Handheld Vacuums Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Handheld Vacuums. See our ratings criteria

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Handheld Vacuums Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Handheld Vacuums Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Sweepers, hand vacs & robots Editors of Consumer Reports Mar. 2006		Consumer Reports doesn't cover handheld vacuums in its latest report, but the older March 2006 ratings do include three handheld models, two of which are still currently available. Despite the limited coverage, Consumer Reports gets our top rating for its thorough and consistent product testing and its detailed breakdown of the results.
2. Popular Mechanics >> Details/Subscribe	Video Abusive Lab Test: Handheld Vacuums Editors of Popular Mechanics Dec. 7, 2007		This video by Popular Mechanics shows testers evaluating three handheld vacuums: the Dirt Devil KONE, the Black & Decker 18 Volt Pivot Vac and the Dyson DC16. The process here is simple but consistent. Each vacuum is tested on its ability to suck up 32 ounces of pre-sifted flour and 12 ounces of wet kitty litter. Tests show results in terms of how quickly and easily each hand vac picks up the messes and how often it needs to be emptied. The video is convincing, and it's interesting to see the testing in progress rather than just a final rating. The Black & Decker does slightly better than the Dyson, which sails through the flour test but has trouble with the litter. The KONE does poorly on both tests, blowing the flour around and barely picking up any kitty litter at all.

Handheld Vacuums Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Handheld Vacuums Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. The Wall Street Journal >> Details/Subscribe	No Crumbs for Christmas Charles Passy Nov. 23, 2007		While the testing for this article is informal – a mixture including potato chip crumbs and wrapping paper bits is scattered and then vacuumed up with five popular hand vacuums – the author does a good job of justifying his picks. Like other reviewers, he finds the Dirt Devil KURV to be more style than substance and the Dyson DC16 to be less effective than its high price would suggest. While the Black & Decker 18 Volt Pivot Vac does relatively well here, the top choice is the inexpensive Shark Cordless Hand Vac SV736.
4. Amazon.com	Handheld Vacuums Contributors to Amazon.com As of Mar. 2008		Amazon.com is a good source of owner-written hand vacuum reviews. Dozens of models are reviewed here, and while a few have only one or two posts, most have enough to provide a useful picture of how the products stands up in real-world use. Black & Decker models do well on Amazon, and the top score goes to the CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic Dustbuster with an average of 4.5 out of five stars based on over 400 reviews.
5. Which.co.uk >> Details/Subscribe	Dyson DC16 Editors of Which.co.uk Feb. 18, 2008		Which? magazine is a consumer advocacy resource based in the U.K. Like Consumer Reports, it has an excellent reputation for comparative reviews of consumer products based on controlled independent testing. Coverage of handheld vacuums is limited though; editors test only the Dyson DC16. Both the standard DC16 and the DC16 Issey Miyake Limited Edition perform well, but because there are no other handhelds to compare them with, editors have chosen not to include ratings in their review.
6. Choice.com.au >> Details/Subscribe	Review: Dyson Radix 6 handheld vacuum cleaner Editors of Choice.com.au Apr. 2007		Choice, the Australian counterpart of Consumer Reports, bases its ratings on rigorous independent testing and provides excellent coverage of vacuum cleaners in three price ranges. Unfortunately, the only handheld vacuum reviewed is the Dyson Radix 6 (which is equivalent to the Dyson DC16). Although the review is positive, the fact that the Dyson isn't compared with other handhelds limits its value.

Handheld Vacuums Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Handheld Vacuums Ratings Comments on Reviews

7. Consumer Guide.com	Hand Vacuums Reviews and Prices Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Mar. 2008		Consumer Guide has what it calls "expert reviews" for eleven handheld vacuum cleaners. Reviews are fairly detailed but seem to be based more on features and product specs than any kind of testing or analysis. Most models reviewed are given a "CG Best Buy" rating, and five of those also get a five-star rating, but there's no real explanation of how or why these are chosen.
8. Allergy Buyers Club.com	Hand Held Cordless Vacuum Cleaners Editors of AllergyBuyersClub.com As of Mar. 2008		This online retailer is geared toward allergy sufferers and includes allergy information and product reviews. Although editors say they test everything they sell, there's no detailed breakdown of how vacuum cleaner testing is conducted or what differentiates models that make the cut from those that don't.
9. SlipperyBrick.com	Review: KONE & KURV Dirt Devil Hand Vacs Conner Flynn Nov. 20, 2007		This review of Dirt Devil's KONE and KURV uses the author's informal testing as a basis of comparison. There's little indication of how testing was conducted, but it is interesting that the author finds the KURV to be far more effective than the KONE.
10. Epinions	Vacuums - Handheld Contributors to Epinions As of Mar. 2008		Epinions has the advantage of being primarily a user-review site rather than an online retailer, meaning there's potentially a wider range of products that can be reviewed. Despite their attempts to get more people posting, though, Epinions still doesn't come close to Amazon.com's coverage in most categories. Hand vacuums are no exception -- the vast majority of models have a single review. Although posts here are often thorough and nicely detailed, that's not enough to make up for the lack of volume.
11. Target.com	Hand Vacs Contributors to Target.com As of Mar. 2008		Target is another online retailer that allows owners to post product reviews. There are around 20 models reviewed here – far fewer than on Amazon.com -- and most of these get only a handful of posts. Because there is some disparity between user ratings on different sites, it can be useful to check out Target before making a decision. The Dirt Devil KURV, for example, does surprisingly well on Amazon.com, but its very poor scores on Target are more in keeping with test results in professional reviews.
12. The Toronto Star	Handheld vacuum cleans up in design department Robert Cribb Jan. 7, 2008		In this short article, the author discusses the Dyson DC16 Issey Miyake. Testing is informal: the author compares the DC16 in use against his own Dustbuster. His verdict is that the DC16 works well, but probably not well enough to justify the large price difference between it and other handheld vacs.
13. Calgary Herald	Mini tried & tested: The Dirt Devil KURV Editors of Calgary Herald Dec. 22, 2007		Another short review of a single hand vac, this article focuses on the Dirt Devil KURV. While it's short on specifics and doesn't describe the testing process, it does come up with some pros and cons. The biggest con: Pet owners might need to look elsewhere for a hand vac that can tackle pet hair on carpet.

Handheld Vacuums Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Handheld Vacuums Ratings Comments on Reviews

14. Apartment Therapy.com	Dyson Root 6 in the Test Lab Editors of Apartment Therapy Nov. 10, 2006		This brief review of the Dyson DC16 doesn't go into detail about what type of testing was performed, but it does give a short list of pros and cons. Their final verdict: "People either love or hate Dyson."