I sold my upright vacuum six months after buying a cordless stick vacuum. Haven’t missed it once. Didn’t plan on going full cordless – figured I’d keep both and use them for different situations. But the upright just sat in the closet unused until I finally admitted it was wasting space.
That said, I know people who tried the same thing and regretted it. Their cordless couldn’t keep up with their cleaning needs, and they ended up buying another traditional vacuum.
Whether a cordless can be your only vacuum depends heavily on your specific situation. House size, floor types, pets, kids, cleaning habits – all these factors determine if cordless works as a primary cleaner or just a supplement.
Here’s what actually matters when making this decision.
Your Home Size And Layout
Small apartments and condos under 1,200 square feet are perfect for cordless-only cleaning. Battery life easily covers the entire space, and limited square footage means less dirt accumulation.
We’ve got 1,850 square feet, and cordless works fine as our only vacuum. I can clean the entire house on one battery charge using normal power mode. Takes about 25-30 minutes of actual vacuuming, which is manageable in a single session.
Homes over 2,500 square feet start pushing cordless limits. You’ll either need to recharge mid-clean or buy a spare battery to swap. Neither is a dealbreaker, but it adds complexity that undermines the convenience factor.
Multi-story homes create interesting challenges. If your vacuum lives on the main floor but you need to clean upstairs bedrooms, you’re carrying it up and down stairs regularly. Lightweight design helps, but some people prefer keeping separate vacuums on each level.
Open floor plans favor cordless vacuums. You can move continuously through connected spaces without switching outlets or unwinding more cord. Traditional vacuums interrupt flow constantly when you hit cord length limits.
Floor Types Make A Difference
Hardwood, tile, and laminate are where cordless vacuums absolutely dominate. They pick up surface debris effortlessly, and low suction settings extend battery life while cleaning effectively.
Our main floor is mostly hardwood with area rugs. The cordless handles everything perfectly. Quick daily passes keep floors spotless, and occasional deep cleans get the rugs looking fresh.
Wall-to-wall carpet is where things get complicated. Cordless vacuums can handle carpet, but high-pile or very dirty carpets drain batteries fast and may not deep-clean as effectively as traditional vacuums.
We have carpet in bedrooms, and the cordless manages fine because we vacuum frequently. Dirt never accumulates enough to require serious deep cleaning. But if you only vacuum carpets weekly or less, a traditional vacuum might extract more embedded dirt.
Pet hair on carpet tests cordless limits. The motorized brush rolls work well, but you’re running high power mode constantly, which cuts battery life significantly. Homes with multiple shedding pets and lots of carpet might struggle with cordless-only cleaning.
Cleaning Frequency Changes Everything
Here’s the secret to cordless success: vacuum more often, for shorter periods. This flips traditional cleaning habits but works way better for busy families.
I vacuum high-traffic areas daily now – takes maybe 5 minutes total. Kitchen, entryway, living room. Hit the spots where dirt actually accumulates instead of pushing a vacuum around the entire house whether it needs it or not.
Weekly, I do the whole house including bedrooms and less-used spaces. That session takes 30 minutes max because daily spot cleaning prevents major dirt buildup.
People who prefer traditional weekly deep cleaning might find cordless vacuums limiting. If you’re used to vacuuming the entire house once weekly for an hour, cordless battery life and bin capacity become constraints.
But shifting to frequent quick sessions works better with family life anyway. Messes happen continuously – addressing them immediately beats letting dirt accumulate for days.
Bin Capacity Versus Convenience
Cordless vacuum bins are tiny compared to traditional bags or canisters. Mine holds maybe 0.5 liters. I empty it 2-3 times during whole-house cleaning.
This annoyed me initially. Felt inefficient stopping to empty the bin repeatedly. Then I realized emptying takes 10 seconds – just pop it off, dump it in the trash, snap it back on. Way faster than changing vacuum bags or wrestling with bagless canisters.
The small bin is actually a feature once you adjust mentally. It forces you to empty regularly, which prevents smell and maintains suction. Traditional vacuums with larger capacity tempt you to ignore maintenance until suction suffers.
For homes generating lots of debris – multiple pets, kids tracking in dirt, large square footage – the small bin becomes genuinely limiting. When exploring best cordless vacuums, compare bin sizes because this varies significantly between models.
Power And Deep Cleaning Capability
Modern cordless vacuums have impressive suction – some rival traditional vacuums on hard floors and low-pile carpet. High-pile carpet and embedded dirt still favor corded vacuums’ sustained power.
I tested mine against my old upright on bedroom carpet before selling it. The cordless removed visible surface dirt and pet hair effectively. But the upright’s beater bar and continuous power probably pulled more deeply embedded particles.
For most families, the cordless gets floors “clean enough.” Are there microscopic particles the upright might capture that the cordless misses? Maybe. Does it matter for practical purposes? Not really.
If you have allergies or specific deep-cleaning needs, a traditional vacuum’s sustained power and HEPA filtration might be worth keeping. Otherwise, cordless performance satisfies normal cleanliness standards easily.
Wrapping This Up
Cordless stick vacuums absolutely can be your only vacuum if your situation matches their strengths. Smaller homes with mostly hard floors and frequent cleaning habits are perfect fits.
Larger homes, heavy carpet, or infrequent cleaning might benefit from keeping a traditional vacuum for occasional deep sessions while using cordless for daily maintenance.
I’m solidly in the cordless-only camp and won’t go back. But I recognize my situation enables that choice – moderate home size, mostly hard floors, daily cleaning habit.
Try cordless as your primary cleaner for a month before selling your old vacuum. You’ll know pretty quickly whether it meets your needs or leaves gaps requiring traditional backup.
