Dec 19, 2025 7:06 AM
Lightweight, powerful, and generally inexpensive, the handheld vacuum is the perfect household helper.
Featured in this article
The Best Overall Handheld Vacuum
Dyson Car+Boat
Read more
The Best Handheld Vacuum for Less Than $100
Ryobi 18V One+ Performance Hand Vacuum
Read more
The Best Handheld Vacuum for Pet Hair
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser
Read more
A Handheld Vacuum for Bigger Jobs
Ryobi 18V One+ Powered Brush Hand Vacuum
Read more
A Handheld vacuum may not be the most essential household appliance, but it sure is convenient. You don’t have to mess with heavy, cumbersome (and expensive) vacuums that require a plug-in and hazardous cords. Sure, there are cordless vacs to mitigate this problem, but those are also large and can be expensive. The handheld vacuum—compact, lightweight, and inexpensive—has come a long way in recent years. As vac technology keeps improving, handhelds are becoming more powerful and lightweight.
Kid spilled her Cheerios on the floor? Pet hair on your favorite reading chair? Need to spot-clean your car seats? The handheld vacuum's got you. Nearly every handheld vacuum cleaner comes with attachments for picking up hair or fur on carpets, brush and crevice tools, and smooth upholstery attachments. Plus, nearly every option on this list is under 100 bucks. Well, except our top pick, the Dyson Car+Boat ($250), because it’s Dyson.
We tested some of our favorite hand vacuums for many types of messes, but we’re continually testing more, so check back often. Be sure to check out our related guides, like the Best Cordless Vacuums, Best Vacuums for Pet Hair, Best Dyson Vacuums, and Best Robot Vacuums.
Updated December 2025: We've added the Simplicity Vacuums Flash Mini Handheld Vacuum and Black and Decker Dustbuster Flex, and updated prices and links throughout.
The Best Overall Handheld Vacuum
Dyson
Car+Boat
WIRED reviewer Brenda Stolyar liked this newest addition to the Dyson lineup (read our full review here), a handheld vacuum designed specifically for sucking up dirt and debris from your car and boat, plus bedding, furniture, and other awkward spaces. (It has officially replaced our former top pick, the Humdinger, R.I.P.) It's small, but has a powerful suction, with a spin speed of 110,000 RPM (comparable to other bigger, more expensive Dyson models) and a crevice tool that made it easy to suck up crumbs in hard-to-reach places like in between seats and in upholstery crevices.
However, unlike Dyson's standard vacuums, it only comes with two cleaning modes, and it doesn't have a digital display or power button. Instead, flip the switch between the two modes—standard and max—and press the trigger. This handheld also has a long battery life to get you through multiple cleans without having to remove it from your car or wherever you mostly use it.
|
|
| Capacity: |
0.14 gallons |
| Attachments: |
Mini motorized brush, crevice tool, and combination tool |
| Battery: |
21.6 volts |
| Suction power: |
Spin speed of 110,000 RPM; 115 Air Watts |
| Run time: |
Up to 40 minutes |
| Filter: |
Whole-machine filtration |
| Warranty: |
2 years parts and labor |
The Best Handheld Vacuum for Less Than $100
Ryobi
18V One+ Performance Hand Vacuum
The Ryobi 10V One+ is a powerful small vac that attaches to a rechargeable 18-volt Lithium-ion battery pack for power, and comes with brush and crevice tool attachments. Although the vacuum is powerful on its own, the dust brush worked well for cleaning fabrics and effectively brushed up pet hair, and the crevice tool was small enough to fit between upholstery and hard-to-reach places in my car. For emptying, all you have to do is push the button to eject the dust cup. The vac has a dual filter system that, like many on the list, untwist from each other for even more filtration and should be cleaned regularly.
It’s a steal at less than $100, it’s lightweight; I like that the battery pack on its own needs to be charged (helps conserve space) and easily snaps (and unsnaps) to the device with latches; and it's compatible with other Ryobi tools.
|
|
| Capacity: |
2.8 cups |
| Attachments: |
Crevice tool and dust brush |
| Battery: |
18-volt 2-Ah lithium-ion battery |
| Suction power: |
Up to 37"sealed suction IOW (inches of water) |
| Run time: |
Not specified (when I used, it was around 25 minutes) |
| Filter: |
HEPA and standard filters |
| Warranty: |
3-year manufacturer's warranty |
The Best Handheld Vacuum for Pet Hair
Bissell
Pet Hair Eraser
This lightweight, 3-pound hand vacuum is specially designed to target pet hair and does exactly that. A powerful motorized brush attachment lifts pet hair from a myriad of surfaces, including fur embedded in fabric and carpet; a super-skinny crevice tool sucks debris from in between cushions; and a flat, wide attachment works well for surface upholstery vacuuming. Like most other handheld vacs, you press a button on the top to disconnect the bin, and the filter sits on top to easily lift out and clean.
