For the freedom of wire-free cleaning, the best cordless vacuum cleaners can’t be beaten. Also known as stick vacuum cleaners, a cordless model will make it easy to reach every corner of your home, and they even come with attachments to convert them into handheld vacuums for car interiors and the crevices of your sofa or stairs.

Each and every one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners in our guide has been tried and tested by the Ideal Home team. That’s why every model comes complete with a rating and score out of five, as well as some hands-on pros and cons. We tried these models in our own homes, so they’ve had to contend with clutter, pet hair, hard floors and carpet. That’s how we know they’re good enough to deserve a spot in your home, and while a lot of them come with our Ideal Home Approved badge, keep in mind that there are many vacuums that didn’t make the cut for our expert guide.

Some of the best cordless vacuum cleaners in our guide also feature in our guide to the best vacuum cleaners. While they may not be quite as powerful as a corded model, they more than make up for it in lightweight design, attachment selection, and convenient use. Keep reading for our top picks.

1. Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum overall

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.7 litres
Weight: 4.58 kg
Reasons to buy:
• Double up on batteries
• Shift from carpet to hard floors with ease
• Power designed for deep-cleaning
Reasons to avoid:
• It won’t stand upright

The Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner is a new drop from Shark, and it really blew us away when we put it to the test. First off, the PowerFins function means that rubber fins reach deep into carpets to pick up dust, crumbs, and scary amounts of deep-rooted pet hair with each and every pass. This is particularly good on carpet, but if you want to toggle to use on hard floors, you can use the smart display panel to switch over to a different floor type. That requires no switching out attachments, and there’s no need to even bend over.

We loved how easy it is to store this vacuum. It has a hinge in the middle which, with the press of a button, bends the stick forward to fold it in on itself securely. It will stand unsupported when packed away, but you can’t leave it standing up unsupported when you’re midway through using.

The control panel at the top of the Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner shows power levels and allows you to switch from Eco mode to regular and max power. It’s advertised to have 60 minutes of battery life, but that’s on Eco mode. On the regular setting we found that it lasted just over half an hour, which was still plenty impressive.

You can buy the Shark IZ300UKT for an added pet attachment, or the IZ320UK for two batteries. For all the bells and whistles, try the IZ320UKT. It has a pet attachment and two batteries, but other than that it’s the same vacuum as the IZ300UK.

Read our full Shark IZ300UK Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner review

2. Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum for battery life

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.8Ltrs
Weight: 2.9kg
Reasons to buy:
• Decent tool selection
• Pivots to reach under furniture
• One of the most powerful vacuums we’ve tested
Reasons to avoid:
• Switching out brush rolls is fiddly

The Beko Powerclean has a similar design to some of the best Shark vacuum cleaners, featuring an elbow feature that can bend down to reach under furniture without making you reach so far. It’s immensely powerful, too. There are three strength modes, but we found that we hardly needed to use the stronger settings because the lower mode was more than capable of tackling most messes.

With the Beko Powerclean, you get a good range of attachments, including the crevice tool, carpet and hard floor brushes, mini motorised brush head, flexible extension, and dusting tool. Switching out the tools is easy enough, but you need to twist a little screw attachment to remove the brush rolls and switch between hard floor and carpet. This takes a minute or so, but we also experienced that both carpet and hard floor attachments were versatile enough to do a good sweep of the entire home without switching.

The vacuum has a stand included, with a groove to hold the vacuum handle and charge it when not in use. Charging takes three hours, and the battery life is about 45 minutes. Controls work with a thumb trigger, and above this are the plus and minus buttons you’ll need to adjust strength.

From the LED headlights to the incredibly strong suction the Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner seriously wowed us. Unfortunately, it can be tricky to find it in stock. 

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Read our full Beko Powerclean VRT94929VI Cordless Vacuum Cleaner review

3. Vax ONEPWR Blade 4

Best cordless vacuum on a budget

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6L
Weight: 3.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Comfortable to use
• Impressive on high and low power modes
• Removable battery for east charging
Reasons to avoid:
• Small bin capacity

This stick-style cordless vacuum cleaner has a slight design difference to most of the vacuums in our guide: the cyclone cylinder sits sideways. But the thing that really stands out is its comfy grip. It’s perfectly shaped and has a soft touch. It feels nice enough in the hand that its 3.1kg weight doesn’t feel too heavy.

