Best Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Best Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
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Corded | Battery Battery | 30 min
Bagless
Filter Washable Filter
Weight 3.77lbs
Brush Roll
Voltage/amperage 22.5 volts
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Corded | Battery Battery | 15 min
Bagless
Filter Washable
Weight 2.6lbs
Brush Roll
Voltage/amperage 16 volts
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Corded | Battery Plug-in | 16ft cord
Bagless
Filter Washable Filter
Weight 3.75lbs
Brush Roll x
Voltage/amperage 7 amps
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Corded | Battery Plug-in | 16ft cord
Bagless
Filter HEPA
Weight 5 lbs
Brush Roll x
Voltage/amperage 4 amps

Quick fix cleaning jobs may be required once or twice a day, but nobody wants to lug out the heavy duty vacuum for simple spot cleaning. Mini handheld vacuum cleaners are ideal for these small-scale jobs, as they come with an ideal blend of being portable and being small enough to reach those otherwise inaccessible areas. Not all handheld vacuums are created equal, however, so in this article we profile some of the best models available in the market for 2018.

Overview


Details


Battery 30 min | Bagless | Washable Filter  | 3.77lbs | ✓Brushroll | 22.5 volts


With a highly advanced fade-free capability and running time of 30 minutes, this vacuum’s suction action is incredibly strong. You have enough time to do little cleaning jobs in virtually every room before your battery dies out. What’s more, there’s no cord to restrict your mobility or trip you up.

Pros

  • Long run time
  • 15 cyclones working to suck up large debris and minutest dirt
  • Rotating mini motorized power brush for deep dirt
  • Translucent dirt cup for detecting when emptying is needed
  • Large dirt cup and therefore fewer emptying times

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Short non-contoured handle

Features

  • Cyclonic technology
  • 4 hours charging time
  • Replaceable fade-free Lithium-ion battery
  • Charge time of 3.5 hours
  • Attachments: rotating mini motorized power brush, crevice tool, combination tool
  • 0.5 liter dirt cup
  • 2 year warranty

Although expensive, this lightweight, handheld device sucks up all kinds of dirt around the house and car within its 20-minute running time. No other device can match this capability or the device’s strong suction power and cyclonic rotational capacity that enable it to pull out and suck up deeply entrenched pet hair from furniture, carpets, and stairs. Its two-head system allows for the sucking up of debris on hard floors, and the picking up of hair from furniture. It also has a large 0.5 dirt liter dirt cup which packs in lots of dirt. Additionally, the cleaning and emptying processes are swift and hygienic. The lithium fade-free battery needs a charge time of just 3.5 hours, which is a shorter time than many other handheld devices. On the downside, the short, non-contoured handle makes the device a little difficult to grip and maneuver, but a little practice should help ease the problem.

Battery 15mins | Bagless | Washable Filter | 2.6lbs | ✓Brushroll |16 volts


If you want an extremely lightweight vacuum cleaner capable of picking up any form of debris from any surface, this model is just right for you. It’s not only affordable, but it’s also energy effective because when not in use, the battery remains fully charged for one and a half months. Furthermore, you can get the job done in less than the prescribed time.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Cyclonic action keeps filter clean and suction powerful
  • Sucks from floors and furniture
  • Picks up light and heavy objects
  • Reaches tight corners with crevice tool.
  • Translucent dirt cup means easy to see when emptying needed
  •  Lightweight and easy to hold
  • Made in the U.S.

Cons

  • Loud
  • Battery recharge every 15 mins
  • Few attachments
  • Small nozzle

Features

  • Battery fully charged for 18 months
  • Slim rotational, far reaching nozzle
  • Cyclonic action
  • Attachments: extendable crevice, flip up sweeper brush tool
  • Washable 2-part filter
  • 4-hours charging time
  • Fade free lithium ion battery
  • 2-year warranty

Black+Decker Dustbuster CHV1410L Lithium Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is a great device. It’s extremely lightweight at just 2.6lbs, and it has incredible suction power. Although its battery needs to be recharged every 15 minutes, its speed and power mean you don’t usually need more time to get your spot cleaning job done. The fact that the battery is virtually always fully charged when not in use means it can be whipped out any time for emergency cleaning.

This Black & Decker device is capable of cleaning up dirt from bare floors and from furniture, and it has a two-way filter system designed to take in both fine and large debris which includes dust and dry food, and also cat hair, food and litter. On the downside, this model is extremely noisy but the good news is that you don’t need to use it for long.

Plug-in 16ft cord | Bagless | Washable  Filter | 3/75lbs | X Brushroll | ✓Hose | 7 amps


This great handheld device has incredible cleaning prowess and suction capabilities. It uses electrical power so you can do an unlimited number of cleaning jobs in a short space of time. It’s useful all over the house, car, garage, or college dorm.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Lightweight
  • Powerful suction
  • Excellent for pet and human hair
  • Picks up small and large debris from multiple surfaces
  • Crevice tool goes under and around objects
  • Easy and hygienic  emptying of dirt cup
  • Made in the U.S.

