Investing in one of the best cordless stick vacuums means you can clean your entire home without having to worry about cable entanglements or the length to reach corners of rooms. And the best part, technology has come a long way that these top cordless vacuum cleaners have excellent suction even without mains power so you know your floors will be spick and span in no time.
So it should come as no real surprise that, with strong suction and excellent battery life, the best stick vacuums are also some of the best vacuum cleaners in Australia as well.
At TechRadar, we've tested over a hundred vacuum cleaners available in Australia over the last decade, some of which I've reviewed myself. For each review, we assess the model's cleaning capacity on both hard floors and carpets, how well it can handle different sizes of dust and debris, as well as how well it handle human and pet hair. We also look at battery life, ease of use and manoeuvrability, as well as how much value for money it offers by assessing the effectiveness of any attachments available in the box.
Based on this expertise and testing, I think the Shark Cordless Detect Pro with Auto-Empty System is the best cordless vacuum for most people. Its compact size, suction and reasonable price tag (which can often be discounted), makes it my top pick. Although another Shark that we haven't tested ourselves on TechRadar cannot be ignored as being the best budget buy – user reviews have been too hard to ignore when it can be had for under AU$300.
There are more options in this guide as well, catering to different needs and budgets. The only other model we haven't tested ourselves in this list is the Dyson Gen5Outsize, but it's so similar to the Gen5Detect in performace that it's a bit of a no-brainer for large homes.
The quick list
Below you can find a roundup of our choices for the best stick vacuums in Australia (also called cordless vacuum cleaners or handsticks). You can jump to a more in-depth review of each pick, along with a price comparison tool to ensure you find the best deals.
Best buy
This may not be the most feature-filled cordless vacuum, but what it does at this price point is quite impressive, and we're taking thousands of user reviews into consideration here. Applauded for its power, light weight and ease of use, you don't need to sacrifice reliable performance to stay within budget.
Best of the best
Don't let its lightweight design fool you – this Shark cordless vacuum is quite powerful, plus it's bendy too. Not only does it handle room edges well, but it can slide under furniture too. Better yet, it self-empties into a box – not a bag – built into its free-standing charging dock.
Best cordless Dyson
It may not be as powerful the Gen5detect, but the V15 is our favorite Dyson cordless as it still delivers powerful cleaning and great maneuverability, plus innovative features like laser illumination for hard floors with the Fluffy Optic cleaning head.
Best self-emptying stick vacuum
A powerful motor, particularly while in Boost mode, throws the competition out of the park. Capable of thoroughly cleaning everything from a hard floor to a shaggy carpet, this machine can even clean itself, leaving the onboard dustbin very clean indeed. Just don't fall for the AI cleaning, it's market-speak for dynamic suction.
Best cordless all-rounder
Able to vacuum and mop, this LG comes with plenty of attachments for a full-home clean, and they all tuck away into the dock. It also doubles as the auto-emptying station, so you don't need to keep cleaning the dust canister. It's not the most powerful vacuum we've tested, but it's versatile.
Best for pet hair
Designed with a flexible head and wand to allow you to vacuum at a 90º angle, this Shark cordless cleaner can also sense how much dirt is on your floors and adjust its suction power automatically. While not as powerful as some other cordless vacuums and shipping with a bulky cleaning head, it's drawbacks outweigh its plus points.
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Best for hard floors
This cordless option is able to vacuum and mop at the same time, doing an impressive job while it's at it. You'll need to give it some help by cleaning out the dirty water tank, but it also has a self-cleaning function that makes maintenance easy.
Best for large homes
With a 1.9L bin canister and a motorised cleaning head with a broader footprint than some other Dyson machines, this is the one to pick if you live in a large home. And if you splurge for an extra battery, you'll double its 70-minute runtime, allowing it to speed through even larger areas.
Best mid-tier stick vacuum
Not the cheapest cordless stick vacuum in the country, but this Miele is our pick if you're looking to save some coin, as it's got some decent power and gets discounted often on Amazon. At 3.7kg, it's not the lightest of machines, but it's still quite manoeuvrable.
The best stick vacuums in Australia
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Below you'll find more in-depth explorations of each of the best cordless vacuums in Australia, along with links to the full reviews written by TechRadar's team of home appliance experts.
The best buy
‘Budget’ shouldn't mean shopping used or buying a substandard product. While it may mean not shelling out for the crème de la crème of stick vacuums, there is still money-saving quality out there. While it may not possess the suction strength, accessories or features of other models in this list, the Shark Cordless Vacuum with Self-Cleaning Brushroll will leave most owners delighted, as is evident from the numerous user reviews online for this model.