Buttons are under your thumb and responsive. One turns it on and off, another cycles between the two power settings (it remembers which one you were on last time) and the third turns on the floorhead’s powered brush and headlights.

It boasts triple filtration and runtime is quoted as 45 minutes but it will be much less on high power, using the floorhead. Its vacuuming was impressive on both power settings.

Tools are impressive too. It comes with a crevice nozzle and dusting brush, both of which are well designed. But at the time of writing it also came with a free Cordless ProKit 2 accessory pack.

This gives you an extendible, flexible crevice nozzle for tricky gaps, an upholstery tool, a stiff brush for tough dirt and a stretch hose so you can use the tools without the weight of the cleaner in your hand. The toolkit comes with a fabric storage bag too, but it would have been great if this could clip to the Vax.

The battery comes off and docks in a charger. And the Vax comes with a wall mount, so you can hang it up when not in use. Meanwhile, the 0.6-litre capacity dust canister isn’t large but it comes off easily and then is straightforward to empty.

We were really impressed with the Vax’s comfort, array of tools and cleaning performance for a mid-priced machine.

Ideal Home’s rating 5 out of 5 stars

4. Dyson V15 Detect

Best high-tech Dyson vacuum

Image credit: Dyson

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 1.75Ltrs
Weight: 3.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Amazing laser tech
• Display shows realtime cleaning stats
• Large dust tank
• Powerful attachments
Reasons to avoid:
• Trigger controls

The Dyson V15 Detect is Dyson’s latest entry into the cordless vacuum game, and while it’s a pricey one, it’s fair to say it wowed us in testing. For a start, the laser soft roller is a genius creation that illuminates dust and dirt that maybe be otherwise invisible, making for satisfying efficiency in picking up every last speck from your floor.

We also enjoyed the display, which shows a bar chart of the particles you’re picking up as you clean, and has information on the different sizes of each piece. We’ve got no idea how it figures that out, but it’s pretty cool.

Empyting is easy thanks to the ejector, and the motorised hard brush for carpets is also ace for getting deep into the fibres of your floors and picking up pet hair. Our one gripe is the trigger controls, because you need to press it down continuously when you clean. It’s not difficult whatsoever, but won’t be to everyone’s liking.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5. Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Best cordless vacuum for the power of a corded model

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6Ltrs
Weight: 6.2kg
Reasons to buy:
• Seriously high power
• Liftaway design for cleaning cars or stairs
• Capable of tackling the whole home
Reasons to avoid:
• Heavy design

We know it looks like many of Shark’s upright vacuum cleaners, but the Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is completely cordless, with all the power we’re used to seeing on corded alternatives. It’s got a front-facing dustbin that’s connected to the filter and battery, and you can lift this away to remove the cleaning unit from the stick and carry the vacuum up the stairs or out to the car.

For a cordless vacuum, the power is astounding. It was brilliant on pet hair, and while it’s definitely one of the heaviest options on the market, it’s up to heavy-duty work and could rival a corded vacuum in cleaning up the whole home. We found the control panel easy to toggle, and even the eco power mode, which is the lowest of the three settings, was plenty on tiled floors.

The brush head is a little clunky and it definitely lacks the nimble motions of stick vacuums, but if you want a cordless vacuum cleaner to stay on top of a busy home with different floor types, you’ll love how easily you can switch between hard and soft floors with the touch of a button.

Read our full Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner review

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

6. Dyson V11 Absolute

Best cordless vacuum for power

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.7ltrs
Weight: 2.97kg
Reasons to buy:
• Impressive runtime
• Very powerful
• Easy to empty
Reasons to avoid:
• A bit hefty

The Dyson V11 Absolute promises twice the suction (at the cleaner head) of any cordless vacuum cleaner. But it also costs twice as much as competitors. So is it worth the money?

We found that the 60-minute battery life holds true as advertised. Not only did it pick up the dirt we could see, it managed to catch a lot of invisible dust from carpets and even hard floors. We love the look, which is as high-quality as you would expect from an expensive Dyson vac. It doesn’t take the number one spot because it’s undeniably expensive compared to some other five-star options.

