I found it worked a lot better than the other attachments when it came to cleaning up just about anything. A couple of messes it handled particularly well were pet hair — we have two cats and a dog — and glitter, which is always a challenge. The two bright LEDs directed ahead of the suction head are also helpful for getting into dark corners and spots where other lighting doesn’t reach. This depends on a few factors, including the brand you invest in, how often you’ll use your vacuum and what kind of messes you’ll mainly need to tackle.
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.
In addition to standard included attachments like a crevice tool, this vacuum comes with a pet hair tool that was we found to be amazingly effective at sucking up hair during our tests. When it’s not in use, the whole vacuum can be placed on its included charging base, which has spots to hold the nifty attachments. This vacuum is bagless, so all the dirt and hair gets sucked into the main compartment, which is see-through so you can tell when it needs to be emptied. There’s a filter inside, and clumps of hair tend to get wrapped around it—fairly common with handheld vacuums and even standard vacuums. The power button is on the main handle, making it easy to push during use, and the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser has a fairly large opening, making it easy to suck up all sorts of debris. When the dust bin is full, you simply press the release button and dump it out.
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 vacuum cleaner 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 Worx WX030L is beautifully designed and compact, with onboard tool storage. (The battery is replaceable and can work in other Worx tools, as well.) Though it excelled in picking up dust in eco mode, it struggled with larger debris and was ineffective on pet fur. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser is compact enough to store under your kitchen sink or on bissell cordless vacuum the top shelf of a closet, but we were surprised to find that it’s a bit heavier than many other hand vacuums. It weighs in at around 4 pounds, so we think it’s the back-heavy design that makes it seem harder to wield. To see if the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Vacuum is really the pet mess cleanup machine, we tested it out in a variety of ways.
On top of that, it ran for only 12 minutes and was a bit noisier than the WX030L. The dirt canister was easy enough to empty, but we found that wrapping the hose back around the machine after usage required a bit of fiddling. In our tests, the extended crevice tool sometimes slid back when we were vacuuming tight, deep spaces; you may need to hold it in place when you’re slipping it between couch cushions. It’s compact enough to store under your kitchen bissell handheld vacuum sink or on the top shelf of a closet, but we were surprised to find that it’s a bit heavier than many other hand vacuums. The attachment selection makes it easy to reach a variety of areas, the battery life is long enough for most tasks, and the machine is light enough for people of all abilities to use for a prolonged period of time. The price is a bit much, but the vacuum is backed by a two-year limited warranty and exceptional customer service.
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.
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.