Bosch is a household name for higher-end appliances, ranging from dishwashers to refrigerators, but it's not so well known for cordless vacuums. The brand recently showed me the new Bosch Unlimited 9 and Unlimited 10, its first-ever cordless vacuums, in advance of CES 2026. These new models are packed with features that could make them formidable competition for Dyson and Shark, the two companies that have dominated the industry for years now.
I spent about an hour testing out both models in the Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau Experience and Design Center in New York. Here are my thoughts on the Unlimited 9 ($499 to $579) and Unlimited 10 ($599 to $699), which should be available starting in January during CES.
I spent some time testing both the Unlimited 9 and 10 and the automatic sensor seemed to work pretty well at detecting the mess. Ajay Kumar/Zooey Liao/ CNET
A premium Dyson competitor?
The feature that immediately caught my eye on the Unlimited 9 and Unlimited 10 was the same one that impressed me when I tried out the Dyson V16 Piston Animal -- a dust-compressing dustbin lever that allows you to compact the debris and more easily eject it into the trash. This feature is available on both models, and the implementation is essentially the same as the one I tested on the Dyson Piston Animal.
I was able to suction up a wide range of dirt and debris in the Bosch showroom, off the sample carpet tiles and hardwood floor. I could then quickly and effectively empty everything into the trash with a push of the lever, minus the usual shaking and clouds of dust. You can also compress the dustbin while vacuuming to create more space as it fills up. I recommend doing so, because it improves airflow and pickup efficiency.
Both the Unlimited 10 and 9 have a lever that compresses the dustbin for easy ejection and space saving. Ajay Kumar/Zooey Liao/ CNET
Another notable feature on both models is the automatic suction adjustment, also known as Auto mode. This is a common feature, available on many vacuums today. You'll find it on the Piston Animal and more affordable cordless vacuums such as the Eureka ReactiSense 440, our best overall pick for cordless vacuums. The idea behind it is simple and time-saving: Rather than having to toggle your suction up and down to clean different surfaces, such as hardwood, tile and carpet, the vacuum manages that chore for you.
I found both of the Unlimited 9 and 10 models to be fairly responsive at recognizing new surfaces, automatically increasing suction when transitioning from hardwood floors to carpet or when detecting a messier area. You can still manually change the models using the controls and display with Eco mode, Auto mode and Turbo mode, which will have the expected impact on battery life.
The one downside I did notice for both models is that they don’t appear to stand up on their own, which is a simple but often overlooked feature I find convenient on cordless vacuums. There’s also no self-emptying charging station, which is another feature I’ve enjoyed on models I’ve tested, such as the Levoit Aero.
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