The 9 Best Cordless Vacuum Dyson Alternatives of 2024

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Including favorites from Shark, Bissell, Tineco, and more

Cai Cramer is a shopping writer at PEOPLE.com with 2 years’ experience in journalism and digital media. She regularly tests the best and buzziest products in the beauty and lifestyle spaces and has researched and written about moisturizers, blow dryers, clothing, and luggage, among many other popular products.

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People / Henry Wortock

You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to get a great cordless vacuum cleaner. While popular brands like Bissell, Shark, and Dyson remain classic customer favorites, there are also tons of great vacuum cleaners from under-the-radar brands that Amazon shoppers say are "just as good" as pricier models but for a fraction of the price.

To check out some of these lesser-known cordless vacuum brands with overwhelmingly positive Amazon reviews, we took to our PEOPLE Tested lab to see which cordless vacuums really compared to Dyson vacuums. We tested these vacuums on suction power, effectiveness, noise level, maneuverability, and value. If an affordable cordless vacuum scored within one point of a similar Dyson model, we included it on this list. We also added a few top-rated models from Amazon that shoppers swear by.

Amazon

Head swivels smoothly

Easily removes hair from carpet without tangling

Fits easily under furniture

Battery only lasted for 20 minutes

One of the benefits of using a cordless vacuum cleaner over a traditional upright model is how lightweight a cordless stick vacuum can be. That’s why shoppers say they love the Bissell 3061 Featherweight, which one shopper said they prefer to a Dyson and a Shark because it’s “so lightweight” and thanks to the bending joints, “you can get under the bed and not have to practically lie on the floor like with most stick vacuums.” We tested this vacuum in the lab, and we have to say: We agree.

The Bissell 3061 excelled at removing hair from all surfaces during our tests, especially on medium and high-pile carpets. We could easily maneuver the vacuum under furniture, and the head swiveled smoothly to reach nooks and crannies. The only thing we’d change about this vacuum is its short battery life, which lasted for about 20 minutes, so we weren’t able to finish cleaning until we had plugged it in again.

Battery Life: 20 minutes | Weight: 5.8 pounds | Attachments: Removable hand vacuum, washable filter, tangle-free brush roll, crevice tool, upholstery tool, TurboBrush tool

Amazon

Long battery life

Great suction on all surfaces

Upholstery brush gets tangled with hair

We’ve tested the Belife BVC11 vacuum multiple times in our labs and at home, and each time it continues to impress us with its strong suction power and long battery life. It did a great job sucking dirt and debris off a variety of flooring, including medium-pile carpets, hardwood, and grout.

We were able to use the vacuum for 53 minutes on the regular suction setting before the battery died — one of the longest run times of any cordless vacuum we’ve tested. It also turns smoothly, is easy to maneuver, and comes with a helpful crevice tool to suck everything out of corners and in between seat cushions.

Our one qualm with the vacuum is that the upholstery brush wasn’t very helpful because it kept getting tangled with hair, but the other attachment heads work exactly as advertised.

Battery Life: 53 minutes | Weight: 5.3 pounds | Attachments: Crevice tool, upholstery brush

Amazon

Easily picks up hair without tangling

On-off switch allows you to use vacuum without holding trigger button

Doesn’t come with as many extra extensions or heads

With nearly 1,200 five-star ratings at Amazon, the Black and Decker Powerseries Extreme is an impressive device with high-powered suction that customers say compares to more expensive Dyson models. We love that this vacuum has an on-off switch rather than Dyson’s pull trigger, which must be held down while vacuuming.

We were able to easily maneuver this vacuum around chair legs, dodging every obstacle with ease on all surfaces. The vacuum worked best on carpet when set to the “low” and “medium” settings but worked best on “high” on the hardwood floors in our tests. Where this vacuum really excelled was in picking up hair, both off hardwood and carpets, so we think this would be a great option for pet owners in particular.

This vacuum doesn’t come with as many bells and whistles as some of the other cordless vacuums that we tested, but its multi-surface head works well on hardwood floors, carpets, and tile, so it’s still a versatile pick.