In the first go, which lasted about 15 minutes before running out of juice, I was able to pick up over three canisters filled with just dust and hair. The only issue I have with this is that the crevice tool would often get stuck in the vacuum attachment connector, and it took a lot of muscle to pull out to change attachments.
|
|
| Capacity: |
0.7 liters |
| Attachments: |
Motorized brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool |
| Battery: |
14.4-volt lithium-ion battery |
| Suction power: |
Unspecified |
| Run time: |
Up to 17 minutes |
| Filter: |
3-stage filter: prefilter, H13 HEPA filter, motor filter |
| Warranty: |
1 year limited |
A Handheld Vacuum for Bigger Jobs
Ryobi
18V One+ Powered Brush Hand Vacuum
This vacuum means business. It’s very similar to our other Ryobi pick, but has a mini motorized beater bar that’s excellent for hair, a crevice tool, a dust brush, and LEDs for increased visibility while cleaning. (See? Powerhorse.) Like the other Ryobi model, it sits on a rechargeable 18-volt battery with a charging indicator light and easily attaches and detaches to the end for less bulky charging. As an added bonus, the battery is compatible with other Ryobi tools.
The crevice tool worked great for hard-to-reach places and the brush was gentle enough to brush and vac debris (it worked excellently on my air vents). The mini motorized beater bar packs a lot of power and the head pivots to keep extra close to various surfaces and angles. The cover of the beater bar can be opened with a small slotted tool (I used a coin), and the brush slips out for even easier cleaning. I used the vacuum on concrete to suck up cat litter, fabrics with pet hair, carpet with pine needles, and even tough items like wood chips were sucked up without issue.
|
|
| Capacity: |
2.7 cups |
| Attachments: |
Mini motorized beater bar, crevice tool, dust brush |
| Battery: |
18-volt 2-Ah Lithium-ion battery |
| Suction power: |
Up to 23 inches sealed suction IOW (inches of water) |
| Run time: |
Over 40 minutes |
| Filter: |
Dual HEPA filter |
| Warranty: |
3 years |
Best Handheld Vacuum for the Car
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Photograph: Nena-Farrell
Courtesy of Worx
Worx
20V Cordless Cube Vac
The Worx 20V Cordless Cube Vac is my favorite vacuum I’ve tried for cleaning the car. The handle and hose design make it easy to hold the body of the vacuum in one hand, with your thumb over the power button to control it, while using the hose in your other hand to reach all the tiny crevices in the car. For me, that’s every crevice around my son’s car seat and the ground of the seat in front of it. You could also easily place it inside the car and vacuum around with the hose, too, which can extend up to three feet. The base of the vacuum also has two spots for its two attachments, a crevice nozzle and brush attachment, so you can easily add on an attachment and then store it away without having to walk away from your car cleaning session.
While it has a fun square base, it doesn’t have a massive dustbin, though I found it plenty to vacuum a sedan car full of sand. The battery life also promises only 10 to 25 minutes of range, depending on whether you’re using the high or low-speed setting, but again, I found this more than enough for two car vacuuming sessions in a sedan. —Nena Farrell
|
|
| Capacity: |
0.05 gallons |
| Attachments: |
Crevice tool, brush attachment |
| Battery: |
40 watts (20 volts) |
| Suction power: |
10,000 Pa |
| Run time: |
Up to 25 minutes (on low speed) |
| Filter: |
HEPA filter |
| Warranty: |
3 years limited |
A Handheld Vacuum With an Inflator, Deflator, and Air Duster
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Scosche
Scovac 4-in-1
This handheld device is basically a Swiss Army knife. It can deflate and inflate, and it has an air duster to tackle dust and debris (on top of its vacuuming power). The nearly dozen included attachments simply stick into the opening. The small vacuum is insanely light at 0.85 pounds, has two modes (eco and turbo) controlled by pressing a button, and comes in a compact carrying case for its attachments (including two different chargers and replacement filters). As another bonus, it was surprisingly simple to twist out the filter to empty and clean.