Attachments include a fluffy hard floor roller and four smaller accessories. The fluffy roller did well on wooden floors, but what we loved was the high torque floorhead which cuts back on power when working on hard floors and automatically increases it on carpets. You can monitor this with the bright display, which also shows how many minutes are left in your current mode. Not quite done? Just switch to a lower setting to make the most of your vacuum life.

Capacity is higher than ever and it’s easy to empty. But the run time and power controls are the stars of the show. If money’s no object, buy the V11: you won’t be disappointed.

Ideal Home’s rating 5 out of 5 stars

7. Roidmi RS60

Best cordless vacuum cleaner and mop combo

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.55 litres
Weight: 6.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Quiet use
• Smart LCD display
• Mop attachment
Reasons to avoid:
• Heavy and not the cheapest

A mop and cordless vacuum rolled into one, the Roidmi RS60 has a high-quality, weighty feel that isn’t burdensome, but does feel like it’s designed to last. Other attachments include a mattress cleaner, soft roller, and crevice tool. There’s even a pet brush, which is designed to literally suck up the hair from your pet as you brush it. A smart idea, if you can get your cat or dog to cooperate.

It has a medium-sized dustbin of 0.55 litres, which does require regular emptying, but is easy to eject once you’ve removed the stick attachment. One of the most impressive things was the battery life, which lasted over an hour in testing, making it more than adequate for large homes.

The LCD display shows which of the three power modes you’ve opted for, and when you’re done cleaning, it even displays the amount of calories burned. The on button is lower down than the button that you use to switch modes, which we did find a little fiddly, but it’s useful if you switch between different power modes on a regular basis. While it’s not cheap, it’s a quality pick.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Read our full Roidmi RS60 review

8. Dyson V11 Outsize

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for large homes

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 1.7ltrs
Weight: 3.5kg
Reasons to buy:
• Powerful suction
• Easy to manoever
• Large dust tank and floorhead
Reasons to avoid:
• Not great on rugs

The Dyson V11 Outsize has re-engineered the Absolute to include a 150% larger bin, 25% bigger cleaner head, with up to 60 minutes of runtime. It also offers 20% more suction compared to the V10, which was a popular model just a couple of years ago.

Our reviewer was impressed from the start since the vac arrived in packaging made from recyclable cardboard, and how easy it was to assemble. It also already arrives with 20% of it’s 60-minute battery life so if you just can’t wait to take the V11 Outsize for a walk around the home, then this allows you to do just that. We found that this battery life – when fully charged – was more than suffice for whipping around a 2-bed terraced home. You also have the ability to adjust the cleaning modes which can make a difference to the battery life, and noise level.

It performed exceptionally well on large rugs and hard flooring (with the soft roller head attached). The suction is really good and the larger floorhead helps to cover more ground, quickly. Turning to a smaller rug with a 60cm dia, however, the cordless vac either wanted to move it around or just grind to a halt.

Using with the attachments such as the mini motorized tool and combination tool were useful around the home, across all levels, but there are 11 tools in total to opt for to give you yet more freedom to clean. There is no way to store these attachments on board the stick vacuum cleaner, however, so finding some suitable cupboard space for this would be useful. And lifting up the vac to use as a handheld is slightly heavier than previous models because of the enlarged dust tank although it’s not too uncomfortable.

Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars

9. Bissell ICON 25V

Best designed cordless vacuum cleaner

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.4ltrs
Weight: 3.2kg
Reasons to buy:
• Impressive design details
• Versatile attachments
• Easy to mount on the dock
Reasons to avoid:
• Tricky to empty the bin

The Bissell ICON 25V really impressed us. It performs really well and the design includes impressive attention to detail.

Bright headlights on the floorhead illuminate cleaning. Run time is up to 50 minutes but it will be much less on high power. There are three power levels and the medium one is fine most of the time, but the vac doesn’t remember your last setting, it always starts at top whack, which reduces battery life.

The floorhead claims to beat the problem of hair tangles and we certainly didn’t manage to get it badly tangled. It’s also smaller than the Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT floorhead. The 0.4 litre bin isn’t the easiest to empty but it’s ok.

