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With a plethora of robot vacuums flooding the market, it seems as though the cordless variety is going the way of the traditional barrel/canister vacuums. However, the best vacuum cleaners in New Zealand are still the cordless (or stick) kind.
You might well want a robot vacuum, and that's perfectly fine as they're so convenient these days, but you will still need to supplement it with a cordless vacuum as robovacs won't be able to clean stairs or do justice to corners. They also won't get to cobwebs in the corner of windows and ceilings. They also don't always clean mid- or high-pile carpets very well, particularly if they're very dirty or constantly get a layer or human or animal hair on them.
May 2026: There's a new entry for the best self-emptying vacuum cleaner, a model that's both powerful and good value for money compared to the Samsung it replaces.
Sharmishta has spent the last eight years testing vacuum cleaners of all shapes and sizes – Dyson, Shark, Ecovacs and other brands in between. She's fascinated by how far robot vacuums have come in the last few years, but is always on the lookout for a lightweight cordless vacuum that gets into the tight spaces of her flat.
Best vacuum cleaner overall
The Shark Cordless Detect Pro, which occupied this spot for a very long time, is still available and I think it's still a fantastic vacuum cleaner for smaller homes. However, the PowerDetect series adds, well, more suction power and better features that offer better overall performance.
And it too comes in an auto-empty variant which I think is better value for money as it ensures allergy-free cleaning. And there are no dust bags to worry about either. It costs more than its predecessor, but it's often discounted and could well be had for under a grand.
As our review indicates, the PowerDetect Clean & Empty offers not just excellent dynamic suction that tackles carpets and hard floors alike, its wand is flexible too, so it can be slide under furniture.
It has a bigger bin than the previous model, and it gets a bigger battery for longer runtime – both of those mean it suits larger homes as well. The downside to being bigger and better is that our reviewer found it was heavy and some users could find it hard to move. Additionally, its wand is longer as well, and that make it uncomfortable for shorter people to use and a little unwieldy in tight spaces.
These may not be deal breakers, although I admit manoeuvrability is important and if you think you might have a hard time of it, you could still consider the more compact and lighter Shark Cordless Detect Pro with Auto-empty System.
Otherwise, there's no ongoing expenditure for replaceable dust bags as the vacuum empties into a washable box with a 2L capacity. Even the motorised floor head has been redesigned so it can suck in both backwards and forwards motions, reducing the time you spend cleaning.
Read our in-depth Shark PowerDetect Cordless vacuum review
Best for suction
With 14 radial cyclones to create a suction of 262 air watts, the Dyson Gen5detect is one of the most powerful cordless vacuums available today. That plenty of power to suck up even find dust, but it easy clean up deeply embedded hair, pet dander or debris from within carpet fibres.
In our testing, we loved the Fluffy Optic's light that illuminated dust and hair that the naked eye would normally miss – just leave it in Auto mode and it will do the best job needed depending on the mess you've got on the floor.
Also improved is the battery life – the Gen5detect can run up to 70 minutes when using a non-motorised cleaning tool, which is better than any model than came before. This, however, means Dyson has had to use a bigger battery capacity, which makes the whole machine heavier than any of its V-series predecessors. At 3.5kg, it's a heavyweight, with most of it on the handle and that makes it cumbersome to use handheld for long periods of time.
As with the Dyson V15 Detect that came before it, you get a visual representation of the dirt and debris being sucked up, displayed graphically on the screen at the top of the handle.
If you think you're strong enough to take on its weight and have the budget to spend on a vacuum, this one's good for carpets and pet hair alike.
Read our full Dyson Gen5detect review
Best self-emptying vacuum
While Samsung's Clean Station is still, in my opinion, the best self-emptying charging dock I've tried, Dreame's Station that comes with the Z20 cordless vacuum cleaner is arguably cheaper. Admittedly it can be a lot cheaper across the ditch in Australia where it's regularly discounted to under AU$400, it retails for NZ$999 in New Zealand. In comparison, however, the Samsung equivalent — the Bespoke AI Jet Lite — will set you back four figures even when discounted.
Better value for money aside, the Dreame Z20 is just as powerful, with our reviewer amazed at how well it cleaned his floors, carpet and wood alike. He put it through some rigorous testing and it aced them all. He did notice that some fine dust could remain caught within the dust canister after auto-emptying, but he found that shaking it lose and triggering another self-empty did the trick.
Moreover, the dust bag inside is larger than the one Samsung uses — 3L vs 2L — so it can last longer (depending on how much dirt you're emptying each time of course) and cut down on ongoing costs.
