RTINGS

If you're looking for a more affordable stick vacuum but don't want to give up much in the way of performance on high-pile carpet, consider the Simplicity S65S. It comes with far fewer accessories than the Dyson V15 Detect and lacks a surface-type adjustment feature. However, it's significantly cheaper and amazingly effective when clearing debris from high-pile carpet, though it struggles a little more with debris like baking soda. Few parts need regular cleaning, so maintenance requirements aren't very demanding. Its allergen-trapping HEPA filter is also the only part that occasionally needs replacing, so recurring costs are impressively low. Unfortunately, its maximum battery life of over 30 minutes is significantly lower than the Dyson. However, this can vary in the real world. Overall, it's one of the best vacuums for high-pile carpets that we've tested.

Get the Dyson if you want a wider assortment of tools and accessories, but consider the Simplicity to save some money without sacrificing capability.

Best for Most

amazon.com

rtings.com

walmart

TechGearLab

The Milwaukee M18 0880-20 is a slick little cordless wet dry vacuum. Its two-gallon canister is shaped like a toolbox, with its tube and all attachments stored neatly in the lid. This well-designed machine is a beast at sucking up all types of debris, from nuts and bolts to buckets of water to sawdust. It also features one of the longer tubes of the selection of vacs we tested, and it self-retracts like a spring — long when you need it and short when you don't. 
While the M18 is indeed a great cordless wet dry vacuum, it does have a few downsides. It's somewhat heavy, weighing in just over 10 lbs. It's also one of the noisier models we tested. And despite its five amp-hour battery, a fully charged cell would only power the machine for 23 minutes &mdash; not particularly impressive. That said, the conveniences that this machine offers overshadow its performance shortfalls. 

The Milwaukee M18 0880-20 is a slick little cordless wet dry vacuum. Its two-gallon canister is shaped like a toolbox, with its tube and all attachments stored neatly in the lid. This well-designed machine is a beast at sucking up all types of debris, from nuts and bolts to buckets of water to sawdust. It also features one of the longer tubes of the vacs we tested, and it self-retracts like a spring — long when you need it and short when you don't. 
While the M18 is indeed a great cordless wet dry vacuum, it does have a few downsides. It's somewhat heavy, weighing in just over 10 lbs. It's also one of the noisier models we tested. And despite its five amp-hour battery, a fully charged cell would only power the machine for 23 minutes &mdash; not particularly impressive. That said, the conveniences that this machine offers overshadow its performance shortfalls. 
Read more: Milwaukee M18 0880-20 review

Portable Vacuum Comparison