L O V E my Dyson V8 cordless stick. Easy to use. The charge lasts about 20 minutes. Walmart has it for $179. Link to see it .....or $139 click this to see it

Edited to add: I have a Dirt Devil stick cordless. No suction power. It's OK.

This is what I have and I like it very much. Great adjustable suction and I can fully vacuum quite a bit of my 2400 sq ft house before it needs a charge. I bought it for the quick use that you describe in the kitchen and by my back door/mudroom and it handles that with ease. I paid quite a bit less but bought mine at A last Nov - I think it was my last purchase there.

https://us.eureka.com/products/rapidclean-pro-1?srsltid=AfmBOopKwJBbysqXepXMeps0JcUxpk6D9C5ZutQm3f8c-WRbhq3j9_sK

I have Dyson V8s and use nothing else to vacuum my whole house. Not sure how long the charge lasts as it's never run out on me. I highly recommend. $179 is a great deal as they are usually well over $200

Either I must be shopping in the wrong place or the price of Dyson products has dropped significantly. I bought a new Dyson stick vac four years ago and it was about $500. .

I just purchased a Dyson V12 for my new house with almost all hard floors (mostly wood). I love it. So light and fast. Unfortunately it's definitely not $150. It was around $500. It looks like the Dyson V8 is around $350 right now. You might be able to find a refurbished version for less. Wirecutter had an article about best stick vacuums and their budget pick was a Tineco GO Pet Cordless Vacuum for around $200. You might check out that article.

For those of you who have stick vacuums, are any of you really short? I'm 5-1 and when I handle them in the stores, they seem really awkward because of my height.

Trapped -- I am 4'10, so I know "short"! I bought the Lupe brand cordless stick and like it. TBH, I do not vacuum all that often (lazy and elderly), so I don't know how long I can use it before recharging,

This one is lighter weight, also important to me. I also have a full-size Dyson, which I can barely maneuver these days. Going to give it to my DS.

Kswl- The linked vacuum is refurbished. New ones are more expensive.

I have a Dyson. I think it’s a V8. It’s 8-10 years old and still going strong. I bought mine on sale at Costco. I’m 5’4” and have no issues. It’s just at different angle when I use it vs my DH who’s 6’2”.

Good point about user height! I’m 5’2”. Maybe.

@Trapped I'm 5'2 and I do know what you're talking about. It's because the weight is at the top that it feels awkward. An old fashioned upright the weight is at the bottom, not the handle and with a canister of course, there's very little weight in the hose and attachments. I'm used to it now.

This is not a stick vacuum. It is a small handheld with a removable wand. I have one. DD has 3. Her MIL has several. I use it for exactly what you describe. It sits on a shelf in my pantry charging.

https://www.amazon.com/DECKER-BDH2020FLFH-Lithium-Vacuum-20-volt-dp-B00JILGZOC/dp/B00JILGZOC/ref=dp_ob_title_hi?th=1

with wand attached:

Without wand:

I’ve had I think 3 Dysons and love them. i bought a new one and took the old one to the lake condo (may it RIP after the fire), gave that one to DGD when she graduated with her MBA & made her big move to KC, and now have #3 that is 2 years old. I hardly use the big ole Shark at all. So etimesnifnyou buy direct from the company there are extra attachments they will throw in free. It varies. But i would not hesitate to buy a refurbished one either.

Shark would be my cheaper second choice.

You can get a renewed Dyson 8 for $179 on the Dyson website. I had either a 7 or 8 that so outperformed my upright and canister for anything less that a full deep dive that it became the most used vacuum in the house. I now have an 11 or 12 - whatever my son got at Costco, because I liked the way the bin opened for emptying better adn Costco had another sale on the same model. The one thing I will say is that you may buy a Dyson for quick and easy jobs, but it may well become the only vacuum you really use.

Unless things have changed drastically in the last 2 years or so, I would not buy from the Dyson site. Trying to deal with them was the worst customer service experience I had in years. I was lied to repeatedly.

I like my Dyson and would get another but would purchase from somewhere else. A quick glance at their Reddit confirms that things have not gotten better,

For 5 minute cleanups of kitchen? My Black & Decker rechargeable & bagless stick vac is the best! I keep it plugged in & stored in my pantry. @ $100 at HD big box store. Have had for a couple years. I had a Dyson V10. Lots of $$ & battery lasted just 4 years before it wouldn’t hold a charge anymore. Can’t get the things serviced locally & batteries for it aren’t inexpensive. I now have a Shark corded for rug vacuuming & this little B & D works just great on all my hard floors. It does a good job on area rugs too. For the quick cleanups you’re looking to do, I think my vacuum is the best deal. I have a little dog with a lot of hair too - works great!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BLACK-DECKER-POWESERIES-16-Volt-MAX-Cordless-Bagless-Stick-Vacuum-Cleaner-BHFEA420J/318682221?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&srsltid=AfmBOorqZIRMwcekPx4DqXyqR4YLmHCwsbidLzvzl8dVTSV9-KpGqk6y4j4&gQT=1

I‘m going to look at those B&Ds, @KW PNW Z8. I have a Miele canister (which is awesome) plus a robovac for regular vacuuming, but this B&D sounds like what I’m looking for - very small quick jobs. I don’t want to spend a lot of money on what is basically spot-vacuuming.

