The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is a cordless handheld vacuum. As it's meant for spot-cleaning around the home, it's very portable and easy to store, so you can quickly tackle small spills or messes without the hassle of dragging out a heavy upright vacuum. It does an outstanding job of cleaning up debris on bare floors like a kitchen, and its small size makes it a suitable choice for tackling dirt spills in your car. Unfortunately, it has a short battery life, and it can take up to four hours to recharge fully, which is disappointing. It also has a small dirt compartment, but that's to be expected with a simple handheld vacuum.
Our Verdict
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is excellent for cleaning bare floors. It cleans almost everything on this surface. However, if you have a very big mess to clean up, it can take a while: its battery lasts around ten minutes, and its small dirt compartment needs frequent emptying. That said, its maintenance is fairly easy, which is nice.
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Outstanding bare floor performance.
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Very portable and easy to store.
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Fairly easy to maintain.
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Short battery life with a long recharge period.
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Small dirt compartment.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is decent for low-pile carpet. It doesn't do a bad job of dealing with finer debris like sand on low-pile carpet, but you'll need to make an extra pass or two to clear away smaller chunks of larger debris like cereal or rice. This vacuum isn't the ideal choice if you're looking to clean up a larger area, as its battery doesn't last more than ten minutes before needing to be recharged, and it doesn't have a large dirt compartment. Luckily, it has fairly easy maintenance.
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Very portable and easy to store.
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Fairly easy to maintain.
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Short battery life with a long recharge period.
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Small dirt compartment.
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Struggles with pet hair on fabric and carpet.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is decent for high-pile carpet. It has an easier time cleaning up larger debris like rice or cereal, but it struggles with finer debris like sand that's been pressed deep into carpet fibers. However, if you have a shag rug with a lot of debris in it, this vacuum most likely won't be able to clean it up before its battery dies. On the upside, maintenance is fairly easy since this vacuum is somewhat simple in design.
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Very portable and easy to store.
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Fairly easy to maintain.
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Short battery life with a long recharge period.
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Small dirt compartment.
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Struggles with pet hair on fabric and carpet.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is middling for cleaning pet hair. While it struggles with picking up pet hair on upholstered surfaces and on carpets, it still does a great job cleaning it up on bare floors. However, unlike many other alternatives, it doesn't come with an upholstery tool or a miniature turbo brush, which would make it easier to clean fabric-lined surfaces.
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Very portable and easy to store.
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Fairly easy to maintain.
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Short battery life with a long recharge period.
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Small dirt compartment.
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Struggles with pet hair on fabric and carpet.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is outstanding for cleaning stairs. Thanks to its cordless design, this exceptionally portable handheld vacuum can easily spot-clean stairs, which is handy for the occasional spill. It's also very lightweight and comes with a crevice tool for hard-to-reach places.
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Very portable and easy to store.
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Includes a crevice tool.
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Fairly easy to maintain.
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Short battery life with a long recharge period.
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Small dirt compartment.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is great for cleaning cars. It's an exceptionally portable handheld vacuum, so you can easily get into more difficult-to-reach places, and it even has a crevice tool to help extend its reach. However, you may have to pass over an area several times to fully clean it, especially if you're cleaning fine debris.
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Very portable and easy to store.
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Includes a crevice tool.
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Fairly easy to maintain.
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Short battery life with a long recharge period.
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Small dirt compartment.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is really only intended for light-duty workshop use. While it won't have any trouble dealing with household debris, it isn't powerful enough to clear away large amounts of heavy debris like wood or metal shavings. It'll also be damaged if you use it to clear away liquid spills.
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Outstanding bare floor performance.
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Very portable and easy to store.
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Fairly easy to maintain.
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Short battery life with a long recharge period.
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Small dirt compartment.
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Not intended for liquid spills.
- 7.5 Bare Floor
- 7.3 Low-Pile Carpet
- 7.4 High-Pile Carpet
- 5.9 Pets
- 8.6 Stairs
- 8.2 Cars
- 5.7 Workshop
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.0, Test Bench 1.2, and Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3. We've overhauled our floor performance tests and added new 'Hard Floor Pick-Up,' 'High-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' 'Low-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' and 'Pet-Hair Pick-Up' tests. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Dec 14, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update builds on our previous 'Suction' test with a new 'Airflow' test that more accurately measures a vacuum's ability to generate air movement. If you'd like to see an in-depth look at the reasoning and methodology behind this change, you can see our full changelog here..
