I tried a cordless vacuum with 2 batteries, but it didn’t speed up my cleaning
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Cutting the cord and roaming freely on all levels of the house is one of the top reasons to buy one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners. We’re big fans of this type of vacuum, not only because we don’t like being held back, but also because we love how versatile, lightweight and easy to use they are.
Cordless vacuum cleaners and Black Friday
FYI, if you’re looking for a cordless vacuum cleaner, now might be the perfect time to shop. Black Friday deals are a matter of weeks and we expect some fantastic Black Friday vacuum deals to be out soon. You might even see some Black Friday Dyson vacuum deals, if you’re willing to splurge. For more affordable options, we also expect a lot of Black Friday Shark vacuum deals. Both brands have highly sought after cordless vacuums that are worth keeping an eye out for.
While cordless vacuums are great, one of the most important things we test – and one of the first things we look at in all vacuum cleaner specs – is runtime. Runtime is how long the battery lasts before it needs to be recharged. There’s nothing more annoying than a vacuum cleaner that stops while you’re vacuuming the carpets upstairs, or when you’re almost done banishing the crumbs to the dustbin in the car parked ahead. These are of course trivial issues compared to some, but when a vacuum cleaner that isn’t plugged into the mains dies during a cleaning mission, that’s a problem nonetheless.
There are a number of vacuum cleaner brands that sell separate batteries, meaning you can buy an extra battery and give yourself twice the power available. Some even come with a backup battery as standard, effectively turning 60 minutes of run time into 120 minutes.
This sounds like a dream: an answer to a vacuum cleaning woe. But what is the reality of this? Well let me share…
Oh, the cordless vacuum cleaner. They come in very different shapes, sizes and colours, and some are much more technical than others, simpler, but just as effective. The ones with the more premium price tag generally have more features, which makes sense, and some have more battery power and/or more battery options.
Take the Dyson V15 Detect for example. There’s a lot going on, as we found out when we tested it for our Dyson V15 Detect review. For example, it has a high torque cleaning head, which when used in automatic mode adjusts the power to the type of floor you are cleaning; smart. It also has a Laser Slim Fluffy cleaning head, which has a soft brush to ensure hard floors are not damaged. In addition, it features a Class 1 laser diode (so safe for humans and pets) mounted at an angle of 1.5 degrees and 7.2mm above the ground, which projects a beam of green light in front of the cleaning head to highlight microscopic dust particles . There is also a color LCD screen, which shows the amount of dust and the remaining run time.
In short, it’s a feature-packed device – and therefore one that requires a lot of power. Dyson claims the battery lasts up to 60 minutes on its lowest power setting, Eco, and that’s what we found in our testing: it lasts for 59 minutes before needing a recharge.
While 60 minutes may sound like a lot, some people may need more. And while the battery can be swapped out to double your run time, that will cost you extra – making an already eye-wateringly expensive vacuum cleaner even more expensive.
If you do end up getting a second battery, make sure to keep it charged at all times so you can quickly change it if the vacuum dies halfway through cleaning. You also need to figure out how to take out the dead battery and replace it with the new one. This may or may not be a huge problem for you, but it’s always worth preparing.
I also recently tested the Miele Triflex HX2 Pro cordless vacuum cleaner. This is a slightly lower spec than the Dyson above, but is a really robust, versatile and powerful model that expertly handles minor dirt in its path.
Unlike the Dyson, this one comes standard with two batteries. Miele claims they each offer 60 minutes of run time, so two batteries will of course give you 120 minutes. This sounds mega, and if you don’t pre-compare the Miele HX2 range, you probably feel like you’re getting a great deal.
However, it is not that simple. In a nutshell, you’re paying an extra £200 for this extra battery compared to the Miele HX2 Cat & Dog, which only has one but is cheaper at that amount. You may find that a reasonable compromise as you don’t have to search and buy an extra battery.
I found that on the HX2 Pro I couldn’t get close to the 60-minute run time when switching between the ‘Eco’ and ‘Max’ settings; I was lucky enough to get 35 minutes in that case. You’ll get closer to reaching max runtime with the ‘Min’ setting, but that won’t help much if you have to do some really heavy cleaning.
That’s where the second battery could come in handy, but unfortunately when I came to exchange for the new one I found it was not charged; not ideal as it meant I had to reschedule the vacuuming until that was done.
And don’t think that’s a quick process either. The Miele HX2 models typically take 4 hours to warm up; the Dyson V15 Detect lasts 5 hours. If you find out that the second battery is half empty, like me, you are waiting a long time.
Of course, that’s just user error on my part, but it’s something to be aware of if you want to see the benefit of the dual battery vacuum’s approach. It’s a great option in theory, but you’ll need to plan ahead — and have a lot of money — to make it worth it.