The dock, if you're too worried that it will take up too much space, is quite sleek and free-standing. You will need to take into consideration that the attachments have their own cradle, which will need some room somewhere.
The biggest issue that our reviewer had with the Z20 was the vacuum's overall weight. It's heavy and, sadly, the wand isn't extendable, which might affect taller users.
Other than that, our reviewer found nothing to complain about, even appreciating the blue light on the floorhead that works similar to Dyson's Detect technology to illuminate tiny dust particles on hard floors (it's just a headlight on carpets).
Read our full Dreame Z20 Station review
Best robot vacuum
The main reason to get yourself a robot vacuum cleaner is so you can either put your feet up and get something else to do all the hard work for you, or so you get more time to do more important things – or perhaps both. And that's exactly what the Deebot X8 Pro Omni will do. At full price, however, it's an expensive investment but the good news is that it's often discounted and, in 2025, as much as by 45% off.
This Deebot swaps the old mopping pads for a roller and that makes quite the difference. Importantly, it doesn't skimp on the suction either, so if you have mixed flooring, your carpets will be well taken care of as will your hard floors.
I also found that this robot doesn't mind getting real up close and personal with walls or furniture, and that meant I enjoyed some excellent edge cleaning that I haven't seen from many other robovacs.
The machine's maintenance is also excellent, with the mop washing and drying leaving the roller really fresh for the next use. And the auto-empty of the bin is also great. Hair tangling isn't an issue either.
There are plenty of smart features on board and you can use basic Yiko voice commands, but there's Matter integration as well in case you ever want to set up a central control hub for all your smart devices.
This truly is an excellent machine – just be sure to wait till you see a good price drop.
Read our full Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review
Best 2-in-1
It's admittedly hard to recommend a vacuum cleaner that costs you well over a grand, but that's quite standard with a lot of Dyson's latest vacuum cleaners. And, honestly, if you're getting an attachment that can also mop, it could well be worth every penny you spend.
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is an excellent vacuum, as you'd expect from the British brand, but the new Submarine wet roller attachment is the headline act here. It's made from velvet and it's more than capable of cleaning up wet and dry spills – if it's wet, it mops your floor dry; if it's a dry spill, it can be wet enough to clean up dried-up stains.
What it isn't great at is keeping the dirty water inside the compartment when it starts filling up. It's not sealed so, when full, and you're moving the appliance, it can create its own spills. It's not a deal breaker but can be annoying, despite coming with a spill tray.
If you can spare the extra cash for the Dyson-exclusive Complete model, then you also get an upgraded Fluffy Optic that has an LED light that shines brighter and with a broader beam than the original laser-lit one that came with the older V15.
As both a vacuum and mop, the V15s Detect Submarine does well along room edges too, but be wary of the mop leaving dirty water stains on the walls if you're running it perpendicular to the edge. All in all, it's a good all-rounder for all kinds of floors, with up to 60 minutes battery life.
The only downside to this Dyson is its uneven weight distribution that makes it slightly harder to use as a handheld.
Read our full Dyson V15s Detect Submarine review
Best barrel vacuum
If you thought the traditional barrel vacuums with cords were a thing of the past, think again. Miele is keeping that tradition alive, but has brought its corded vacuums into the future by changing up the design. Embodying this to perfection is the Miele Boost CX1, with its compact design that can see it stored neatly away in tight spaces. It's small size, though, means you only get a bin canister of 1L capacity, although our reviewer found it very easy to clean out.
It's also just as easy to use, with a simple dial to change modes and we found that it performs best on hard floors. In our testing, the Boost CX1 struggled on thick carpets, particularly if there was hair to be sucked up, although it didn't leave any visible debris.
The only major design flaw it has is its rather short power cord that frustrated our reviewer, so be prepared to repeatedly plugging it into different power sockets as you clean your home. Thankfully its manoeuvrability isn't too bad.
While it won't have the plethora of tools that typically come with several cordless models, the Miele Boost CX1 has a pared-back selection that easily be stored on the holder that attaches to the handle.
Read our full Miele Boost CX1 review for more details
Best vacuum for pet hair
The Shark Stratos Cordless is the best vacuum if you need to tackle pet hair. It packs an impressive amount of power for a cordless model and boasts a few features that make it especially well suited to households with hairy pets (or indeed, hairy humans). The main floorhead – which is suitable for hard floors as well as carpet – is designed in such a way that it'll siphon hair off the brushroll as you clean, and direct it straight into the dust cup. This stops things getting clogged, while the built-in odor neutralizer keeps it all smelling fresh.
