Top 10 Best Stick Vacuum Cleaners

1. Shark Detect Pro with Auto-Empty Station

Design, ease of use, power and versatility – this is our top choice

The best stick vacuum in Australia at the moment is the Shark Detect Pro, offering premium quality without the hefty price tag of competitors like Dyson. Despite its competitive pricing, it delivers exceptional performance and features, including a convenient self-empty station.

Manufactured by SharkNinja, it boasts advanced technology like its "detect" system, optimizing cleaning with sensors on the motorized head. Priced at $600-$700, it competes with Dyson V15 Detect and rivals Miele and Samsung models in performance. Assembly is a breeze, and we found the sleek design fits well in homes, and the self-empty unit is nice and useful.

In our real-world use (read the full review here), we've been impressed with its performance, particularly its self-emptying feature, making cleaning a breeze. Its auto-detect mode adjusts suction power and brush speed based on floor conditions, while additional power and eco modes cater to different needs. Battery life, however, may be limited, lasting around 15 minutes on maximum settings.

The vacuum doubles as a hand vac with three attachments, though storage for these attachments could be improved. Overall, our experience with the Shark Detect Pro Cordless with auto-emptying has been positive. We recommend it for daily maintenance, offering convenience and efficient cleaning, despite its short battery life, making it an excellent choice for everyday floor upkeep in Australian households.

2. Dyson V15 Detect Complete

Easily Dyson’s best cordless stick vacuum yet

Among all the different variants of this model, if money’s not an issue the Dyson V15 Detect Complete is hands-down, definitively, the best stick vacuum from Dyson. It is perfect for people who want a high-tech, effective, and efficient way to keep their homes clean and allergen-free.

One of the standout features of the V15 Detect Complete is its advanced laser dust detection system, which uses a laser to highlight the location of hidden dust and debris, allowing you to see and target problem areas more effectively. This is particularly useful for people with allergies, as it helps to ensure that you are getting rid of all the allergens and other irritants in your home.

In terms of performance, the V15 Detect Complete delivers impressive suction power thanks to its digital motor and Hyperdymium brush bar. This allows it to pick up a wide range of dirt, dust, and other debris from carpets, hard floors, and other surfaces with ease. The vacuum also comes equipped with a variety of attachments, including a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and a mini motorised tool, which make it easy to clean tight spaces and hard-to-reach areas.

On top of all these features, there is an LCD screen displaying the battery charge remaining, and other quality-of-life features such as when the filter needs a changeover, or location of blockages affecting the performance. A little video clip will even run on this screen to show you how to remove a detected blockage, a simple yet dead useful feature we can’t wait to see in future vacs.

3. Tineco Pure ONE S12

A high-tech smart vacuum for large houses

The Tineco Pure ONE S12 is a smart stick vacuum that truly feels like that futuristic addition that belongs in the house of a smart home enthusiast.

The main selling feature here is a dust detection sensor that automatically adjusts suction to the optimal cleaning power for the job, giving you a longer runtime for greater coverage.

And in case that runtime isn’t enough, Tineco includes a spare battery with this model, to offer a total runtime of a whopping 1 hour 20 minutes across the two batteries. This is the longest battery we’ve ever seen on a stick vac, making it perfect for large spaces. 

The high-torque powered brush is the brush you’ll use for basically all situations, but if you have fancy finished hardwood floors, you may want to stick with the soft-roller powered brush. While not as powerful, the soft bristles are gentle on older varnish, vacuuming dust and pet hair out of the cracks while gently buffing.

The Pure ONE also features phone app connectivity to monitor performance, filtration, and battery of the machine and detect issues. The app keeps you updated with alert schedules for maintenance and instructional videos for operation and cleaning.

But if you’re not much for apps, it’s not strictly necessary. The vacuum itself has an LED touch display with almost the same information, in a small and intuitive panel above the handle.

The handle also features a capacitive touch screen embedded into the groove, so you can manually swipe with your thumb to increase or decrease power control.

