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A handheld vacuum makes quick cleanups effortless, saving you time and energy when life gets messy. Whether it's pet hair on the couch or crumbs in the car, it's a small tool that makes a big difference in your daily routine.
We designed true-to-life assessments to evaluate 11 of the year's most popular handheld models. Our tests cover a wide range of messes and locations so we can uncover which vacuums can clean best in certain situations, depending on your needs.
Our favorite handheld vacuum, and the one we'd recommend to most shoppers, is the Black+Decker Furbuster AdvanceClean+. With powerful suction, super easy maintenance, and a motorized brushroll head that whisks away pet hair, this vacuum was a standout not just for its excellent cleaning performance, but also for its battery life and ease of use.
Black+Decker also makes our favorite budget model, the Black+Decker HHVI320JR02. It's lightweight, good with tough messes, and less than half the price of the Furbuster, though it doesn't perform as well on pet hair.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on April 8, 2025, adding new products like the Black+Decker Furbuster and Black+Decker dustbuster 8V to the lineup. In addition, we updated our test media to show more of our results firsthand.
For a handheld that delivers high performance across the board, you can't do better than the Black+Decker Furbuster AdvanceClean+. It's able to handle any size mess, from fine dust to large cereal, making it an unstoppable cleaning force. “It feels unusually powerful for a handheld vacuum, resulting in quicker cleanups compared to others I have tested,” noted our lead review, Rachael. The additional motorized attachment helped this model shine in our pet hair testing, where it removed 99% of the real fur we massaged into the carpet, making it a great choice for pet owners. The relatively large 0.7-liter dustbin minimizes interruptions for emptying during cleaning, but a simple button makes emptying incredibly easy, nonetheless. The build is sturdy and feels high quality, but Black+Decker warrants the vacuum for two years, just in case.
“While I found it was comfy to wield, its body is a little bulkier than some other handhelds,” noted Rachael. At 2.7 pounds, it's slightly heavier than average, but that didn't hinder usability. However, despite a 9-inch integrated crevice tool, its nozzle angle and body size limit reach into low gaps like under car seats to only a few usable inches. But testers noted that “the suction is powerful enough that, despite being a bit cumbersome, it delivered a pretty good clean in our hard-to-reach testing.” At $100, it wasn't the most expensive of the handheld vacuums we tested, but that can be a sticker shock for such a small cleaner. If you don't have any pets, the Black+Decker HHVI320JR02 performed well in our other cleaning tests but only costs half the price.
If you're on a tight budget, consider the Black+Decker HHVI320JR02. Despite its low price, we were pleasantly surprised by this vacuum's performance on tough messes. “It removed nearly 100% of the oats I poured onto car and couch upholstery, and it sucked up larger debris like Mini-Wheats with ease,” noted Austin. It's easy to use and features a 0.61-liter dust bin that's straightforward to empty. The integrated crevice tool and flip-up brush mean that your attachments are always on hand and are impossible to lose, another design feature we appreciate. In tight spaces like the gap beneath an oven or car seat, the crevice tool gives you 5.5 inches of usable reach, better than many of the other handhelds we tested. And the vacuum as a whole is lightweight and ergonomic to work with, great for those who may not have the muscle to carry larger products.
The JR02 picked up about 90% of the pet fur during testing. However, only about half made it into the bin while the other was stuck in the bristles. A tester remarked, “The brush works well to remove fur from carpet, but the job doesn't feel done if I still have to clean the brush.” It has an average battery life of around 15 minutes, but it takes an inordinate 13.5 hours to recharge, meaning you can really only use this vacuum once a day. It can also be quite noisy and struggles to get dirt out of smaller cracks and crevices. Despite these weaknesses, its performance on tough messes and its reasonable price make it a great budget buy. We also like the Black+Decker HHVI315JO42 as an affordable option for light-duty dusting tasks, but like its sibling, it doesn't excel with pet hair, and it has mediocre battery life.
The Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL has a unique design that makes it stand out from the competition: It has an integrated four-foot hose that you can unwind to give you better access to tight spaces such as car interiors, under furniture, or inside cabinets. Thanks to its long bristles, it does well at cleaning dust and dirt from most areas, including stubborn corners. “It works great on softer upholstery like couches and cushions, and I easily whisked away my chosen large debris, Mini-Wheat cereal,” mentioned one of our testers. Despite lacking a motorized brush tool, it cleaned about 97% of the pet hair we laid out, but it did take longer to complete compared to the top winner in this test, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.
At 3.1 pounds, the Flex Vac is heavier than most competitors, and it requires two-handed use, although it felt intuitive for us to use. “I was able to put the vacuum body down when I was targeting a specific area for an extended time, and the hose is long enough that I could clean my car interior or a set of kitchen cabinets without moving the vacuum more than a few times,” one tester mentioned as a compromise. Lastly, the bristles are effective on softer upholstery but would benefit from increased stiffness to better agitate tougher material like car floors. This handheld is an excellent choice for detail-oriented cleaners who want to easily get into tight areas while still enjoying good performance across the board.
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser is the product we recommend for pet owners. The motorized brush tool works wonders on upholstery and carpet, sucking up 99% of fur in our lab tests. “It made cleaning feel almost effortless and surprisingly fast,” mentioned one vacuum specialist. “No more going over the same spot numerous times, struggling to grab every strand.” It has a long battery life for a handheld, with over 20 minutes of run time and a large, 0.7-liter dustbin, providing a good combination for extended cleaning sessions.
While it achieved close to 100% cleaning of oats on car and couch upholstery, the intake of the nozzle wasn't big enough to suck up our largest test material, Mini-Wheat cereal. Many other handhelds struggle with larger debris, but the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus has a big intake opening and did well in our tough mess tests if you think you'll come across a lot of bigger crumbs and debris in your house.
Though the crevice tool gives almost 6 inches of extra reach, the Pet Hair Eraser didn't do particularly well in tight spaces, meaning that it may not be the best choice for those who prefer a super thorough clean. “I also noticed that it's a bit loud, and at 2.6 pounds, it's slightly heavy for a handheld vacuum,” one tester alluded to. Ultimately, it does a fantastic job on pet hair and a decent job elsewhere, and we'd recommend it to anyone with particularly fluffy friends. If you're after great performance on pet hair and don't want to make sacrifices elsewhere, we'd recommend reverting to our Editor's Choice, the Black+Decker Furbuster. It's pricier than the Pet Hair Eraser, but it performs better across nearly all our metrics.
The Bissell AeroSlim is a sleek, stylish handheld vacuum that's compact enough to leave in your car and good-looking enough to leave on your kitchen counter. It's the lightest and smallest of the handhelds we tested, but it still packs enough of a punch to tackle quick cleanups. “In my dusting test, the Aeroslim performed well on open surfaces, but I found it particularly thrived in corners and on baseboards, where the nozzle's long bristles helped loosen dust so it could be easily whisked away,” noted our lead tester, Rachael.
The slim profile of the vacuum lends itself to use in tight spaces, and the 2-in-1 crevice tool and dusting brush give you the tools to get the job done. Its battery provides just over 15 minutes of runtime, and it recharges in 2.8 hours, a pretty good ratio as handheld vacuums go. The integrated USB port makes charging super easy, another reason this would be a great option for cars, campers, or trailers. When they're not in use, the vacuum body and tools are both stored on a minimalist stand, which keeps things tidy without adding any bulk.
Because of its size, the Aeroslim does have some limitations. It doesn't come with a motorized attachment, and it's not especially powerful, so its performance on pet hair was lackluster. Its nozzle was too slender to suck in the Mini-Wheats in our tough messes testing, so it's not suitable for use with larger debris. And its tiny 0.1 liter dustbin will need to be emptied more often than the other handhelds on our list. We considered it an excellent supplemental option: keep one of these in the car, kitchen, or office, and you can probably prolong breaking out the big vacuum a lot longer. But if you routinely have to tackle larger or heavy-duty cleaning tasks, we recommend checking out other options in our lineup. While the Black+Decker HHVI320JR02 isn't as small or elegant, it's lightweight, comparably priced, and performs better than the Aeroslim on our tougher cleaning tests.
