Handheld Vacuums

Cordless handheld vacuums

Cordless handheld vacuums are more popular with consumers and get top-rated more often than their corded counterparts. Reviewers say these hand vacs are powerful enough for quick spills, vehicle interiors and hard-to-reach spots, as well as being fully portable and easy to use. The downside is that, in order to be lightweight enough, the batteries have fairly short run times: usually around ten minutes, but in some cases even less. Still, most owners say cordless hand vacs are a convenient choice and that they do a good job on the small jobs they're designed for.

Probably the most talked-about cordless hand vac comes from Dyson, a brand known primarily for its high-end bagless uprights. The Dyson DC16 Root 6 range of handheld vacuums includes a basic cordless hand vac (*est. $150) , the Animal (*est. $200) , which comes with a motorized brush for pet hair, and the Issey Miyake (*est. $150) with bright purple trim instead of the standard yellow.

Professional reviews for the Dyson DC16 cordless hand vac are generally positive, but unfortunately most don't actually compare the Dyson with other brands, making it hard to know where it ranks. Which? Online, for instance, tests but doesn't rate the DC16 on the grounds that hand vacs shouldn't be compared to full-size models. Editors do say, however, that it outperforms even some upright cleaners and that, as handheld vacuums go, "retrospective comparisons suggest that the DC16 will certainly hold its weight." Choice Magazine (Australia) takes a similar approach but goes a step further, calling the Dyson Radix 6, the DC16's Australian counterpart, "The most effective - and most expensive - handheld vac we've ever tested." Both Which? and Choice give the Dyson high marks for its performance on carpet and hard floors and say it works well, but slowly, on pet hair.

Interestingly, the Dyson cordless vacuum's performance wasn't a standout in the one test-based comparative review we found. Popular Mechanics' tests of the DC16 against the Dirt Devil KONE and the Black & Decker 18 Volt Pivot Vac rank its performance in between the two less expensive models. Testers say that while the Dyson hand vac did a great job in the sifted flour test, picking up the wet kitty litter was difficult and time-consuming. They also note that the Dyson's battery has only half the runtime of the other two models tested.

The Dyson DC16's short battery life is the most common complaint in owner-written reviews. Users posting to Amazon.com say that the six-minute maximum run time is inadequate even for many of the small cleanup tasks they'd expect a handheld vacuum to perform. One user reports having to stop and recharge after completing only eight of 14 stairs, and several say the Dyson shuts off before they finish vacuuming out a car. Complaints about the Dyson DC16 hand vac aren't limited to battery issues. A number of owners find the 3.26-pound unit too heavy to carry around or say they find it tiring to have to hold down the power button during use. Fans of the DC16 say it's powerful and ergonomic and point out that a six-minute charge should be adequate since handheld cordless vacuums aren't intended for large cleanup jobs. Others say that the DC16 Animal does an excellent job of picking up even ground-in pet hair, something that few handhelds can manage. Still, at three times the price of most hand vacs, many say the Dyson isn't worth the extra cost.

Another trendy (and pricey) hand vacuum, the Alessi SG67 (*est. $140) , is designed by Stefano Giovannoni and made of mirror-polished stainless steel and thermoplastic resin. While the Alessi hand vacuum has generated quite a bit of buzz on appliance and home décor blogs, we found very few reviews posted about how the product works as opposed to how it looks. Those we did find mention mediocre performance compared to standard hand vacs and less-than-optimal effectiveness on carpet, but owners who purchase the Alessi seem to be more interested in appearance than function. Besides emphasizing its elegance – reviewers say the Alessi is a big step up from Dirt Devil's KONE or KURV in terms of design – owners do say it's lightweight, easy to use, effective on hard surfaces and easy to place in the thermoplastic charging base.