The wall bracket charges the unit automatically when not in use, with space for the ten included accessories, brushes, and nozzles.

4. Miele Triflex HX1

Powerful and efficient cordless stick vacuum with a 3-in-1 design

The Miele Triflex HX1 is a cordless stick vacuum that is designed to offer powerful and efficient cleaning performance for a wide range of surfaces and areas in your home.

One of the key benefits of the Triflex HX1 is its versatility. With a unique three-in-one design, it allows you to switch between three different modes – a stick vacuum, a handheld vacuum, and a broom – depending on your cleaning needs. 

The Miele Triflex HX1 features a 3 stage filtration system, with pre-motor filter, motor filter and exhaust filter. Any particles of dust remaining will be caught in the delicate HEPA filter for full removal of all particles. Each filter can be removed, hand washed, and reused.

One potential disadvantage of the Miele Triflex HX1 is its small dustbin capacity. This could be especially frustrating for users who have large homes or lots of floor space to cover. On top of that, at around 7,7kg, it may be relatively heavy and cumbersome to use, making it less convenient for some users compared to lighter weight vacuums.

Overall, the Miele Triflex HX1 is a high-quality cordless stick vacuum that offers excellent cleaning performance and versatility. This makes it a great choice for people who need a vacuum that can handle a variety of tasks, from cleaning floors and carpets to removing pet hair and dust from upholstery and other surfaces.

5. Dyson V8

High-tier digital motor with a choice of model for pets or hard floors

At the top of our upper-mid-tier options, an older Dyson series comes in to clean up with two distinct models of the same superpowered digital motor; the Animal Extra, and the Absolute.

First the Animal Extra: as the name might suggest, this is the best stick vacuum for pet hair. The mini motorised head is amazing for digging deep into carpets to pull out pet hair, allergens, and deeply ingrained dirt.

The size and efficacy of this powerful tool makes it perfect particularly for stairs, upholstery, and car seats. You know, all the places your pets love to curl up and shed.

The Absolute, on the other hand, comes with a soft fluffy roller head that is perfect for buffing hard surfaces while it vacuums, making it the best stick vacuum for hard floors.

The fibres in this head alternate between carbon fibre and soft nylon, so you can rely on it picking up your regular debris as well as fine dust particles, without scratching any delicate surfaces.

The Animal Extra is perfectly fine on wooden floors too, but with the Absolute you’re going to get a very effective clean on hard surfaces, and a great shine on gloss-finished floorboards.

Other than that, these two vacuums are identical. Both models have a half-litre dust capacity with hygienic dirt-ejector button, docking station, and Dyson multi-tools.

The strongest feature of the V8s is the awesome direct-drive vacuum head, much like the Dyson V7 Motorhead model (also on this list), but with about 150% of the power of the V7 version.

The digital motor is the absolute gold standard for this price point, surpassed only by the upgraded digital motor of the Dyson V15 series.

The V8s have whole-machine filtration, with two layers of dust-removing cyclones to ensure catching every particle down to a third of a micron.

With up to 40 minutes run time on standard, this vacuum will get through a decent space with enough time left over to go over your pets’ sleeping spaces with the motorised mini tool.

6. BLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-ion 2in1

Great value for money, full of smart tech features

The BLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-Ion 2-IN-1 vacuum features a Filter Sensor - Smart Sensor technology that alerts the user when the filter needs to be cleaned. This technology helps to ensure that the vacuum is always operating at optimal performance, as a dirty filter can reduce suction power and efficiency.

The filter sensor also helps to extend the life of the filter by alerting the user to clean it before it becomes too clogged. This technology can be especially convenient for users who may forget to regularly check and clean the filter, as it takes care of this task automatically.

In addition, it has a smart floor sensor that automatically adjusts the brush roll to the appropriate setting for the type of floor being cleaned. This helps to ensure optimal cleaning performance.

The BLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-Ion 2-IN-1 vacuum has a scent feature that allows the user to add a pleasant smell to the air while they are cleaning. This feature is achieved through the use of scented discs that are placed in a special compartment on the vacuum. As the vacuum operates, the discs are heated and release a scent into the air, helping to freshen the space and leave it smelling pleasant after cleaning. The scent feature is an optional addition to the vacuum and can be turned on or off at the user's discretion. The vacuum comes with a set of scented discs, and additional discs can be purchased separately.

7. Dyson V7

A high-powered motorised dirt-eraser for small homes

The V7 is a mid-range stick vacuum from Dyson that makes the list for its power and manoeuvrability to cost ratio, despite missing out on some of those premium features of the more recent expensive Dysons.

The whole-machine filtration was a great addition to the V7s, catching smaller particles and allergens by filtering the air through the entire unit to avoid leaking dusty particles.

The V7 series is also when Dyson started adding a hygienic dirt ejector to their vacuums to avoid covering your hands with filth when emptying the dust box.

For a machine with excellent suction and power, the Dyson V7 is surprisingly quiet. This unit features acoustic control, where the air vents and open-cell foam allow the airflow to stream around the motor itself, reducing noise levels without sacrificing power.

For such a minor price difference, there’s really no reason to opt for the enhanced model with “Motorhead” vacuum head.

The Motorhead model is identical to the basic, but features a drive within the actual head of the vacuum cleaner, agitating and lifting dirt with far superior power before sucking it into the chamber.

Both models quickly transform to handheld vacuums, and with the easy clip-on combination tool attachment, the vacuum converts to the perfect size for cleaning your car seats and other tricky to reach areas.

The most notable difference between this model and Dyson’s more recent superior vacuums is battery technology. The battery on V7s is a little on the short side, so this is a vacuum cleaner for a small place, or else for daily quick-cleans.

This model gets up to 30 minutes run time on standard, 20 minutes when the motorised head is used, or 6 minutes on MAX mode.

8. Xiaomi Viomi A9

The most affordable stick vacuum with a powerful motor and a removable battery

Among other stick vacuums, we have found the Xiaomi Viomi A9 to offer great value for money and impressive performance. Equipped with a 400W motor, the vacuum cleaner delivers a maximum of 23,000 pascals of suction power, making it an excellent option for cleaning carpets and other flooring surfaces.

We appreciate the detachable battery design, which allows for convenient charging wherever it's needed. Additionally, the option to purchase an additional battery makes this vacuum cleaner a great choice for those with large homes and frequent cleaning needs, as you can easily switch batteries and continue cleaning without waiting for the current battery to recharge.

The Xiaomi Viomi A9 also features 5 built-in filters, including a washable HEPA filter, to ensure that even the finest particles and dust are captured during cleaning. And with 4 different brush heads included, it's easy to switch between cleaning surfaces. The vacuum cleaner offers 3 power modes (max, medium and eco power), giving users the flexibility to choose the level of suction required for a specific cleaning task.

However, one aspect that we would like to see improvement in the future is the battery life. While the vacuum cleaner runs for only 10 minutes on the highest power setting and 30 minutes on the medium mode, the battery does take some time to recharge. That being said, with the option of a second battery, this is not necessarily a deal breaker for some users.

9. Devanti Handstick 2-in-1 

A vacuum that can get into any kind of small car or hard-to-reach area

This peppy little vacuum can get up to 8000 pascals of suction from a 150W motor located in the handle of the machine. One benefit of the location of the weight means the vacuum head can rise easily, so excellent for vacuuming spider webs out of ceiling corners and above cupboards.

The other benefit of the motor location is how easily the shaft can be detached from the top, allowing quick conversion to handheld mode and back in seconds flat.

The handheld mode is definitely a winning feature on this product. Small, portable, and with the included nozzles and adaptors, this is definitely an easy choice for people who need to keep their work car clean and vacuumed for clients.

As for design, this is quite a mobile little machine. The 160-degree swivelling head can be fitted with a range of nozzles and adaptors included with the machine. A full body length of 116cm is quite a decent shaft, which will certainly be a relief to your tallest family members.

