Shopping in the US or Canada? See the US edition, with the models and stores there. Go to the US edition
Du kaufst in Deutschland ein? Zur deutschen Ausgabe, mit den Modellen und Shops dort. Zur deutschen Ausgabe
Vous achetez en France ? Passez à l'édition française, avec les modèles et les boutiques de France. Voir l'édition française
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. The Levoit LVAC-300 is the simple, cheaper pick for small flats.
Updated 4 November 2026
Best for: Carpets, rugs and pet hair in an average-size home
What buyers love: suction and pickup.
Catch: Heavy, and short on full power.
Best for: Flats and homes with mostly hard floors, or anyone who wants a light vacuum
Buyers say it keeps up with pricier rivals.
What buyers love: suction and pickup.
Catch: Leaves pet hair in thick carpet.
Best for: Small flats with hard floors and pets, on a tighter budget
Catch: Weak on thick carpet, and loud.
Mostly carpet and rugs needs a strong motorised brush (the Stratos). Mostly hard floors favours a lighter stick with a soft roller (the R20).
With pets or long hair at home, choose a brush designed not to tangle. All three have one, which wasn't true of cheap sticks a few years ago.
Cordless batteries wear out. A battery you can buy and swap yourself extends the vacuum's life by years. All three picks have one.
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.
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.
"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. All three have batteries you can swap if you need more.
All three bins hold well under a litre, typical for sticks. With pets or a big home, you'll empty them during a clean. None has a self-emptying dock at this price.
The Stratos is only under £300 on sale; at its usual price it sits a band higher. 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.
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. For a small flat on a tighter budget, the Levoit LVAC-300 does the basics well. 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.
| Model | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Affordable | Affordable | Affordable |
| Battery (claimed max) | Up to 60 min (Eco, non-motorised tool) | Up to 90 min | Up to 60 min (Eco, with a tool) |
| Bin | 0.7 L | 0.6 L | 0.75 L |
| Weight as a stick | 4.1 kg | 2.7 kg | About 3 kg as a stick |
| Battery swap | Removable, single battery | Swappable pack | Removable |
| Suction (maker's figure) | Not published | 190 AW | Not published |
| Dirt detection | Clean Sense IQ (auto suction) | LED dust lights + auto suction | None (manual modes) |
| Hair tangles | Anti Hair Wrap Plus | Anti-tangle brush | Anti-tangle roller |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Yes. Close to £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.
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.
Runtime drops gradually over a few years of use. That's why we only picked vacuums whose battery you can replace yourself.
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.
Sources: SharkNinja UK product page, Expert Reviews: Shark Stratos IZ400UKT review, TechRadar: Shark Stratos Cordless review, Dreame product page, TechRadar: Dreame R20 review, Homes & Gardens: Dreame R20 review, Levoit UK product page (LVAC-300), TechRadar: Levoit LVAC-300 review, Homes & Gardens: Levoit LVAC-300 review.
