I used to put off vacuuming as long as possible. For years, our corded cyclone vacuum did the job — but after switching to a cordless stick vacuum at the end of last year, my relationship with housework completely changed. I loved it so much, I ended up buying a second one.

Our vacuum cleaner history

For years, our household relied on a corded Hitachi cyclone vacuum. We'd tried an expensive model once — nearly ¥40,000, low dust output — but it had weak suction and broke down quickly. A real disappointment. After that, we stuck with a reliable Hitachi cyclone model with a dustbin (no bag needed, just a tissue sheet over the cup). We liked it so much we bought two: one for each floor.

The frustration of a narrow house

Our home has a long, narrow layout — what Japanese people call "unagi no nedoko" (literally "eel's bed"). Vacuuming with a corded model meant constantly switching outlets as I moved from room to room. Every time I thought about starting, I'd think: "Ugh, I'll have to unplug and replug several times." That mental barrier was very real.

Cordless or corded? A long deliberation

I wasn't convinced cordless stick vacuums had enough suction power, so I seriously considered buying the same corded cyclone model again — it's still sold today, which says something about its popularity. But the appeal of going cordless was hard to ignore.

In the end, I found the Hitachi Rakukaru Stick PV-BL3J on sale during a Rakuten Super Sale. It was twice the price of my old vacuum — but the promise of no more cord-switching won me over.

Three things that genuinely impressed me

① The LED floor light
This is my absolute favourite feature. Dust and debris on hardwood floors that looked clean suddenly become visible. It genuinely changed how I think about floor cleanliness.

② It's very lightweight
At about 1.1 kg, it's easy to pick up and use anytime — no "I don't feel like dragging it out" moments.

③ No cord. No stress.
Moving freely through the whole house without replugging even once? Life-changing. Suction also has two levels, which is handy.

The honest downside: battery life

On full power, the battery lasts about 8 minutes. On standard, about 30 minutes. That's the main trade-off with cordless vacuums.

For my style of cleaning — short sessions, often — 30 minutes is more than enough. The charger has a handy auto-off indicator: when fully charged, the light turns off. Unplug and done.

My cleaning routine

Since switching, my cleaning routine has settled into something I actually follow:

1. Sweep the floor with a dry sheet mop to gather dust into piles
2. Vacuum up the piles
3. Go over the carpet areas
4. Use any remaining charge on whatever else catches my eye

I was so pleased with it that I bought a second PV-BL3J the following March — same model, one for each floor, just like before.

Corded vs. cordless: an honest comparison

Both have their place. For uninterrupted, powerful cleaning, the corded cyclone wins. For quick daily cleaning without thinking about it, cordless is the way to go. Stairs especially are so much easier with a stick vacuum.

Bagged or bagless?

In summary

For a vacuum cleaner you use every single day, switching to cordless was one of the best decisions I've made for my housework routine. It lowered the mental barrier so much that I actually vacuum more often now.

If you're on the fence between corded and cordless, I hope this helps you decide. And if you're curious about my drum washing machine "Ban-chan," I've written about that one too — check the related posts below!