This is the best cordless vacuum cleaner - according to "Saldo" magazine
6/11/2025
Translation: machine translated
No cordless vacuum cleaner achieved a "very good" rating when tested by the consumer magazine "Saldo". Only three out of fourteen models are "good". However, the test also deserves a critical assessment.
Sucking in sand on a surface, measuring volume, battery life and dust in the exhaust air, evaluating handling - the magazine «Saldo» has intensively and uniformly tested 14 hoovers with battery operation. This was done together with the International Consumer Research & Testing (ICRT) organisation, an association of consumer organisations.
These three models are «good»
The test winner is the most expensive product in the comparison: the Rowenta RH9BC1WO X-Force Flex 14.80. It achieved an overall score of 5.1 and thus a «good». Although it is not the best vacuum cleaner, it is impressive when it comes to the battery and dust in the exhaust air. Like almost all other models, it is relatively loud.
Two other test appliances also achieved the grade «good». The Bosch Unlimited 9 received an overall score of 5. The vacuum cleaner performs well in almost all areas and shows no major outliers at the top or bottom.
In contrast, the Dyson V8 Advanced scored 4.9 overall: This model achieved very good ratings for vacuuming on hard floors and even achieved the top score for dust in the exhaust air. However, battery life, noise level and handling are only sufficient.
Four vacuum cleaners are only «sufficient»
Three models achieve a score of 4.7 in the comparison and only just miss out on a «good». The Xiaomi G20 stands out with a price of less than 200 francs. This makes it a kind of price-performance winner in the test. However, compromises must be made when vacuuming on carpets - here the Xiaomi G20 achieves a significantly lower rating than the better-placed competitor models.
This also applies to the two other models with the test score «sufficient»: The Dreame Z30 and the Dyson V12 Origin also achieved poor ratings when cleaning carpets. The Dyson is otherwise fairly balanced, while the Dreame surprises with the best score of 5.8 on hard floors. In return, the noise level is insufficient: the Z30 is one of the loudest models tested.
The Dreame V12 Origin is also rated poorly for cleaning carpets.
The Hoover HF4P10P011 scored just «enough». However, with a score of 4.4, it is still slightly weaker than the other three appliances in this category. Whilst the appliance has consistently average suction everywhere, it emits too much dust with the exhaust air. The Hoover is rated as inadequate in this area and receives one of the worst scores.
Half is unsatisfactory «»
Seven out of fourteen battery-powered vacuum cleaners tested received an overall score of less than 4.0. They are «unsatisfactory». Two models, namely the Xiaomi G20 Lite and the Rowenta RH6A83WO X-Pert Flex 7.60, at least achieved a sufficient grade in the most important category - vacuuming. You can also find the Xiaomi here, but not the Rowenta.
According to the test «, these models are unsatisfactory» because they are weak in terms of suction power. The overall scores range from 3.2 to 3.7.
The last place was taken by the cheapest appliance tested. The Severin HV7152 did not achieve a sufficient score in any of the three cleaning categories. According to the test, it performed particularly poorly on carpets and in crevices and edges. It only achieved a score of 3.1.
Not a good score for «Saldo»
«Saldo» also had to put up with criticism for the test - on several points.
Product selection: The model selection seems arbitrary. Some manufacturers are represented several times, while popular brands such as Samsung, Shark, Kärcher, Makita and Einhell are missing completely.
Actuality: Only three of the fourteen products tested were launched in 2025. All the others have been available for longer, and some of the successor models are already on the market. One extreme example is the Dyson V8, which was launched in 2016. Since then, at least half a dozen new Dyson models have come onto the market. This is also annoying for the manufacturer Severin, which is not doing well with a model from 2023. It's unfortunate that Saldo didn't test the equally favourable successor from 2024.
Price range: The cheapest vacuum cleaners tested cost just 80 francs, while the test winner costs over 500 francs. This is not a fair comparison. Either the appliances should be similarly priced. Or the price should be included in the assessment.
Test criteria: «Saldo» provides an exemplary and transparent list of how the appliances were tested - albeit in the laboratory and not in everyday use. The suction power was measured with sand and the battery life was measured at the maximum and minimum levels. In everyday life, however, most users use the standard setting in the centre. And so data such as «On average, the batteries of the fourteen appliances tested lasted 18 minutes» is not meaningful, as it only applies to the highest setting. You won't find a realistic everyday value anywhere.
Score deduction: «Saldo» also deducts half a score from the overall rating if insufficient performance was measured in the battery or suction power area. As a result, four appliances slip from «sufficient» to «insufficient». There are certainly good reasons for this - however, this deduction could have been made clearer for consumers. The information can only be found in a footnote.
Despite all the criticism, the «balance» test also provides useful orientation. The three vacuum cleaners with the score «good» are definitely recommendable appliances. And if you take a close look at the evaluation, you will find the right model for your own needs with a little attention.
What I read from the test: If you mainly have carpets at home, the Bosch Unlimited 9 or the Dyson V8 are the best vacuum cleaners. For a home with hard floors, on the other hand, it is worth taking a look at the Dreame Z30, while allergy sufferers will find the two Dyson models that filter the dust the best. People who are sensitive to noise may even opt for a «inadequate» model: The Electrolux ES31CB18DB is the quietest vacuum cleaner tested.
Header image: Rowenta
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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