There are a wide range of cordless stick vacuums, but their effectiveness and usefulness can vary greatly. We've tested many models over the past few years and have identified the features and design elements that make cordless stick vacuums more convenient, more economical, and make cleaning faster and more enjoyable.
Dust sensor (air flow pollution sensor)
The sensor in vacuum cleaners, such as the Evolution Smart Clean VCF2414M and other models, monitors the amount of dust in the air tract during cleaning and automatically adjusts the power depending on the degree of contamination. This not only increases the efficiency of cleaning, but also saves battery power.
The «smart» sensor is used in automatic modes and also allows the user to independently select the power. During testing of such models as Okami V90, Dreame H11 Max VWV8 and Evolution Smart Clean VCF2312, we did not feel the need to manually adjust the power — the automation worked flawlessly.
Flexible body, possibility to lay the vacuum cleaner parallel to the floor, extended flexible crevice nozzle
These features make it easier to clean under furniture and in hard-to-reach places. A flexible body is a hinged connection of the suction pipe parts, which contains a corrugated tube. A long similar device is used with various attachments. For example, an extended crevice attachment allows you to get behind radiators, cabinets, pianos and chests of drawers that are difficult to move during cleaning. Similar solutions are available in the models we tested, such as Garlyn M-2500, Garlyn M-3500, Rawmid Modern RMV-01, Teqqo Powerstick PWS1A, Dauken BS220 Storm Water Pro, Tefal Air Force 360 Flex TY9471, Genio Magic Stick M30, Evolution Smart Clean VCF2312, Redmond VH1311 and others.
Two batteries, display with battery charge level indication
Some models, such as the Polaris PVCSDC 2002, come with a spare battery, allowing you to double your cleaning time. This is especially valuable for larger homes or spacious apartments.
A display showing the charge level is an important feature, although not all cordless vacuum cleaners have it. It should be facing the user so that you don’t have to bend over to check the charge. Some displays also show the time remaining at the selected power level. Information presented digitally is more convenient than color indicators and diagrams.
Self-cleaning base
In dry cleaning models, such as the Polaris PVCSDC 2002, the self-cleaning base uses a built-in vacuum cleaner to extract dust and debris from a plastic container and sends them to a replaceable bag. Usually, one bag is enough for 1.5-2 months. Although many are surprised by the presence of an additional vacuum cleaner in the system, in our tests it proved its effectiveness. The suction power of the vacuum cleaner in the base is excellent, which allows you to not only clean the dust collector, but also the filters, which therefore require maintenance very rarely, increasing the overall comfort of using the device.
There are many models on the market of washing vacuum cleaners with bases that clean the washing mops and rotors, and also have a dirty water tank, such as Genio Magic Wash T10 and Dreame H11 Max VWV8. Some models with a self-cleaning function, such as Redmond MultiClean RV-UR390, provide not only washing, but also drying rotors or mops with warm air, as in Jimmy HW11 Pro Max and Garlyn M-5000 Aqua.
Motorized nozzle for upholstered furniture
Most cordless vacuum cleaners have a motorized main nozzle, where the cleaning roller rotates not due to the air flow, but thanks to a built-in motor. However, motorized nozzles for upholstered furniture are not always included with upright vacuum cleaners. During the testing of some high-quality models, we missed such a nozzle, especially when cleaning sofas from animal hair, since a nozzle with a motor copes with this task much more effectively. Therefore, when buying a vacuum cleaner, it is important to clarify what exactly is meant by the term «turbo brush for furniture.»
Replaceable rollers for different types of surfaces
Soft velour rollers are great for capturing fine dust on smooth floors, while plastic rollers with cleaning slats and bristles are more suitable for carpets. Some vacuum cleaners, such as the Redmond VH1311, Redmond RV-UR375 and Polaris PVCS 7000 Energy Way Aqua, come with replaceable rollers for one nozzle, which is a more convenient solution than using two nozzles for different types of surfaces. This also increases efficiency, especially if the soft roller is not included (as in the Garlyn M-2500 model).
Backlight
Although it may seem like a simple detail, LED lighting significantly improves the usability of the vacuum cleaner and ultimately affects the quality of cleaning. However, this feature is not found in all vertical models. The models we tested, such as the Polaris PVCS 7000 Energy Way Aqua, Polaris PVCSDC 2002 and Redmond VH1311, have lighting. If your vacuum cleaner does not have it, but you are satisfied with all other parameters, you can easily install lighting yourself and inexpensively.
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Some of these features make the vacuum cleaner more convenient to use, others improve cleaning efficiency, and often they affect both. Finding a model that combines all of these features can be difficult, and sometimes impossible (“everyone has their drawbacks!”). However, it’s worth considering these convenient and practical solutions when choosing a cordless upright vacuum cleaner.