We haven't had the privilege of testing it ourselves, but users love that its suction power is a match for the majority of messes, even handling pet hair. Where the cost-saving drawbacks come in are the vacuum's small bin size and relatively short runtime.
Its feature list might not be as long a read as other vacuums, but what it does provide is seriously useful. Easy to use and lasting long enough to clean most spaces, the fact is, there’s bang for buck here. While this might not be the best cordless vacuum on the market, it can usually be found for under AU$300, representing fantastic value.
If you're looking to keep a small space clean, need a more manoeuvrable everyday vacuum or are simply looking for a stick vacuum that doesn't require taking out a loan, this is it.
The best stick vacuum for most homes
If you're looking for premium performance with a price tag that doesn't quite reach peak heights, the Shark Cordless Detect Pro with Auto-Empty System is the best Shark vacuum on the current Aussie market, and among the best vacuums available.
In our Shark Detect Pro Cordless Auto-Empty System review we called its performance "stellar", but that doesn't mean it's without its drawbacks. While not incomparable to competitors, especially with its performance, it is undoubtedly expensive. It's also pretty heavy for its rather diminutive size.
Still, the Detect Pro’s power is very good for a cordless vacuum and is extensively better adapted to different situations, thanks to its easy transformation into a handheld and several attachments. Importantly, it’s one of the few vacuums that can detect the edge of a room and increase suction automatically, making sure every inch gets cleaned. Making charging and storing easy is its self-emptying base station and accompanying large dust box – there’s no need to replace dust bags here. If all that doesn't make your eyes light up, it even neutralises odours and leaves your floor smelling fresh provided you’re willing to invest in the scented pucks.
For Dyson-like performance without the extra AU$500+, this is a great choice.
Read our in-depth Shark Detect Pro Cordless with Auto-Empty System review
The best Dyson cordless vacuum
The best Dyson cordless vacuum is the V15 Detect. (Actually, Dyson did away with cords a while ago, so the full range – with the exception of the Dyson Ball Animal – is cordless.) It's not without good reason that this brand is lauded so highly in the vacuum cleaner world – its cleaners have been meticulously engineered for maximum performance, and it continues to lead the way in terms of innovation too.
The V15 Detect is premium quality, meticulously engineered and delivers features that you won't find with any other brand. There's automatic suction adjustment based on dirt levels, but here it's coupled with real-time dust reports – so the vacuum senses the size and volume of particles being sucked up, and shows you via a colorful, moving graph on its screen. That way, you can see when the bit of floor you're cleaning is debris-free.
This vacuum also comes with a secondary soft floorhead for hard floors that's fitted with a laser light to highlight dust that might otherwise be missed. (It sits at the top of our best vacuum for hardwood floor ranking.)
If you set aside the bells and whistles, this is still an excellent vacuum. On test, we found this cordless vac sailed through all the cleaning tasks we put to it, delivering impressive suction even on the lowest-powered Eco mode. Like the rest of the Dyson range, it's incredibly easy to manoeuvre, with a floorhead that can pivot any which way you want it. The battery life is excellent, and the screen will spell out exactly how long you have left, so you shouldn't run out of juice unexpectedly. However, it's worth noting that the design is a little top-heavy, so it can feel unwieldy in handheld mode.
Dyson vacs are often expensive, so you'll need to balance how much you want to spend with which features you actually need. This is the second-newest model in the range – the fanciest and priciest option is the Gen5detect, but think the V15 offers a better features-to-price ratio.
Read our full Dyson V15 Detect review
The best self-emptying vacuum
While Dyson has been a market leader for a very long time, Samsung stepped up to the challenge with its Bespoke Jet, and followed it up with a minor upgrade that included dynamic suction – and that's the model that finds itself here.
What impressed me most about the Bespoke Jet range is the Clean Station (the free-standing charging dock) that houses a dust bag and features very good suction that barely leaves anything inside the onboard dust canister.
It comes with four power modes, with the highest – called Jet – able to suck up a whole load of matted hair and fur off a piled carpet in a single pass. Now, there are a few different variants of the Bespoke Jet AI at different price points, so you can get different attachments with each option – the Lite model would suit most homes, but you can get more, which will cost more too.
