Do They Actually Clean? The Best Cordless Vacuum Cleaners We've Tested

Often, washing vacuum cleaners are called devices that simply lightly wipe the floor with a microfiber cloth attached to the nozzle. However, there are also upright sticks that offer much more options. Our lab has tested a sufficient number of truly washing upright vacuum cleaners to highlight the best models. For comparison, we will also mention a top robot vacuum cleaner that not only washes the floor, but also refills, rinses and dries itself.

First of all, it is worth noting not only the good test results, but also the wide price range for this model, which is truly impressive. The manufacturer positions the vacuum cleaner as a modern device for dry and wet cleaning, equipped with self-cleaning and water sterilization systems.

The upper part of the body contains a motor unit with a non-removable battery and a display. A dirty water tank with a filtration system is attached to this unit at the front, and a clean water tank is located at the back. Water is supplied to the floor and sucked in along with dirt: an air stream with water and dirt enters the dirty water tank through the central shaft. Water and dirt remain at the bottom of the tank, and a HEPA filter is installed at the outlet to clean the air.

The vacuum cleaner can simultaneously collect small solid debris, spilled liquid and wash the floor, and also work in dry cleaning mode. Before use, water is sterilized in two ways (electrolysis and UV lamp), which allows you to get rid of impurities and odors, as well as increase the efficiency of wet cleaning. The battery charge is enough to clean a spacious one-room or small two-room apartment. Self-cleaning of the brush occurs on the docking station, while the user needs to empty the tank for used water.

Due to the design features, the suction power of this model was not measured, but the vacuum cleaner copes well with both dry cleaning and simultaneous floor washing and suction of debris, and washing can be considered complete. The suction power level is fixed: the engine operates at the same speed in any mode, and the eco-mode is intended only for more economical water consumption and marketing purposes. The battery life was on average about 25 minutes 30 seconds in the minimum mode and about 22 minutes in the maximum, which corresponds to the passport characteristics and is quite enough for cleaning even a small three-room apartment.

The manufacturer does not promise quiet operation, but our noise level measurements showed only 72 dBA regardless of the mode, which is quite low for a stick vacuum cleaner. However, it was not possible to verify that the water was actually disinfected and to evaluate the effectiveness of wet cleaning during the testing process, although the sterilizer was turned on for 20 seconds before the start of wet cleaning, and the process of additional water purification was visually noticeable.

One of the most versatile and well-equipped models of washing upright vacuum cleaners can work in various configurations: as a washing vacuum cleaner, a stick for dry cleaning or a handheld portable device. This model stands out among the younger versions of the brand with a more capacious battery. The cylindrical battery consists of six standard batteries with a capacity of 4800 mAh, and if necessary, it can be repacked, replacing only the failed elements, which allows you to avoid replacing the entire unit.

The docking station tray has a recess in which the washing rollers are automatically washed, and the fan in the housing dries them with warm air for several hours after cleaning. The voice assistant notifies about the change of the operating mode, malfunctions, the need to clean the tank or fill the clean water tank, and also reminds about turning on self-cleaning.

The brushless motor provides a suction power of 125 watts and allows you to easily transform the vacuum cleaner into a handheld mode. It effectively cleans not only floors, but also mattresses, upholstery and hard-to-reach places. The washing vacuum cleaner is able to remove stuck and dried dirt, including pet hair, and also remove stubborn stains from coffee, milk and yogurt. The shape of the brush facilitates effective cleaning in corners and allows it to rotate 180 degrees, providing access to places under furniture. HW11 Pro Max automatically adjusts the suction power level depending on the dirt detected by the built-in dust sensor, which increases energy efficiency and reduces noise.

Indeed, in the auto mode, the device automatically selects the power level depending on the degree of contamination, which allows you to save battery power. The maximum suction power was 92.9 aW, and the minimum was 19.4 aW. The difference with the declared suction power is not critical, and in our tests, much greater discrepancies were observed. The noise level varied from 75 to 84 dBA in different modes, which is not too quiet. In the wet cleaning mode at the «Floor» level, the vacuum cleaner worked for 41 minutes, and in the dry cleaning mode at minimum power — up to an hour and a half.

