By Sarah Burns on February 27, 2010 in
Handheld vacuums, which come in corded or cordless varieties, can be especially helpful for cleaning small messes and hard-to-reach spots. Cordless handheld vacuums are the most popular, and they often receive higher ratings than their corded counterparts. Their lightweight portability comes with a downside, however: the rechargeable batteries in these compact cordless vacs generally have short run times, typically 10 minutes or so. Still, many owners say they do well enough on the small jobs they're designed for.
Cordless Convenience
Consumers leaning toward cordless vacuums may want to check out Black & Decker's Dustbuster 18V Cordless Pivoting Hand Vac (*Est. $70).This model is not only featured in three reviews by prominent consumer testing organizations, it's top-rated in each one for its excellent performance on carpet and bare floors. User reviews are also positive. More than 300 owners posting to Amazon.com give the Black & Decker an average rating of 4.5 out of five stars. Owners report good suction and great all-around design. It's covered by a two year warranty.
Corded Power
Corded hand vacuums have some advantages of their own. Unlike cordless models, they never run out of power. There's also the issue of durability; the battery itself tends to be the shortest-lived component of cordless hand vacs, accounting for more negative comments than any other feature. Additionally, corded hand vacuums are unencumbered by the power limitations of battery-driven models, so they often feature a motorized brush that can be more effective at loosening dirt in carpet fibers or pet hair on upholstery. Users say one highly-reviewed model, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Corded Hand Vacuum (*Est. $30) is a top performer on both carpeting and bare floors. It comes with a one-year warranty.
The bottom line: The decision of whether to corded or cordless boils down to personal preference. A few companies combine a lightweight stick vacuum for cleaning hard floors with a removable hand vac. Experts say, however, that most homes still need a standard upright vacuum or canister vacuum to properly handle routine cleaning duties. To learn more about handheld vacuums, check out our newly-updated full report.