Thanks.

littlebug - exactly! That’s what I was looking for too - something for quick after dinner cleanups & not break the bank. This little B & D also has a light on its base - truly amazing what it shows. When I’m doing the floor under our kitchen island where we sit & eat many meals, it looks for all the world like we must crumble our chips & crackers directly onto the floor!

ETA - it also has 2 speeds. It automatically revs up when switch from hard surface to rug.

Make sure the cordless model you are interested in has a replaceable battery. I had a cordless Bissell which I loved until the battery no longer held a charge, of course just after the warranty expired. I took it to a vacuum repair shop and they were unable to replace the battery as well.

I have a Tineco PwrHero 11 ZT (ZT being zero-tangle power head) bought Nov 2023, seems it's a special-featured model via WM? I like it. Has three speeds. Rated run-time on a fresh/full battery is 40/19/12 mins. I rarely need to use Max-Boost. The battery is a detachable pack so user-replaceable. Full charge from empty takes 4 to 5 hrs. One charger is included but I suppose an extra could be purchased to keep a spare battery on standby.

Additional: The LED headlight is great for seeing debris on the floor in a dark room. I use it primarily for my travertine areas, which is all of the house except the three bedrooms. I vacuum once per day, at night with all room lights off for full effect of the headlight.

The collection bin filter is washable, which I do weekly+. The open end fits on a lavatory sink spout for flushing, then I wash it and the filter housing in soapy water. Rinse, spin in the washer (1010 RPM so nearly fully dry). Then either air-dry or a few mins with a hair dryer at low.

Collection bin I wash every couple/three weeks (probably shouldn't but do to no ill effect thus far), make sure it's fully dry (some hair dryer time) before next use.

The exhaust filter is washable, instructions advise every 3 months, replace yearly (I haven't yet replaced it).

@dadoes How is the Tineco with fine dust?

I love my Dyson but recently read a stellar review on the Shark cordless vac.

If the Tineco vac is anything like their floor cleaner, it could be an excellent choice, too.

I've always had Dyson cordless vacuums and raved about them until my latest model, the Gen5 Outsize. Truthfully, it's just too large and bulky for quick clean ups. I got rid of mine after buying the Shark Detect cordless vac that empties itself. I think it came out just before the holidays and cost me $399 vs the $899+ I had spent on my last Dyson. I use the Shark at least every other day for quick clean ups.

The Tineco is the only stick vac with which I have experience but it seems good to me. The collection bin filter collects an appreciable coating of fine-looking dust. I'll try to remember to get a pic at the next cleaning. I haven't noticed anything discernable on the exhaust filter when I wash it so the collection filter apparently catches all of it.

We have a Black & Decker stick vac, the sort that you use the battery pack that is interchangeable with my weed wacker and hedge trimmer etc. I like it. It would be perfect for hard floors. I would say the only thing I don't care for is having to clean the dust cup out. It fills pretty quickly with having a dog that sheds and then you have to knock the dust out of the filter part of it and also clean the little sponge filter. So, cleaning out the filter is the worst part of it. It seems to clean great. It certainly pulls up a LOT of dust and dog hair from my carpet! It think it was around $150. Also, the B&D customer service is great. We had a little O ring/washer thing that fell out of the dust filter part and they sent us a whole new vacuum! We had it in days!

Tineco dust bin filter. The instructions advise to clean the dust bin and filter after every use. I clean them on 7-ish days. Says to wash the filter monthly and replace on 6 months. An optional filter cleaning accessory is available that attaches to the vacuum port but it requires having a spare filter to swap them before the vacuum-cleaning process, which I don't so I wash the filter at each cleaning. I bought the unit Nov 2023, haven't yet seen a need to replace the filter.

The procedure does say to wash the dust bin under cold water, towel-dry, then leave to air-dry for 24 hrs before next use. I wash the items in warm water with a bit of detergent, rinse, towel dry (spin the filter), then accelerate the wait-time by drying thoroughly with a hair dryer at lowest setting, positioned to insure no overheating/melting damage.

But who really wants to have to do all that just to vacuum? I sure don't. But I suppose if you don't mind doing that, it's OK and you don't have to hunt down bags.

Not all stick vacs need filters cleaned after each use. My Shark says to clean them monthly. And it really isn't a big deal. I rinse them with water and let them dry. I actually do not clean them every month.

I vacuum every night before scooping the cat litter box. Cat tracks litter in the powder/bath where the box is located, and a bit out the hallway. 85% of the travertine area is done, which is all of the house except the three bedrooms. Considerably more effective and convenient than sweeping, and no frequent consumables a la Swiffer or some such. Also use it with a brush attachment to vacuum the sink after beard trim, whenever that happens. I dump the bin after the daily vacuum session, matter of detaching the powerhead from the extension wand/beater head, holding it over the trash, pressing the release latch and bottom of the dust bin drops open. The filter is washed every 7-ish days, which is more than recommended as explained above, and I don't have the filter cleaning accessory and an extra filter to swap in. The dust bin is washed every other-ish time, so approx 2 weeks.