What to Look for in a New Hand Vacuum Cleaner

There are a few things you need to sort out before you go out and buy a handheld vacuum cleaner. They come in various models in a wide range of several types with accompanying features which have been designed to suit specific requirements. Hand vacuums are available in cordless or corded models with different options. The kind of environment the hand vacuum will be used in also determines what model you should buy.

Hoover Platinum Collection LiNX Cordless Pet Handheld Vacuum	Our favorite for 2016
Dirt Devil Scorpion Quick Flip Corded Bagless Handheld Vacuum	A great value option
Black+Decker BDH2000PL MAX Lithium Pivot Vacuum	An excellent handheld vacuum

The frequency with which you will use the hand vacuum is another factor that needs to be considered, as there are places with fewer electric power outlets, extremely cold temperatures or even heavy quantities of dirt and debris that will have certain requirements. You should also bear in mind the kinds of stains and spills and the surfaces these would most likely be on before getting yourself a handheld vacuum cleaner.

There are cordless and corded models, each with a set of options. Corded hand vacuums are considered small appliances but they are one of the most powerful categories since they are not restricted by the limitations of batteries. Most of them are equipped with a motor-powered brush for thorough cleaning of stubborn debris like animal hair and thick carpets.

Cordless hand vacuums are designed to be powered with batteries, albeit the rechargeable variety. These vacuums are an excellent choice for those who live in smaller dwellings, have spaces where outlets are limited or unavailable, and stay areas where a cord would be too cumbersome to drag around. Cordless hand vacuums are ideal for cleaning vehicles, garages, and traveling.

Reviews

Customer reviews of handheld vacuum cleaners are your front line sources of information. Given that, here are five reviews of the best hand vacuums available:

Black+Decker CHV1410L 16 volt Lithium Cordless Dust Buster Hand Vac – With its sleek design and “smart charge” type of technology, the CHV1410L has a slim nozzle that targets dirt by as much as 50% more than other Black+Decker models in even the tightest spaces. It bends less, boasts of lithium battery power, a powerful suction ability, and fade-free electric power.

Moreover, this bag-less hand vacuum’s dirt bowl is translucent that enables you to see if it full and should be emptied and is easy to clean; you can just remove the bowl from the model and wash it in the sink. This vacuum remains charged for up to a year and a half even when off its charger.

It also shuts off automatically when its battery has been charged. Additionally, it is lightweight to use for quick cleanups of carpets, ceramic tiles, and furniture, to name a few items, around the house with its cyclonic action that spins away debris and dust away from its filters to keep suction strong and powerful when the user needs it most.

Eureka EasyClean Corded Hand-Held Vacuum – With this Eureka model, there is no hassle of lugging the full-sized, conventional vacuum to clean your carpeted stairs, upholstery of cars and furniture, and hard-to-access spaces. This vacuum has a powerful suction capability of 5.5 AMP with a cord, all 20 feet of it, and a deluxe hose, that can stretch thrice its length.

Even tight places can be reached by this vacuum’s on-board crevice tool located at the end of its hose driven by strong suction from two motors: one that works the revolving brush and the other that sucks in all the dirt, dust, and debris it can find. Its Riser Visor’s nozzle flips conveniently to clean horizontal or vertical staircases.

Off or on, this vacuum’s brush easily picks up dirt from rugs, bare floors, and upholstery. It comes with a bag-less filter and dust cup to eliminate the need for belts or bags even when it picks up pebbles, sand, and other similar debris in spaces such as couch or sofa cushions and car seats.

Dirt Devil Scorpion Quick Flip Corded Bagless Handheld Vacuum – It’s not called “Dirt Devil” for nothing. This handheld vacuum cleaner does an excellent job of cleaning hard-to-access areas in a jiffy. The crevice tool, which comes on-board, easily and quickly flips down to reach the nooks and crannies of upholstered furniture and the in-depths of car seats.

