If you’ve ever felt restricted by the power cord on your vacuum cleaner, you can probably see the appeal in a product like the Hoover LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum. This style of “stick” vacuum runs on rechargeable batteries, allowing you to easily clean up around the house without having to worry about straying too far from an outlet. Additionally, stick vacuums are typically lighter and smaller in profile than their full-size counterparts, making them an appealing alternative for anyone tired of dragging a heavy vacuum around. To see how the battery-powered Hoover LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum performs, we put it to the test, using it to clean up various household messes on a variety of surfaces. We paid special attention to its performance power, maneuverability, and battery run time. Check out our guide to the best vacuum cleaners you can buy today.
Performance: Sufficient, but not “wow” worthy
At first glance, the Hoover LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum resembles a standard upright vacuum—just smaller and without a power cord. It has two power modes—low with no beater bar or high with the beater bar—and were able to easily switch between them using controls located on the handle. When it comes to suction, this stick vacuum isn’t the most powerful tool ever, but it does a sufficient job picking up dirt, hair, and other debris from both hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. It undeniably struggled to clean a shag carpet, even with the beater bar on, though, so it’s not the best option for deep-cleaning thick rugs.
Design: Surprisingly lightweight with a few cheap aspects
One of the first things we noticed about this vacuum is how lightweight it feels. It’s not the lightest stick vacuum out there, but the ergonomic design makes maneuvering it near effortless. The dustbin on the Hoover LiNX is relatively large compared to similar products, which allowed us to vacuum several rooms before it needed to be emptied. This stick vacuum doesn’t come with any attachments, which may work just fine for some people but it’s something to consider if you’re looking for a vacuum with an onboard upholstery or crevice tool. Certain aspects of the Hoover LiNX Vacuum feel a bit cheap, especially considering it’s not a budget model. In particular, the brush head seems light and somewhat flimsy, and its plastic construction gets staticky, which means hair and dust readily stick to the outside of it. This obviously isn’t a major deal-breaker, but we expected a little higher quality given the price in comparison to competitor’s models.
Battery Life: Unspecified runtime, but seems adequate
Cordless vacuums operate on battery power, which means they have limited runtime. While most other products specify how long they can operate on a single charge—be it in minutes or square footage—we couldn’t find this information for the Hoover LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum as it isn’t listed anywhere in the owner’s manual or online. That said, after vacuuming around 800 square feet with the product, the battery light indicated it was at about 50 percent. As such, this product’s runtime is likely enough to make a trip or two through small houses or apartments before needing a recharge. If you have more square footage to cover, you may have to interrupt your vacuuming session to juice up the battery. The Hoover LiNX has a removable battery that you charge separately, as opposed to plugging the whole vacuum into the wall. We like that you don’t have to keep the vacuum sitting out during the battery’s recharge time, especially since a full battery recharge will take about three hours.
Price: Somewhat overpriced
In terms of price, the Hoover LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum is square in the middle of the pack for cordless vacuums. However, its price seems a bit high to us, especially considering the low-quality feel of the vacuum and the fact that it doesn’t come with any specialized attachments.
Competition: Not the most versatile option
Dyson V8 Absolute: The high-end Dyson V8 Absolute blows the Hoover LiNX out of the water when it comes to both suction and versatility. The Dyson comes with six attachments and can be used as a hand vacuum to boot, and it boasts an impressive 40-minute runtime. However, the Dyson has a high price tag to match—so it’s definitely more of a splurge and not worth the investment if you need a simple vacuum for your apartment or small home. Black+Decker Cordless 2-N-1 Stick Vacuum: The Black+Decker Cordless 2-N-1 Stick Vacuum performs similarly to the Hoover LiNX in terms of suction and runtime, but the Black+Decker does have a leg up since it’s both a stick vacuum and dustbuster all in one. The Black+Decker is also a bit more affordable, making it a good choice if you value versatility. Want to take a look at other options? Read through our selection of the best cordless stick vacuums and the best upright vacuums. If you’re looking for a simple, lightweight cordless vacuum to use in place of a standard upright model, the Hoover LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum will get the job done on most (but not all) floor types. However, it’s definitely not the best value for the price, and there are better options out there if you want a vacuum that’s more versatile.