Overall, we were pleased with the results of the model's work, although we noted its significant weight in wet cleaning mode — more than 5 kg, which is a common drawback of such vacuum cleaners, as well as the high noise level.

This is also a model with a voice assistant that can be turned off, but the battery life is half as long as the previous one. The floor nozzle is not removable, but the entire structure is washed and dried by a fan on the docking station after use. The layout of the model is similar to most cordless washing vacuum cleaners: two removable tanks — one for clean water, the other for waste liquid and dirt. The brush has a built-in UV lamp protected by a grill, and the IR sensor turns off the radiation when the vacuum cleaner is raised from the floor, which makes the use of the device safe for the eyes.

Obviously, the device provides simultaneous removal of debris and washing. In addition, it works for up to 40 minutes, disinfects the floor with a UV lamp and is equipped with multi-level filtration, including a HEPA filter. The battery is removable with a capacity of 3000 mAh, and the noise level is 83 dBA.

The total weight of the device with water and ready for operation was 5555 g, which is not small. The vacuum cleaner charges faster than stated in the passport, and the noise level was lower: from 73 dBA in the economy mode to 76 dBA in the maximum, which pleased us. However, the battery life does not reach the stated 40 minutes: in the eco mode — 33 minutes, and in the maximum — about 26 minutes. It is noteworthy that the eco mode here saves not only water, but also electricity, unlike some other models. Due to the design features, the suction power was not measured.

We also learned that the self-cleaning mode is not automatic and must be started manually, while brush drying is turned on automatically after self-cleaning. Before starting self-cleaning, you need to drain the dirty water, fill it with clean water, put the vacuum cleaner on the base and press the program button, which lasts two minutes. First, the vacuum cleaner washes the washing roller, then blows out the air duct, and after that the roller is wrung out.

Overall, the Garlyn M-5000 Aqua does a great job of cleaning floors and is quite easy to use. Although the lack of several configurations limits its functionality (for example, you can’t clean crumbs from a table or clean a sofa upholstery with this vacuum cleaner), it doesn’t need to be assembled — it’s ready to use immediately after filling with water, which is very convenient. It’s also worth noting the successful design of the waste container: thanks to the filter “spoon” inside the tank, large fractions can be thrown directly into the bucket without clogging the sewer.

This model is designed for wet cleaning and is equipped with two rotary brushes that rotate in opposite directions. It has an automatic mode that automatically selects the power depending on the level of surface contamination. In addition, there are self-cleaning functions for the washing rollers and a sterilization mode (although this is most likely a marketing ploy), as well as the ability to collect liquid and liquid dirt.

This model provides fast and high-quality wet cleaning of floors, effectively removing dried stains and ingrained dirt, as well as collecting spilled liquids and polishing floor coverings. In the sterilization mode, the device «prepares a sterilizing cleaning solution that can effectively clean and disinfect the surface.» It is claimed that sterilization of water prevents the formation of fungus, mold and unpleasant odors inside the device. The noise level is expected to be quite high — 82 dBA.

There is no information about the sterilization process in the user manual. However, in this mode, as in the automatic mode, the vacuum cleaner independently selects the power level. It is unclear whether sterilization works in the automatic mode, since the manufacturer does not provide this information, and it was not possible to verify this during testing. The third mode is called «water collection mode», in which the vacuum cleaner operates at maximum power. A nice thing is that regardless of the selected mode, the device automatically regulates the water supply, which relieves the user from having to worry about it.

The weight of the vacuum cleaner in working condition (with water) is 5690 g, which makes it one of the heaviest in this review, although all washing sticks exceed 5 kg when filled.

The noise level turned out to be lower than stated: in the economy mode it is 76 dBA, and in the maximum — 80 dBA, which is a pleasant surprise. The vacuum cleaner can work without recharging for about 35 minutes in the sterilization mode and 25 minutes in the water collection mode, which, as it turned out, does not use maximum power. When measuring the battery life in the auto mode on a very dirty floor, the device worked for only 14 minutes, which indicates that the vacuum cleaner really made maximum efforts to clean the surface, but quickly discharged the battery. However, in this time you can effectively clean a large room or even a small apartment.