Black & Decker's PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac (*est. $70) is a more moderately priced vacuum that outperforms the Dyson DC16 in at least one comparative review. Testers for Popular Mechanics say that although the Pivot Vac was slightly slower than the DC16 to pick up the 32 ounces of flour, it was much more effective in the wet kitty litter test. That fact, combined with the lower price and longer battery life, convinced Popular Mechanics testers that the Pivot Vac deserves the top spot. User reviews of the PHV1800 are also excellent. Owners posting to Epinions, where the Black & Decker hand vacuum has an overall rating of five stars out of five, say it's powerful, quick to empty and easy to use. A few users say it's a bit louder and heavier than they'd like, but otherwise this model gets near-perfect scores all around. The Pivot Vac has a 10-postion pivoting nozzle and comes with an upholstery brush, a small crevice tool and a wall-mountable charging base.

The Black & Decker CHV1500 15.6-volt Dustbuster with HEPA filtration (*est. $50) is a lower priced handheld vacuum that also does well in comparative testing. The CHV1500 is the subject of nearly 150 owner-written reviews on Amazon.com and another ten on Epinions, with the large majority rating it four or five stars. Owners say they like the HEPA filter, the reliable suction and the fact that the battery charge lasts long enough for most small vacuuming tasks. On the downside, owners say this hand vac is a bit on the noisy side and can be tricky to fit into the charger correctly. And while a few owners say it works well on pet hair, others say it's really most effective on loose debris like sand or cracker crumbs.

The Black & Decker CHV1400 (*est. $40) is also very popular on Amazon.com, where it gets almost 300 five-star ratings out of just over 400 reviews. Pros and cons with this hand vac are similar to those of the slightly more powerful CHV1500: Some owners are put off by the noise level and filter maintenance while others say the CHV1400 is powerful, easy to use and reasonably priced. The one downside here is the battery. While it has a reasonably long run time out of the box, some users say that decreases fairly rapidly even with infrequent use. Unfortunately, replacement batteries can be hard to find and can cost almost as much as a new hand vac. Still, most owners say this is an effective, easy-to-use vacuum at a good price.

The Shark Cordless Hand Vac SV736 (*est. $40) is another highly rated model in the same price range. This model is the top choice of The Wall Street Journal's hand vac review by Charles Passy, beating Dirt Devil's KURV, Dyson's DC16 and even Black & Decker's 18 Volt Pivot Vac. Besides its overall good performance, what wins it top placement is its motorized brush head which Passy says does an excellent job on carpet. Owner reviews of the Shark don't match those of Black & Decker's top models, but they're still very good overall. Reviewers on Amazon.com, where the Shark vac gets four out of five stars in over 70 posts, say it has a good battery run time and works well for small clean up tasks, stairs and furniture as well as daily pet hair removal. Besides a handful of complaints about the Shark's durability, the only real gripe is that it doesn't slide into the charger as smoothly as a hand vac should.

Corded handheld vacuums

Although reviewers tend to give cordless hand vacs top billing, experts say corded hand vacs have some advantages. For one thing, they don't run out of power halfway through a job. 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. Finally, without the power limitations of battery-driven hand vacs, corded models can be more powerful, meaning they get more vacuuming done faster.

The Eureka 71A Handheld Vacuum (*est. $50) is easily the best-rated handheld vacuum in this category. Experts say it's versatile, powerful and lightweight, although some users say it's still too heavy to use for extended periods. Owners like the revolving brush and the stretch hose for cleaning car interiors and other hard-to-reach spots. Particularly glowing reviews come from pet owners who say the Eureka does an excellent job of extracting cat and dog hair from upholstered furniture. The very few negative reviews – just six out of almost 300 on Amazon.com – have to do with units breaking down prematurely rather than problems with the vacuum itself. Unfortunately, a short lifespan seems to be a problem common to all hand vacuums, and this Eureka vacuum actually has fewer complaints than most others.