And that's where I had my biggest issue with Samsung's vacuums – they're expensive, and you need to take into consideration the ongoing cost of replacing the dust bags. I still think its the best self-emptying vacuum there is... unless you want a robovac.
Despite being expensive, it can be found for a slightly higher cost than the Dyson V15 Detect, which is when I would recommend you get one as that would be good value for money, more than the Dyson itself as you get the self-emptying dock too. And I have to say, its design is a lot more appealing to me over the Dyson.
Read our full Samsung Bespoke Jet AI review
The best all-round stick vacuum
A newer version of the original LG CordZero A9 Kompressor All-in-One vacuum, this A9X-AUTO is a good all-rounder for keeping your floors looking spick and span. There are, in fact, quite a few more variants of the original now, with better power, but their DNA is all essentially the same – the Tower (aka the charging dock).
It's the only company that we know of that's designed its self-emptying charging dock to also be a storage solution without compromising looks. No matter which variant you choose, all accessories will be hidden away inside.
It also, of course, houses the dust bag, so you will need account for the ongoing costs to replace them as and when needed.
One of the reasons we really liked it when we reviewed the original model was its lightweight handstick, and some of that low weight is due to a smaller 0.5L bin. But don't let that fool you; LG's Kompressor technology means that bin will fit up to 1.5L of dirt and debris!
Depending on the variant you opt for, you can get a lot of versatility thanks to all its various attachments, although it's not without its drawbacks. Our reviewer found that its edge cleaning wasn't as great as it what other cordless vacuums are capable of, and the mop – if you get one with this attachment – is also just about enough for an easy cleaning job. It's also not what we would call affordable, but if you're after a vacuum that provides ample storage without taking up floor or shelf space, and one that requires very little prep or maintenance time, this could be the ticket.
Read our full LG CordZero A9 Kompressor All-in-One Tower review (albeit for the US model)
The best cordless vacuum for pet hair
It's as powerful as some of the best out there and that it comes with a cleaning head that's designed specifically for hair and fur. And it doesn't cost a fortune either – say hello to the Shark Stratos Pet Pro with Clean Sense IQ vacuum cleaner.
You'll get dynamic suction that most Dyson vacuums offer these days, and the good news is our reviewer was quite taken by how well this Shark can clean – during testing, it was able to remove hair from a couch quite easily, although it was set to Boost mode.
It's wand is bendy too, which allows it to bend to almost 90º and let you clean under furniture without needing to bend too far – that's efficient cleaning with less effort! Moreover, our reviewer found that the main cleaning head is effective along room edges and corners, even around awkward pieces of furniture. That bendiness means it can stored in tight, short spaces too.
Importantly, its price point makes it a very enticing alternative to any Dyson and, as a handheld, it's actually lighter than most of the British brand's newer models.
Read our in-depth Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ review, which is the same model as the Australian Shark Stratos Pet Pro (IZ400).
The best stick vacuum for hard floors
If your home has mainly hard floors, it might be better opting for what is now being called a floor washer or a 2-in-1 vacuum mop. Not to be confused with the likes of the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine listed on this page, but one that does both vacuuming and mopping simultaneously using the same floor-cleaning head.
The F25 Ace was released early in 2025 and did quite well in our tests. Our reviewer was impressed at how clean his floors felt after a session, and was usually quite surprised at how dirty the water always was, even if he'd used the Ace on consecutive days.
It's got up to 20,000Pa of suction, so its vacuuming prowess is excellent and, to ensure the wet dirt doesn't streak the floors, the roller has been designed with teeth to keep cleaning it with each rotation.
While there are cheaper options like the Shark HydroVac Pro XL, the Roborock F25 Ace justifies its higher price tag by offering larger capacity tanks and app connectivity. While the latter might seem overkill for a vacuum cleaner, our reviewer actually appreciated it as he found it gave him better control over the machine.
His only complaint was with the self-cleaning cycle: while good, not all options available in the app worked well. Still, given how well it cleaned in our testing, it's worth doing a little extra and paying more if you want to invest in a good 2-in-1.
Read our full Roborock F25 Ace review
The best cordless vacuum for large homes
The most important feature of a cordless vacuum if you have a big home is a large dust canister, and the Dyson Gen5Outsize certainly fits the bill.
The 1.9-litre dust canister is the largest in this guide and holds 150% more debris than the standard Dyson vacuums, meaning that you don't have to empty it often. The cleaning head is also wider than usual, which means you’ll be able to cover more ground, faster – another feature that makes it well-suited to larger homes.
