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Best Handheld Vacuum in 2024 - Buying Guides and Suggestions

Amber Smith
  Sep 30, 2022 6:40 AM

​​A handheld vacuum is portable and tiny, which helps suction up little messes, and often contains an easy-to-empty dust bin for users to easily maintain it. We evaluated performance, weight, battery life, and accessories in over various models to narrow a list of the best handheld vacuum products for your reference. Check it out now.

Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Hand Held Vacuum Cleaner, Battery Powered, Lightweight, BH57005, White


Overview

If you need a quick solution to clean up tiny messes around the house, handheld vacuums are a perfect choice. Due to their portability and light weight, they are useful while crossing more challenging or uneven surfaces, such as inside a car or up stairs. If you need to clean bigger areas, several stick or canister vacuums also come in a handheld version, which gives them even more versatility. Unfortunately, the dirt containers on portable vacuums are sometimes rather tiny. They could also have a lower continuous battery life than non-handheld vacuums if they're cordless.

Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus, with XL Dust Cup, in Black

Below are our picks for the top portable vacuums after testing different models. These products were chosen based on how well they performed on various surfaces, as well as their pricing, feature set, and battery life. For more choices, you can check out our list of best shark vacuums, best car vacuums, best vacuums for pet hair, or best cordless vacuums


Review

1. Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum

Product’s Specifications

  • Form Factor: Handheld

  • Filter Type: Fabric Filter

  • Battery Life: 10m

  • Surface Recommendation: Upholstery

  • Dimensions: 20.8 x 3.8 x 4.3 inches

  • Weight: 2.8 pounds

Product’s Highlights

The Shark cordless handheld vacuum is the top portable vacuum we've researched. This little vacuum works wonderfully on bare surfaces and handles fine and big particles on carpets and rugs with ease. Thanks to the lightweight and compact size, you can easily pick it up and take it anywhere you want to go or put it in a drawer or cabinet. 

It doesn't require as often emptying as other rivals because it has a rather huge dirt bin that is hardly seen in a handheld vacuum. It features a design that is simple to maintain, seems well-built, and offers low running costs. A little turbo brush is  included as well for picking hair. 

However, the battery performance on this vacuum is rather poor; you can only get around 10 minutes of usage from a single charge. Its suction force cannot be adjusted, which would allow battery life to be preserved while removing extremely light trash. It isn't the ideal choice if you have allergies because it lacks an allergen-trapping HEPA filter and performs a poor job of collecting tiny particles.

Pros

  • Great for picking pet hair

  • Self-cleaning turbo brush

  • Large dust bin

  • Well built

  • Easy to maintain

Cons

  • Short battery life

  • No HEPA filter

2. Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Product’s Specifications

  • Form Factor: Handheld

  • Filter Type: Cloth

  • Battery Life: 14m

  • Surface Recommendation : Hard Floor, Upholstery, Carpet

  • Dimensions: 16.5 x 5 x 6.5 inches

  • Weight: 3 pounds

Product’s Highlights

Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Hand Vacuum is a cost-effective model. It belongs to Hoover's ONEPWR line of cleaning tools, all of which use the same battery pack. It is lightweight and small, which is suitable for store anywhere in your house. 

On bare floors, it provides excellent cleaning performance. Unfortunately, it has a very small range of brushes and equipment.  While cleaning tiny dirts like powder, its side-mounted exhaust can blow out a lot of them. 

Though the Hoover ONEPWR handheld vacuum has a short battery, which means they can only cover a small area, it recharges very rapidly. This is a wonderful choice if you're seeking a portable vacuum to clean spots on bare surfaces or your car interior.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Well build quality

  • Powerful suction

  • Large dust bin

  • Easy to maintain

Cons

  • Expensive

  • Limited tools’ selection

3. BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium Pivot Vac, BDH2000PL

Product’s Specifications

  • Form Factor: Handheld

  • Filter Type: Cloth

  • Battery Life: 15m

  • Surface Recommendation : Upholstery

  • Dimensions: 18 x 6.88 x 6.75 inches

  • Weight: 3 pounds

Product’s Highlights

One of the greatest portable vacuum cleaners, the Black & Decker 20V MAX Lithium Pivot, has a special nozzle that makes it especially effective for unusual chores that regular uprights can't do. Most of our research revealed good results for this vacuum, but a few flaws, such as loud operation and some difficulty on hardwood floors.

Thanks to an innovative rotating nozzle that offers powerful performance in a small package, this vacuum can reach difficult-to-reach regions . When compared to other handheld models from Black+Decker, it has a high performance motor that offers higher suction. 

The 3-stage filtration technology and pleated filter of the BDH2000PL provide outstanding filtering for clean air emission. Additionally, this device includes a rapid charging dock that keeps the attachments organized and the unit charged.

With lithium ion batteries' high suction and fade-free power, users now can be certain that they can finish chores fast and efficiently with this handheld vac.

