Need to know
- Our expert stick vacuum reviews cover almost 60 models to help you decide which is best for you and your budget
- We test each vacuum's performance on hard floors, on carpet and in a car
- Consider becoming a CHOICE member to access independent reviews for products and services across 200+ categories
The whole point of a stick vacuum is convenience: you can bust it out for a quick clean, then pop it away as soon as you're done.
Unlike a traditional vacuum, there's no heavy unit to drag along, no juggling multiple parts, no annoying cord retraction.
But a stick vac that doesn't work well is the polar opposite of convenient.
A stick vac that doesn't work well is the polar opposite of convenient
If you're having to double back to clean up the bits your stick vac didn't pick up, or you're going over areas multiple times to get everything, you might as well have hauled out your heavy traditional vac (and saved yourself the purchase price of the stick vac).
Some sticks cost well over $1000, so choosing the right one is something you really don't want to mess up – otherwise, what's the point in paying all that money for convenience?
The stick vacs that rated lowest in our tests
Our lab experts reviewed 58 popular models, evaluating key factors like their ability to clean hard floors and carpet, pick up pet hair, and get corners and edges clean.
They've found some impressive performers in their lab tests, but they also spotted some mediocre sticks that deserve the flick.
Our experts found impressive performers, but also some mediocre sticks that deserve the flick
We don't want you to end up with a dud buy, so here are the products that scored lowest in our lab tests. Consider becoming a CHOICE member to see the best performers.
The Acerpure Clean Lite is lite on cleaning.
The stick vac so bad we gave it a Shonky
The worst stick vac we've ever tested, the Acerpure Clean Lite HV312-10W, scored so poorly in 2024 that we had no choice but to give it a Shonky (the award that nobody wants to win).
What was so bad about it?
We've detailed why the Acerpure is the suckiest stick vac to ever grace our tests, but here's a quick rundown:
- It received the lowest score ever recorded on our hard floor cleaning test.
- The suction inlet clogged almost immediately and struggled to pick up anything at all.
- When it did pick up debris, it would drop it back onto the floor when switched off.
- It was so bad on hard floors that our tester had to resort to using another vacuum to clean up after it.
- The filter clogged so badly that it took five minutes of hitting it against a hard surface to clear it.
Charging $199 for a product that looks and feels cheap, is outperformed by stick vacuums at half the price and actually creates more work for you? You know where to stick that.
Fortunately it's been discontinued, but it serves as a reminder of how important it is to research a product before buying so you don't get stuck with a Shonky sucker.
Read the full Acerpure Clean Lite review.
The Dirt Devil performed sinfully in our lab tests.
Dirt Devil Cordless Vacuum
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 50%
- Hard floor score: 50%
- Price: $99
The Dirt Devil might be dirt cheap, but unfortunately it won't do much for the dirt on your floors.
It struggled on both hard floors and carpets, and did very little to pick up pet hair from carpet, or sand and pebbles from a car's floor.
It does, however, have a fairly lengthy run time of 19 minutes. But considering its poor performance, you'll need every second of that time to go over your floor multiple times to have any chance of getting it clean.
It also has a very small dirt bin capacity of just 0.2L, so you'll need to empty it frequently.
If you only have $99 to spend, don't spend it on this
If you only have $99 to spend, don't spend it on this. You may be better off buying a corded barrel vacuum that will do a far better job for the same price, even though it won't fulfil your dreams of owning a stick vac.
Read the full Dirt Devil Cordless Vacuum review.
CHOICE tip: If your stick vacuum budget is less than $250, we've compiled a list of the best budget stick vacuums to help you shop wisely.
Makita should perhaps stick to home tools.
Makita 18V Mobile Vacuum Cleaner Kit DCL180
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 57%
- Hard floor score: 60%
- Price: $249
Makita is a brand that's found more often in the garage than the home, and the performance of this stick vac suggests it should stay there.
If you're looking for something to clean up pet hair, this isn't the product for you: our experts gave it a score of just 40% for this test (which they rate as 'poor').
And it was only 'OK' for cleaning carpets and hard floors indoors.
The only cleaning job it excelled at was picking up sand and pebbles from a car floor.
Makita products are found more often in garages than homes, and its performance suggests it should stay there
On the plus side, its battery can be used with other tools within the Makita brand range, so while it isn't a great vacuum for your house, it could be an option for your garage.
Read the full Makita 18V Mobile Vacuum Cleaner Kit review.
Kmart delivers some of the lowest scorers in our tests, including this $155 model.
Kmart Anko Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
- CHOICE Expert Rating: 59%
- Hard floor score: 70%
- Price: $155
Kmart sometimes delivers cracking products for low prices – some fans, kitchen appliances and cookware from the bargain retailer score well in our testing.
(Here's the full list of Kmart Anko best buys and what to avoid.)
Unfortunately, its vacuums don't fall into that category. Kmart stick vacs tend to perform poorly in our tests, often ranking among the lowest scoring products.
Kmart stick vacs tend to perform poorly in our tests, often ranking among the lowest scoring products.
And even spending a bit more on a Kmart vacuum doesn't guarantee better performance – this was the most expensive Kmart stick vac we tested and it received the lowest score of all the Kmart models in our review.
This model received a borderline score for carpet cleaning and it was downright poor at cleaning in corners and around edges, so it's definitely not a good option if you have rooms with carpets or rugs.
For just an extra $25, you could pick up a superior model with a CHOICE Expert Rating in the mid-70s and a hard floor score of over 80.
Remember, if your budget is tight, you can still find a vac that performs better than this one – read our round up of the best stick vacs on a budget.
Read the full Kmart Anko Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner review.
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
