They’re especially life-changing if you live in an apartment or smaller house with a cramped floor plan, because they’re thin and light and easy to steer, and there’s no cord to get caught on any corners. And even in bigger homes, you may find that you get used to cleaning just a few rooms at a time, so that battery life isn’t such a big deal. The best cordless models are strong enough to clean nearly as well as plug-ins, even on most types of rugs.