Pros

  • Lithium Ion batteries

  • Easy to clean

  • 3 stage filtration system

  • 200° pivoting nozzle

Cons

  • Loud operation

  • Struggled on hardwood

4. Shark WV201 WANDVAC Handheld Vacuum

Product’s Specifications

  • Form Factor: Handheld

  • Filter Type: Fabric

  • Battery Life: 10m

  • Surface Recommendation : Carpet, Hard Floor, Upholstery

  • Dimensions: 16.5 x 2.5 x 2.4 inches

  • Weight: 1.4 pounds

Product’s Highlights

The Shark WANDVAC is more costly than comparable handheld vacuums but has a higher-speed, brushless motor that delivers outstanding suction. Its ergonomic form makes it easy to carry and offers exceptional reach in hard-to-reach spaces. 

This vacuum is also one of the lightest portable vacuums on the market, at only 1.4 pounds.

Its crevice tool's bristles perform a great job of sweeping the hair before the strong WANDVAC suction it up, which is perfect for pet owners usage. Additionally, the vacuum is simple to empty into the trash can with the touch of a button. 

Like with other cordless options, battery longevity is an important factor. A noteworthy drawback is the WANDVAC battery's short operating time of roughly 10 minutes. You should also be aware that the dustbin is small due to its ultra-slim design.

Pros

  • Lightweight and comfortable design

  • Powerful suction

  • Fast dustbin empty

Cons

  • Long time for charging

  • Small dustbin 

5. Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lithium Ion Cordless Hand Vacuum

Product’s Specifications

  • Form Factor: Handheld

  • Filter Type: Cloth

  • Battery Life: 10m

  • Surface Recommendation : Carpet, Hard Floor, Upholstery

  • Dimensions:  16 x 4.5 x 5 inches

  • Weight: 3 pounds

Product’s Highlights

Removing pet hair no longer needs a heavy vacuum since now you have the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Handheld Vacuum. According to testing results, this vacuum easily removed both  pet hair and crumbs on all types of floors. They valued its straightforward construction, which consisted only of an on/off switch and a push button for the dust bin. In addition, the attachments are simple to clip on and off from the vacuum's end, so you won't have to worry about them coming loose while you're cleaning.

One thing about this vacuum that concerned our tester was how it emptied. Although the dust bin button effectively detaches the bin from the vacuum, you must first remove the filter then empty the trash out of the bin.

This Bissell vacuum appeared to operate most effectively when it was aligned with stitching or grain on the fabric. Despite the fact that this vacuum may not have any ground-breaking attachments or technological innovations, our tester found it was well worth the price and thought it handled pet hair extremely effectively.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Huge dust bin

  • Powerful suction

Cons

  • Complicated to empty dust bin


Compare Products

1
  • SCORE
    9.6
    PF Score

    PF Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Read more How We Rank.

  • Brand
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2
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    PF Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Read more How We Rank.

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3
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    PF Score is a ranking system developed by our team of experts. It from 0 to 10 are automatically scored by our AI Consumer Report tool based upon the data collected. This score has no relationship or impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Read more How We Rank.

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13
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Last update on Sep 30, 2022 6:40 AM / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API


FAQs

1. What to consider when buying the best handheld vacuum?

If you are about to buy a handheld vacuum, there are some factors you can consider beforehand to choose the right one:

Weight: The weight of a typical handheld vacuum cleaner is about 3 pounds, while smaller models can be as light as 1 pound. However, keep in mind that compact, portable vacuums might have to have small dustbins

Battery life: The typical cordless vacuum's battery life can last 10 minutes, while some models' batteries deplete more quickly than others. But you should notice the charging time as well, some models might take up to 10 hours for a single charge

Included components: While a portable vacuum's attachment options are often more constrained than those of a full-size vacuum, they increase its adaptability. Find a crevice tool, at the very least, that allows you to use the vacuum in tight spots.

BLACK+DECKER 20V Lithium Hand VAC, BDH2000L

2. How long do portable vacuums last?

Your handheld vac should, in general, function for several years. Its precise lifespan depends on how frequently you employ it and the size of the debris you clean up with it. And your handheld vacuum clean will last longer if you maintain it well.

3. How frequently should a handheld vacuum be cleaned?

You should empty the dustbin before it gets full. Relying on how often you make use of it, you may do a brief maintenance check on your model as often as once per month, but every six to twelve months, you should give it a thorough cleaning.


Conclusion

Our suggestions are based on our careful research and always update. Be cautious not to become bogged down in the particulars. Although no vacuum is ideal for every use, the majority of them are sufficient to satisfy practically everyone, and the differences are sometimes not apparent unless you actively search for them. Therefore, before choosing one, let’s consider your need and budget first.


4.5
4 ratings
Amber Smith
Amber Smith
Amber is originally from Canada. She has a strong passion for technology and has been a writer in this field for the past 10 years. She graduated in 2005 with a master degree in computer science and has worked for several tech companies. In her free time, she loves reading and writing about various topics, including shopping, life hacks, and of course tech products.