I liked the air dust feature, and the inflate/deflate would be very convenient for something like a camping trip because the device is so small and lightweight, but it generally was not super quick to inflate or deflate. For the vacuum, it has a wider floor and carpet attachment and a long suction crevice tool with an attachable brush. I didn't think the carpet attachment was as powerful as some on the list, but the longer attachment has become my go-to for sucking up cat litter in crevices and cleaning fur and dust from blinds, fan slits, and the like.
|
|
| Capacity: |
120 milliliters |
| Attachments: |
Long blower nozzle, small blower brush, inflator/deflator nozzle, long suction crevice tool, dust collector |
| Battery: |
5,000 mAh (rechargeable) |
| Suction power: |
12,000 Pa |
| Run time: |
16 minutes in Turbo mode, 32 minutes in Eco mode |
| Filter: |
Washable HEPA filter |
| Warranty: |
3 years |
Another Great Handheld Vacuum Option for Pets and Kids Alike
Photograph: Nena Farrell
Courtesy of Shark
Shark
UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus
This hand vacuum from Shark is made for pets, but it’s great to use for all kinds of things in a household of a cat and a toddler: spilled Cheerios or kibble, scattered litter, various dirt in the car, drywall dust after installing a new curtain rod, the list goes on. It’s powerful and works well for everything I’ve tried it for. The only downside is how short the battery life is, but I’ve still managed to vacuum small messes several times throughout the week before needing to charge it again. —Nena Farrell
|
|
| Capacity: |
0.45 quarts |
| Attachments: |
Pet brush, scrubbing brush, and crevice tool |
| Battery: |
80 watts |
| Suction power: |
Unspecified |
| Run time: |
About 15 minutes |
| Filter: |
Fabric filter |
| Warranty: |
2 years |
A Powerful Handheld Vacuum (With a Cord)
Simplicity Vacuums
Flash Mini Handheld Vacuum
This handheld vacuum is our only corded pick. I'm generally not a fan of corded vacs due to distance constraints, but this is one of the most powerful vacuums on our list. If mobility is not an issue and you want powerful suction, look no further. This handheld vacuum is a bit heavier and louder than our other picks, but it comes with tons of attachments, including a 24-foot hose for a further reach and multiple brush heads that really help to pick up hair and debris. Because it has the power of constant corded electricity, it packs a punch and was able to suck up embedded fur in the carpet that others I've tested struggled to. It also has two filters: a washable dust cup filter for larger debris, and a foam exhaust filter for finer particulates. This compact vacuum can hold a lot of debris and tackles multiple types of messes with ease.
|
|
| Capacity: |
3 pounds |
| Attachments: |
24 inch flexible stretch hose, crevice tool and brush tip, upholstery brush, dusting brush |
| Battery: |
Corded (14 feet), 600 watt power |
| Suction power: |
Unspecified |
| Run time: |
N/A |
| Filter: |
Dust cup and foam exhaust filter |
| Warranty: |
90 days |
Compare Our Picks
| Capacity | Attachments | Battery | Suction power | Run time | Filter | Warranty |
| Dyson Car+Boat | 0.14 gallons | Mini motorized brush, crevice tool, and combination tool | 21.6 Volts | Spin speed of 110,000 RPM; 115 air watts | Up to 40 minutes | Whole-machine filtration | 2 years parts and labor |
| Ryobi 18V One+ Performance Hand Vacuum | 2.8 cups | Crevice tool and dust brush | 18-volt 2-Ah lithium-ion battery | Up to 37" sealed suction IOW | Not specified (when I used, it was around 25 minutes) | HEPA and standard filters | 3 years |
| Bissell Pet Hair Eraser | 0.7 liters | Motorized brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool | 14.4-volt lithium-ion battery | Unspecified | Up to 17 minutes | 3-stage filter: prefilter, H13 HEPA filter, motor filter | 1 year |
| Ryobi 18V One+ Powered Brush Hand Vacuum | 2.7 cups | Mini motorized beater bar, crevice tool, dust brush | 18-volt 2-Ah Lithium-ion battery | Up to 23" sealed suction IOW | Over 40 minutes | Dual HEPA filter | 3 years |
| Worx 20V Cordless Cube Vac | 0.05 gallons | Crevice tool, brush attachment | 40 watts (20 volts) | 10,000 Pa | Up to 25 minutes (on low speed) | HEPA filter | 3 years |
| Scosche Scovac 4-in-1 | 120 milliliters | Long blower nozzle, small blower brush, inflator/deflator nozzle, long suction crevice tool, dust collector | 5,000 mAh (rechargeable) | 12,000 Pa | 16 minutes in Turbo mode, 32 minutes in Eco mode | Washable HEPA filter | 3 years |
| Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Plus | 0.45 quarts | Pet brush, scrubbing brush, and crevice tool | 80 watts | Unspecified | About 15 minutes | Fabric filter | 2 years |
