the makers' spare listings on 2 November 2026.

These exact parts are more useful than brand-wide estimates. Which?'s replacement averages were £103.40 for Dyson and around £100 for Shark. The Stratos's removable pack and the Dysons' swappable batteries make replacement possible.

Shark's five-year registered guarantee covers the machine, with two years for batteries. Dyson's two-year wording both includes batteries and excludes them under normal wear and tear. My reading is that battery faults are covered, while gradual capacity loss is wear and tear.

A cheap unbranded replacement is a poor place to economise. London Fire Brigade linked Fulham and Poplar fires to suspected vacuum lithium-battery failures. Staffordshire's case specifically involved a cheap replacement. LFB advises official chargers and charging while awake. Shark says non-genuine parts invalidate cover; Dyson also excludes non-genuine components.

Old packs belong in battery recycling, never household rubbish. Recycle Your Electricals has a postcode locator and advises recycling the whole appliance if its battery cannot be removed. Retailer take-back provides another route. The 2021 repair regulations don't cover vacuums, so I'd establish spares before buying.

Electricity is a smaller concern: Which? says cordless energy use is low. Our running-cost guide explains the wider household comparison.

Other reviewer picks worth a look

The choice doesn't end with those brands. TechRadar names the Dreame R20 its best overall and lists 2.74 kg, a 0.6 L bin and a claimed 90 minutes. As with the other headline figures, that won't hold with the head on full power.

Henry Quick is Expert Reviews' high-capacity pick: 1 L bags, 3.2 kg, a 60-minute claim, two-year guarantee and no anti-tangle head. T3 picks Quick Pet for allergies. If bagged emptying appeals, this is the one I'd consider, with replacement bags part of the running cost. These cards show Dreame R20, Henry Quick and Quick Pet.

For carpets, Ideal Home picks the Gtech AirRAM Platinum, also worth comparing at JoybuyJoybuyJoybuy is the European online retail arm of JD.com, and its UK site brings together a brand-led range spanning technology, appliances, beauty, homeware, groceries and everyday esse10 current offers · View store →. For less to spend, Expert Reviews' budget Hoover HF9 sits just below the £150 starting point.

Where I'd compare, and when I'd wait

For a budget from £150 to £1,000, I'd settle the model and battery bundle before chasing an offer. SharkNinjaSharkNinjaSharkNinja is a household appliance brand with a UK site selling hair tools, cleaning machines, kitchen appliances and beauty devices. Its range is broad, so the useful starting po8 current offers · View store →, ElectricshopElectricshopElectricshop is an online retailer of home appliances, televisions, hi-fi, home audio and wireless music systems, stocking a mix of well-known brands. Because the range spans large7 current offers · View store → and HughesHughesHughes is a family-run electrical retailer from East Anglia that sells across mainland UK online. Its strengths are big white goods, where delivery and installation can be booked i17 current offers · View store → list the Stratos; Appliance CityAppliance CityThis is Appliance City, a family-run appliance retailer in Bunny, near Nottingham, trading since 1986. You get cooking, laundry, dishwashing and fridge appliances, plus TVs, with a16 current offers · View store → carries the HX3 alongside Electricshop. Sonic DirectSonic DirectSonic Direct is an online discount retailer focused on home appliances. Its range, as described by the merchant, centres on branded domestic appliances, small kitchen and householdBuying guide · View store → and JoybuyJoybuyJoybuy is the European online retail arm of JD.com, and its UK site brings together a brand-led range spanning technology, appliances, beauty, homeware, groceries and everyday esse10 current offers · View store → also appear across the options above. The cards above show each shop's live price.

The Shark, Dyson and Miele pages collect the ranges. For the exact double-battery pick, the Stratos IZ420UKT comparison gives the full list of prices from our shops.

If your old vacuum can last a little longer, our Black Friday guide and price drops page are useful places to watch. The weekly email below collects deals worth knowing about.

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What I'd buy

I'd choose the double-battery Stratos for most homes, especially where long hair and cleaning time drive the decision. The V15 Detect Absolute is the upgrade for stronger suction and dust detection; PowerPro makes more sense for lighter jobs. The vacuum worth buying is the one you can finish with today and keep running later.

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