Three additional months of testing proved that the Black and Decker Powerseries Extreme remains a reliable stick vacuum. On the lowest setting, we could stretch the battery to 55 minutes in between charges — an impressive feat for any cordless stick vacuum in this price range. While there was nothing particularly life-changing about this vacuum, it continued to perform well and feels like a solid and dependable choice at more than half the cost of a Dyson.

Battery Life: 55 minutes | Weight: 10.43 pounds | Attachments: Removable battery, 3-in-1 multiway charge, wall mount, crevice attachment, washable filter

Amazon

Easy to carry up and down stairs

Attachments make it easy to clean upholstery and furniture

Easy-to-empty dirt cup

Not as effective on high-pile carpets

Small dust particles can be hard to see even in daylight, which means that dust is likely hiding where you can’t see it. That’s why we love the Eureka Lightweight Cordless Vacuum’s LED headlights, which illuminate dust we otherwise would’ve missed. With 3,300 five-star ratings at Amazon, it seems like customers agree that it’s a great vacuum.

Because the vacuum is so lightweight, we found it to be especially effective at cleaning upholstery. It easily removed hair and dirt from cloth fabrics with the brush and angle attachment, and it was easy to empty once we were done cleaning by pressing a button to release the dust cup. It wasn’t the most effective vacuum cleaner that we’ve tested on carpeted floors, but if your home doesn’t have much high-pile carpeting, then we think this stick vacuum is a great choice.

Battery Life: 30 minutes | Weight: 7.15 pounds | Attachments: Removable battery, LED headlights, crevice tool, dusting brush, wall mount

Amazon

Lightweight and maneuvers well

Comes with several attachments to get into tight corners

Intelligent auto mode adjusts suction power

Battery runs down quickly at highest setting

If you’re looking for a top-notch vacuum that’s lightweight but can handle carpet and maneuver well, the Levoit Vortex IQ 40 Cordless Stick Vacuum is worth a look. This powerful vacuum is easy to use and features LED lights to see into dark spots and several attachments to get into tight corners. It also has a four-stage dual HEPA filtration system and an intelligent auto mode that allows the vacuum to automatically adjust the suction power based on how much debris is detected. The battery will run down quickly if used at the highest setting, but fortunately, the auto-adjust feature takes the guesswork out of which setting to use.

While this vacuum is powerful enough to deep clean carpets, it’s just as effective on hard floors and can handle pet hair on any surface. You can also use the vacuum in handheld mode to clean furniture, window sills, car upholstery, and more. Although we haven’t yet tested this vacuum, it has an easy-to-empty dustbin, a mountable charging dock, and an accessory holder to keep the included attachments organized.

Battery Life: 40 minutes | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Attachments: Crevice tool, brush tool, charging dock

Amazon

Works great on medium and high-pile carpets

Long battery life

Strong suction

Doesn’t come with any attachments

If you thought that you needed an upright vacuum to tackle carpeted floors, think again. The Bissell 1984 Air Ram Cordless Vacuum easily sucks up large debris and microscopic dirt from carpet fibers. In our test, we found that the vacuum did a great job on both medium and high-pile carpets, and we didn’t need to pick it up to drag it effortlessly across different surfaces.

The cordless vacuum also has a super long run time — nearly 45 minutes — and is quieter than some other vacuums we’ve tested. Emptying it is as easy as pressing a button to open the dustbin in the head of the vacuum.

The vacuum comes with the standard head and nothing more, so if you’re looking for something with all the extra attachments, check out the Bissell 3061 Featherweight.

Battery Life: 42 minutes | Weight: 7.2 pounds | Attachments: None

Amazon

Self-emptying charging base holds about 30 days of dust

Comes with a five-year warranty

Easy to maneuver across a variety of surfaces

Took two tries to get this vacuum to work properly

Small dust canister needs to empty into the base often

Shark vacuums are often compared to Dyson models, so it’s no surprise that the Wandvac ended up on our list. One of the coolest features that the Shark Wandvac Cordless Stick Vacuum offers is a self-emptying base, which automatically cleans out the vacuum’s dust bin into the larger base bin to avoid overfill — something that none of the Dyson models can do. The vacuum is lightweight and easy for us to maneuver in all of our testing across a variety of surfaces.