This petite vacuum is a great budget pick if you are looking for something for light messes or to leave in a car.
Credit: Laura Casner
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How We Tested
We've tested hundreds of vacuum cleaners over the last decade, so when it came to the 11 handheld models in this review, we had some specific expectations in mind. We start with the tough messes, testing crushed oats on car carpet and couch cushions, plus Mini-Wheat cereal on hardwood to test their ability to suck up larger debris. For hard-to-reach areas—like car consoles or under appliances—we built tight test setups and used included crevice tools, checking how much reach and access each vacuum truly offered. For dusting, we used flour and coffee grounds to mimic particles from fine dust to gritty debris, adding static to plastic surfaces to simulate how dust clings. Coffee grounds in corners and on baseboards stood in for heavier dirt in tricky spots. We timed each clean and scored based on thoroughness and efficiency.
We also tested battery life by running each vacuum from full charge to empty, noting any drop in power toward the end. Recharge time was measured as well, since some models take longer than expected to be ready again. In terms of convenience, we rated each vacuum's weight, dustbin size, ease of emptying, and included attachments. For pet hair tests, we rubbed fur into car carpet, then timed the cleanup and noted how much hair ended up in the dustbin versus stuck in the brush. All of these metrics work together to provide a comprehensive look at the overall performance of a handheld vacuum:
Tough Messes (20% of overall score weighting)
Hard-to-Reach Areas (20% weighting)
Dusting (20% weighting)
Battery Life (15% weighting)
Convenience (15% weighting)
Pet Hair (10% weighting)
We run each handheld vacuum through multiple tests for each metric.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Why Trust GearLab
At GearLab, we never accept free samples from manufacturers; we purchase every product we test and review. Our testing process is designed to be rigorous, standardized, and true-to-life. Our handheld vacuum team is lead by Austin Palmer. He is a veteran at critically analysing consumer products, having tested over 700 different products over the past few years. Austin has spent more than 500 hours evaluating vacuums of all types, from upright to stick vacuums and robot vac models to the handhelds in this review.
In the most recent update of this review, Rachael Lamore and Zora Thomas joined the team. As our Review Analyst, Rachael helps select our testing metrics and designs hyper-realistic tests for each of them. Her scientific background gives her a keen eye for detail and a rigorous sense of consistency and thoroughness, all of which guide our testing process. Zora's writing career has included scientific research and long-form journalism, through which she cultivated a meticulous, holistic approach to research and reporting.
Testing the maximum reach of each product.
Unfortunately, the Pet Hair Eraser doesn't come with a brush attachment.
We're happy to get our hands dirty to find the best tool to keep your house clean.
Analysis and Test Results
We selected our handheld vacuum cadre after extensively studying what makes a good handheld vacuum. Our six testing metrics cover all the most important aspects of a handheld's performance, and we weighted each metric according to users' real-life priorities.
What's the Best Value?
If you want a handheld vacuum but have limited funds, the Black+Decker HHVI320JR02 is a good budget option that comes in just under $50. Despite its budget-friendly price, it tackles tough messes surprisingly well and comes equipped with thoughtful features—a generously sized, easy-to-empty dustbin, a built-in crevice tool, and a flip-up brush that saves us time around the house. For the convenience it offers, it more than earns its keep. The Bissell AeroSlim also provides good value, though we favor it as a niche tool, rather than a primary cleaner. Its compact design and USB charging make it perfect for vehicles, ADUs, or rooms that rarely see heavy-duty messes.
We enjoyed the simplicity when it comes to using the HHVI320JR02, never making it difficult to dump out the dust bin.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Tough Messes
We want to know that these tools can tackle something substantial despite their small stature. To simulate real-world messes we'd actually use a handheld for, we spread crushed oats on car carpets and couch cushions. Each vacuum had 20 seconds to clean, noting its cleaning characteristics to give a clear picture of its capabilities. We also tested each model with Mini-Wheat cereal to see how it handled larger debris.
