high-end models for infrequent emptying
Stick vacuum cleaners have come a long way since Dyson revolutionized the category over a decade ago. Here I have nominated the top four of the newest and most advanced models that I have tested in recent months.
For each, I did a series of tests on hard floors (flour, grain, hair, soil, cat litter) and also did some carpet work, primarily with the vacuum cleaner’s main nozzle.
Each comes with a variety of accessories and modes as I mentioned, but for comparison purposes I’m mostly looking at their day-to-day performance at carpet and hard floor cleaning. I focused specifically on evacuation, because doing so less frequently (and preventing dust clouds from flowing back into your home) is a key focus of new models.
Compared to the previous Dyson Gen5detect Absolute, the V16 is more powerful, has more suction power, has a larger dust container and runs longer. However, the new cleaning head is likely to cause separation. The Gen5 had a flat, fluffy head for hard floors and a motor rod for carpets; The new model features what Dyson calls the All Floor Cones Sense nozzle, which it claims adjusts speed and power according to floor type and has a new design that detangles long hair.
It tested very well but I noticed a dead zone in the middle of the head where the two cones meet. This is key to the detangling design, but it meant that when picking up the fine powder, I couldn’t get it all in one pass. It was also difficult to enter corners. The head tended to push larger objects rather than suck them in, but with a quick pull on the top of the wand you can remove the head, revealing a wide gap tool that will suck up anything. The V16 is stiffer than some older Dysons but still moves great and pulls a lot of debris out of the carpet. A screen on the handle shows the volume of particles you’re sucking up in real time; This is interesting but not overly useful. For me, the smallest particles always showed the maximum, while the others moved down the middle as I worked. Likewise, the green light highlighting the dust only served to remind me that there was a baseline of cat hair that no amount of vacuuming could remove.
Unlike new models from other brands, Dyson’s latest model doesn’t come with an auto-draining slot that cleans and stores dirt; The company says this will be coming soon as a separately sold accessory. By the way, the V16 has a lever to compress the powder in the chamber without removing it, so you can fit it in for weeks of work. If you compress it properly, you won’t get the usual dust cloud when you throw it in the trash. Dyson’s claims that the bin will be wiped clean when put out are exaggerated.
The V16 comes with hair, combi, and crevice tools, as well as a mount that you can screw to your wall to hang and charge remotely.
The Shark may be noisier, a little uglier, and overall less elegant than its rivals, but it’s a bit cheaper and was one of the two best-performing devices in my tests. If you don’t mind your vacuum cleaner looking more like a hotel item than a sleek, modern, high-tech home appliance, the PowerDetect is an intriguing choice.
It’s not as maneuverable as the Dyson, but it makes up for it with excellent performance in corners and on carpet, decisive mode switching when moving across floor types, and a knuckle on the bar to lay it flat so it can get under beds without landing. Large objects like tree bark scraps that always mysteriously appeared in the nursery were no problem. No extra encouragement was needed on the cat litter, and a row of metal teeth prevents hair from tangling. He passed every test. Since most of the weight is concentrated on the main unit, it is a little more tiring to operate than the Dyson.
When you drop Shark back into the charging station, the dust is expelled into a sealed inner box that can hold debris for a month. This element seems a little primitive compared to the competition, but it is effective. There is no filter bag inside; Carry the full box to the trash can and open the bottom. The replaceable perfumed disc on top prevents it from contaminating your home (which, in my brief testing, is probably not necessary). If you’re doing a quick midnight cleanup and want to charge without waking the whole house, a switch on the dock disables auto-drain.
The PowerDetect comes with a crevice tool, pet brush, motorized tool, and a small stand to store accessories.
The joint top scorer, the Z50, weighs about the same as the Shark. Why pay more for this? It is clearly and significantly more powerful than the Shark, but somehow longer lasting. I wasn’t scientifically measuring the amount of dirt removed from my carpets, but just visually I could see that the Dreame was removing much more with the same number of runs. It’s also unmatched in stylish looks and high-end feel, from the magnetic removable panel on the dock to the button that easily pops out the dust container for cleaning.
The Dreame is just as maneuverable as the Dyson, but can clear equivalent messes in one hit instead of two. Carpet performance was impressive and unstoppable on hard surfaces; The only significant drawback was some fine dust shedding on initial start-up. The telescopic pole has three heights, so it should be suitable for tall and short users, and the middle attachment point is for getting under low furniture. The head adapted well from hard floors to carpets and rugs, and like the Dyson, it has a light and a real-time readout to let you know how dirty your floors are.
The auto-draining dock looks like a futuristic hi-fi component; It’s still clearly a vacuum cleaner, but it’s stylish enough to be tucked away in a corner of your living room. The insertion initiates a noisy purge, and I found that it wasn’t always completely effective; Every now and then I had to reach in and pull out some hair. The debris is placed in a disposable filter bag that Dreame says should last three months and is certified to the medical-grade HEPA-14 standard.
The Z50 comes with a combination tool, mini motorized nozzle, dusting brush, pet hair remover, flexible extension hose, spare dust bag and a small box to store your accessories. I wish they had gone into the hull of the dock. The Caddy is easy enough to fit under the sink or leave on the floor.
If price isn’t an issue, there’s an argument to be made that Samsung’s is the best vacuum cleaner of the bunch. It achieved near-perfect results in testing, has massive battery life, and comes with a mopping mode option. On the other hand, it’s significantly more expensive and less likely to go on sale, adding unnecessary features and complications while the Dreame and Dyson are easier to use.
You may wonder what the “AI” in the device’s name is doing there. Samsung claims that AI Jet Ultra’s AI mode will detect the floor type and change the settings; This doesn’t sound too different from other high-end vacuum cleaners. In this case, it will only work if you have connected the vacuum cleaner to Wi-Fi via your phone’s SmartThings app. Overall it did a great job, but I wasn’t as happy with the autoswitch as I was with Shark. Samsung could have delayed making the switch and didn’t seem to increase power at all along the baseboards, for example. It removed plenty of dirt from carpet, did well in hard floor testing, but ended up with a lot of hair tangled in the head. The large screen shows remaining run time (often much more than on other models), but the functionality to display notifications from your phone is a bit lacking. It’s the lightest of the four models, but also the hardest to push. A secondary head with greater maneuverability is especially for hard floors.
The Jet Ultra has a telescoping wand and a long, cylindrical auto-draining base, but I don’t find the beige theme all that chic. The base is much more reliable when it comes to completely emptying the chamber on the first try. The real strength of this machine is its versatility. In addition to two main heads, it has a mop apparatus that sprays water and polish with two rotating discs. You can use washable or disposable pads, each included.
The AI Jet Ultra comes with a motorized handpiece, combi and crevice tools, a flexible extender, two extra dust bags and a stand for accessories (again, storing them in the base would be more convenient).
Get news and reviews on tech, gadgets and games in our Tech newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.
Tim Biggs is a writer covering consumer technology, gadgets, and video games.Connect with: X or email.