Our first test run with the Shark Wandvac was less than perfect, but after giving the cordless vacuum a second chance, we were shockingly impressed with the results: no more tangles and no more spitting debris back out.

The Shark Wandvac easily picked up large debris with one pass, and the pet hair brush made quick work of cleaning upholstery. The dustbin continued to fill up quickly and had less capacity than some of the other models we tested, but overall, the Shark Wandvac did a great job after a rocky first run.

We were even more impressed with the Shark Wandvac’s performance after two months of use at home. We particularly loved the self-emptying base, which held about six weeks' worth of dust and dirt from our daily vacuuming before we had to empty it. The battery lasted about 20 minutes on a single charge, which was more than we needed to clean a small apartment daily.

Battery Life: 15 minutes | Weight: 2.1 pounds | Attachments: Removable battery, self-empty charging base, duster crevice tool, pet multi-tool

Tineco

Powerful and quiet

Easy to maneuver

Dust bin has a one-click emptying feature

Lower runtime than some of the other vacuums on this list

If you’ve been wanting a cordless vacuum that has a few more bells and whistles, this smart vacuum from Tineco may be just what you’re searching for. The Tineco Pure One S11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner comes with an LED display that will let you know how much of a charge you have remaining on your battery, so you’ll never be left without power. You can even use the free companion app to check the vacuum’s stats on your phone. It also comes with a wall mount, so you can keep the vacuum and accessories accessible and charged in one place. And the 0.6-liter dust bin has an easy-to-use, one-click emptying system.

While we haven’t tested this model yet, it’s described as quiet, lightweight, and powerful. The easy-to-maneuver vacuum has a lower runtime than some others on this list, but at least you’re warned how much time is left right on the display. If you’re looking for a convenient and powerful vacuum with a few handy smart features, this Tineco rivals its Dyson counterparts.

Battery Life: 40 minutes | Weight: 5.8 pounds | Attachments: Mini brush, dust brush, crevice tool, hair tool, wall-mounted dock

Amazon

Powerful suction that's comparable to an upright vacuum

Works well on all surfaces

Maneuvers well under furniture

Has LED headlights

Dustbin is small

If you’re looking for a powerful cordless vacuum to tackle pet fur and all your other household messes, the Shark IZ462H Vertex is a clear winner. The vacuum has a powerful suction that is effective on all types of floors and can run for 60 minutes on a charge (in standard mode).

While we haven’t tested this model yet, we can see that there’s a lot to love about this vacuum. One especially noteworthy feature is the flexible wand that allows you to easily maneuver under tables, chairs, and sofas. It also has LED headlights, so you can easily see any hidden dust and debris. The nozzle is also detachable, so you can reach high places and out-of-the-way corners.

We also appreciate the ability of this vacuum to stand on its own. Many cordless vacuums need to be attached to a mounting bracket or propped up somewhere out of the way. It comes with an easy-to-open dust bin, but we wish it was a bit larger to avoid the need for frequent cleanings.

Battery Life: 60 minutes | Weight: 9.04 pounds | Attachments: Pet multi-tool, crevice tool

People / Phoebe Cheong

To find out which Amazon cordless vacuums were comparable to Dyson models, we spent countless hours testing the most popular models in our PEOPLE Tested lab and at home.

In the end, we compiled the best-performing vacuums in our tests with some of the most customer-loved vacuums at Amazon to deliver a list of the best cordless models that compare to more expensive Dyson vacuums.

People / Henry Wortock

Cai Cramer is a shopping writer at PEOPLE, covering the best products across the beauty, fashion, health, and lifestyle spaces. For this story, Cai consulted the results of numerous vacuum tests in our PEOPLE Tested lab, which compared the battery life, suction power, and maneuverability of some of the best-selling cordless stick vacuums. Cai combined these testing results with insights from Amazon customer reviews of top-rated cordless stick vacuums to create a list of the best cordless vacuum Dyson alternatives. Christina Butan, a senior shopping editor at InStyle, also contributed to this article.

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