10 Best Handheld Vacuum Cleaners With Cordless and Corded Options

Though, despite some minor irritations, this is one of the best cordless hand vacs. There can be no denying that Shark appliances are built to work hard and stand the test of time. I’ll start with the good news, the design features that make this a fantastic hand​ vac, far outweigh the few cons. In terms of ergonomics, the Shark ION W1 is nothing short of brilliant. It has a handle with a perfectly comfortable grip and the tapered nozzle really works well. In that sense, the Shark may be the best. The extremely lightweight design (only 1.4 LBS) is another big plus.

Single touch, hygienic dust cup release mechanisms are common to many of the ​top handheld vacuums. Though, I think the Shark ION W1 has the edge in this department. The cup flips down and drops the dirt with complete ease. It holds about the equivalent of one cup of debris. The dust cup is easy to clean, and the filter is also washable.

For such a small, lightweight machine, The Shark W1 is reasonably powerful. I wouldn’t say suction is the best. But in terms of power to weight ratio, I doubt anyone can beat this little beast.  Now, using the term beast is quite appropriate here, this is a noisy machine. That would be my most serious complaint. This might not be too much of a problem, as one doesn’t use a handheld vacuum for too long. That brings me to the second item on the list that is less than the best. You can’t expect to use the Shark for more than about 10-minutes on a single charge. It really is for quick clean ups.

On the plus side, it only takes about 2½ hours to charge the battery. That’s about half the time of most other batteries used for cordless handheld vacuums. This helps to negate some of the inconvenience of the short working time. The nifty docking station allows you store it neatly whilst on charge and all the accessories have convenient storage slots in the docking station. You can keep an eye on the battery charge status by means of an LED indicator.

If you find yourself cleaning up pet hair on a regular basis, the Shark ION W1 may be your best option. It has a great multi-surface pet tool, and, for tight spaces, a crevice tool is also provided, along with a soft dusting brush.

After weighing up the pros and cons, I feel that the Shark ION W1 is most certainly deserving of a spot on our ​list of the top hand held vacuum list. The ergonomic design is as close to perfect as it gets and this an extremely lightweight machine. Above all, this is a Shark appliance, and that means a high level of quality from a brand that is renowned for great customer service.

With 120 watts of power and a fantastic cyclonic suction system, it has the performance to beat some of the very best (much more expensive) cordless handheld vacuums. In addition to this, it has multi-layer HEPA filtration, another feature not common to this class of vacuum.

The lithium Ion battery perfectly matches the high-power capabilities of this machine, providing around 20 to 30 minutes runtime. When not in use, you can park the Dibea into the docking station for convenient storage with simultaneous battery charging. It takes about 4.5 hours to charge the battery.

Along with the superb motorized brush roll head, you also get a long crevice tool, and a short one. This is a fairly bulky machine compared to many other hand​ vac​s, it’s also on the heavy side, at 4.7-pounds. Though I wouldn’t think that the weight is unmanageable. The weight and size of this appliance can be explained by the extra power and working time that it provides. This is coupled with a pretty large, 10.14 Oz dust cup, and a large HEPA filter.

I found some customer reviews that suggest Dibea quality control may not be the best. On the other hand, they appear to be more than willing to honor their 12-month warranty. All indications are that the guys at Dibea are very helpful when it comes to customer service. That certainly helps put my mind at ease.

One thing’s for sure, you’re getting incredible value for money when buying the Dibea handheld cordless vacuum. It has power to spare, fantastic battery time and a motorized cleaning head. In terms of bang for your buck, this would be a great choice.

Like the Dibea, the Bissell hand​ vac​ is not the best in terms of ergonomics, nor is it a lightweight appliance. It weighs a little over 4-pounds and the chunky shape is not all that great for getting into tight spaces. Though, like with its competitor, you need to consider the large (very effective) filter and dust cup. You don’t have the convenience of a touch button system to empty the dust cup. But it’s still quite easy, and not at all messy, to empty.

