The nozzle rotates to any angle, making it easier to clean around obstacles and in tight spaces and the dirt receptacle is easy to empty and can be washed out at the sink. Black+Decker claims the vacuum can hold a charge for up to 18 months, so it will always be ready to go, even if you don’t leave it plugged in when it’s not in use. It comes with a charging base so you’ll need to sit it on a shelf bissell handheld vacuum or counter to charge and it tops off in under four hours. In our category test of handheld vacuums, this Black + Decker AdvancedClean+ tied for first place for overall score with our overall pick from Worx. This model aced our pet-hair-pickup test, earning a spot on our list of the best vacuums for pet hair, and did well with other messes too – even without using the power boost setting.
(Maybe asking for a vacuum that is both powerful and chic is too much?) Thankfully, since the battery is removable, you can charge it while the vacuum is stored out of sight. We still had room for more debris at the end of all our testing, which makes us believe you could complete several messy tasks around your home without having to make a trip to the trash can. Now, the vacuum is certainly a bit noisy and could be tough to hold a conversation over, which wasn’t ideal. But, all in all, the vacuum passed our tests with flying colors, so it was also deemed worth your money—even if you can’t track down a coupon code. Its 14.4-volt battery makes a low humming noise, as opposed to the roar of many full-size vacuums.
In other words, you can use this one-handed—like a regular handheld vacuum—or two-handed, extending the business end up to four feet away. The dirt bin is suitably oversized at 17 ounces and empties easily by unclasping one clip. It’s also washable for easy cleaning with a three-stage filter that’s designed to keep dust from escaping. The Max Flex includes a flip-up brush for dusting, a long crevice tool and a pet hair brush for cleaning fur and other stubborn debris from upholstery. This Hoover is a little powerhouse, with an onboard crevice tool that makes it easy to clean hard-to-reach places, like in the corners of your stairs, that full-size vacuums have a hard time getting to. Our experts rated it highly on pickup of small and large debris on both carpets and bare floors, but not so great for battery run and charge time (with a ONEPWR 20V battery).
This extra-compact handheld vacuum has a storage stand that holds the vacuum upright — and it stores the accessory tool, too, so it’s always where you need it. Its slim design means it’s easier than bulky models to tuck into your car’s cargo or trunk area to more quickly attack messes when they happen for bissell vacuum cleaner a cleaner ride. Although it’s a little heavier than other handheld vacuums, you don’t need to hold the entire vacuum while you are using it, as its boxy shape allows it to stand on its own. The dust cup is large and empties from the bottom, but isn’t removable, so cleaning it can be a bit cumbersome.
The Shark CH951 is a general-purpose hand vacuum, but its design seems ideal for cleaning staircases. That’s because it’s lightweight at under 3 pounds and it has an easy-grip shape that’s comfortable to hold as you make your ascent. Since it’s cordless, you won’t have to drag a cord up and down your steps, making it easy to maneuver.
When she’s not managing testing data, you’ll find Lynn photographing jazz musicians, dancing and traveling to experience new cultures and food. Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care and Cleaning Lab. She holds a bachelor’s degree in bissell vacuum cleaner family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York. I also have not felt the need to clean or replace the filter, and aside from the very first time, the Pet Hair Eraser has never died on me—likely because I use it for short bursts. Anything that requires more than 20 minutes of continuous cleaning I save for my upright vacuum.
If you regularly clean up after fur-shedding pets, the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ HHVK515JP07 is uniquely designed to help you fight that battle. In our tests, it picked up fur better than any model we tried, especially on upholstery, thanks in part to its motorized brush, which is equipped with fur-grabbing bristles. The AdvancedClean+ HHVK515JP07 has an intuitive emptying mechanism and the largest dustbin of any handheld vacuum we evaluated in our most recent round (models with smaller bins got quickly clogged with fur). At 75 dB, it is also quieter than the majority of the vacuums we assessed. Though some pet hair clung to the brush tool during use, its pick-up still impressively rivaled that of vacs with rotating brush attachments.