Tough Messes Performance Ratings
Product
Car Carpet Debris
Couch cushion Debris
Large Debris
Black+Decker Furbuster AdvancedClean+
9.5
9.0
7.0
BLACK+DECKER HHVI320JR02
8.0
8.0
9.0
BLACK+DECKER CHV1410L
8.0
8.0
9.0
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus
8.0
8.0
9.0
BLACK+DECKER 20V Max Pivot BDH2000PL
8.0
6.0
8.0
BLACK+DECKER HHVI315JO42
5.0
7.0
9.0
BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser
9.0
9.0
2.0
BLACK+DECKER Flex Vac BDH2020FL
4.0
7.0
9.0
Black+Decker dustbuster 8V
7.5
5.0
7.0
Shark Wandvac
2.0
4.0
7.0
BISSELL AeroSlim
4.0
6.0
2.0
The Furbuster AdvanceClean+ leads the pack in this metric, though the Shark UltraCyclone, BLACK+DECKER CHV1410L, and BLACK+DECKER HHVI320JR02 weren't far behind. All four models smoothly handled the oats on both surfaces, providing near-perfect cleans in the allotted 20 seconds.
What set the Furbuster apart was its ability to remove not just oat flakes but also the finer dust that tends to cling to surfaces. When tested with larger debris like mini-wheats—a challenge that tripped up some of our other vacuums—all four succeeded. The lower three had no trouble with clearance, while the Furbuster managed, but only just.
The Furbuster's motorized brushroll uses a spinning roller to agitate upholstery fibers and loosen clinging dirt. While it occasionally flung debris on couch cushions, it still delivered a near-perfect clean.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
When it came to cleaning oats, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser performed similarly to the Furbuster—likely thanks to their shared use of motorized attachments. However, the Bissell lost points in our large debris test due to its limited clearance, which prevented it from picking up the Mini-Wheat cereal. If you're okay grabbing larger pieces by hand, that may not be a dealbreaker. The Pivot's design, with its flush, narrow nozzle meant to fold compactly for storage, seemed like it would struggle with big debris—but surprisingly, it managed to clear the cereal with just enough clearance.
Before TestingAfter Testing
The Max Pivot continued to picked up the bigger debris like the oat flakes in our test, but left behind some dust seen in the photo.
Black+Decker's dustbuster 8V and HHVI315JO42 delivered slightly above-average performances. The J042 sucked up the Mini-Wheats without any issue, but it did a lackluster job collecting oats, leaving multiple flakes behind. The dustbuster 8V, on the other hand, did pretty well with smaller debris, picking up nearly all the oats on both car carpet and couch cushions, but it left a film of dust behind, resulting in a surface that didn't feel completely clean. The Mini-Wheats proved tough for the dustbuster 8V to tackle; it could pick them up only in a perfect orientation, so you may have to turn the vacuum when you come across bigger crumbs and messes.
Which handhelds can handle a mini wheat? The intake on our cheapest option, the Black+Decker dustbuster 8V, was just wide enough to pick up the cereal.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The two compact models in our review landed at the bottom of the rankings—which came as no surprise—but between them, the Bissell AeroSlim stood out from the Shark Wandvac for its stronger performance on car carpets and couch cushions.
The Shark Wandvac doesn't do well with embedded dirt stuck in your upholstery. Here's the results from our oats test on car carpeting.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Hard-to-Reach Areas
Handheld vacuums can easily go where larger vacuums can't– that's why they're so convenient for cleaning cars, cabinets, and other tough-to-reach areas. But to be effective tools in these contexts, they often need to get into tight nooks and crannies. We cleaned out a sliding window track to assess performance in tall, narrow spaces, like the gap between a fridge and its neighboring cabinet. To see how well the vacuums clean under furniture, we used a shelving unit with a three-inch gap between the base shelf and the floor, then measured how far each one could effectively clean underneath.
The Flex Vac was the undisputed champion in tight spaces, owing mostly to 4-foot hose. It vacuums as far as you can reach into a low-ceilinged cavity–almost three feet in our tests! Thanks to a skinny crevice attachment, it also excelled at cleaning debris out of the window track.