Weighing in at 3.2kg, the design is a top-heavy stick that converts to handheld. It comes with just one tool, a crevice nozzle that converts to a brush. That’s great: you only really need those two tools. Though ironically the designers have given you space to store multiple tools at the charging dock.

We were even bowled over by tiny design details. For example, built into the inside of the dock is a little spirit level, to make it very easy to mount the dock level. Another one: the tip of the crevice tool lights up when it’s in use. We could go on. It’s a mid-priced cleaner but the performance and design combine to impress.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

10. Dyson Micro 1.5kg

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for small homes

Image credit: Dyson

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.1Ltr
Weight: 1.5kg
Reasons to buy:
• Lightweight
• Glides across hard floors
• Impressive power
Reasons to avoid:
• Not for carpets

The Dyson Micro 1.5kg is part of a new fleet of cordless vacuum cleaners from Dyson. It’s the lightest and smallest cordless vacuum in this guide, and with an entry-level price when compared to other Dyson models. The vacuum is very powerful, and we were impressed with the way hair didn’t get stuck around the roller brush.

Attachments include a soft roller cleaner head, mini motorised tool, and combination tool. While there is no roller for carpets, the mini motorised tool worked well on rugs and car upholstery in testing. We found that the battery life was just shy of half an hour, which is a way off Dyson’s 50 minute promise, but because the vacuum glides so effortlessly across floors, it made quick work of kitchen floors and hallway dirt and dust.

While it’s probably not a top pick for large homes thanks to the small size of the dustbin, the Dyson Micro is well suited to flats and would also be a great pick for those who have an upright or canister vacuums for their heavy duty cleans, but want something for those midweek sweeps that can sit pretty when not in use.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Read our full Dyson Micro 1.5kg review

11. Vax Blade 32V

Best cordless vacuum cleaner for affordable power

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.6Ltrs
Weight: 3kg
Reasons to buy:
• Great for quick cleans and small homes
• Reminds us of the Dyson, at a much lower price
• The trigger doesn’t need to be held down
Reasons to avoid:
• No charging wall bracket included

The Vax Blade 32V’s cyclonic stick design is reminiscent of Dyson handhelds, but the chamber is horizontal. Tip it to one side and press a button to empty. Twist the other side to remove the washable filter.

Handling is similar to the Dyson V11 Absolute in terms of size, feel and excellent manoeuvrability. But it comes with just one big brush head and two detail tools (a brush and a crevice tool). Fewer tools then, less to store, but we miss the Dyson V11 Absolute’s soft head for hard floors.

The trigger is under your thumb and you just press it once, you don’t have to hold it down. Lights indicate charge and there are two extra buttons: one turns boost mode off (the default is on, which increases suction but halves battery life), the other makes the brush bar spin (the default is off).

Cleaning is impressive. It could replace the main vacuum cleaner in a small home and is superb for stairs and quick clean-ups.

Again it’s too top-heavy to stand up on its own. It comes with a very simple wall bracket that doesn’t include the charger – you’ll have to plug it in each time.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

12. Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT

Best workhorse cordless vacuum

Bagged or bagless? Bagless
Dust tank capacity: 0.4Ltrs
Weight: 4.1kg
Reasons to buy:
• Great for tangle-free cleaning
• Easy storage
• Plenty of attachments
Reasons to avoid:
• Lacking in maneuverability

The Shark Anti Hair Wrap IZ251UKT is big and heavy (4.1kg) enough that you might forget it’s cordless. So although it’s a top-heavy stick design, you won’t be waving it around. But you’ll also forget because the cleaning power is impressive. Its multi-stage powered floorhead whips up dust and hairs brilliantly and boasts ok headlights.

Battery life is up to 40 minutes and we tested the pet version that comes with two batteries, so you can double it. It also comes with a host of accessories, but that isn’t necessarily a good thing: where are you supposed to store them? There’s a crevice nozzle, brush, upholstery tool, an adjustable thin wand that’s good for getting behind radiators and under furniture, and because it’s the pet model a small motorised turbo brush too.

The bulky floorhead does a great job of cleaning: the combination of powered brushes seems to lift everything. They’re also designed not to get tangled with long hairs and our test bore this out. There are two power settings under your thumb, one for hard floors and one for carpets. But you can also pull a trigger with your index finger for a temporary power boost.

