The 8 Best Cordless Shop Vacuums January, 2021 (And 2 Others)

This 2-gallon cordless vacuum has a rated max airflow of 45CFM and sealed pressure of 32 inches. While it doesn't come with its own battery, it is compatible with both Milwaukee's 18V RED LITHIUM Li-ion batteries and the regular 18V NiCD slide-on batteries. It comes with a 6-inch hose, a crevice tool, utility nozzle, and a HEPA filter rated at .3 microns (which is typical of most HEPA filters).

Many users who gave the M18 high-scoring reviews praised its toolbox style and built-in accessory storage which make for a compact overall design. One user noted that none of its accessories stick out when stored, so they did not need to worry about it getting snagged while being carried. Another one liked how it can use other batteries from their other Milwaukee tools and specifically bought it for that reason.

A common complaint about the M18 was the fact that it lacks a 110V cord to let it connect to a power outlet, which means the only way to use it is to actually buy a separate battery (We encourage you, however, to look at the other good choices on this page, as some of them are hybrid, meaning they also include a standard power cord). Even with a fully-charged battery, users found that it only runs for about 10-11 minutes. However, even those who are critical of the M18 still approved of its overall performance, which is why, when our shopping algorithm crawled over 4577 reviews, it found it to gather an average of 5 stars.

With an overwhelming amount of positive reviews, the M18 scored high enough that our system ranked it as the number one cordless vacuum with a 99 confidence level (More on confidence levels), a good example that sometimes good things can come in a small, toolbox-shaped package (Learn how we rank items).

The DeWALT DCV581H was apparently made for people who need shop vacuums for both indoor and outdoor use. It can run as a cordless model on 18-volt or 20-volt MAX batteries, which are sold separately, or electricity. It also comes with a washable HEPA-rated wet/dry filter that traps dust and, according to DeWALT, removes more airborne particles than regular filters.

Portable battery-powered hand wet dry vacuum that comes with a 0.3-micron HEPA filter and can be used as a cordless, but only if you buy a non-included battery.

What we like:

• That it comes with a wet dry HEPA filter sounds like a good start
• We kind of like that we can use it with the power cord (goodbye dead batteries), but we are frustrated that the battery does not come with it

Most users liked it for its compact design, others were impressed by how it "sucks", but what exactly makes the DCV580 a cordless vacuum worthy of an adjusted score of (rating temporarily unavailable) stars? A closer look at its specs should give would-be buyers a clearer idea.

At only 12.3 inches wide and 13.1 inches tall, the DCV580's compact build makes it small enough to be carried around the shop or at home. Its 5-foot crush-resistant hose can lock on to its side exhaust port, converting it into a blower. The hose can be modified further using the crevice tool and wide nozzle tool attachments included in the bundle, a classic, though.

The vacuum is compatible with DeWALT's 20-volt MAX Lithium-ion battery or the 18-volt XPR batteries, both of which are used to power other DeWALT cordless tools. Several users noted that a fully-charged battery has enough power for about 20-30 minutes of use. This is a bare tool, so both battery options (and their respective chargers) have to be purchased separately or obtained from other DeWALT tool bundles.