Battery working time is fantastic. In most cases, people are getting 30 minutes plus from a single battery. I don’t have a specified battery recharge time, but I’d guess this will be around 4 – 5 hours. The 14V lithium ion battery certainly exceeds expectations.

In the category for best budget, cordless handheld vacuum, my vote goes to the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. Quality is great and it has the performance to rival the very best.

This gives you around 30-minutes working time and will take 4 – 5 hours to recharge the batteries. There are no motorized pet hair tools. Instead, you have a wide cleaning orifice that will suck up debris and liquids with double filtration.

You do get a good selection of handy accessories though. This includes a crevice tool, dusting brush and an upholstery cleaner. The charger is also supplied, but no docking station. The dust cup is huge, 20.2 ounces, and is easy to clean. This is also a reasonably quiet machine when compared to many other handheld vacuums. At 78dBA, it’s not silent, but these machines never are.

The Holife stands out amongst the cheaper machines in that it is a wet and dry hand​ vac. This makes it one of the best for cleaning up after kids. It’s convenient, albeit a little on the chunky side.

Every inch of this little machine fills me with amazement, it’s wonderful. Thoughtful design makes this one of the most user-friendly handheld vac​s ever made. The extendable crevice tool that just pulls out of the front of the Dustbuster is but one example of how much thought that has gone into its design. A flip up brush on the side is another. The guys at Black & Decker have really thought of everything.

Even the shape of the Dustbuster is calculated for every bit of convenience. The narrow nozzle makes it perfect for getting into tight spaces. If that wasn’t enough, the nozzle has a full 360° rotation, so it really can get in everywhere. Then the whole thing bulges at the top to provide a massive 20.6-ounce dust cup with superb cyclonic filtration.

The Dustbuster is an elegant looking machine that flips over to stand on the docking station. It won’t look out of place on a designer countertop. You can leave it on the docking station indefinitely and it will take approximately 4 hours to charge the battery. Though it seems like you don’t get much more than 10-minutes working time from the battery.

As you may have noticed from this review, I’m in awe of the Dustbuster. It’s an amazing machine at a wonderful price. In order to provide an objective review, I tried to find customer reviews that did not agree with my opinion. I found a few people who say that the battery doesn’t last. Though most have said that the battery has worked well for 3 – 4 years. In my experience, lithium batteries do last a long time, provided you charge them for a full 24-hours before the first use. If you don’t, they give up quite quickly. My guess is that those who experienced short battery life didn’t fully charge the battery before using it. Read the manual!! In general, people have had much praise for the quality of this product. Black & Decker offer a 2-year warranty on the Dustbuster and are great when it comes to customer service.

​If you’re not scared off by the price, it’s a no-brainer, this is the one to buy. Dyson cyclonic suction is the stuff of legends. This model utilizes 15 cyclonic cones for immaculate performance

This, in conjunction with the superb V7 digital motor, gives the Dyson V7 trigger fade-free power for up to 30-minutes. It also gives you excellent HEPA filtration, even as the dust cup fills. The cup is enormous and has a wonderful trigger release, allowing you hold it over the trash can and drop all the dirt without getting your hands dirty.

In true Dyson style, you get every conceivable attachment. It has the mini motorized tool, with a rotating brush roll, to remove pet hair and engrained dirt from carpets, upholstery and hard surfaces. You also get the combination tool, soft dusting brush, stubborn dirt brush, crevice tool, and an extension hose.

For added convenience, the V7 comes with two battery chargers. You get the usual AC charger that plugs into a wall socket, and a 12VDC charger that you can use in your car or when camping. At full charge, you you’ll get about 30-minutes working time. This is with incredible suction power, so you won’t be wasting battery time going back and forth to clean heavy dirt. It removes an incredible amount of debris in one pass, for a portable handheld vacuum.  

Some handheld vacuums could be called the best for pet hair, others the best for cleaning stairs and upholstery, or the best for cleaning the car. Few can boast all of the above, and then some. Yes, the Dyson V7 is expensive, but you’re paying for the very best. Along with the accessories, suction, and expert design to knock the socks off most other hand​ vacuums, you also get the assurance of Dyson quality. Not to mention customer care that goes beyond the norm and an excellent 2-year warranty. The Dyson V7 most certainly has the wow factor, and a price to match.

