Chuck out your plug-in vacuum – the latest cordless ones can do . . . everything!

But which fared best in our great dust-busting test?

Cordless vacuum cleaners were traditionally good for picking up a few crumbs or dusting ornaments, but when it came to heavy- duty cleaning, they just didn’t have the power to do the job.

But now James dyson, inventor of the bagless vacuum, claims he has created a cordless cleaner that is so strong it will do away with the traditional, plug-in vacuum altogether.

Add to that it’s lightweight and far easier to transport than your heavy, clunky old upright, and it’s a tempting promise. But can the new dyson Cyclone — and all the other new cordless cleaners that claim to do the job of a proper vacuum — live up to the hype?

LITTLE WHIZZ

Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute, £449.99, johnlewis.com WEIGHS: 2.6 kg CAPACITY: 0.8 litres CHARGE TIME: 3½ hours RUNS FOR: 1 hour dyson claims its new machine (main picture) has the most powerful suction of any cord-free vacuum. And while I was sceptical that something so slim and light could replace my trusty corded Miele cleaner, I have to admit, it was even better. It gave the sort of deep clean I’ve only ever managed to achieve by paying professional cleaners.

With a motor that spins 2,000 times a second, it devoured grit and dog hair off my stairs in a single going-over.

It’s versatile, too. you get three power settings and two heads: a combination head for use on all floors, and a soft roller for hard floors. There’s also a handheld cleaning hose with five tools to clip on the end: a mini-combination head, soft dusting brush, crevice tool, two-in- one upholstery tool and dusting brush. The dust box is a doddle to empty — just as well, as it fills up quickly.

some people may object to the fact you have to hold down the power button to keep the machine working, although it did mean I wasn’t wasting a second’s battery power. In fact there is little to dislike about the dyson — save the whopping price. 5/5

ALLERGY FRIENDLY

GTech Pro Cordless Bagged Vacuum Cleaner ATF301, £249.99, johnlewis.com WEIGHS: 2.5 kg CAPACITY: 1.5 litres CHARGE TIME: 4 hours RUNS FOR: 40 minutes GTeCh’s bagged, cordless vacuum cleaner is great if you hate getting your hands dirty, since you simply remove the bag and chuck it away. At £9.99 for ten, the disposable bags work out fairly cheaply, and have almost twice the capacity of the dyson’s dust box. Bagged cleaners are also said to be better for people with asthma, as the dust is fully contained once it’s sucked up. This model is versatile, too — with one click, you can remove the wand to get a hand-held machine with a choice of mini turbo tool (great for the car), dusting brush or crevice tool. I also love the led lights which helped me spot crumbs and illuminate dark corners or under the sofa. however, the GTech is awkward to store. It doesn’t stand upright and there’s not even a wall bracket, so you have to lean it up against all your other clutter. At this price, I’d expect more. 3/5

BUDGET BUSTER

Vax Blade 32 Volt, £219.99, johnlewis.com WEIGHS: 3 kg CAPACITY: 0.6 litres CHARGE TIME: 4 hours RUNS FOR: 45 minutes ThIs is the convertible sports car of vacuums — it looks like a standard cordless cleaner, but at the press of a button you can pop off the power box and a short nozzle to use as a handheld mini-cleaner. It’s perfect for tackling spills and dusty corners, and you get a choice of five tools including a crevice nozzle and dusting brush. The brushbar — which spins 4,000 times a minute — sucked so much dirt out of my shagpile bedroom carpet, it virtually filled the dust canister. I also loved the stretch hose which uncoiled like a snake to lift years of dust from the top of my hall mirror. At half the price of the dyson, this is a fantastic buy. 5/5

TACKLES PET HAIR

Bosch Athlet Pro-Animal ultimate, £329.99, johnlewis.com WEIGHS: 3.3kg CAPACITY: 0.9 litres CHARGE TIME: 5 ½ hours RUNS FOR: 1 hour and 15 minutes rATed a Best Buy by consumer magazine Which?, this is another good choice for those with allergies, since the excellent, high quality filter does a great job of removing even the tiniest dust particles. I was also impressed by the nozzle and brush on the Pro-Animal model, which is designed to trap pet hair that can elude conventional cleaners. however, I found the machine heavy and cumbersome to use — defeating the point of a cordless model. And, while it is fantastic on floors and carpets, switching to handheld mode is a real chore. At just shy of £400, it’s a top heavy price. 3/5

TOO LIGHT

Shark Duo Clean IF200uK, £249.99, lakeland.co.uk WEIGHS: 5.5 kg CAPACITY: 0.7 litres CHARGE TIME: 3 ½ hours RUNS FOR: 20 minutes I’M noT convinced by this model. yes, its two spinning brushes whizz away efficiently, and it does a fantastic job on cleaning hard floors, but it’s so light that it barely scratched the surface of my dirty carpets. on the plus side, it comes with lots of extras — including an anti-allergen dusting brush. I love the snazzy led lights on the head which spotlight dirt you might miss. And if you’re short on space, it bends in the middle, making it easy to store. 4/5

ALL NOISE

Morphy Richards Supervac Deluxe, £99.99, lakeland.co.uk WEIGHS: 3.36kg CAPACITY: 0.5 litres CHARGE TIME: 5 hours RUNS FOR: 35 minutes My dog — who normally loves to chase vacuum cleaners across the floor — cowered in terror when he heard the horrifying howl from this one. It’s not just the noisiest I tried, it’s also one of the least versatile. Although you can use it upright as a stick cleaner or handheld to reach nooks and crannies, there are disappointingly few accessories — not even an upholstery cleaner. And, while it did an adequate job on both hard floors and carpets, the dust bin is so small I seemed to spend most of my time running back and forth to empty it. It may be less than £100, but I’d rather spend a little more for a better cleaner. 2/5

CLEVER STORAGE

Russell Hobbs Power Vac Pro 2 In 1, £104.99, currys.co.uk WEIGHS: 3 kg CAPACITY: 0.5 litres CHARGE TME: 3 hours RUNS FOR: 1 hour I lIke the docking station included with this cleaner — you simply park it there and it charges constantly, meaning it’s always ready to go the moment you need it. It’s also easy to store as it cleverly bends in the middle. But I found it poor on deep cleaning and any dog hair it managed to pick up, seemed to end up caught in the brush.

This is a good buy if you want an inexpensive second cleaner for doing lightweight jobs, but don’t rely on it to keep your house spotless. 3/5

STANDS ALONE

GTech AIR RAM MK 2, £199, lakeland.co.uk WEIGHS: 3.3 kg CAPACITY: 0.5 litres CHARGE TIME: 4 hours RUNS FOR: 40 minutes hIGhly rated by Good housekeeping magazine, this is a brilliant allrounder. It sucked up tiny breadcrumbs from my kitchen floor just as easily as big pieces of cereal. It whizzed effortlessly across both carpets and wooden floors while sucking deep into the crevices. The 40 minute run time is shorter than most, but was ample to get around the house. If you want a fairly affordable, free-standing machine you don’t need to park against a wall or dock in a bay, this is it. 4/5