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What does your vacuum battery run time really mean?
We’ve broken down how far each vac will get around the house before needing to recharge, so you can shop with confidence.
The last thing you need when you’re locked into your cleaning sesh is for your vac to conk out halfway down the stairs. So, when you’re shopping for your next model, you’ll want to make sure the battery lives up to your expectations instead of ruining your momentum. The only problem? Run times on their own don’t give you a picture of whether they’ll be able to go the distance on a single charge. We’ve saved you the hassle and done the maths to help you find exactly what you’re looking for – a vacuum cleaner that’ll match your energy and get the job done.
How long does a vacuum battery last?
The run time lets you know how long you can use the vacuum cleaner on its lowest setting. If you’ve got turbo mode or max suction options, they’ll use more power and can cut the battery life by up to 70%, so bear this in mind when you’re comparing models. And if you need some extra oomph, a removable battery lets you double the time if you need to - there’s a smart idea for bigger homes. Most cordless vacuums last:
How much ground can it cover?
Now we’ve boxed off the basics, you’ll want to know what that means for your cleaning routine. There are loads of things that can affect how long the battery lasts, like how fast you go, the number of obstacles to go around, and what kind of floors you have in your home. Knowing that it takes about 30 seconds to clean a square metre and 42.5 minutes to sort the whole area in the average home (a 3-bed), we've worked out roughly how many full sweeps you can do with different run times.
- 30 minutes = 0.7 times
Perfect for a home smaller than a 3-bed or those that clean bit-by-bit.
- 60 minutes = 1.4 times
Whip around the whole house with enough left for the skirting boards.
- 120 minutes = 2.8 times
Ideal for a larger home, or tackling the floors, the car and the upholstery in one go.
*based on the average UK 3-bed home
The battery life you need depends on your cleaning habits as much as the size and layout of your house. If you have a smaller home or vacuum little and often instead of all at once, 30 minutes will suit you to a tee. But for full-on deep cleans or covering every nook and cranny in one fell swoop, you’ll want 120 minutes to get it all done and dusted. And for everything in between, 60 minutes will sort the whole house with some time to spare for that particularly dusty corner or mucky hallway.
