Best Overall
Shark UltraCyclone Pro Handheld Vacuum
- Effectiveness5/5
- Ease of Emptying5/5
- Portability4.8/5
- Noise Level3/5
- The dirt eject feature makes emptying the dustbin a breeze.
The dirt eject feature makes emptying the dustbin a breeze.
- The lithium-ion battery can take hours to fully charge.
The lithium-ion battery can take hours to fully charge.
If you want all the bells and whistles, the Shark UltraCyclone Pro delivers for its sleek design, beautiful green color, comfortable grip handle, and powerful suction strength (it lifted the carpet and other fabrics during multiple tests).
But the feature we love the most is the one-touch button for emptying the dustbin. It makes one-handed vacuuming a cinch for multitaskers.
The crevice tool also outperformed other crevice attachments we tested, and we were highly impressed with how effective the tool was at reaching and sucking out debris from the trickiest places.
This vacuum and attachment would be perfect for small areas that collect tiny pieces of debris, such as high chairs and car seats. What we don’t like is the shorter battery life and that the battery can take up to six hours to charge.
Product Details: Weight: 2.06 pounds | Battery Life: 12 minutes and 22 seconds | Dust Bin Size: 14.4 ounces | Accessories: Scrubbing brush and crevice tool
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
Best Budget
Tzumi IonVac Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
- Effectiveness4/5
- Maneuverability3.8/5
- Ease of Emptying4.5/5
- Portability4.6/5
- Noise Level4.8/5
- The lightweight design is perfect for those with low mobility or time-consuming cleaning projects.
The lightweight design is perfect for those with low mobility or time-consuming cleaning projects.
- Emptying the dustbin is a bit of an ordeal compared to other models.
Emptying the dustbin is a bit of an ordeal compared to other models.
The IonVac Lightweight Handheld Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is proof that you don’t need to break the bank for a quality (and powerful) handheld vacuum. At under $25, this is a great vacuum for cleaning up small debris, such as food, dirt, and fur.
There are some trade-offs for the impressive price tag: It doesn’t have the most suction power, and the attachments aren’t as effective as you’d find with more expensive models. Emptying the dustbin is also more complicated, as you need to twist off the front of the vacuum and then pull the filter out to dump debris.
At less than 0.5 pounds, the vacuum is incredibly lightweight and compact, making it perfect for dorms, RVs, and other small spaces, or for those with mobility issues.
The IonVac isn’t as loud as other handheld vacuum cleaners, and we could carry on a normal conversation while vacuuming. However, it does produce a very high-pitched sound that can be annoying.
Product Details: Weight: 0.28 pounds | Battery Life: 9 minutes and 13 seconds | Dustbin Size: 3.38 ounces | Accessories: Dust brush, extension wand, and USB cord
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
Best for Pet Hair
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Handheld Vacuum
- Effectiveness4.5/5
- Maneuverability5/5
- Ease of Emptying4.5/5
- Portability5/5
- Noise Level1/5
- This handheld vacuum works well on all types of surfaces, from carpet to tile flooring.
This handheld vacuum works well on all types of surfaces, from carpet to tile flooring.
- There’s only one power mode.
There’s only one power mode.
For all kinds of pet-related messes—hair on the sofa, kibble on the kitchen floor, tracked-in dirt from muddy paws—it's hard to do better than the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.
We gave this handheld vacuum high marks across the board for all surface types, including carpet, hardwood floors, and tile. It works beautifully on high-pile rugs and fabric sofas, too, though it can take a couple of passes to pick up all embedded hair.
We loved how lightweight it is and how comfortable the handle grip is to hold while moving. Attachments easily pop on and off. It only has one power mode, so there’s no high suction setting for super-embedded hairs, though we still found it pretty effective even without that.
Emptying the dustbin is fairly easy, but you do have to remove the filter prior to getting fur out. This requires two hands to hold each side of the vacuum, set the handle part to the side, and then remove the filter.
You also have to remember to put the filter back in before you reattach the handle, so it’s a more cumbersome process.
Product Details: Weight: 3 pounds | Battery Life: 12 minutes | Dustbin Size: 23.67 ounces | Accessories: Upholstery brush and crevice tool
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / RACHEL MAREK
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / RACHEL MAREK
Best for Cars
Black + Decker Flex Handheld Vacuum
- Setup5/5
- Effectiveness5/5
- Maneuverability5/5
- Ease of Emptying5/5
- Portability5/5
- A washable and reusable filter saves you money over time.
