Its dustbin holds 2.8 cups of debris, double that of most other handheld vacuums we tested. We tried it on rugs, bare floors, car seats, and upholstery, and it did an excellent job of picking up all kinds of debris, including Cheerios, glitter, birdseed, and baking soda. The Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ HHVK515JP07 cleans up pet fur better than any other handheld model we’ve tried. It has great suction, which is enhanced by a motorized brush that agitates debris and dislodges stubborn fur from grippy upholstery.
We’ve tested over 130 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best portable vacuums with a handheld design to buy. These picks are selected based on their performance on different surfaces and their feature set, battery life, and price. For more options, see our lists of the best lightweight vacuums, the best vacuums for stairs, the best car vacuums, the best Dyson vacuums, and the best cordless vacuums. When you need to clean a small mess quickly, the Bissell AeroSlim Cordless Handheld Vacuum comes in, well, handy. The cordless vacuum, which weighs under 2 pounds, is one of the most lightweight and portable options on this list.
Here at The Spruce, we want to ensure that we fully stand behind every product we recommend, and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all of these products ourselves, though occasionally we get samples provided to us directly by companies.
There’s also a storage stand for you to put it on when it’s not in use. Additionally, the vacuum comes with a helpful two-in-one crevice tool and dusting brush to get those hard-to-reach places. Not everyone wants a cordless handheld vacuum—if you’re not diligent about keeping it charged, you’ll inevitably find its battery dead just when you need to clean up an unexpected mess.
It had no problem picking up stray debris from my hardwood floors in high-traffic spots like the litter box and food/water bowl areas. The suction wasn’t quite strong enough to get all the litter out of the mat I keep outside the litter box, but it did a respectable job sucking up the litter that wasn’t trapped in the deeper layers. A small dust bin (one that can only hold a handful of ounces) should be just fine. But if you know you’ll use your vacuum on bigger messes, you’ll probably want a larger dust bin—one that can hold around 15 ounces—so you won’t have to empty it as often. We were also disappointed at how pet hair gets stuck on the bottom of the pet tool and doesn’t get sucked up. From brands like Bissell, Dyson, and Shark, these are some of the best—and worst—cordless handheld vacs you can buy today.
During all of the testing, the vacuums were also rated on their noise levels. Some picks were also tested at home and were put through real-world environments and situations. Our editors and writers took the testing data and additional research and boiled it down to the handheld vacuums we believe are the best. This Black+Decker handheld vac, while on the pricier side bissell cordless vacuum when compared to other handheld vacuums, was effective and satisfying to use. If you’re looking to invest in your handheld vacuum, this is definitely a sleek and efficient choice that’s great for both household messes or car cleanup. We especially liked how the crevice tool is a built-in piece that slides out, so no dealing with or storing extra pieces and parts.
We love how simple it is to empty the dust cup and remove the filter to clean. It even did well with pet hair and with a decent sized dust cup and the ability to increase the runtime by using it with a higher capacity battery, it makes for easy clean up without any interruptions. We’ve tested dozens of handheld vacuums in The Lab and at home, evaluating performance, weight, battery life, and attachments. When testing, we noted how well each model vacuumed up hair, cereal, flour, and popcorn kernels on four different surfaces, including hardwood floors and multiple types of carpet.
That’s why I was excited to get my hands on the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. You can use one of three different attachments, including a powerful motorized brush roll to really get into carpet and upholstery, making it a solid choice for pet owners in homes with at least two floors. We considered the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ but were put off by its poor airflow and suction, as well as its six-hour charge time.
The vacuum stands up on its own and is compact enough to tuck away between furniture. While the battery unfortunately isn’t replaceable, the filters, the belt, beater bar, and charger are. (The filters are also both washable.) Black+Decker’s customer service is excellent, often requiring zero minutes wait time, and you can order parts via eReplacementParts.com.
Speaking of batteries, we also recommend that you pay attention to the charge time of a cordless handheld vacuum, which can vary from a few hours to up to 10 hours. Using a handheld vacuum is a hands-on process, requiring you to lift, turn, push, and pull to clear debris from floors, furniture, stairs, car upholstery, and more. As a result, the weight of the vacuum bissell handheld vacuum can become quite noticeable if you’re using it for an extended period of time, or holding it overhead. We gathered insights on each vacuum’s maneuverability around our living room-inspired obstacle course, and on the ease of emptying their bins. We also tested each model’s portability by holding each one above our head during use to see how tiring it was.