The Best Handheld Vacuums of 2022

Dirt capacity: 14 ounces
Battery life: up to 15 minutes
Weight: 2.7 pounds

Shark Ultracyclone CH951 is really on brand. Shark loves packing its products with tons of extra goodies and the CH951 is no exception. It comes with a powered brush head, a dusting tool, and a crevice tool that all feel very sturdy. However, the crevice tool is a bit on the short side.

During the performance testing, this Shark vacuum picked up 87% of the testing dirt. That was high enough to warrant an attempt at cleaning a couch cushion covered in cat hair. It did pretty well against animal hair, but not as well as the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. Overall, this handheld vacuum cleaner is a good buy if it’s on sale.

Dirt capacity: 20 ounces
Battery life: 10 minutes
Weight: 2 pounds

Tipping the scales at only two pounds, the Black & Decker HHVI315JO turned out to be the lightest vacuum we tested. Unfortunately, it also proved to be a lightweight in the cleaning department as well. It picked up 79% of the testing dirt, making it one of the weaker models we put through its paces.

On the bright side, this Black & Decker does have a relatively small footprint and it's able to sit upright on a kitchen counter. We’d recommend this model for anyone who’s constantly dealing with small crumbs, but doesn’t need it to do any heavy cleaning.

Dirt capacity: 10 ounces
Battery life: 10 minutes
Weight: 1.5 pounds

Do you ever have spills at your home that are too small for a mop, but too big for a paper towel? Well, that's where the Black+Decker HNV215BW52 comes in.

This mini wet-dry vac mastered both. During our dirt pickup test, it captured 60 percent of the dirt, placing it in the top half of our roundup. And it picked up water, too, so you won't have to go through a roll of paper towels. This was one of the lightest handhelds we tested, tipping the scales at only 1.5 pounds.

So, why didn't it win? Well, its battery life was weak. It only had a run time of 10 minutes, and we noticed a decline in suction at around the 8-minute mark. That might be fine for a small spill, but that's not nearly long enough for cleaning a car or any of the other more involved uses for a compact vacuum.

Dirt capacity: 14 ounces
Battery life: 15 minutes
Weight: 3.3 pounds

The Hoover Onepwr BH57005 is unique when it comes to hand vacuums. It’s part of a whole eco-system of products including everything from cordless vacuums to leaf blowers that all run on the same removable battery.

The fact that the BH57005 hand vacuum’s battery needs to be able to power a variety of other devices, means it needs to be more robust. That’s likely why this hand vacuum aced our battery tests, running for 15 minutes continuously before giving up the ghost.

All that battery life did translate well to cleaning prowess. The BH57005 picked up, on average, 88 percent of the testing dirt.

The reason it didn’t rank higher on our list is that this model felt heavy in the hand and is pretty pricey.

Dirt capacity: 2.5 ounces
Battery life: 9 minutes
Weight: 1.3 pounds

If you’re looking for a hand vacuum that sits on your desk, the Shark Wandvac WV201 is worth checking out. It’s the lightest vacuum we tested. So even though it suctioned up 87% of the testing dirt, putting it in the back of the pack, we still consider that an adequate power-to-weight ratio. Our main issue with the WV201 is that it has a tiny dirt cup so it really is for occasional spot cleaning in tight spaces.

Dirt capacity: 25 ounces
Battery life: 15 minutes
Weight: 2.5 pounds

We liked the large dirt capacity and easy emptying mechanisms of the Dustbuster HHVK515J. It was also the second best in our dirt pickup testing. The Dustbuster would be a great choice for small cleanups in a workshop.

It has powerful suction, good battery life, and a long reach with its extendable nozzle. It’s also simple to store, as it sits on the flat surface at the back of the vacuum, saving on bench space.

The main limitation is that the relatively wide nozzle and the lack of a brush attachment make this a less versatile option than some. With the weight being more towards the back than in some models, the balance also felt a little awkward when in use.

Dirt capacity: 3.5 ounces
Battery life: 14 minutes
Weight: 1.3 pounds

The Bissell Aeroslim 2986 is an affordable desk vacuum. It is lightweight with a small footprint. While it has a fairly long battery life relative to its size, the Aeroslim isn’t very powerful. It picked up 83% of the testing dirt, less than the similarly designed Shark WandVac.

However, the one redeeming feature is the USB charging port. Being able to charge the lithium-ion battery via USB means it can top up in most modern cars and next to a computer. So if you’re looking for something to spot clean car seats or keyboards, this hand vacuum is worth a second look.