| Simplicity Vacuums Flash Mini Handheld Vacuum | 3 pounds | 24 inch flexible stretch hose, crevice tool and brush tip, upholstery brush, dusting brush | Corded (14 feet), 600-watt power | Unspecified | N/A | Dust cup and foam exhaust filter | 90 days |
Others We Tested
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Tineco Go Mini Cordless Hand Vacuum for $130: This lightweight vacuum is fairly straightforward, and charges through the end of the handle that plugs straight into the wall. Before first use, you have to charge it for five to six hours, which gets you 10 to 20 minutes of use time. The main things I wanted to focus on cleaning in my everyday life were cat litter and pet hair. This vacuum spit out roughly 80 percent of the litter I tried sucking up, and the pet hair just sort of rolled around on the carpet rather than being sucked back into the vac. (I’m not sure if it was the angle or shape of the mouth that aided in both of those problems.) The suction wasn’t as powerful as others tested, and it tended to work best on hard surfaces. This vac wasn’t bad, per se, but others on this list at similar price points worked a lot more effectively on a lot more various surfaces (with multiple head attachments) than this was seemingly capable of.
Bissell AeroSlim Handheld Vacuum for $45: This sleek, light (1.37-pound) handheld vac isn't the most powerful I've tested, but it’s lightweight and super easy to maneuver. It comes with a multi-accessory tool that combines a long, slim crevice tool with a moveable brush (the brush moves up and down on the tool depending on need), but you can also just use the vac without the slim attachment for more general surface cleaning. The tiny 0.1-liter front of the vac twists off to empty, and a small dual filter can also be removed for cleaning/replacement. When testing, I wasn’t able to successfully pick up bigger items like wood shards or litter, and only picked up a fraction of pet hair as some of the more powerful models with a roll brush, but I wasn’t expecting it to—that’s not this cutie’s job. It’s light, simple, and easy to use—making it a great lightweight portable option (just don't expect it to handle bigger messes).
Photograph: Molly Higgins
Hoto AutoCare Air Duster & Vacuum for $63: This super-lightweight (0.78 pounds) vacuum can also blow debris/dust, inflate and deflate, and vacuum-seal. It has tons of attachments: a pointed crevice nozzle, dust brush, dust cup nozzle, air nozzle, and swim ring nozzle. It can hold a little over 3 ounces, has 20,000 Pa suction, and each attachment easily twists off and on. I found that the grooming brush head tended to push around fur/hair rather than sucking it up. Like many gadgets we test here at WIRED, this one fell into the pitfall of trying to do a lot of things, rather than doing any one thing really well. This is a great deal for a device with so many capabilities (if that's what you need), but if you're just looking for a really great handheld vacuum, there are others that are more effective.
Black and Decker Dustbuster Flex for $124: WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell thought this cordless handheld vacuum was great for cars and hard-to-reach spots because of its 4-foot hose. It has a crevice tool and pet hair brush attachments for a variety of messes, and runs on a 20-volt lithium-ion battery that delivers high suction power. Plus, it has a handy charging mount that the accessories clip into. However, we aren't fans of the short 15-minute battery life.
FAQs
How I Tested
I factored in charge and actual power time in overall value and ranking, considering some charge for four hours and last less than half an hour of run time—that just won’t be practical for certain people. Since most of these come with attachments for specific needs, I made sure to test each on a myriad of surfaces, like rugs, carpet, hardwood, stairs, counters, crevices, inside my car, on furniture, and even in between vents and blinds. I also tested on various types of messes (no liquids though), especially focusing on my personal major mess gripes—cat litter and pet hair.
What to Look For
Again, definitely pay attention to specs like charge and usage time, as well as its power (like voltage) and attachments provided. If you’re working construction and need a handheld vac for debris, I’d recommend something like a Ryobi, while if you’re looking for a portable lightweight travel vacuum, the AeroSlim might be better suited for you. It’s also important to factor in charging versus usage time. Some of these last less than 15 minutes and have very small waste capacities, so if you have a bigger project, you’ll need to take that into consideration.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that's too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
.jpg)
Read More
Wired Coupons
Instagram Engineering
Shopify Engineering