Just as impressive was storage: push a button halfway down the tube and the whole vac folds in half so you can stow it away in a cupboard.

It makes a good handheld vac too, and the dust canister is easy to empty once you remove the tube to convert it. But with the tube, we found the machine too heavy for it to feel easy in the hand for cobwebs.

In all, with two batteries and powerful cleaning, it makes a good replacement for a corded upright cleaner. You don’t have to plug it in but it’s not really lighter or more manoeuvrable than a corded model.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

13. Halo Capsule Vacuum

Best lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner

Bagged or bagless? Bagged
Dust tank capacity: 1.6Ltrs
Weight: 2.6kg
Reasons to buy:
• Very lightweight
• Generous tank size
• Ideal dustbin for those who want a bagged vacuum
Reasons to avoid:
• Fiddly to control

This new contender has an unusual design, with a lightweight (2.6kg) carbon fibre body and curvaceous styling. The handle is unusually positioned at the top too.

It’s a stick-style cleaner with a powered floorhead (no headlights) and two tools: a crevice nozzle and a dusting brush. They push on to the cleaner with the tube for cobwebs and awkward corners, or straight onto the body for use as a handheld vac.

It’s a bagged cleaner with a decent capacity of 1.6 litres. It comes with 53 compostable paper bags, enough to last years. The run time is up to 60 minutes, but will be much less on high power, using the floorhead.

The controls are good. A power button under your thumb turns it on and it always starts at the middle one of the three power settings. You press the other yellow button to cycle between them. This works well as you rarely need the top setting and the low setting is a bit weedy.

The thin blue button in between turns the powered brushes of the floorhead on. Every time you turn the vac on, you have to push this again. That’s a bit annoying.

Also annoying is the way the floorhead easily clicks to lock at 90 degrees… this top-heavy cleaner can’t stand up by itself, so what’s the point? It’s annoying when it happens mid-cleaning.

But the floorhead cleans well, with and without the brushes spinning. And we love the fact that the Halo Capsule is lightweight. Even the charger is petite. It leaves us wishing that the tube was in two pieces, so that the whole cleaner could pack down into a small kitchen cupboard: that would be novel.

Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Everything you need to know about buying a cordless cleaner

What are the different types of cordless vacuum?

• Stick vacuum cleaners are handhelds that you add a wand to, to extend the reach – then add a brush head to clean floors or a smaller tool for cobwebs and other hard-to-reach spots. They’re fast, manoeuvrable and good for getting under furniture. But the weight is all in your hand, which can be tiring after a while. They often can’t stand up by themselves if you want to pause to move something.
• 2-in-1 upright vacuum cleaners look more like traditional upright vacuum cleaners. The weight is fairly low down, but the middle section pops out and doubles as a handheld cleaner for small stuff. Often the upright’s handle also pops off and doubles as a wand, giving the handheld extra reach for high-up stuff like cobwebs.

How much should I spend on a cordless vacuum?

Image credit: Vax

Budget around £150 for a good-quality cordless with decent cleaning power. But you can spend more than three times as much on premium models. More money can buy you powerful suction, longer battery life or better tools.

Some of the best cordless vacuums we tested came in at the £250 mark. If you can afford it though, it’s worth spending the extra money. More power and longer battery lives will pay off in the long-run, and the convenience of a cordless vacuum won’t be outweighed by limited power.

What other key questions do I need to ask about cordless vacuums?

Bagged vs bagless? 

It’s a tricky choice. On the one hand, bagless vacuums reduce the environmental impact and the expense of buying vacuum bags, only to throw them away. However, removing dirt from a bagless vacuum isn’t without its challenges. Hair can get wrapped around the filter and you’ll likely let off a bit of a dust cloud. Of course, brands like Dyson are constantly developing solutions to this. The new Dyson range has ejector technology that makes emptying the dustbin completely hands-free. For this tech though, you will have to pay.

Charging your cordless vacuum

It can take anywhere from three to six hours to charge a cordless vacuum in-between uses. If you plan on using it as your main vacuum cleaner, you need to opt for one with the battery life to make it through your home before you have to recharge, or you’ll have to go back later for different rooms.