- Updated Nov 22, 2022: We've changed the full product name to 'Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum' in order for the review to encompass all model variants.
- Updated Nov 16, 2022: This vacuum's suction force has been retested with a more accurate manometer. The test results for the 'Maximum Suction' and 'Normal Suction' fields have been updated. All relevant scores and text have been updated.
- Updated Aug 03, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Apr 04, 2022: Retested 'Pet Hair Furniture Performance' and lowered the section score.
- Updated Mar 18, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Jul 06, 2020: Review published.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is a handheld vacuum meant for spot-cleaning. Its small, lightweight design makes it portable for a variety of uses, and you can easily store it away in your closet or on a table, so it's quickly accessible. However, compared to other vacuums with batteries, like the Dyson V7, its overall battery life is still quite disappointing, and it even takes a few hours to charge.
The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ is better than the Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum. The Shark has fewer parts that need regular cleaning, takes less time to recharge while offering a similar overall battery life, comes with a turbo brush attachment, and is significantly more effective in clearing debris on low and high-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Black+Decket incurs lower recurring costs, has a larger dustbin, and delivers better performance on hard surfaces.
The Black+Decker dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet is a better handheld vacuum for most uses than the Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum. The AdvancedClean+ Pet comes with a turbo brush and has a better battery performance. It also performs better on carpet. However, the Hand Vacuum is better built, with fewer recurring costs. It also performs better on bare floors.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum and BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim have different strengths. The Black+Decker has a much larger dirt compartment, clears bulky debris with little trouble, and performs better overall on bare floors. Conversely, the BISSELL has a longer battery life with a shorter recharge time, does a better job of dealing with pet hair, has lower recurring costs, and is substantially smaller and lighter.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum and the Shark WANDVAC have different strengths. The Black+Decker is better on bare floors, has a much larger dirt compartment, and has a longer continuous runtime. Conversely, the Shark does a better job capturing fine allergens, has virtually no recurring costs, is smaller and lighter, and performs better on low-pile carpet. It also recharges much faster.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is a more versatile handheld vacuum than the eufy HomeVac H11. The Black+Decker is far more effective on bare floors, has a larger dirt compartment, and lower recurring costs. That said, the eufy is smaller and lighter. It also has a longer continuous battery life and a shorter recharge time.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum and BISSELL Featherweight Stick suit different uses. The handheld-only Black+Decker is better at cleaning stairs and cars due to its more maneuverable, compact, cordless design. It's better built, not to mention more effective in picking up debris on bare floors and high-pile carpet. On the other hand, the BISSELL is better at cleaning up pet hair and has better performance on low-pile carpet. It's also easier to maintain and has much lower recurring costs.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum and the HoLife HM036E are two cordless handheld vacuums with different strengths. While both are decently well-built and similarly easy to maintain, the Black+Decker has fewer recurring costs, its dirt compartment is larger, and it's easier to store. However, the HoLife has a better performance on all surface types, its battery life is longer, and you can also use it to clean wet spills, although we don't currently test for this.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum and Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Hand Vacuum have different advantages, and one may suit you better depending on your needs. The Black+Decker has better build quality, lower recurring costs, a lighter body, and more tools and accessories, courtesy of its combination extension wand/crevice tool/hard bristle brush. However, the Hoover has a longer battery life and a shorter recharge time and is notably more effective when cleaning pet hair on most surfaces.
The Wyze Handheld Vacuum is better for most uses than the Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum. The Wyze is more compact, easier to carry around, has a much longer maximum battery life, and comes with more tools and accessories, as well as a HEPA filter to trap allergens as you clean. It also clears debris more effectively on low and high-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Black+Decker has a much bigger dirt compartment and incurs fewer recurring costs.
Test Results
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum feels quite well-built overall. Although it's entirely made out of plastic, the quality feels good. The dust bin has a bit of flex, so it won't break easily, but the plastic frame could crack if dropped. The paper-thin filter also feels prone to rips or tears if you're not careful when cleaning it. Thankfully, the vacuum is very easy to assemble and take apart, so you won't have too many issues.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is fairly easy to maintain overall. This handheld vacuum has a simple design, so there aren't very many parts you have to maintain. The plastic pre-filter and cloth filter both need to be washed with soapy water from time to time. This doesn't take long, but they must air dry completely before you can use them again. Unfortunately, emptying the dirt compartment tends to send dust and debris into the air. This isn't ideal, especially if you suffer from allergies, since it requires frequent emptying. You might also have to wash it occasionally since it collects leftover dust. Thankfully, it's easy to fully detach from the vacuum for easy access.