The hose of the Flex Vac is the key to reaching tight areas with ease. While most handhelds are limited by the dust bin, wanting to jam it into areas it simply cannot fit, the hose is like a slender snake that can sneak into those tight areas like between your car seat and console.
The Flex Vac's hose was one of the most-loved design features in this review, and it made it super easy to clean those tight corners as well.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser, BLACK+DECKER CHV1410L, and BLACK+DECKER HHVI320JR02 all did reasonably well in confined spaces. The Pet Hair Eraser easily cleared the window slide, while the 410L's nozzle was a little too wide, necessitating a bit of maneuvering to get a good angle. The JR02 had the same problem, but overall, they each achieved a decent clean.
Tight spaces were the Achilles heel of the Black+Decker Furbuster AdvanceClean+. This vacuum is noticeably bulkier than many of the handhelds we tested, and while its larger size gives it the capacity for good performance and longer battery life, it can struggle to get into corners and niches, despite its integrated crevice tool. Luckily, its suction was powerful enough that it still provided an adequate clean on our tests.
We loved the Furbuster, but its bulky body can be a little tough to maneuver in cramped spaces.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Dusting
Despite its lightness, dust is actually a challenging mess for vacuums because it can become stubbornly affixed to all types of surfaces. To simulate this, we used a plastic board, statically charged it by rubbing it with a wool cloth, and then spread flour on it, recreating dusty, matted areas that we often overlook. We also compared how effectively each product cleaned coffee grounds off a narrow ledge — like a baseboard — and inside a tight corner to ensure your cleaning tool can handle difficult locations.
Dusting Performance Ratings
Product
Surface
Baseboard + Corner
BLACK+DECKER Furbuster AdvancedClean+
8.5
9.0
BLACK+DECKER Flex Vac BDH2020FL
8.0
9.0
BLACK+DECKER 20V Max Pivot BDH2000PL
8.0
8.0
BISSELL AeroSlim
6.0
8.0
BLACK+DECKER HHVI315JO42
8.0
5.0
BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser
7.0
5.0
Shark Wandvac
4.0
8.0
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus
6.0
5.0
BLACK+DECKER HHVI320JR02
3.0
6.0
BLACK+DECKER dustbuster 8V
2.0
5.0
BLACK+DECKER CHV1410L
1.0
3.0
The Black+Decker Flex Vac and the Furbuster were the best performers in corners and on baseboards. The Flex Vac's maneuverable hose helped us keep its nozzle flush with these tricky surfaces, while the Furbuster's sheer suction power whisked away coffee grounds even if it wasn't positioned directly over them. It also score well in our surface test, sucking up the flour faster than most in our lineup, making it an efficient selection for a cleaning job that often takes a long time to complete.
Do to the powerful suction, the Black+Decker Furbuster made quick work of our open surface dusting test.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The two compact versions, the Bissell Aeroslim and Shark Wandvac, cleaned corners well, most notably due to their size, but the Aeroslim also has long bristles that reach further into corners. It pulls ahead in scoring with a respectable time to finish cleaning the entire plastic square in our surface testing. The Max Pivot struggled in corners, but the wide, thin design of the crevie tools makes for quick work on baseboards.
The Max Pivot excels at cleaning baseboards but struggles a bit around corners.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Moving down the list, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser performed decently on dust and dirt removal. Its upholstery attachment and motorized brush are great attachments, but neither is really suited for dusting, and both are relatively large, meaning it really struggled in corners. Still, it performed relatively well on open surfaces and can be used for dusting in a pinch.
This test was where our favorite budget option, the BLACK+DECKER HHVI320JR02, performed the weakest. Its short, stiff bristles are more effective at dislodging debris from carpets than from bare surfaces, and the bristles' limited length made it difficult to clean corners fully.
The HHVI320JR02 has small bristles in an arc that don't all touch the surface at the same time.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Battery Life
Since these products are cordless, battery life is an important consideration. We started each vacuum with a full battery, then ran them at max in our lab until they died, making sure to test models that came with a motorized attachment both with and without these tools. We also measured how long each product took to charge and noted any helpful features to ensure we don't forget to plug it in after use - a common mistake that happens with our cordless models.