Due to the design features, the suction power of this model was not measured. Among the disadvantages, the not very convenient attachment of the water tank to the body stands out.

As for the care of the device, after cleaning, you must immediately pour out the dirty water from the tank and rinse it. Then you should fill it with clean water, place the vacuum cleaner on the base and start the self-cleaning program. However, if the battery is discharged or almost discharged, you will not be able to activate self-cleaning. In this case, you need to wait half an hour until the battery charges a little. After this, it is recommended to wash the rotors and the waste container yourself to avoid the appearance of odor.

Self-cleaning takes eight minutes, which is significantly longer than many similar models. The vacuum cleaner intensively rinses the brushes and tank, which may require refilling the tank with clean water. However, the user is responsible for drying the rotors and tray, since this model does not have a fan for this procedure.

In conclusion, we note that this is not just a floor-wiping robot vacuum cleaner, but a full-fledged washing one, which can also be connected to the sewer system — we tested this function separately. Now it is worth recalling the results of testing this model as a floor washer.

This high-tech robot performs both dry and wet cleaning (the cleaning discs are easily removed). It is automatically filled with clean water and detergent at the base, where it also self-cleans. The robot can be controlled via a convenient application that offers all the necessary parameters for setting up cleaning: days of the week, time, various restrictions and the ability to specify a cleaning map by room. Lidar is responsible for precise navigation.

The mop features self-cleaning technology using hot water and the MopExtend system, which allows you to effectively clean hard-to-reach places. It has a powerful suction of 7200 Pa and an improved cleaning system, and can also be raised by 10.5 mm. With a capacious 6400 mAh battery, the device provides up to 260 minutes of autonomous operation for dry cleaning and floor washing in quiet mode, or 180 minutes in active cleaning mode. The noise level reaches 62 dB. The central brush for dry cleaning is equipped with six rows of V-shaped slats, which makes it effective on various surfaces — both carpet and smooth.

One of the cleaning discs can be extended beyond the body of the vacuum cleaner during operation, which allows you to clean the space near walls and obstacles: this way, there are no dirty streaks left.

The disks are attached with magnets equipped with sensors that allow the vacuum cleaner to automatically detect their presence and activate the appropriate mode. The mops are wetted with water and detergent from the tank on the base.

After wet cleaning, the washing disks are cleaned and dried in a special niche on the base: hot water effectively washes away dirt, and warm air ensures drying. Dirty liquid from the washing disks is collected in a separate tank on the base. The CleanGenius function starts a second wash of the mops if the first is insufficient, and selects the type and intensity of cleaning depending on the type of flooring and its contamination. In the application, on the «Wash» tab, you can turn on and off washing of disks with hot water, adjust the frequency and intensity of this process. It is also possible to adjust the drying time of the wipes, which can last 2, 3 or 4 hours, or be completely disabled.

The surface recognition system allows the robot to handle carpets with care. In the app, you can fine-tune its behavior in such cases: for example, when driving onto a carpet, the vacuum cleaner picks up the mops or returns to the base to remove them, and then continues cleaning in dry mode.

The kit includes a bottle of detergent, and the user can turn it on or off when adding it to the water, but the dosage is done automatically.

Our measurements showed that the model works quite slowly (which is not critical due to the capacious battery), but it cleans — both sweeps and washes — very thoroughly. The noise level does not exceed the one declared by the manufacturer and fluctuates depending on the mode from 53 to 62 dBA.

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Washing floors, not just wiping them, with a vacuum cleaner is no longer a fantasy. However, some models cope with this task better than others. Our lab presents devices with drawbacks: not all sticks have a removable portable unit, they are quite heavy, and the self-cleaning systems of some models leave much to be desired. Nevertheless, in our digest you can find a suitable model to suit your taste and budget, and also understand in advance what to expect from it. Do not forget to pay attention to washing robotic vacuum cleaners, as their progress in this area is noticeable.