Some cordless vacuums come with replaceable batteries, meaning you can switch out for a new, fully-charged battery if the one you’re using dies. We did text every vacuum in this guide for battery life, the most successful being the Dyson V11 Absolute with a mighty 60 minutes.

The post Best cordless vacuum cleaners 2022: top stick vacuum reviews appeared first on Ideal Home.

So much has changed in the way we use our kitchens over the last decade. But there’s something reassuring in how galley kitchen ideas always adapt to the create a new-found sense of space, and function. The galley kitchen layout works well for most styles and is a practical choice for even the smallest spaces.

Named after a ship’s kitchen, galleys were originally designed to be compact, ergonomic and ultra-efficient, maximising every inch of space for both storage and preparation. Professional kitchens also follow a similar linear plan with rows of cookers or hobs divided into specific stations for prepping different types of dishes.

Where there’s room for a parallel run of units – a double galley – you can introduce the classic working triangle. This involves arranging the key task zones of fridge, cooker and sink at three separate points so that it’s easy to flit from one to the other..

Galley kitchen ideas

‘A single galley kitchen is perfect for smaller spaces,’ says Lizzie Beesley, Head of Design at Magnet. ‘This layout features a row of cabinets on one wall with free space on the other. If you’re looking for small galley kitchen designs, it’s worth considering a single layout.’

‘Larger kitchen areas benefit from a double galley layout, which offers plenty of storage for the floor space,’ adds Lizzie. ‘A double design features cabinets on both sides of the room with free space on either end.’

A double galley is not only a successful layout in narrow rooms that would struggle to accommodate U-shaped kitchen ideas, but have enough width to take two rows of units. It’s a winning format that’s popular in open-plan spaces too, with a long island providing a second leg and creating a sociable seating area and a natural boundary for the kitchen zone at the same time.

Take a look at our stylish ideas to make the most of your space and plan a kitchen layout to perfection.

1. Keep a single galley sleek and streamlined

Image credit: IKEA

Glossy, modern units work well in a single galley kitchen layout, as the run of sleek, streamlined cabinets creates the optical illusion of more space. Light-reflective surfaces help to bounce light around the room, great for small kitchen ideas. This effect instantly makes tight and narrow spaces feel bigger and brighter.

Neat handleless cupboards keep the area minimal and smart – with no protruding door pulls or drawer knobs to catch on when you’re working or passing through. Continue the minimalist style by keeping worktops as free of clutter as possible, with neat wall-hung utensil rails to keep tools out of the way.

2. Enjoy extra prep space with a double galley

Image credit: Future PLC/Matt Antrobus

Where there’s room for a parallel run of units – a double galley – you can introduce the classic working triangle. This involves arranging the key task zones of fridge, cooker and sink at three separate points so that it’s easy to flit from one to the other.

‘Galley kitchens definitely aren’t a disadvantage in your home,’ says Lizzie Beesley, Head of Design at Magnet. ‘They give you the perfect space to create a working triangle, which keeps all of your essentials at an easy-to-reach distance. Plenty of professional kitchens use a galley design to optimise efficiency.’

3. Work a galley kitchen into an open-plan living space

Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles

The trusty linear layout of a galley kitchen has been adapted to suit today’s large, open-plan living spaces. The basic design principal is the same (with two parallel runs of units) but an open-plan layout features a wall-hugging galley run, plus a long island unit running parallel. The island acts as a divider between the dining or living area beyond and is a clever way of zoning an open-plan space.

This stylish space has everything – streamlined surfaces for food prep, integrated appliances at practical levels, plus a breakfast bar for quick and easy meals. Beyond it, there’s plenty more space for a seating area or a formal dining table set up.

4. Create flow with flooring

Image credit: Mereway

Create flow in a narrow galley kitchen by laying directional flooring. Timber boards or linear tiles laid running the length of the kitchen will make a galley run look longer and create a natural walkway through the space. Herringbone and chevron patterns or long-line planks will all help draw the eye along or try using square tiles laid diagonally to evoke a feeling of roominess.

