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#1 Hoover OnePwr Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
Looking for a hand vacuum that does a little of everything? You found it. The Hoover OnePwr works on hard and upholstered surfaces to powerfully suck up debris with ease. It’s cordless, allowing you to instantly get to work without searching for the nearest outlet, and has an on-board crevice tool so you can get into nooks and crannies like it’s nothing. The whole thing weights just three pounds, so you won’t get a sore wrist while you work.
Once you’re done, just remove the front and empty it into the trash. Plus, you can wash the filter if it gets gunky over time. The whole thing is compact, making it simple to use and stash away…until the next mess surfaces.
#2 Black+Decker CHV1410L Dustbuster
You don’t have to spend a lot to get a good handheld vacuum, as evidenced by the Black+Decker model CHV1410L Dustbuster. That’s not surprising; few companies have more experience making cordless handheld vacuums, since the Dustbuster was the first such product, dating all the way back to 1979.
Despite the low price, this model brings a lot to the table, including a pull-out crevice tool and flip-up brush for general-purpose dusting and upholstery cleaning. The nozzle also rotates to any angle, making it easier to clean around obstacles and in tight spaces. The dirt receptacle is easy to empty and can be washed out at the sink. Black+Decker claims the vacuum can hold a charge for up to 18 months, so it will always be ready to go, even if you don’t leave it plugged in when it’s not in use. It comes with a charging base, so you’ll need to sit it on a shelf or counter to charge—it doesn’t hang on the way—but it tops off in under four hours.
#3 Black+Decker BDH2020FL Max Flex Handheld Vacuum
The Black+Decker BDH2020FL Max Flex Handheld Vacuum looks sort of like a mad scientist shrunk a full-size vacuum down to handheld size, mainly thanks to the extendable hose that wraps around the unit when you don’t need its full length. In other words, you can use this one handed—like a regular handheld vacuum—or two-handed, extending the business end up to four feet away. The dirt bin is suitably over-sized at 17 ounces, and empties easily by unclasping one clip.
It’s also washable for easy cleaning, but a three-stage filter is designed to keep dust from escaping before clean-up. It includes a flip-up brush for dusting, a long crevice tool and a pet hair brush for cleaning animal fur and other stubborn debris from upholstery.
#4 Black+Decker BDH2000PL Max Handheld Vacuum
Black+Decker shows up several times in this list for good reason: The company makes an excellent handheld vacuum. The BDH2000PL, known simply as the Max, is perhaps the best cordless handheld vacuum you can buy at any price. It’s a solidly built vacuum that’s easy to operate one-handed, and at three pounds, is not unduly heavy to cart around for extended cleaning. The nozzle pivots around the base of the unit to make it easy to clean at any angle and in tight spaces, and it has both a pull-out crevice tool and a flip-up brush for specialized cleaning. The nozzle also has an extra-wide mouth for collecting over-sized debris.
The Max comes with a charging stand that you can set on a counter top or mount on a wall, and tops off in under four hours. The large 15-ounce bowl empties easily and both the bowl and filter are easily cleaned at the sink. And thanks to the cyclonic motion of the air in the bowl, the vacuum remains powerful even as the bin fills with dirt.
#5 Dirt Devil Scorpion SD20005RED
Not everyone wants a cordless handheld vacuum. If you’re not diligent about keeping it charged, you’ll inevitably find your cordless vacuum’s battery dead just when you need it to clean up an unexpected mess. And batteries fade over time, delivering less power after a year when they’re brand new. That’s why you might want a corded vacuum like the Dirt Devil Scorpion. This traditional handheld has an especially powerful seven amp motor, since the Dirt Devil doesn’t need to worry about running the battery down too quickly. The vacuum holds about 15 ounces in its dirt bin and has a triple-level filter.
One nice feature: It has a particularly long flip-down crevice tool built in. Weighing 3.75 pounds, it’s on the heavier end of the scale, but not especially uncomfortable to hold. And you can get up to 16 feet away from your outlet thanks to an especially long power cord.
#6 Shark WV201 WANDVAC Handheld Vacuum
At just 1.4 pounds, this is one of the lightest cordless handheld vacuums money can buy, and looks pretty distinctive as well—seemingly all wand and no motor or dirt bin. It’s very sleek and hardly even looks like a vacuum. It’s an elegant tool for small cleanup jobs, and does a surprisingly good job cleaning difficult debris like pet hair.
The bin empties with the touch of a button. That said, there are some trade-offs with this design, of course. The dirt bin is quite small, clocking in at about 2.6 ounces, so it’ll fill up quickly and often. And don’t expect to run it for more than a few minutes at a time. It’ll take 2.5 hours to recharge between jobs. Finally, some of the vacuum’s elegance is lost when you have to snap on the various attachments, but at least they all fit neatly in the charging dock.
#7 Bissell AeroSlim Cordless Handheld Vacuum
When you need to clean a small mess quickly, you don’t always want to pull out the regular vacuum. That’s where the Bissell AeroSlim Cordless Handheld Vacuum comes in, well, handy. The cordless vacuum, which weighs under two pounds, is one of the most lightweight and portable options on this list. And while it’s powerful in its own right, it’s definitely designed for quick jobs. It only runs for 12 minutes on a full charge, but it comes with a USB charging cable, in addition to its standard charger, so you can plug it in practically anywhere. It’s compact enough to store in your car or office and the 2-in-1 Crevice Tool & Dusting Brush conveniently stores with the vacuum on one stand, so you always know where it is.