Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac Review

What the reviewers like:
In professional testing of handheld vacuums, the Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac was best at cleaning up wet chunky kitty litter and it ran longer between charges than competing models. Owners say the Black & Decker hand vac is powerful and versatile with decent handling and an unusual two-year warranty. The PHV1800 also gets compliments on its pivoting nozzle and its easy-to-empty dirt canister.

What the reviewers don't like:
Even some positive reviews of the Black & Decker Pivot Vac say it's on the noisy side. Also, the PHV1800 isn't as compact as some other handheld vacuums.

Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac review highlights

Owner and expert reviews are almost unanimously glowing about the cordless Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac, which is included as the best cordless hand vac overall in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. Testers at Popular Mechanics rate it ahead of both the underperforming Dirt Devil KONE (*est. $40) and the expensive Dyson DC16 Root 6 (*est. $150) for its power and efficiency. Owners posting to Amazon.com, Epinions and Target.com also praise the PHV1800's ease of use.

The most convincing review of the Black & Decker PHV1800 handheld vacuum is a Popular Mechanics video showing models being tested on sifted flour and wet kitty litter. Amazon.com is an especially good source of user reviews of the Pivot Vac, with well over 100 owners posting their ratings of its performance in day-to-day use. Epinions and Target.com, with a handful of user reviews each, round out the consumer perspective. Finally, ConsumerGuide.com has what it calls an "Expert Review" of the PHV1800, but this article reads more like a summary of features than a critical analysis.

Also see full report: Handheld Vacuums

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Popular Mechanics
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Handheld Vacuum Test
Editors of Popular Mechanics
Dec. 7, 2007

This short video by Popular Mechanics shows the Black & Decker 18 Volt Pivot Vac excelling at picking up both sifted flour and wet kitty litter in tests. Testers call the Pivot Vac a "powerhouse," saying it "leaves behind a nearly spotless carpet." It outperforms the competing tested vacs.

2. Amazon.com
Black & Decker 18-Volt Pivoting-Nose Cordless Handheld Vacuum
Contributors to Amazon.com

The Black & Decker 18 Volt Pivot Vac is a favorite on Amazon.com where it has over 125 owner-written reviews. The majority of reviewers give it a perfect 5 stars out of 5. Top-rated features are the pivoting nozzle, the good suction relative to other cordless hand vacs, and the 2-year warranty.

3. Consumer Guide.com
Black & Decker PHV1800 Pivot Cordless Hand Vacuum
Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Jan. 31, 2007

The Black & Decker PHV1800 is one of five hand vacuums to get a "Best Buy" rating from ConsumerGuide.com's editors. Although this review goes into a reasonable amount of detail about the Pivot Vac's features, there's no indication that any testing was done to back up the high rating.

4. Epinions
Black & Decker PHV1800 Bagless Handheld Cyclonic Vacuum Reviews
Contributors to Epinions

There aren't many reviews of the Black & Decker Pivot Vac on Epinions, but owners who have posted go into enough detail to make a stop here worthwhile. As on Amazon.com, reviews are glowing and emphasize the PHV1800's power and versatility. Negatives include a high noise level and the fact that this hand vac is a bit larger than some.

5. Target.com
Black & Decker 18V Hand Vac - PHV1800 Reviews
Contributors to Target.com

Target has more reviews of the Black & Decker Pivot Vac than Epinions does, but they tend to be shorter and less detailed. Here, too, owners are overwhelmingly positive in their assessments, calling the PHV1800 "powerful," "awesome," and "well worth the money."

Also see full report: Handheld Vacuums

Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac Review