And with a power cord that measures 16 feet and several attachments, cleanups are done in a few minutes instead of several hours. This handy appliance has a powerful motor with 7 AMP that comes without a belt or a bag but with a dust cup instead for collecting all the debris including lurking dust mites, bugs, and other insects.

Additionally, it can be stored in any drawer or under any cabinet because of its compact design. Even the power cord can be wrapped around for storage after use. The hose and dusting brush attachments are inclusive with the purchase of this vacuum cleaner to provide the different needs of the areas being cleaned.

Weighing only 3.8 pounds, this vacuum measures a nifty 6 inches by 8.8 inches by 12 inches. The Dirt Devil is perfect to take with you when you travel, for those who are physically incapacitated and unable to use the conventional type vacuum cleaner, and for those who want spic and span clean rooms down to the legs of furniture.

Black+Decker BDH2000PL MAX Lithium Pivot Vacuum – Another quality product from Black+Decker is the 20-Volt BDH2000PL MAX Lithium Pivot Vacuum with a filtration system of three stages and a superior motor that provide high performing sucking action. This vacuum does exactly what its name says: pivot into hard-to-reach spaces to eliminate the presence of dust, dirt, and debris.

Manufactured using lithium ion battery technology, this battery powered vacuum cleaner will not conk out on you while you are cleaning because of its “fade-free” operation. Additionally, its cyclonic action can spin away all the dust, debris, and dirt from its filter to enable suction power to work continuously.

This vacuum’s filter, with a pleated design, has three stages of filtration to ensure that clean air exhaust has been superiorly filtered and a charging base which charges it quickly and keeps it fully charged until use. Moreover, its bag-less, translucent dirt bowl has more dirt-gathering capacity of up to 42% than the earlier Pivot Vac version.

Hoover Platinum Collection LiNX Cordless Pet Handheld Vacuum – The cordless Hoover LiNX Pet Handheld BH50030 has the unique three-blade design for the removal of the most stubborn of pet hairs. This is probably the only handheld vacuum cleaner that can pick up animal hair from upholstery, rugs, and carpets. It features an interchangeable, lithium ion battery capable of “fade free” power.

The nozzle has a 25 degree design of a pivot for easy maneuverability when cleaning hard-to-access areas and a Deluxe Dusting Brush for cleaning delicate surface. This vacuum is most ideal for those with pets that shed their coats frequently.  Because of its compact design, storage of this vacuum takes up very little space.

Use this vacuum for spot cleaning, on staircases or for quick cleanups of stains and spills. Its handle has been ergonomically designed for an easy grip and convenience of use. With 18 volts in the lithium ion battery, you can be assured that power for this best pet hair vacuum is sustained until the battery has been drained completely.

Buyers Guide – How to Choose the Best Cordless Hand Vacuum

While some people are more comfortable using corded handheld vacuum cleaners, the biggest advantage of using the cordless version is that you get to clean hard-to-access area easily without breaking a sweat. Some of the cordless models mentioned have “fade free” capabilities that equal, if not surpass, the operational time of corded models. Still, there are a few things you have to know about the cordless vacuum model.

Look for ease of battery recharging. Wall chargers, for instance, can conveniently store the vacuum while, at the same time, charge the unit. Several models, in fact, have indicators to alert the user that the battery already has a low charge. There are some models, though, that require their batteries to be removed before charging. Moreover, these models can be used only if spare batteries are available.

If dust capacity is a crucial factor for you as a basis for purchase, a cordless vacuum cleaner has a bigger capacity for collecting and keeping dust. Just remember that the higher the capacity of a vacuum cleaner to gather and retain dust and other debris, the longer time you can clean with it without needing to empty it. Handheld vacuum cleaners, meanwhile, can reach places that their cordless cousins are unable to.

If your cleaning needs a vacuum that doesn’t stray far from an outlet, you should get a corded model. Moreover, corded models go on for longer generally than handheld or cordless models. It is best to use cordless and handheld vacuum cleaners exclusively for hard-to-access spaces that need to be cleaned just the same. Price points vary as well with the brand and the model and depend, partly, from where you buy it.