A winner in the cordless category, Black & Decker also gets decent ratings for its corded hand vacs. The Black & Decker HV9010P Retriever Pet-Series Cyclonic-Action Corded Dustbuster and Blower (*est. $30) gets solid marks from the handful of owners posting to Amazon.com. Pet owners say the included rubber-bristled turbo brush, designed to create a hair-attracting electrostatic charge, does an excellent job of removing pet hair from upholstery and carpet. Black & Decker claims this hand vac has the power of a regular vacuum and several owners agree, saying the HV9010P works better on pet hair than their full-size models. Another bonus is that it converts to a blower for cleaning in very tight spaces even the included crevice tool can't access. Black & Decker's two-year warranty is twice as long as warranties offered by most hand vac brands, including the top-rated Eureka.

Black & Decker's CCV1000 CycloPro Cyclonic Corded Hand Vac with Turbo Brush (*est. $55) looks similar to its top-rated cordless PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac. Unfortunately, reviews for the CCV1000 are scarce and mediocre. The CycloPro hand vac comes with a crevice tool, a brush tool and a turbo brush. Considering the $25 price difference, consumers who want a Black & Decker may be better off sticking to the HV9010P or going with one of the top-rated cordless models.

Although their KONE and KURV get the most media attention, Dirt Devil also makes several other handheld vacuums. Two of their corded models -- the Dirt Devil M08230X Ultra Hand Vac (*est. $30) and the Dirt Devil M08220 Scorpion Quick Flip Vacuum (*est. $20) – are popular enough on sites like Amazon.com to get a good number of owner-written reviews. Readers posting to Amazon.com say the Scorpion is powerful – some say almost as powerful as an upright vacuum – and strikes the right balance between light weight and performance. This corded hand vac's most praised feature is its flip-down crevice tool which most owners say they find useful for vacuuming hard-to-reach places. The Dirt Devil Ultra M08230X is another story. Owners on Amazon.com and Target.com rate it 2.5 out of five stars and bring up a host of quality and performance concerns, from clogging and suction problems to excessive noise and premature breakdown. The few positive reviews mention general features like the fact that it's portable and easy to store, but customers can find the same attributes in the higher-rated corded hand vacs available from Eureka and Black & Decker.

Important Features: Handheld vacuums

Reviewers say the following about shopping for a handheld vacuum.

• Don't get rid of your full-size vacuum. Hand vacs work well for small messes and tight corners but they're not designed to vacuum whole rooms or replace canisters or uprights.

• Consider your power options. Cordless hand vacs can be used away from a power source but have limited battery runtimes; corded hand vacuums are more powerful but, since they need to be plugged in, they can be less convenient to use.

• Pay attention to battery run time. If you decide on a cordless hand vac, check the product specs to make sure the battery runs long enough between charges to meet your needs. Some models have run times as short as six minutes, and some owners say that's not long enough to clean a flight of stairs or the inside of a car.

• Style doesn't always mean substance. Despite the recent trend toward hand vacs that are stylish enough to leave out on a countertop or beside the sofa, reviewers say some of these models fall short when it comes to performance.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of picks	Model(With Retailer Links)	Details from Amazon.com
3	Black & Decker PHV1800 18 Volt Pivot Vac (*est. $70)	details
2	Shark Cordless Hand Vac SV736 (*est. $40)	details
2	Eureka 71A (*est. $50)	details
1 each	Black & Decker CHV1500 , Dirt Devil M0915X, Dyson DC16 , Hoover Wet/Dry Cordless , Black & Decker CHV1400 , Black & Decker HV8000

Black & Decker's cordless hand vacs get the best ratings, especially among professional reviewers who say they perform well in comparative testing and have decent battery runtimes. The Black & Decker PHV1800 is the real standout, but the CHV1500 also gets top billing in one high-quality comparative review. At just over half the price of the top-rated PHV1800, the Shark Cordless Hand Vac SV736 beats its higher-priced competitor in The Wall Street Journal's testing and gets excellent marks from users as well. Eureka's 71A is the clear winner among corded hand vacs with near-perfect scores at Amazon.com.

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