The 5 Best Handheld Vacuums - Spring 2021 Reviews

The HoLife HM036E is the best handheld vacuum for bare floors that we've tested. This lightweight cordless model is exceptionally good at cleaning bare floors, as it easily clears pet hair and debris like cereal and rice. It feels sturdy and has a simple design that makes it decently easy to maintain. There aren't many recurring costs because only one part, the allergen-trapping HEPA filter, needs regular replacement.

It comes with a few accessories, like a crevice tool to help you reach tight spots and a little brush that makes cleaning out the dirt compartment easier. The battery lasts a little over 20 minutes on a full charge, which is decent, and there's also an indicator light that tells you when it's running low. It also does a good job on high and low-pile carpets, in case you have the occasional rug to clean, and even comes with a liquid nozzle to clean up spills, although we don't currently test that feature.

Unfortunately, the dirt compartment is small and needs to be emptied more often. Also, if it's used to clean up liquids, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned and allowed to dry completely before being used again. However, if you're looking for something that can easily tackle messes on your countertops, the HoLife is one of the best handheld cordless vacuums that we've tested.

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 fine 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 quickly when dealing with larger 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 vacuum has a compact, lightweight design that feels decently sturdy and is reasonably easy to maintain. It comes with a combination extension wand/crevice tool as well as a motorized turbo brush to deal with messes on furniture too.

It does a fantastic job of clearing debris from bare floors, ranging from pet hair to bulky debris like cereal, not to mention smaller debris like rice. It also does an okay job of clearing various kinds of debris, like sand or baking soda, from low and high-pile carpets. It has a relatively spacious dirt compartment for a handheld vacuum, so it shouldn't need to be emptied too often. Depending on power settings and usage patterns, you can also expect roughly anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes of runtime.

Unfortunately, it lacks an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, which could be a little annoying if you have heavily-shedding pets. It also has a couple of recurring costs in the form of its disposable pre-filter and main filter. Otherwise, if you're looking for a versatile handheld vacuum at a budget-friendly price, this is a good option.