Vacuuming is no fun, and surrendering your hard-earned cash for the privilege of buying a new vacuum cleaner even less so. Sadly, it's a necessity of adult life, and this mini-guide is dedicated to those who are keen to avoid spending more than is strictly necessary on a vacuum cleaner, but who still want something that's going to get the job done.
I'm in charge of TechRadar vacuum cleaner coverage, and as part of my duties I've dozens of cleaners at different price points and from different brands, and enlisted the help of experienced freelancer reviewers to test out the ones I couldn't get to personally. Below, I've rounded up the models that we think deliver the best value for money, and the ones I'd recommend to anyone seeking a budget-friendly cleaner.
I've broken my suggestions up into sub-£200 and £200-£250. If you can stretch to it, I'd recommend shopping in the latter category, because there's a big jump up in quality between those two price ceilings.
This article focuses on stick vacuums available in the UK. If you're visiting from elsewhere, or want a guide that also encompasses different types of vacuums, head to our general best budget vacuum guide.
The best budget vacuums for under £200
If you're looking for a great cheap vacuum, you won't go far wrong by heading to the Shark website and looking for a corded stick vacuum. And right now, the best option in that category is the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Corded Stick Pet Vacuum HZ500UKT.
I'll state upfront that we haven't reviewed this specific model. Shark brings out new vacuums at an alarming rate, and I just can't keep up, okay? However, we have tested a number of Shark vacuums at TechRadar; most are variations on a theme, with similar features and designs in different configurations, and we've yet to be disappointed. That includes the similar Shark Stratos Corded stick vacuum, which was my top cheap pick until it was discontinued.
Back to the Shark HZ500UKT. It comes with an anti-hair wrap floorhead that's suitable for carpet and hard floor, and is fitted with LED lights to illuminate dingy corners. The main wand bends forwards to enable you to clean right under furniture without having to down on the floor yourself – I've tested this on other Shark vacuums and it's super convenient, even if it does feel a little wobbly.
The elephant in the room is that this vacuum is corded. Sure, it's annoying to have to be plugged into a power outlet at all times, but if you can get over that then there are big benefits. Corded vacuums almost always have significantly more suction power than cordless ones – and especially cheap cordless ones – and you'll never run out of juice either. Anecdotally, I'd expect a corded vacuum to last much longer overall, too.
The HZ500UKT lacks the fancy features – automatic suction adjustment, odor-neutralizing pucks and so on – of the very best Shark vacuums in the lineup. However, most of those are nice-to-haves rather than essentials, and if you're just looking for a capable cleaner that won't break the budget, this should do the trick.
If a cord is a deal-breaker, check out the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless vacuum. While not the most powerful vacuum we've tested, it's still sucky enough for daily cleanups. It also has many of the features we like in other Shark vacuums, such as that forward-bending wand and an anti-hair wrap floorhead that proved very effective on test. The whole thing can fold in half to enable it to be stored freestanding, too.
In terms of battery life, our reviewer managed to get 36 minutes of cleaning in the standard hard-floor mode, and 19 in Boost mode. Those are respectable runtimes, but far from the longest on the market – today's best cordless vacuums can last an hour or sometimes even longer. It's also the heaviest vacuum I'll cover here, and our tester found the dust cup fiddly to empty and close. If you want something cordless and suitable for light, daily cleaning tasks, and don't want to spend a lot of money, it's a decent choice, but for anything more demanding than that I'd recommend taking a look at one of the three vacuums below...
Read our full Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum review
The best budget vacuums for £200-£250
The Dreame R20 is one of the very best-value vacuums we've tested. At full price it comes in at £279, but at time of writing it's available for £230, and we have seen it even cheaper in the past. Even without a discount it still punches above its price tag.
This clever vacuum can sense how dirty the floor is, and increase or lower suction for an efficient clean that won't drain unnecessary battery life... although that might not be necessary, because the R20 has one of the longest runtimes we've ever seen on a cordless vacuum. Our reviewer found the suction power was superb, and the vacuum lightweight and very easy to maneuver. It also comes with a wide selection of detail tools including an extra floorhead that's especially for hard floors (we rate this amongst the best vacuums for hardwood floors). Overall, an outstanding all-rounder that can compete with far pricier vacuums.
Read more: Dreame R20 cordless vacuum review
The Henry Quick is the cordless stick sibling of the iconic, cheerful British canister vacuum. On test, we found it packed plenty of power, and was capable of cleaning up a variety of types of debris from both carpet and hard floors. It lacks the automatic suction adjustment of the Dreame (#3) but there's an impressive number of customization options, including high/low power, brush on/off, handheld/floor level and three different nozzles. The runtimes are generous, and the floorhead comes equipped with LED headlamps and a scent-booster capsule.
Unusually for a cordless vacuum, the Henry Quick is bagged. That has benefits for allergy sufferers, because all the particles are neatly contained and unlikely to be able to escape back into the air when you empty the bin. However, you will need to remember to buy replacement bags – at least each one can hold plenty of dust (total capacity is a full liter). Overall, the Henry Quick is a very solid performer, and an especially good choice for allergy sufferers. And who can resist a vacuum that's happy to see you?
Read our full Numatic Henry Quick review
If you have your heart set on a Dyson, the cheapest option is the V8. This remains the brand's best-seller, despite being nearly a decade old and far from the best Dyson vacuum based on specs. On test, we found it delivered strong suction and good cleaning powers. You're still getting the same high build quality and attention to detail that elevates this brand from the competition (I get into this more in my Shark vs Dyson explainer, if you're interested), and the detail tools are user-friendly and well-designed. It's the lightest vacuum in this roundup, and Dyson is also consistently the best choice when it comes to maneuverability – here, the floorhead here pivots nimbly and smoothly.
However, you are getting less bang for your buck compared to the other two mid-range vacuums I've highlighted above. There's no automated suction adjustment (as per #3) and the max battery life is 40 minutes, which is relatively low for the price, too.
Read our full Dyson V8 review
Product specs compared
Model | Cord | Bag | Weight | Bin size | Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shark Anti Hair Wrap HZ500UKT | Yes | No | 3.9kg | 0.3L | Unlimited |
Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Vacuum | No | No | 4.7kg | 0.7L | 36 mins |
Dreame R20 | No | No | 2.7kg | 0.6L | 90 mins |
Henry Quick | No | Yes | 3.2kg | 1L | 70 mins |
Dyson V8 | No | No | 2.5kg | 0.5L | 40 mins |
How much do I need to spend?
Officially, TechRadar's price bands for vacuum cleaners are as follows:
- Budget: under £200
- Mid-range: between £200 and £400
- Premium: over £400
While you can pick up a pretty good cordless vacuum cleaner for under £200 in general, I'd recommend shopping in the £200-£400 bracket if you can afford to. As I've demonstrated here, there are a number of excellent options that sit towards to bottom of that range, and deliver better build quality and value for money than you'd get in the budget bracket.
Outside of the cordless stick vacuum category, prices shift down. So if you're willing to go for a corded option – or even an upright vacuum – you'll be able get a better quality vacuum and more powerful cleaning for a lower price.