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser clocked out after 20 minutes and 42 seconds of runtime without using the motorized brush. We noticed that the runtime dropped by about three minutes when using a motorized tool, which is to be expected. While this is an impressively long battery life for a handheld vacuum, it does take 8 hours to recharge, so you only get to use it for 20 minutes out of a day.
The Bissell has the highest runtime out of the whole test group.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Furbuster had the second-longest battery life, at nearly 17 minutes. It features a 3-tiered LED charge indicator, which is handy for planning cleans and charging breaks. And it recharges in a much more reasonable 3.5 hours, so if you wanted to, you could use it for two complete 17 minute sessions each day.
The battery indicator on the Furbuster is a convenient feature.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The Black+Decker Flex Vac and HHVI320JR02 had average runtimes, with the Flex Vac lasting for 15 minutes on the dot and the HHVI320JR02 making it an additional 24 seconds before calling it quits. The Flex Vac, though, recharges in 4 hours, while the JR02 takes 13.5 hours. The AeroSlim topped out at 15 minutes and 23 seconds, while the Pet Pro Plus lasted just over 13.5 minutes. Oddly enough, the Pet Pro actually lasted 1:10 minutes longer when using its motorized brush tool. We ran this test twice with the same result and found this to be quite odd. But we'll take it!
Convenience
Convenience is largely in the eye of the user, but we found that many users agree on certain attributes that make a handheld vacuum user-friendly. One was weight, since these vacuums are generally used one-handed. Integrated attachments and convenient storage significantly streamlined both the cleaning process and post-cleaning organization. Finally, the size of the dustbin and how easy it was to clean were important to all our testers.
The Shark WandVac rated highest on convenience. It's extremely light at 1.3 pounds, its (admittedly tiny) dustbin empties at the push of a button, and it comes with a dual crevice/ dust tool and a multi-surface pet tool. There are handy clips on the vacuum body to store the accessories, and a charging dock to keep everything tidy when it's not in use.
The bin on the Wandvac handily flips open helping to keep your hands clean.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Bissell Aeroslim also did well in our convenience comparison. It's even lighter than the WandVac (1.2 pounds), and it comes with a 2-in-1 crevice and dust tool. It sports a sleek design, and with its minimalist dock and integrated USB charging, it's a vacuum that looks good enough to be left out in the open. Its dustbin is slightly larger than the WandVac's at 0.1 Liters, but it's slightly more involved to clean, requiring the removal of a filter.
You can empty the dust bin once the filter has been removed.
Credit: Laura Casner
If you're looking for a handheld that scored well on convenience and has a little more capacity, the Furbuster has a much larger dustbin (0.68 liters) which is as painless to clean as the WandVac's. It also comes with an integrated, extendable crevice tool and a motorized brush roll that works wonders on pet hair, but it is a little heavier than many of our other options at 2.7 pounds.
An easy-to-clean dustbin, like the one on the Furbuster, can make the whole experience of vacuuming feel like less of a chore
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Pet Hair
Not everyone has pets, so not everyone cares about a vacuum's performance on pet hair. But if you care, you probably really care. Pet hair gets everywhere, and it's incredibly tough to get rid of if you don't have the proper tools. We tested each vacuum with a measured fistful of real pet fur, working it deep into the fibers of the textured carpet we were using. We then time how long it takes the vacuum to suck up every strand, noting how the difficulty it took to dislodge the fur from the carpet. Our final score reflects a combination of these objective timing measurements and our subjective assessment of the effort required to remove the embedded pet fur.
The Pet Hair Eraser, as the name suggests, had an almost perfect performance, making it clear that a motorized brush attachment is the best solution if you want to pick up pet hair. It removed 99% of the hair in 21 seconds, the fastest time of the bunch.
The Pet Hair Eraser was aptly named and extremely capable.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Following close behind is the Black+Decker Furbuster AdvanceClean+. The Furbuster achieved a similar 99% clean; it just took a little longer. Both vacuums felt like real powerhouses of pet hair removal due to their motorized attachments, perfect for keeping car or couch upholstery clean if there's a large and fluffy animal in your life.