5. Stretch your space with a side extension

Image credit: Future PLC/Fraser Marr

Side return extensions and galley kitchens are a perfect recipe for success. The extra footage gained by extending out to the side gives ample space for a single or double galley kitchen layout, plus extra living space that can be utilised for a dining table or seating area.

A long bank of floor-to-ceiling units running along one wall gives maximum space for storage and integrated appliances and helps maintain a sense of flow between indoors and out. Centrally, a longline island gives plenty of worktop prep space and creates a divide between the dining/living area, without blocking any valuable light.

6. Make the space more sociable

Image credit: Future PLC

Going for an island galley with a breakfast bar is a great idea if you like to be sociable, as you can cook and entertain at the same time. You’ll find that people will naturally gravitate to the central unit, especially when it’s illuminated with statement lighting.

A large, mirrored splash back is a clever design feature, as not only will it bounce light around the room, but will allow the chef to remain part of the conversation, even when they have to turn their back to their guests!

7. Choose vertical storage to make more of space

Image credit: Wren Kitchens

‘If you need to incorporate extra storage for your kitchen consider placing long, tall cabinets on one wall and leaving the workspace on the other side open, which should mean you don’t feel like the units are towering over you,’ says Darren Watts, Wren Kitchens Design Director.

‘Alternatively, extending overhead wall cabinets high up, close to the ceiling, can add extra storage space without infringing on the rest of the kitchen.’

8. Squeeze in a seating area

Image credit: B&Q

Don’t rule out having a seating area in a narrow galley kitchen. Often there’s space for a small dining table or a mini breakfast bar at the end of a run of units.

Choose compact, space-saving furniture that won’t take up too much floor space. A small, circular bistro-style table takes up less space than a square or rectangular design. Or consider a gateleg table that can be folded up when not in use, or a wall-mounted drop-leaf table that tucks neatly against a wall.

9. Lose cupboards for open shelving

Image credit: Future PLC/Rachael Smith

Swap bulky wall units for a long run of open shelving on one side of a galley kitchen. Wall-to-wall units on both sides of a galley can create a ‘corridor’ effect that crowds the space and makes the kitchen feel dark and enclosed.

Position shelving just above the kitchen splash back to give a neat finish and provide a display area for decorative kitchen items. Matching splash back colour to worktops will give a sleek, uninterrupted finish that will make walls recede visually. Choose a pale light-reflective colour to enhance the sense of spaciousness.

10. Stretch space with a tiled splash back

Image credit: Future PLC/Jo Henderson

Add width to galley kitchen splash backs by choosing longline tiles that help to stretch the space visually. Herringbone format wall tiles create lines that draw the eye outwards and along, making the splash back feel longer and wider. Choose pale tiles in a glossy finish that will reflect light and further extend the feeling of spaciousness.

11. Incorporate a plate rack

Image credit: Future PLC/Lizzie Orme

Wall-to-wall cabinets on both sides of a galley kitchen can make it feel dark and crowded if you’re not careful. Break up a long expanse of wall units by adding a run of feature shelving. Wooden plate racks above a sink area add contrast against grey units and give a handy spot to dry crockery.

12. Look up to create height

Image credit: Howdens

Pale colours and light-reflecting finishes will make a narrow, galley kitchen feel bigger, by bouncing light around the space. But this doesn’t mean that darker colours have to be ruled out completely. Using a darker colour on base units gives the layout definition, and adding a lighter colour on top units draws the eye upwards and makes the kitchen feel naturally brighter and more open.

‘Be a rule breaker and go for darker tones, such as navy or charcoal, in your layout,’ says Tori Summers Director of Design, Product & Innovation at Howdens. ‘These hues deliver maximum impact, no matter what square footage you have, making them great for creating a striking design. Balance dark tones by opting for lighter colours on other features, like counters and floors.’

13. Add wow with a statement splash back

Image credit: LimeLace

‘While too much detail can be overpowering, incorporating a feature wall or a patterned backsplash is a great way to add depth to a galley kitchen,’ says Darren Watts, Wren Kitchens Design Director. ‘Consider placing coloured tiles along the space between your worktop and your cupboards.’

‘Alternatively, hanging a mirror or bold piece of artwork on the end wall is a great way to show off your personality in your kitchen, and tie your theme from one side to the other.’

