It earned perfect scores in five of our seven performance evaluations, including in carpet, bare floor and large debris pickup tests. Because of its lightweight design, long battery runtime and array of tools, this hand vacuum is great for clean-up in your car, especially in between and under seats. The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab has a long history of testing vacuums to find the best ones on the market, from canister vacuums to robot vacuums to upright vacuums. The Max Flex Handheld Vacuum looks like a mad scientist shrunk a full-size vacuum, thanks to the extendable hose that wraps around the unit when you don’t need its full length.
That’s not surprising; few companies have more experience making cordless handheld vacuums, since they pioneered the product back in 1979. Handheld vacuums are a diverse group, with some models designed for the awkward angles of a car’s interior and others purpose-built for pulling pet hair off carpeted stairs or upholstery. Others bissell vacuum cleaner serve as “snack vacs,” allowing for the quick pickup of spilled cereals and countertop crumbs. You’ll find one of BISSELL’s handheld vacuum cleaners are a convenient alternative to a full-sized vacuums when it comes to smaller everyday tasks. Best suited to smaller vacuuming tasks on rugs and carpets, upholstery and car interiors.
And while it’s powerful in its own right, it’s definitely designed for quick jobs. It only runs for 12 minutes on a full charge, but it comes with a USB charging cable, in addition to its standard charger, so you can plug it in practically anywhere. It’s compact enough to store in your car or office and the 2-in-1 crevice tool and dusting brush conveniently stores with the vacuum on one stand so you always know where it is.
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).
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 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.
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.
At the end of the day, this wallet-friendly vac is a great marriage of quality and value, and it gives you plenty of power at a reasonable price. Check out our other reviews of the best pet hair removers available on the market today. Lynn Redmile (she/her) is a contributing product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she’s been evaluating beauty, textiles, home, pet and cleaning products since 2012.
Its 4-foot hose made it easy to reach into tight spaces, especially in the car, and it ran for 23 minutes at standard power on one charge. Our tester called this hand vac “very comfortable to use,” giving it perfect scores in six of the seven ease-of-use evaluations, including for handle comfort and for the thoroughness of the owner’s manual. At just 1.4 pounds, this Shark vacuum is one of the lightest cordless handheld models money can buy, and it looks pretty distinctive, as well. Despite its narrow silhouette, it does a surprisingly good job cleaning difficult debris like pet hair and is easy to empty with the press of a button. Plus, it won’t pose an eyesore if you’re limited on space and have to store it on your counter; the base holds the Wandvac’s accessories, as well. Despite the low price, this model brings a lot to the table, including a pull out crevice tool and flip-up brush for all-purpose dusting and upholstery cleaning.