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Budget guide · Cordless vacuums

Best cordless vacuums under £300

Updated 3 November 2026Based on 3 independent reviewers and maker specsNot tested by us: how we chose

Best overall under £300
Shark Stratos cordless vacuum

Shark

Shark Stratos Cordless (IZ400UKT)

The Shark Stratos is the best cordless vacuum we found under £300: reviewers rate its carpet and pet-hair cleaning close to far pricier Dysons. Mostly hard floors? The lighter, longer-running Dreame R20 is the better buy.

Price levelMid-range

£200–£250typical price at major shops

Mid-range, 2/4
Today's price on Amazon
  1. 1Best overall under £300Shark Stratos Cordless (IZ400UKT)Carpets, rugs and pet hair in an average-size home
  2. 2Best for hard floorsDreame R20Flats and homes with mostly hard floors, or anyone who wants a light vacuum

How they compare

Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.

Best cordless vacuums under £300
ModelBest overall under £300Shark Stratos Cordless (IZ400UKT)Best for hard floorsDreame R20
Price levelMid-rangeMid-range
Battery (claimed max)Up to 60 min (Eco, non-motorised tool)Up to 90 min
Bin0.7 L0.6 L
Weight as a stick4.1 kg2.7 kg
Battery swapRemovable, single batterySwappable pack
Suction (maker's figure)Not published190 AW
Dirt detectionClean Sense IQ (auto suction)LED dust lights + auto suction
Hair tanglesAnti Hair Wrap PlusAnti-tangle brush
ShopToday's price on Amazon ↗Today's price on Amazon ↗

Our picks in detail

01 Best overall under £300
Shark Stratos cordless vacuum

Shark

Shark Stratos Cordless (IZ400UKT)

Best for: Carpets, rugs and pet hair in an average-size home

  • Reviewers found it cleans carpets and hard floors very well, often in one pass
  • A comb keeps hair off the brush roll; no cutting tangles out
  • Bendy wand gets under furniture without kneeling
  • Limitation: Heavy at 4.1 kg, and only about 11 minutes on full power in testing.

It's normally a £450 vacuum, and at the sale price we saw it's the strongest cleaner we'd recommend under £300. It turns suction up by itself on dirtier patches, which saves battery. The weight is the catch: carrying it upstairs or holding it overhead as a handheld is hard work.

Battery (claimed max)
Up to 60 min (Eco, non-motorised tool)
Bin
0.7 L
Weight as a stick
4.1 kg
Battery swap
Removable, single battery
Price levelMid-range

£200–£250typical price at major shops

Mid-range, 2/4
Today's price on Amazon
02 Best for hard floors
Dreame R20 cordless vacuum

Dreame

Dreame R20

Best for: Flats and homes with mostly hard floors, or anyone who wants a light vacuum

  • Very long battery: one review measured 84 minutes in standard mode
  • Light at about 2.7 kg and easy to steer
  • LED lights show dust on the floor, and it adjusts suction on its own
  • Limitation: Not the one for thick carpet with pets; one review found it left a lot of embedded hair behind.

On hard floors and low rugs, the R20 does nearly everything a premium stick does, and runs far longer per charge than most rivals at any price. The bin is small (0.6 L) and the motor has a high-pitched whine, and reviewers split on how well it copes with deep carpet.

Battery (claimed max)
Up to 90 min
Bin
0.6 L
Weight as a stick
2.7 kg
Battery swap
Swappable pack
Price levelMid-range

£200–£250typical price at major shops

Mid-range, 2/4
Today's price on Amazon

The trade-offs that matter

Weight vs power

The Stratos cleans carpet harder but weighs about 1.4 kg more than the R20. If you have stairs, or you'll use it as a handheld a lot, weight matters more than a few percent of extra pickup.

Battery claims vs real use

"Up to 60" or "up to 90 minutes" is always on the lowest setting with a non-powered tool. On carpet with the motorised head, expect a fraction of that, and only minutes on boost. Both of these have batteries you can swap if you need more.

Small bins

Both bins are 0.6–0.7 L, typical for sticks. With pets or a big home, you'll empty them during a clean. Neither has a self-emptying dock at this price.

Sale prices come and go

The Stratos is only under £300 on sale; its usual price is £449.99. If it's back at full price when you look, the Dreame R20 is the safer under-£300 pick for most flats and smaller homes.

What matters at £300

What separates a good cordless vacuum from a disappointing one at this price.

  1. 1

    Your floors

    Mostly carpet and rugs needs a strong motorised brush (the Stratos). Mostly hard floors favours a lighter stick with a soft roller (the R20).

  2. 2

    Hair handling

    With pets or long hair at home, choose a brush designed not to tangle. Both of these have one, which wasn't true of cheap sticks a few years ago.

  3. 3

    A swappable battery

    Cordless batteries wear out. A battery you can buy and swap yourself extends the vacuum's life by years. Both picks have one.

  4. 4

    Weight in the hand

    Check the weight as a full stick, not the handheld weight on the box. Under 3 kg feels easy; over 4 kg is tiring overhead.

Final buying advice

Final buying advice

Buy the Shark Stratos while it's under £300 if you have carpets, rugs or pets. If your home is mostly hard floors, or the Stratos is back at full price, get the Dreame R20. Spending more only makes sense for a self-emptying dock or a laser dust light; see our Dyson V15 alternatives guide for when that's worth it.

Questions people ask

Is £300 enough for a good cordless vacuum?

Yes. Around £250–£300 you can now get strong suction, anti-tangle brushes and swappable batteries. Paying more mostly buys extras like laser dust lights, dust counters or self-emptying docks.

Should I buy a corded stick vacuum instead?

If you don't mind the cable, a corded stick gives steady suction and never runs flat, usually for less. Choose cordless for quick tidy-ups and stairs without hunting for a socket.

How long do cordless vacuum batteries last?

Runtime drops gradually over a few years of use. That's why we only picked vacuums whose battery you can replace yourself.

How we reached this

We shortlisted cordless vacuums that independent reviewers rate well and that we saw selling under £300 at a major shop, then compared them on the makers' specs.

We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.

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