While we haven't had the opportunity to review this specific model, it shares the same motor as the Dyson Gen5detect, so has the same power and functionality. The only other difference here is that the Gen5outsize uses a bigger battery, so you get up to 70 minutes of fade-free power compared to 60 minutes.
In our tests, the Gen5detect (aka the smaller version) proved to be the most powerful Dyson yet, able to suck up pretty much anything that got in its path, provided it could go through the Fluffy Optic or the Digital Motorbar. And given both of these are just as outsized as the bin, cleaning up a large home will be quicker.
However, in our experience with the V11 Outsize (which is no longer available in Australia), a larger size made the vacuum cumbersome and heavy to use in handheld mode, so it's best suited for use on the floors throughout the home rather than reaching for the corners of the room.
Read our full Dyson V11 Outsize review and our Dyson Gen5detect review as they both embody what the Gen5outsize is like.
The best mid-tier cordless stick vacuum
While there are newer Triflex HX series vacuums from Miele, the first ever can now be had for less. While we haven't tested the base Miele Triflex HX1, we did try the Cat and Dog version and loved it. There's not a lot of difference between the two except the attachments that ship in the box.
The Triflex HX1 series handsticks convert easily from a cordless stick cleaner to a handheld to an upright vacuum, with the HX1 base model easily handling most floor types. There are three power settings to choose from and you'll get up to 60 minutes of runtime between charges.
That said, there are plenty of tools in the box so you'll be able to get into any nook or cranny at home and handle any surface – floors, upholstery, carpet – no problem. Its versatile design will also allow you to get to all those hard-to-reach areas, like under furniture.
It does all this without being too noisy, too. Compared to several other cordless vacuums, the Miele Triflex HX1 is relatively quiet, even at its highest setting.
Read our full Miele Triflex HX1 Cat & Dog review
What is the best cordless vacuum?
We've tested all the featured cordless vacuum cleaners in this guide to challenge them for dirt pick-up, battery runtime and versatility across various surfaces throughout the home.
The stick vacuum that came out on top is the Shark Cordless Detect Pro with Auto-Empty Station. Despite a mouthful of a name, it performed well in our tests and packed a punch well above its weight class. Moreover, the lack of replacement dust bag was a big tick for us, but that also means you need to do some cleaning every now and then yourself. It's also a lot cheaper than many of the others listed in our guide.
For more versatility, you can consider variants of the Samsung Bespoke Jet, which can come with a mopping attachment too and it's self-empty suction is beyond compare. Of course, you can't leave Dyson out either, but check Amazon to see if you can grab one when discounted.
How to choose the best cordless vacuum for you
With such a wide array of cordless vacuums on the market, choosing the right one might feel like an overwhelming task. However, if you focus on these considerations you’ll quickly be able to identify the model that’s best suited to you.
Start by checking how long the battery will last between charges and whether it’s swappable so that if the battery runs out of power mid-clean, you don’t have to wait for the vacuum to recharge before you can carry on. Similarly, the size of the dust canister will also affect how many interruptions there are to your cleaning session. If you have a bigger house, look for models with larger-than-usual dust cups.
If you have hard floors, look for a cordless vacuum that comes with a dedicated cleaner head, which has a softer brush roll to ensure the flooring isn’t damaged when vacuuming.
Also, check the vacuum cleaner is able to reach under furniture and in any tight spaces you have in your home to ensure you’re thoroughly cleaning your floors every time you push a vacuum around.
If you’ve got furry friends, you’ll be pleased to know there are plenty of models designed to suck up pet hair from your floors as well as your soft furnishings. Cordless vacuums are designed to be on hand whenever you need them, but how often you should vacuum will depend on how many people and pets are in your house as well as how much you’re at home.
As you've read, there are a lot of the best cordless vacuums to choose from. There's no right or wrong make or model to choose, but it is important to get the right one for you and your household by choosing wisely. Our "5 things to consider when buying a Dyson vacuum cleaner" would (also) be worth a read because what we've specified can be applied to any cordless vacuum you're looking at buying.
If you’re still unsure, read our advice on which type of vacuum should you buy and read our comparison of canister vs upright vacuums and bagged vs bagless vacuums.
How we test cordless vacuum cleaners
To find the best cordless vacuum cleaner, we evaluate how successfully each model collects everything from fine dust and dirt to larger debris such as cookie crumbs and cereal. As well as assessing how well floors are cleaned, we’ve also compared how easy the vacuum cleaners are to manoeuvre on carpet and hard floors, as well as whether dust pick-up is evenly distributed across the cleaning head or concentrated in one area.