A half-litre capacity for the dust receptacle is a little small, but with about 25 minutes of battery, this is a nice lightweight vacuum to do a quick little zippy-clean after dinner time.

10. Akitas V8

The closest alternative to the Dyson V8, but at a much lower cost

The Akitas V8 is a highly competitive option when compared to the Dyson V8, offering similar V8 power and performance at a much more affordable price. The vacuum cleaner is super lightweight, weighing only 2.4kg, making it easy to handle and move around, even in tight spaces.

One of the standout features that we like about the Akitas V8 is the three different attachments that come with it, including the long reach cleaning wand and detachable handheld. This versatility allows the vacuum cleaner to easily remove dust and dirt from ceilings, above cupboards, and other hard-to-reach areas. Additionally, the vacuum operates quietly with a noise level of 67dB, making it ideal for use in shared living spaces without causing significant disturbance.

The LED light on the Akitas V8 also helps to see dust more clearly so it’s easier to spot and clean up. The vacuum cleaner has a running time of 40 minutes, which is enough to clean small to medium apartments but may not be suitable for larger homes. 

The only downside we noticed was the size of the bin (0.5 litres), which needs to be emptied more frequently. However, the bin is quick and easy to empty, and the filters are easy to remove and clean, making maintenance a breeze.

Here’s what to consider when purchasing a cordless stick vacuum, in order of priority.

Battery life

When looking through cordless vacuum specs, the most important thing is not the nice app integration or the dozen tool attachments, it is battery life. The batteries are the lifeblood of stick vacuum utility, and very little in the way of fancy features can make up for poor performance and longevity of the product.

Batteries should be as high a voltage as you can afford, at least 18V, to get decent suction and longevity. Avoid NiCd batteries, they are older battery tech that isn’t going to last as well as the modern Li-ion and NiMH batteries.

The ideal stick vacuum will give you one (or even two!) Li-ion battery packs that easily click in and out, can be replaced for less than the cost of half the machine, and are included in the warranty of the vacuum cleaner. Check the warranty! Some sneaky manufacturers like to make a separate warranty for the battery that only covers a couple of months.

Ease of use

For elderly or less mobile people, a light stick vacuum is a worthwhile investment to stop you putting strain on your back with an upright vacuum, or bending down for barrel vac or a dustpan and broom.

In this case, you want to look out for stick vacuums that are extra light (under 3 kilograms), have a motor lower down for a lower centre of gravity, a telescopic shaft that will adjust to your height, and a switch that will turn on the vacuum cleaner rather than a trigger that needs to be held down.

Floors

Many modern stick vacuums have a motorised head that will roll dirt and debris with brushes to agitate it out of the carpet. This is how stick vacuums can stay competitive with large motored vacuums connected to a power source.

These heads are safe on hard floors and carpets, but if you have mostly hardwood floors, you can reduce the wear on them with a special fluffy roller designed to cling to dust and pet hair without the brush wearing needlessly on your gloss-finished wooden boards.

Filters

If you have no sensitivity to dust mites, pollen, or pet hair, the filter is not a terribly important consideration. Look for models where the filter is easily removed, washed, and replaced, to keep your vacuum performing in peak condition.

For asthmatics and people sensitive to allergens, the filter is very important, because tiny dust leaks do push out through the back of the machine, stirring up the settled dander and pollen and worsening symptoms temporarily without removing the source. Sensitive eyes should be on the lookout for HEPA filters, multiple-stage filters, and filters that are thrown out and replaced rather than washed, for best results.

Tools

Usually, a crevice tool and “multi-tool” with a small brush will accompany your purchase. These tools are all you’re going to need for 90% of your vacuuming needs. Some stick vacuums seem to come with a dozen attachments, but the ones to look out for are a flexible attachment to get around corners, and a pet hair brush if you have pets. Tools clutter up your drawers, so big bonus points to any companies that store them on the body of the vacuum, or on the wall-mounted charging dock.