If your lackluster cordless vacuum leaves a mess behind, the latest news that Samsung has released the 'world's most powerful cordless vacuum' may well pique your interest.
As a professional vacuum tester, I'm certainly curious – and also a little skeptical because more power doesn't always mean the best performance, though it certainly helps.
The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is the latest in their line of AI vacuums and boasts the longest runtime of any cordless stick – a constant bug bear for busy cordless stick users – a HEPA filter, and a cleaning station for hands-off dust collection. From its feature set, it's shaping up to be one of the best cordless vacuums on the market.
But can it actually live up to its awesome claims? I've spent more than 200 hours testing vacuums as Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, and I've learned to be cautious about a vacuum brand's promises until I've got my hands on it and put it through our rigorous testing for real-life results.
What makes the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra so powerful?
Samsung's latest innovation offers up some seriously strong credentials. Most notably, the cordless stick boasts a massive 400 air watts of suction power.
While wattage only reflects how much energy a vacuum uses, air watts is an accurate representation of its suction power. To jargon bust, air watts measures the suction of a vacuum at the intake nozzle – the bit that sucks air into the vacuum.
So, the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra's 400 air watts is not an empty claim – it's been through industry-standard testing to achieve this quantifiable and meaningful measurement.
Currently, the highest air watts I've seen in a cordless vacuum is in one of the best vacuums we've ever tested, the Dyson Gen5detect, with 250 air watts. That's similar to what you'd expect from the best upright vacuums that hook up to the mains. The Samsung is, therefore, 60% more powerful than the Dyson, surpassing the larger, corded appliances and an engineering feat in itself.
But a key aspect that impacts a cordless vacuum's function is the different suction modes it can offer. The air watts figure reflects the performance on the highest suction. So, one question I have is how well does the new Samsung Bespoke perform on its lower suction modes?
It's an important consideration because even in the best Dyson vacuums, the max suction mode can only run for about a minute before the battery-powered motor needs a break. Whilst the Samsung may be able to achieve a max suction power of 400 air watts, it may not be able to keep that up for very long. That's why I'd like to see what the suction is like at its more standard suction modes.
Until we review the Bespoke AI Jet Ultra, we're not to know how long it can generate 400 air watts of power for, but if that is its highest setting, I imagine its lower suction modes are still incredibly powerful compared to other cordless vacuums.
It's worth noting that suction power is not the only factor when determining a vacuum's performance. The speed and design of the brushroll will dictate how easily it can pick up dirt of different sizes, and the shape of the wand and intake nozzle can influence air flow.
We saw something similar when Dyson released the Dyson 360 Vis Nav, which, according to industry-standard testing, was 'the most powerful robot vacuum.' But on test, we found it wasn't the best robot vacuum. It missed dirt, bashed into furniture, and had no mop or self-cleaning base.
As for the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra's other features, it does have the biggest battery of any cordless stick, boasting an impressive 100 minutes (most cordless can manage 60 minutes max) as well as filters that exceed official HEPA standards, retaining 99.999% of fine dust particles, making it an ideal vacuum for allergies and potentially those with furry pets who are battling sneeze-inducing dander.
We've tested the Samsung Bespoke Jet Pro and the Samsung Bespoke Jet AI, and while we enjoyed their effortless gliding and deep cleaning, they're not our go-to recommendations for cordless vacuums. For less money, you can get a vacuum that's just as capable, like the best Shark vacuums, with similar features such as floor detection and a cleaning station.
Also, Samsung's mention of 'AI cleaning' is, in real terms, about automatic floor detection. It's a feature you can find in any of our best-on-test cordless vacuums, such as the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and the Shark Cordless PowerDetect. The only difference is that Samsung's sensors are slightly more advanced; as well as detecting hard floors and carpets, it can detect the type of hard floor and the carpet's thickness.
The Bespoke AI Jet Ultra costs $1,099 (£1,119) at full price, so the cost is still a huge factor that can't be ignored. But if it shapes up to be the most powerful cordless vacuum on the market, maybe such an investment can finally be worth it...
The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is available for $1,099 at Samsung US and £1,199 for pre-order at Samsung UK.
What to shop
In the meantime, these are my top three picks for powerful cordless vacuum cleaners we have tried, tested and absolutely recommend.
Surprisingly, this sub-$200 cordless vacuum cleans pretty well. It doesn't match the performance of the premium brands, and it struggles with carpet, but if your home is mostly hard floors, this is one of the only budget vacuums I'll ever recommend. It also has a green laser like Dyson's vacuums.
Read more at our full Ultenic U16 Flex review.
Quite similar to Samsung's AI vacuums, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect can also sense what's on your floors to automatically adjust suction power. We found it cleans hard floors and carpets well and even has a flexible wand to reach under furniture more easily.
Read more at our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect review.
This is one of the most powerful vacuums I have ever tested. I use it in my own home and never have to go over the same area of the floor twice. It has a green laser that reveals invisible dust and never gets wrapped with hair.
Read more in our full Dyson V15 Detect review.
Next, delve into our tried and tested best vacuums for pet hair guide, and the best Dyson alternatives for brilliant floor cleaning power.