There's up to a full hour's cleaning on one charge, and a generously sized dust cup, which means you can clean for longer without having to empty it. A wand that can bend forwards to 90-degrees means getting right under furniture is a cinch, and on test we were also impressed with this vacuum’s ability to remove hair from furniture when used in handheld and Boost mode.
If you don't have such demanding cleaning needs, you'd be better off with the Shark Cordless Detect Pro (#1 on this list), which is lighter and more streamlined. On the flip side, if you need maximum power and are happy to sacrifice manoeuvrability to get it, you can't beat a corded upright like Shark Stratos XL Pet Pro Upright (see below).
We haven't tested the ANZ version of the Shark Stratos Cordless, but we have tried the UK model, which is identical but with a different name and in a different colour scheme.
Read our full Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ IZ862H review
The best upright vacuum cleaner
If you want outright power, a corded upright is typically the best option, and our top pick in this category is the Shark Stratos Upright. If you need something for deep cleans, it's an excellent choice, and on test we found it was great for tackling pet hair, too. The cord means there's no time limit on your cleaning session, and the large dust cup means you won't be traipsing back and forth from the trash can, either. Like many of Shark's newer vacuums, there's an anti-odor puck that keeps things smelling fresh.
While it's clearly bulkier and heavier than the cordless vacuums in this list (including the stick option from the same range, at #5), it has been designed for maximum flexibility within that upright form factor. So the dust cup / motor part can be lifted off and held in your hand, and the cleaner head added to the end of a stretch hose – super useful for tackling things like stairs. If you're not sure it's right for you, our guide to the best upright vacuums has plenty of alternative options.
As with the Shark Stratos Cordless listed above, we haven't tested the ANZ model of the Upright either. However, our colleagues in the UK have tested their local edition, where it goes by a different name but is otherwise very similar.
Read our full Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review
Best wet-dry vacuum
Not only can this machine vacuum and mop at the same time, it's also a lot cheaper than several of its competitors. It does come with a couple of minor concessions, namely that you will need to clean it yourself even though there is a self-cleaning cycle. The other little problem is that it can be noisy when in use.
Other than that, it's a fantastic option if you only have hard floors at home. It can, in fact, tackle different types of hard floors with ease, cleaning both wet and dry spills equally well. It works by sucking up solids as you go back and forth over an area, and mopping at the same time. The solids and the dirty mop water get collected in the same tank and that's the part you will need to clean yourself or it can get grimy inside, growing its own little ecosystem.
In our testing, our reviewer found that it worked quite quickly too, cleaning up various types of spills like milky cereal, baked beans and biscuits faster than expected. Like all its counterparts, though, the large cleaning head won't get into corners, so you will still need to keep a handstick handy with a crevice tool.
If that's not going to be an issue, this is arguably a great option for a 2-in-1 that won't burn a hole in your pocket.
Read our full Shark HydroVac Cordless review
Alternatives to consider
If none of the vacuums listed above look quite right for you, here are some other models worth considering. These models all scored highly in our tests, but just didn't quite make our main guide.
The V8 Cyclone is an upgraded version of the current V8 still available and comes with better performance than its predecessor, at about the same price. In our tests, we found that it does a better job than the more powerful and more expensive V11, making this a fantastic Dyson to consider, particularly for smaller homes.
Read our full Dyson V8 Cyclone review
If you're tight on space, this is a fantastic self-emptying vacuum to have. It boasts advanced automation features, including the ability to detect edges and boost suction on the relevant side of the floorhead in response. Importantly, it's a lot cheaper than opting for a Dyson.
Read our full Shark Detect Pro cordless review
Roborock Saros 10
If you want a more powerful and better featured alternative to my pick of the best robot vacuum, consider this Roborock model. It's slimline body and retractable navigation puck means its can squeeze under low-lying furniture to clean, and it doesn't compromise on suction or mopping performance either. It can even get over tall thresholds, making it better suited to a wider range of homes with mixed or predominantly hard flooring.
Read our full Roborock Saros 10 review
Best vacuum cleaner FAQs
What to consider when buying a vacuum cleaner
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
As we’ve mentioned already, knowing which type of vacuum to choose can end up leaving you confused. However, considering the type of property you have will help you decide.