We rated each design on how durable it is, as well as the simplicity of emptying, how loud it is during use and how long the battery lasts. For each model, we wanted to know whether it was easy to convert into other modes, such as a handheld vac, the useful tools and accessories it came with to clean edges or remove pet hair, and whether it required reading a thick instruction manual before use.
How do I choose a cordless vacuum cleaner?
We think the cordless vacuums we've listed above are the best of the best, but it's essential to consider your personal needs.
The most important considerations when choosing a cordless vacuum cleaner are:
1. Specs
2. Design
3. Features
Starting with the specs is typically the way to go - think about how long of a runtime you need from your cordless vacuum, what floor types you have in your home, and how powerful you'll need the cleaner to be.
Next up, think about what features you might need from your new cordless vacuum. If you have pets, that means looking for a vacuum that can handle hairs and even odours. You might need a range of attachments to handle various surfaces in your home or a vacuum that can easily transform into a handheld unit.
Lastly, think about the design of the vacuum. Is it light enough to use overhead if you have shelves and high surfaces that need cleaning? How easy would it be to store in your home? You might even want to consider if it will be aesthetically pleasing, especially if you're planning to keep it out in the open.
Are stick vacuums worth it?
Cordless stick vacuums bring some great benefits, especially if you have a smaller home, or just need a more accessible device for cleaning up small spills and messes in the kitchen.
As they are more compact and lightweight, stick vacuums are great for quick cleanups, however, they might not be worth it if you need any kind of deeper clean. Of course, there are stick vacuums made for those with larger spaces that require more storage space to account for that.
Are cordless vacuums as good as upright vacuums?
Cordless vacuums have been available for more than two decades, and while the early models were not as good when it came to dust pickup, that’s no longer the case.
Many of the cordless vacuums on the market are comparable, and in some cases better, to corded, upright vacuums when it comes to collecting dust and dander from carpets and hard floors. They’re more versatile than corded vacuums too, as they can be converted into lightweight, handheld cleaners that are suitable for use on upholstery, up high, and even in vehicles.
However, there is one area where they struggle to match corded vacuums, and that’s the capacity of the dust canister. On average, cordless vacuums have dust canisters with a capacity of anywhere between 0.2 and 0.75 litres, whereas traditional corded vacuums, whether upright or a canister, have a capacity of anywhere between 1 and 2 litres. The only exception is the Dyson V11 Outsize, which has a 1.9-litre capacity. However, it’s also extremely expensive compared to other cordless vacuums and much bulkier.
So, one might be better for one use, but not as good for another. It depends what you need from your vacuum.
Which cordless vacuum has the longest battery life?
Cordless vacuums can last anywhere between 10 and 60 minutes depending upon which suction level they are used on. The more powerful the suction, the shorter the battery life.
In our tests, we found the Miele Triflex HX1 Cat & Dog to have the longest battery life. While it offered 60 minutes on the lowest suction power, just like the Dyson V15 Detect, the Dyson V11 Outsize, Samsung's Bespoke Jet and the LG CordZero A9 Kompressor, it lasted for just over 16 minutes on the most powerful suction power as compared to an average of 8 minutes for the other models (up to 15 minutes in some cases).
It’s also worth noting that all the vacuums mentioned here have swappable batteries. This means, providing you purchase additional batteries from the manufacturer, you can remove a battery that’s run out of power and replace it with a fully charged battery. So you don't have to stop vacuuming and put the entire appliance on charge, only to resume hours later when the battery has full power again.
Are Dyson stick vacuums worth it?
Dyson is the most popular brand of cordless vacuum cleaner worldwide and, if you're after a high-end option, then it's definitely worth considering opting for a Dyson. They have very powerful suction, provide some advanced features and look good too.
However, Dyson isn't the only brand worth considering, particularly if you don't want to spend top dollar. Samsung and LG can provide more bang for your buck by offering similarly priced cordless vacuum cleaners that also come with an auto-empty station and a mopping head.
There's also Shark, Bissell, Roborock and Tineco, all of whom offer full-featured stick vacuums in Australia that can come in lower price points with equally, if not better, suction. You just need to figure out what you're willing to spend on the best cordless vacuum there is and how large your space is. Your choice of brand will also be determined by what floor type you predominantly have at home.
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