The 5 Best Handheld Vacuums - Spring 2021 Reviews

The best handheld vacuum for bare floors that we've tested is the HoLife HM036E. This handheld model is lightweight and comes with a storage rack that makes it easy to store in your closet or a counter. It feels sturdy and doesn't incur many recurring costs because only one part, its allergen-trapping HEPA filter, should be replaced regularly.

It has a fantastic performance on bare floors, where it easily clears pet hair and debris like rice and cereal. It also comes with a crevice tool to help with cleaning narrow spaces. Its continuous battery life of roughly 20 minutes is decent, and there's an indicator light that flashes when the battery is running low. This vacuum also delivers a decent overall performance on carpets, which is helpful if you have the occasional rug to clean. There's also a liquid nozzle for sucking up spills, but we don't test it currently.

Unfortunately, the dirt compartment is tiny and needs frequent emptying. If you use the vacuum to clean up spills or any liquid messes, it has to be thoroughly cleaned and allowed to dry completely before being used again. However, if you want a handheld vacuum for spot-cleaning messes on your floors or countertops, this is a great option.

The best handheld vacuum for carpet that we've tested is the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. This cordless handheld model is a great choice for spot-cleaning, as it does a remarkable job of clearing everything from pet hair to debris like baking soda on both low and high-pile carpet.

It's well-built and easy to maintain, with very few parts that require routine servicing. Since its dust cup filter is its only disposable part, recurring costs are pretty low. It's also lightweight and small enough to be used in far-off areas like the inside of your car. It comes with a crevice cleaner, a hard bristle brush, and a turbo brush to deal with everything from stuck-on dirt to messes on furniture upholstery. Its dirt compartment is relatively spacious for a handheld appliance, too.

Unfortunately, it provides just over 10 minutes of battery life on a single charge, which means you'll need to work fast when dealing with large messes. Short battery life aside, its versatile performance and compact design make it one of the best multi-surface vacuums that we've tested.

The Black+Decker dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet is the best handheld vacuum in the budget category that we've tested. This cordless handheld vacuum does a superb job of cleaning debris on bare floors and performs decently well on low and high-pile carpet. It also comes with a motorized turbo brush that can be used to clean pet hair from upholstered surfaces.

This vacuum has a fairly spacious dirt compartment, especially for a handheld vacuum, so it shouldn't need to be emptied too frequently. It can run for almost 30 minutes if used in its most energy-efficient power setting, though this drops to just under 15 minutes if you run it continuously in its high-power 'Boost Mode', and it's worth noting that battery life can vary in the real world. It feels decently well-built, and few parts require regular cleaning.

Unfortunately, this vacuum doesn't come with any sort of bristle brush, so you have to be careful when cleaning delicate surfaces as to avoid scratching them. It lacks a HEPA filter to trap allergens as you clean, and its pre-filter and main filter need to be replaced regularly, so recurring costs are also fairly high. Otherwise, this vacuum's versatile overall performance and affordable price make it a good option for spot cleaning.