Our pet hair testing uses real fur on real car mats, so you know how each vacuum will perform in real life. The Furbuster did a great job a quickly lifting the embedded pet fur from our tests.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The Max Pivot, Pet Pro Plus, and Flex Vac all did fairly well on pet hair, too. While the Flex Vac spread the hair around a little and left a couple stragglers, it achieved a 97% clean. The Pet Pro Plus also left some hairs behind, while the Max Pivot provided a more thorough clean, but ended up with lots of hair stuck in its brush bristles. All in all, if you own a pet who likes to shed, the Pet Hair Eraser or the Furbuster are the way to go.
Despite its lack of motorization, Flex Vac's pet hair tool proved surprisingly successful in cleaning pet hair.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
How To Choose The Right Handheld Vacuum
No vacuum is perfect for every situation, and handhelds are no exception. You can go a long way towards choosing the right model by evaluating how and where you'll be using it, and which style might suit those needs. Do you want something maneuverable that can easily access tight nooks and crannies in your house or car? The Flex Vac's long hose might make it the perfect buy for you. After something affordable and unobtrusive that can tackle small messes on the spot? The petite Bissell Aeroslim might call your name. Want something that offers overall performance, and a little more capacity? The Furbuster's hefty dustbin and versatile attachments can tackle messes that smaller handhelds would struggle with.
Handheld vacuums come in lots of shapes and sizes. The right design for you depends on your cleaning needs.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Battery Life That Keeps Up
Battery life is a common limitation in handheld vacuums—they're small, and batteries are bulky. Most models run under 20 minutes, and some less than 10, which may or may not be a problem depending on your cleaning needs. Recharge time also matters: some take hours to charge fully, limiting how often you can use them. Motorized tools can drain the battery even faster, so keep that in mind if you'll be using one regularly. Charging convenience plays a role too—models with docks make it easy to stay topped up, while others require you to remember to plug them in.
The Pet Hair Eraser's motorized brush head is effective but dramatically reduces battery life compared with no-motorized attachments.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Attachments Lend to Versatility
Handheld vacuums run the gambit from extremely simple to surprisingly sophisticated, and the attachments they come with are a huge part of this range. Below, we'll touch on some important attachments to look for when considering the complete product bundle at checkout.
Crevice Tool: This long, narrow attachment is designed to reach into tight spaces like corners, along baseboards, and between car seats; note that some crevice tools are slender for very narrow gaps, while others may be thin but wider so you might have to orientate the vacuum at a different angle.
Dusting Tool: Typically featuring soft bristles, this attachment gently removes dust and debris from delicate surfaces like furniture, shelves, and electronics without scratching.
Motorized Head Equipped with a rotating brush roll, this attachment provides extra agitation for lifting embedded dirt, pet hair, and debris from upholstery, carpets, and car interiors.
Large Dust Bin: This design feature allows for longer cleaning sessions without the need for frequent emptying, making it convenient for tackling larger messes or multiple areas.
Integrated Tools: Some handheld vacuums feature attachments that are built directly into the unit's design, often sliding out or rotating into position, offering immediate access and eliminating the need to keep track of separate pieces.
A motorized brush tool, like the one on this Furbuster is the number one feature pet owners should be looking for in a handheld vacuum.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Budget Versus Value
You don't have to spend a fortune to purchase a handheld vacuum, but it's worth investing in a model that balances performance, features, and reliability. A cheaper vacuum that can't keep up will cost you more in frustration over time. Check out our value graph above, which compares overall performance to MSRP to help you spot the standouts—and avoid the duds.
Conclusion
Handheld vacuums have to fit a lot into a small package, so their performance can vary pretty widely. Our detailed testing can help you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each model and pick one that will fit your needs best. While some of these vacuums showcase pretty impressive performance, we view them as a supplemental tool; a great addition to your cleaning arsenal if you can afford it.
However, other options may better suit your needs. Convenient robot vacuums can clean your floors for you, while the top shop vacs fare better on heavy duty messes. If you want to see the cream of all the crops, take a look at our list of the all vacuum cleaner categories and how they compare to each other.