There aren't very many recurring costs with this vacuum. The cloth filter needs to be replaced every six to nine months, depending on your usage, but it isn't too expensive and can often be found in packs of six.
The handheld Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is very easy to store. It's compact, portable, and takes up very little space in a closet or even on your countertop. It has a built-in reach extender and bristle brush, so no extra tools are needed. It also has a small charging dock that helps keep it upright while charging.
This vacuum's dirt compartment is okay. It's quite small, so you'll likely need to empty it often, and it doesn't have an indicator to let you know when it's full, either. On the upside, you don't have to worry about buying bags.
- Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum
- Wand
- Pre-filter
- Filter
- Charging station and cable
- Vacuum User Guide
Since this is a cordless handheld vacuum, you're only limited by the size of its canister and battery life.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is exceptionally portable. It's very lightweight, even in your hand, and the carrying handle makes it easy to bring along with you in your home, no matter where a mess might be. That said, if you're looking for something even smaller and lighter, look at the BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum's battery performance is disappointing. It only takes about 8-9 minutes for it to start noticeably losing power, and at the 10-minute mark, it simply stops working, which isn't very long. It also takes nearly 4 hours to charge, which is quite a while but within what the company advertises. If having a corded connection isn't a deal-breaker, the BISSELL Featherweight Stick is an even lighter upright/handheld vacuum with an effectively unlimited runtime, so long as you stay in the range of an outlet. However, if you're committed to staying cordless, the eufy HomeVac H11 is a handheld vacuum with a longer continuous runtime and faster charging.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is a simple vacuum. You can rotate the vacuum head to make it easier to reach corners at a certain angle, and the power button is conveniently placed. However, there are no additional features.
You can't add any additional tools to this handheld vacuum, but it has a built-in hard bristle brush to help with stubborn dirt and a crevice tool that also helps extend its reach.
You can only use the Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum as a handheld vacuum.
This vacuum does a fantastic job of dealing with debris on hard surfaces. It easily lifts away fine debris like sand and medium-sized debris like rice, not to mention larger material like cereal. However, you'll have to hold the vacuum at a pretty shallow angle to ensure any bulky debris doesn't get bunched up at the front or rear of the suction inlet.
This vacuum delivers good performance on high-pile carpet. While it isn't powerful enough to draw out fine debris like sand that's been pushed thoroughly into carpet fibers within a single back-and-forth pass, it's quite good at dealing with medium and large debris like rice or cereal.
This vacuum performs decently on low-pile carpet. It's actually quite effective in dealing with finer debris like sand on this surface type, but smaller pulverized chunks of larger debris that have been pressed into carpet fibers are a little more of a challenge.
This vacuum pet hair-cleaning performance on low-pile carpet is poor. Its straight-suction inlet provides next to no surface agitation, so it can't really dislodge hair that's stuck within carpet fibers.
Like many other handheld models, this vacuum delivers great suction performance. This has little to do with the power of its motor and more with the fact that its suction inlet can seal very tightly with the surface you rest it against.
This vacuum's airflow performance is pretty poor, which isn't surprising for a handheld vacuum. It'll struggle with lifting away large amounts of heavy debris.
This is a pretty noisy vacuum. Generally speaking, if you want to avoid annoying people nearby, it's best to use it in an enclosed space.
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum has decent maneuverability. Its compact form makes it very easy to maneuver on and around furniture. However, despite its super portable design, reaching under low tables or couches is challenging, even with the wand extension. That said, it navigates around electric cables well.
This vacuum does a poor job dealing with pet hair on furniture, leaving quite a bit of this kind of debris behind after cleaning. Its suction nozzle is very small, forcing you to make several passes to clear any hair. The vacuum must be held at a particular angle to maintain the strongest possible suction force. It doesn't come with a turbo brush or upholstery tool, which would make this cleaning task a little easier.
The Black+Decker dustbuster does a poor job of sealing in fine particles, which can escape from its exhaust.
This vacuum does a good job of dealing with fine material in cracks and crevices. Its narrow head generates good suction, enabling it to easily draw out debris wedged within deeper cracks. It's worth noting that sucking up really fine debris like baking soda can easily clog this vacuum's filter.
This vacuum isn't meant to deal with liquid spills.