14. Keep appliances out of sight

Image credit: LochAnna Kitchens

A thoughtful kitchen appliance layout is key to any good design, especially a narrow galley kitchen. Keeping appliances hidden away out of sight will help make a galley kitchen feel more sleek and streamlined. A mix of different doors, finishes and control panels can feel chaotic in a very tight space, so integrating them in kitchen cabinets or concealing in a cupboard will give a flush finish and uninterrupted look.

Save space at the end of a run of units in a galley kitchen by stacking a tumble drier on top of a washing machine. Stacking kits let you stack one appliance on top of the other and include a central pull-out shelf to make sorting clothes easier.

15. Focus lighting on key prep spaces

Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles

Good lighting is essential in a galley kitchen as lack of windows and natural light can make the space feel dark. Use a combination of overhead kitchen lighting ideas and focused task lighting to highlight key areas. Consider under-cabinet lighting, discreetly hidden out of sight, which will illuminate work spaces so there are no dark spots or shadowy areas.

16. Keep it simple

Image credit: Future PLC

Sleek modern units work well in a galley kitchen layout, as the run of glossy cabinets create the optical illusion of more space. Then neat handleless cupboards keep the area minimal and smart – with no knobs or bars to catch on when you’re working. Continue the minimalist style by keeping worktops as free of clutter as possible, and integrating appliances – ideally behind closed doors.

17. Go for a generous galley in open spaces

Image credit: Future PLC

A galley kitchen needn’t mean you’re limited for space. Widen the gap of this linear layout to suit today’s large, open-plan kitchen plot. If you have the space use it to widen the gap between the base units. The space is still benefitting from the practical layout of two parallel runs of units but with the extra width the design won’t feel restrictive.

18. Create a practical flow

Image credit: Future PLC

Here, wide, handleless units and wood flooring work in unison to lead the eye down towards a glass door, which in turn leads out to the garden path. This makes the space feel less restricted despite it being relatively compact, and strengthens the link between indoor and outdoor living. Even thought has been put into the exterior door – a sliding version that can be pushed back out of sight won’t interfere with the flow.

19. Mirror your design

Image credit: Future PLC

Galley kitchen styles work just as well in country schemes as modern. This quaint kitchen space is bright and fresh with neutral walls and cabinetry, but rustic additions inspired by shabby chic decorating ideas, like a butler sink and open dresser-style shelving, give the space typical farmhouse charm.

Vintage accessories like wooden hooks and wicker storage are pretty yet practical storage solutions that will keep clutter down and make it easier to cook.

20. Stick to a single design to optimise space

Image credit: Future PLC

Side return kitchen extensions and single galley designs are a perfect recipe as the small space can be optimised for storage and light. Here, a pale colour palette and reflective surfaces exploit the sky lights to the max, while the exposed brick wall adds an interesting urban edge to the look.

21. Go all white to open up a narrow space

Image credit: Future PLC

Galleys are a good budget choice, as by using clean lines and crisp design, you don’t need to spend a fortune to create a functional and stylish kitchen. A all-white scheme can disguise basic units and creates a bright and polished finish. A pretty voile blind will soften the look, while subtle pops of colour can be easily added and changed by way of foliage, fruit and small appliances. The completed look is simple and practical with a clean Nordic feel.

How do I make my galley kitchen more functional?

Long, skinny and with limited space on both sides, get the best out of a galley kitchen by arranging the ‘work triangle’ of hob, sink and fridge with two working areas on one side of the kitchen and the third on the other, roughly centred between the two.

Avoid too many tall cabinets in a galley kitchen as they can overpower the space and make the kitchen feel dark and crowded. Instead of placing them haphazardly, position any tall cabinets at one end of a galley run with tall items like the fridge and freezer close by for a cohesive look.

What is the best colour for a galley kitchen?

Narrow galley kitchens benefit from pale light-reflecting colours, but that doesn’t necessarily mean an all-white kitchen is the only option. Soft shades, like sage green, duck egg or soft neutrals work well in a small kitchen. Try using a single colour across the kitchen on both walls and units so that the eye sees it as one continuous space.

Will you be using these galley kitchen ideas to redesign your kitchen space?

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