These days, cordless vacuums are some of the most powerful vacuums when it comes to suction and they ensure you’re not restricted by the length of the wire. However they can also be some of the most expensive too. Check how long the battery will last between charges, and whether the battery is swappable, so you can simply replace it and carry on vacuuming, rather than the floor cleaner being out of action completely while it recharges.
Corded vacuums are often more affordable than cordless models, and many have wider floor headers, which can ensure vacuuming is a much quicker task. Although if you have nooks and crannies the vacuum may not be able to reach them. For those with stairs, consider models with extra-long hoses so you can clean the stairs without moving the vacuum.
Robot vacuums are good for regular cleans, however with suction that can’t match the best cordless vacuums they’re not suitable for a deep clean, and struggle to suck up dust embedded in carpets.
If you have hard floors, look for a vacuum cleaner that comes with a dedicated cleaner head, which has a softer brush roll to ensure the flooring isn’t damaged when vacuuming.
Whichever style you select, consider whether the dust canister is large enough to clean all of the floors in your home, without needing to stop and be emptied half way through.
Dyson vs Shark: which brand has better vacuums?
Shark and Dyson are two of the biggest names dominating the floor care market right now, so if you’re considering kitting your home out with a powerful new vacuum, it makes sense to opt for one of these brands. But which is best?
In a nutshell, Dyson vacuums are more expensive but this ensures you get a vacuum cleaner that’s extremely powerful but still lightweight and easy to maneuver around your home. Dyson vacuums are stuffed with cutting edge technology too, from lasers that highlight hidden dust to innovative floor heads that can be moved in any direction. If you prefer a cordless model, they also come with long-lasting batteries too.
Shark’s vacuum cleaners are more affordable than Dyson’s offerings, but they can still match the stalwart when it comes to suction power. Shark models are not usually as sleek and stylish as Dyson’s, and they’re often heavier too, but they do come with useful technology such as the ability to stop hair getting tangled around the brush and flexible wands to ensure you can clean in hard to reach places.
Shark vacuums tend to have larger dust canisters than most of Dyson’s models, but the battery doesn’t last as long. So are they better? It very much depends on the layout of your home and your budget. Read our Shark vs Dyson article for a more in-depth look at the two floor-cleaning brands.
How often should you vacuum?
“When the floor looks dirty” I hear you cry, but to keep your home allergen-free and your floors as clean as possible, you’ll need to vacuum more regularly than this.
We recommend vacuuming most floors once a week while increasing this to twice a week in high-traffic areas such as hallways and doorways. Especially, if you have carpet, as the longer dust is left, the more it becomes embedded in the fibres making it hard to thoroughly clean.
While this may seem like a lot, vacuuming this regularly will ensure there is less dust to suck up each time, making cleaning your floors a quicker process.
For more on this, head to our full feature on how often should you vacuum?
How we test
How we test vacuum cleaners
✅ We've tested over 185 vacuums and robot vacuums
✅ We reviewed 41 new vacuums in total over 2024
✅ 9 years of vacuum testing experience
At TechRadar, we test dozens of vacuum cleaners each year. We cover a range of cleaner types – from cordless stick vacuums to upright vacuums, even handheld vacs and robot vacuums – at a range of price points and from different brands. Each model included here has been put through its paces either by a member of the TechRadar Homes team or by one of our trusted freelance reviewers.
Our reviews are underpinned by a set of specific, standardised tests. Here's a quick rundown of our vacuum cleaner review process.
Suction tests
These are designed to test how well the vacuum can suck up different kinds of debris on different floors. For fine debris, we sprinkle a teabag's worth of loose, dry tea on a carpet or carpet-like rug, and see how many passes are needed to clear it. We'll start on the vacuum's lowest setting, then increase until there's no mess left.
To see how the vacuum handles chunkier debris, we run the same test using a handful of oats. We'll then repeat both tests on hard floor.
The final suction test is to see how well the vacuum handles hair – both human and pet. We'll see how effectively the main floorhead can pull hair from both carpet and hard flooring, and test any hair-specific detail tools on furniture too. We'll also check to see if it ends up tangled around the roller or is effectively diverted into the dust cup.
Battery tests
If the vacuum is cordless, we'll record how long it lasts on a single charge, on each available suction setting, plus how long it takes to recharge. For corded vacuums, we note how long the cable is and if it's generous enough not to be too much of a hindrance while cleaning.
General tests
To get a feel for how the vacuum performs in general use, we'll use it regularly over the course of a couple of weeks. We'll report back on how easy it is to maneuver, how usable it is, if there were any unexpected pain points in the design.
Read more on how we test vacuum cleaners.