Cons

  • Noisy – sends pets running for cover
  • Small nozzle
  • Small dust cup and needs constant cleaning while in use
  • Cord may not be long enough for you to reach all areas but just switch the cord to another outlet!

Features

  • Attachments: integrated crevice tool, dusting brush, upholstery cleaner, brush attachment for use on carpet, 2.5ft hose
  • Strap to sling cleaner over one shoulder.
  • 3-year warranty

The Dirt Devil Scorpion Quick Flip SD2005RED has a 16ft cord which allows optimal suction power while you are getting your cleaning job done. With this device, you can quickly suck up messes or accumulations such as human and pet hair, pet litter, dry food, and also dust and lint, from anywhere. It picks up from surfaces such as bare floors, sofas, carpets and beds. Although the device is a bit noisy, you don’t have to use it for long stretches. The cup flips open at a push, enabling you to effortlessly dump the dirt in a trash can without working up a dust storm. That is especially useful for those who suffer from allergies and respiratory illnesses. This incredible device can even suck up pebbles and sand that tend to collect in the car after a day out at the beach. Other users have even found the dusting brushes handy for removing dust from their bed sheets. No doubt you’ll be able to find other ingenious uses for this amazing device!

Plug-in 16ft cord | Bagless | HEPA | 5 lbs | X Brushroll | 4 amps


The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser, 33A1 is the best handheld cleaner for capturing all that pet hair – even the hair that’s become deeply embedded – from plush furniture to the ‘riser’ portions of carpeted staircases.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Rubberized nozzle for furniture and fabrics
  • Harder, narrower nozzle for floors
  • Crevice tool to get to contours and tight spots
  • Transparent dirt cup to see when it’s emptying time
  • Easy maintenance of filter to ensure healthier air.
  • Made in U.S.

Cons

  • Cord may not be long enough for you to reach all areas but just switch the cord to another outlet
  • Loud
  • Filter gets full after 2 uses
  • Side air vents may cause debris to blow away before pick up
  • Best for pet hair
  • Small dirt cup

Features

  • Cyclonic cleaning system
  • Lightweight with curved easy-to-grip handle with power switch on its tip
  • Nozzle release button
  • Attachments: 2 nozzle heads – one for furniture and other for floors, crevice tool, cord wrap
  • 1-year warranty

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser, 33A1 offers a powerful and quick way to clean sofas, carpets, car seats, clothing, beds, and other surfaces covered in pet hair.  It has two nozzle types – one solely for attracting pet hair off sofas, clothing, hanging curtains, beds and carpets, and the other for sucking up spills, crumbs, and cat litter off hard floors. To switch from one nozzle type to the other, simply press the nozzle release knob and snap the other nozzle into use. The multiple HEPA filtration system ensures that germs from the pet hair remain in the vacuum, and it may be safely and hygienically taken apart and washed under running water. You won’t realize just how much pet hair you have about the house or car until you use this device.

Buyer’s Guide


A handheld vacuum is ideal for people who want to clean up food spills, pet litter, human and pet hair, and other little messes on floors, table tops, and other surfaces in between their regular heavy cleaning jobs. It’s an excellent choice for car owners who want to do a quick sprucing up or for pet owners who want to get rid of pet hair from their furniture and surfaces. For those ready to invest in a handheld vacuum for the occasional spill or emergency clean up, there are a number of factors that should be weighed in the process. These include:

  • Type of Battery

If you’re using a cordless vac, your best battery choice would be the lithium ion type of battery. Unlike rivals such as the Ni-Cd (Ni-Mh) battery, it charges typically in 2 to 4 hours and holds the charge for a longer time so they are handy for those quick, last-minute jobs whenever they arise.

  • Corded Versus Cordless Vacuum

The handheld cordless vacuum cleaner has been proven effective even in a wide cleaning radius. Battery power though usually only lasts 15 to 20 minutes per session. Some users feel this is all the time they need to do a satisfactory cleaning job, but for others, a corded vacuum cleaner allows  sustained suction power for more comprehensive jobs.

  • Power

Essentially, the greater the voltage capacity on your handheld vacuum cleaner, the more efficient it will be. The best voltage rating for a good job is typically 15 to 20 volts and for the corded vacuums, 5 to 7 amps are sufficient. Some vacuum cleaners, however, have been known to do a good job with less power.

  • Attachments

Many handheld devices come with a sampling of dust and upholstery brushes as well as crevice tools. The more attachments there are for a model, the more expensive it will be because it’s doing more than the average job. Remember that when buying, you should be guided by where you want to use the vacuum cleaner and what you want to use it for. Don’t get an expensive vacuum with numerous attachments that you will never use. We have noted the attachments that come with each vacuum under “features”.