Best Battery Life Cordless Vacuums

Here at Which Vac? we put all sorts of appliances through rigorous testing to ensure they meet manufacturers' listed figures.  But, as well as that, we also aim to bring the facts and recommendations to you, the consumer.

When buying a cordless vacuum one of the key factors to consider is battery life.  It's cordless, after all, so what good is it if the battery doesn't last long enough?

Our battery tests consist of 3 separate tests to ensure the cordless vacuum batteries are up to scratch.  These tests are:

  • Battery life test - how long until it switches off

  • Power longevity test - at what point does suction begin to fail or waver

  • Charge time test - how long to charge from an empty battery

We put our cordless vacuums to the test to see what came up trumps.

Check out our top 3.

3.  Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum

Dyson V8 Cordless
Dyson V8 Cordless

The famous Dyson comes in at number 3. With a 40 minute battery life the Dyson is a strong contender and has enough juice to clean your home twice (if you're quick!).

Dyson's V8 has a boost mode which drops the battery life down to a tiny 6 minutes. In reality this mode should only be used in tiny bursts, but even so it will take its toll quickly.

What let the Dyson down in our tests was the charge time, which comes in at 5 hours. This may not matter to some, as after use it goes straight back onto the dock to charge anyway, but in such a close race we have to bear it in mind.

Have a read of our review of the Dyson V8 cordless.

2. Gtech AirRam & Gtech AirRam K9

Gtech AirRam K9
Gtech AirRam K9

Both the Gtech AirRam and the Gtech AirRam K9 have the same battery and power consumption. The difference between the two are the bristles on the brush and scented tabs that are found inside the device itself to try and remove pet odours from the room and the vacuum itself.

It was extremely close between the Gtechs and the Dyson V8. Both cordless vacuums had a solid 40 minutes of battery life according to manufacturer.

During our tests the Gtech managed to last an extra minute over the Dyson. Both vacs kept strong suction until the end, without any fear of wavering.

What clinched it for the Gtech over the Dyson is the charge time, which comes in slightly lower at 4 hours for the Gtech.

Have a read of our reviews of the Gtech AirRam and the Gtech AirRam K9.

1. Bosch Athlet ProAnimal

Bosch Athlet ProAnimal
Bosch Athlet ProAnimal

Here is our winner, the Bosch Athlet ProAnimal cordless vacuum. This pet friendly cordless smashed our tests and beat the others comfortably.

With a solid 60 minutes of battery life the ProAnimal won that side of the test comfortably. We put most of the score weighting onto battery life as that is, after all, the most important factor to a good battery.

Second test was whether the Bosch would start flagging towards the end of the charge. It did, but not until around 58 minutes into the 60 minute charge. It then continued through to 62 minutes of use, which we feel counteracts the slight wavering of power.

Lastly is charge time, which has the longest of all of the other cordless vacuums we put it up against. 6 hours is what it takes to get the battery back up to full again, which is more than the Dyson and the Gtechs. Most people will leave their vacuums on charge over night or after use, so this is less of an issue, but certainly worth mentioning.

Have a read of our review of the Bosch Athlet ProAnimal. Alternatively, check out our page on Bosch cordless vacuums.