​With 400 watts of power, the Shark Rocket hand held vac​ cleans like few others. There’s a huge amount of power packed into such a small machine. Because the Shark has a larger than average dust cup, the body is quite large. Though it has an extended hose, so you can get in just about anywhere. It also has a motorized True Pet cleaning head, an extra-long 12” crevice tool, and a dusting brush.

For a larger than average, incredibly powerful, handheld vacuum, it’s not too heavy – only 3.7-pounds. The power cord is also a very convenient length at 15-feet. The dust cup has a great press button, hygienic release to empty function and the filtration is of the highest standard. The filters are also washable, no costly replacement filters. I like the comfortable handle and working angle, with a power switch right at your thumb.

Reading the customer reviews, anyone will be convinced that this is a truly great hand​ vacuum, and I’ll certainly agree with this. It displays all the quality traits of a high-end Shark appliance and you have the reassurance that you’re buying a product from a brand that takes customer satisfaction very seriously.

​The genius in the Bissel design, lies in its exquisitely simple rubber bristles. Instead of a complicated roller brush, that would push up the price and mean more to go wrong, the thick flexible rubber bristles collect the pet hair as you clean. It’s an amazing, economical concept. You also get a hard nozzle for more regular cleaning.

This a powerful 4A (480W) motor, with excellent cyclonic suction, give this vacuum excellent performance. The dust cup is certainly big enough and, while it doesn’t have touch button emptying, it’s still easy enough to empty and clean the bin. Multi-layer filtration is up there with the best of them. The handle is well-designed, which is a good thing, as the Bissell is heavier than most at 5-pounds.

The large body, and the absence of a hose or crevice tool, means that the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser is only suitable for flat surfaces – floors, counters, upholstery, etc. It won’t be the best for cleaning your car with all those narrow spaces between the seats and the like. The 16-foot cord is a great convenience.

For well under 50 bucks, you won’t find a better bargain. Pet hair vacuums seldom cost less than $100 but, thanks to a superbly innovative design, Bissell have managed to bring us a very affordable handheld pet hair vacuum. The simplicity of this design also means there is nothing that could break and need to be replaced.

A nifty handheld canister gives this machine great ergonomics with a large dust capacity. Unlike most of the other hand​ vac​s that have a bagless cup, this one has a filter bag which is reusable. This means more fuss and mess when emptying, but it has a massive capacity. So, thankfully, you won’t be doing it too often. It certainly won’t lose suction as the bag fills. This is thanks to a an incredibly powerful 560W electric motor and effective, low resistance, airflow.

The AutoSpa has a flexible (3’) hose with a swivel connector. This makes it very versatile for cleaning the car or, for that matter, stairs. There’s a crevice tool, wide cleaning head, and two brushes that can get into every nook and cranny. Another plus when cleaning a car. Amazon has the weight specified as 0.5 pounds. I’m sure this an error, 5-pounds seems more realistic.

For a cheap handheld vacuum, quality is good. Though the brushes and attachments do seem a little flimsy. It will make cleaning the car a pleasure and serve just well in the home. For its versatility and price, the AutoSpa hand held vacuum deserves to be ranked among the ​top rated handheld vacuums.

Though it has a few clever additions, like a flip down crevice tool and attachable 2.5-foot hose. It has a great 15.2 Oz capacity with a reasonable filter. At this price, you can forget about multi-layer HEPA filters.

The 7A electric motor has the power to match any of the best corded handheld vacuums and it weighs only 3-pounds. This machine is easy to use, the dust cup clips off to empty and is quick to clean. The 15’ power cord gives a good working range.

At first, I thought the Dirt Devil was probably a pile of junk. How can it be any good at that price? Boy, was I wrong. It has a level quality that defies its price tag and is a wonderfully practical machine. Is this best cheap hand​ vac? Without a doubt, yes! At least, in my opinion and that many customers.