Some insist on the long-lasting power of a corded vacuum, while pet owners need a unit that can suck up half of Petco on the regular. The iRobot H1 is a good handheld vacuum, but we don’t think it’s worth its full price of $150 at this writing. In our tests, it cleaned fine but felt bulky and heavy, and it started to bother our wrists after a few minutes of light cleaning.
And unlike earlier models, these babies pack a serious punch when it comes to sucking up debris—plus they have better battery power than their clunky older cousins. You can also count on standard features like ergonomic grips, a variety of speeds speeds and dust cups that are easy to dump out and reattach. The Pet Hair Eraser is the best handheld vacuum if your pet sheds like a woolly mammoth. However, it’s really only good for deleting pet hair, which is why we gave the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ the second-place trophy. An odd flap in the nozzle makes it hard to suck up food messes, and it failed to pick up any Cheerios.
Although you can buy accessories to turn it into a stick vacuum, in that case we think you’re better off buying one of our cordless stick vacuum recommendations. But if you have hand or wrist issues, or if you’re planning to spend a lot of time cleaning your car, you may prefer a hand vacuum with an extendable hose and useful attachments. The Worx 20V Power Share Cordless Cube Vac WX030L and the Black+Decker 20V Max Lithium Flex BDH2020FL are the best examples of this type, with slightly different strengths and weaknesses. They are similarly priced and have long, flexible hoses that you can use with one hand while setting the vacuum’s body on the ground. In our testing, the CHV1410L had no trouble sucking up crumbs and dirt off bare surfaces like countertops and windowsills.
While most of us think of “vacuums” as big and heavy machines, it turns out that small, handheld versions can still pack a punch when it comes to suction and cleaning. Portable and compact, a top-quality handheld vacuum suctions up small messes and typically has a dust bin that’s easy to empty into your trash can. Pet messes can quickly take over your home if you don’t stay on top of them, which is why so many pet parents turn to products like the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Vacuum to help keep their homes clean.
No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free. Dena Ogden, commerce writer at The Spruce, updated this piece and contributed additional research. Ogden been writing professionally since 2016 and with The Spruce since August 2022. She’s yet to give up on the handheld setting of her traditional vacuum, but seeing these test results has her rethinking that life choice.
If you’re looking for a handheld vacuum that won’t leave you guessing, this pick from Nicebay, with its expansive display, will do the trick. It offers more information than most, with details like battery status, power level, and even dust bin capacity easily visible, so you’re not caught by surprise in the bissell cordless vacuum middle of your chores. Other smart design choices, like the angled nozzle that fit well into crevices, and the sleek shape that’s easy to maneuver, add to its overall efficiency and usability. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Vacuum retails for around $50, which is average for a mid-range hand vacuum.
The AdvancedClean+ Hand Vac has an extra-long pullout crevice tool and extra-large bottom-emptying dust bin that makes cleaning up after pets even easier. The filter is washable, and we like that the vacuum stands upright for charging or storage, plus it got a 3-star rating from Quiet Mark meaning it’s the most quiet. The whole device must be plugged in for four hours as the battery is not removable, but in our Lab tests we found that it can run for up to 32 minutes. If you don’t own pets and need a hand vac only for the occasional spilled Cheerios or coffee grounds, buy the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean CHV1410L.