A washable and reusable filter saves you money over time.
- The long nozzle requires two hands to operate.
The long nozzle requires two hands to operate.
This Black+Decker vacuum was made to tackle your messy car with a nozzle attachment for any random debris, and that includes pet hair, which disappears thanks to this device’s suction strength. Whether it's everyday messes or road trips with your pets, this was our favorite handheld vacuum for the task.
We praised this vacuum for easy maneuverability, noting that the long hose makes it easy to get into nooks and crannies as well as larger areas such as floorboards. Because of the long hose, it requires two hands to hold the base and operate the wand. At around 3 pounds, it’s on the lighter side of the models we tested.
We really liked that this vacuum features a larger dustbin, which comes in handy when cleaning a family van or larger SUV. The dustbin has a washable and reusable filter to save you money over time. This is one of the louder vacuums tested, but we could still hold a conversation while operating it.
Product Details: Weight: 3.2 pounds | Battery Life: 15 minutes | Dustbin Size: 17.6 ounces | Accessories: Floor head and pet brush
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
Best Suction
Nicebay Handheld Vacuum
- Effectiveness4.8/5
- Ease of Emptying3.8/5
- Portability5/5
- Noise Level4.5/5
- It’s notably quieter than other vacuums we tested, making it great for quick cleans that won’t disrupt your surroundings.
It’s notably quieter than other vacuums we tested, making it great for quick cleans that won’t disrupt your surroundings.
- The dust bin capacity is very small which means more trips to the waste bin.
The dust bin capacity is very small which means more trips to the waste bin.
While nearly every vacuum on this list is cordless, the Nicebay Cordless Handheld Vacuum is a particular favorite. We noted during our tests that it’s overall less noisy and doesn’t produce such a high-pitched sound compared to other vacuums.
We could carry on a conversation with just a slight elevation in volume while operating the Nicebay. If you’re watching TV or listening to the radio, you’ll probably need to bump up the volume, but it won't have to be blaring to compete with the sound of the vacuum.
As for performance, the vacuum cleaned debris well, especially with the attachments for smaller nooks and crannies, and the suction power was fantastic for embedded pet hair in the carpet.
However, the dustbin is extremely small—we had to empty it once during testing and found it nearly full again by the time we were done. If you’re cleaning a larger area, such as an SUV or sectional sofa, you might have to stop midway, which isn’t ideal.
Product Details: Weight: 1.24 pounds | Battery Life: 13 minutes and 37 seconds | Dust Bin Size: 6.76 ounces | Accessories: crevice nozzle and brush
- BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
BETTER HOMES and GARDENS / DERA BURRESON
Best for Upholstery
Black + Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Hand Vacuum
- Effectiveness5/5
- Ease of Emptying5/5
- Portability4.8/5
- Noise Level2/5
- It will replace your big vacuum for couch cleaning.
It will replace your big vacuum for couch cleaning.
- It doesn’t come with any nifty attachments or cool accessories.
It doesn’t come with any nifty attachments or cool accessories.
This Black + Decker Dustbuster is nearly twice as expensive as other vacuums on our list, but it impressed us in testing with its ability to quickly vacuum a sofa. We expected it to be louder due to the larger size, but were pleasantly surprised with the moderate sound.
We were able to carry on conversations across the room and without feeling like we had to shout. And that’s key, because this unit is perfect for upholstered furniture in a living room or den where everyone gathers.
Even on the low setting, it removed hair quickly and easily, as well as various debris, though some super-fine pieces like cracker crumbs needed a boost on high or a second pass on low to fully capture. The high setting has a consistent, strong suction which was decent at tackling couch cushions that couldn’t be removed.
However, it couldn’t get into the tiniest crannies as it doesn’t have attachment accessories; you can’t quite get into small spots such as cup holders. It does have a built-in extended wand—we did like that it had no additional pieces to store.
The dustbin had more than enough space for vacuuming a sofa or sectional, and we loved the easy one-touch eject button for emptying debris into the trash.
Product Details: Weight: 2.5 pounds | Battery Life: 15 minutes | Dust Bin Size: 75 Milliliters | Accessories: none