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When you are trying to clean up pesky pet hair or snack crumbs on the sofa, sometimes it doesn’t make sense to break your big vacuum. Although larger, more sturdy models certainly have a place in your house cleaning supplies library, when it comes to quick cleaning or hard-to-reach places, a powerful handheld vacuum cleaner may be an easier choice.

"Remember the dust collector? Kathy Turley, Marketing Director of Home Clean Heroes, said: "This is a good example. It is a cordless handheld vacuum cleaner designed to be ready for use. "It's similar to a stick model, but you have to bend down during meal time to get the crumbs off the floor." "

The portability of this vacuum cleaner is also great when cleaning cars. However, Terry explained, “Hand-held vacuum cleaners are designed to complement your heavy-duty vacuum cleaners, such as canister or upright vacuum cleaners, but they are not a substitute.”

Below, we discussed with cleaning experts the functions of hand-held vacuum cleaners and the best time to use them. According to their shopping guide, we also collected some highly rated handheld vacuum cleaner options from brands such as Shark and Bissell.

Skip the best handheld vacuum cleaners

Rachel Decker, co-owner of Queen Vacuum and Homecare, explained that vacuum cleaners come in various shapes and sizes because each is designed for a specific purpose. "Hand-held vacuum cleaners are smaller versions of ordinary household vacuum cleaners," she said. "It is usually very small and light, and can be held comfortably with one hand, making it'convenient' to use in awkward places such as stairs, cars and other cramped spaces or dusty corners." They usually take up very little space. And it can be faster and more convenient to quickly organize between the once-a-week deep cleaning and vacuuming procedures.

When shopping, you may notice that there are two options for handheld vacuum cleaners: corded or cordless, which means that they must either be plugged into a socket during use or they must be powered by batteries. "I prefer cordless because it provides greater flexibility, you don't have to untie the cord and insert it before use," Terry said. "However, the operating time of corded handheld devices is unlimited-as opposed to the cordless [version] that requires charging."

Since hand-held vacuum cleaners are only designed to handle minor messes, Terry says that most people will benefit from having a hand-held vacuum cleaner and a full-size vacuum cleaner. "A'real','big' vacuum cleaner is a necessity in every household, no matter how big or small, for thorough, correct and regular cleaning," she explained.

When you buy a new handheld vacuum cleaner on the market, Decker recommends that shoppers consider several main factors. She recommends asking yourself the following questions when comparing models:

After answering these questions, she also kept the following characteristics in mind:

Turley explained that many hand-held vacuum cleaners on the market today are not the traditional "dust collector" version of many years ago, which means a wider range of options. This can make searching daunting, but with the help of our expert guidance, we have compiled some of the most effective and highly rated handheld vacuum cleaners for cleaning houses and cars.

This powerful cordless handheld vacuum cleaner is equipped with a 16-volt lithium-ion battery, which the brand claims can be rechargeable for up to 18 months, can be kept clean between cleanings, and is always available when you need it. In addition to the detachable slender nozzle that can be rotated 180 degrees, it is also equipped with a retractable slit tool, flip brush and washable filter.

This relatively lightweight handheld vacuum cleaner weighs 1.4 pounds and is ideal for on-site cleaning on the go. It has a stylish design and can suck out dirt from hard-to-reach places. This powerful cordless model is equipped with a charging base and LED display, which clearly shows the battery life status, and a one-button removable .2 gallon dust cup. It also has a detachable filter, washable, and comes with two accessories to help treat pet hair.

This 2.11-pound handheld vacuum cleaner has a 0.25-gallon trash can, a 10.8-volt lithium-ion battery, and a wall mount for charging. It also comes with brush attachments, crevice tools, and a two-year limited warranty. The dirt bowl is transparent, so you can easily see when you need to slide it out to quickly empty it. It can also be cleaned, as is the filter.

As a dog mother of two fur babies, Turley really likes this 0.2-gallon handheld vacuum cleaner because its two nozzles are specifically designed to attract stray hair. "It has a rubber nozzle that can be removed when needed, which is perfect for sucking dog hair," she explained. "The rubber nozzle is curved and contoured around chairs, stairs, etc. to ensure that stray hair is not left. However, she pointed out that its rope range is 16 feet, which may be a disadvantage.

Turley said that Black Decker's AdvancedClean is a good choice for pet owners who like wireless options. Not only does it have anti-tangling rubber bristles, it can easily pick up pet hair in her experience, but it also has two speed and power boost modes, a long and narrow attachment can enter narrow gaps, and a washable filter And a 20-volt lithium-ion battery. It weighs 2.6 pounds, and the 0.2-gallon trash can also has a one-click emptying function.

With the 15-foot-long power cord, you don’t have to worry about the battery life or range of this handheld vacuum cleaner. You can easily empty the dust cup with the push of a button. It weighs less than 4 pounds and comes with three accessories, including an electric brush, used to remove pet hair and allergens deep in the upholstery.

The Black Decker handheld cordless vacuum cleaner includes built-in crevice tools and brushes for upholstered furniture, suitable for small amounts of dry spills and other small debris. The 1.4-pound vacuum cleaner also comes with a wall-mounted base and charger, which is very useful if you don’t have much space in the closet or kitchen. Its trash can has a capacity of 0.08 gallons, is equipped with a lithium-ion battery and a two-year warranty.

This stylish handheld vacuum cleaner weighs 1.2 pounds, about the size of a wine bottle, and is both light and easy to store when used. It uses a Micro-USB cable to charge conveniently, and is equipped with a 2-in-1 slot tool for flexible sucking in a small space. It also has a non-slip handle, a washable filter, and a two-year warranty.

Carl Prouty, a technical expert at Abt Electronics, said that this handheld vacuum cleaner with a capacity of 0.15 gallons can be used everywhere. "From furniture to cars to boats, it can clean all kinds of areas," he explained. "It is compact, lightweight, and has a powerful motor. In addition, it is equipped with a 12-volt car charger that can be charged anytime, anywhere."

Although other models are better at deep cleaning floors, Decker explained that there are other challenges when cleaning your home, among which handheld devices (also known as handvacs) win out. These include:

"So, for all'in-between' cleaning to keep your space tidy every day (or to deal with random difficult tasks), [handheld vacuum cleaners] provide an excellent and convenient addition to your cleaning tools," she said .

Although handheld vacuum cleaners are not suitable for deep cleaning every inch of the house, they do have some benefits. According to the experts we consulted, these include:

However, Decker points to the importance of recognizing that no hand-suction vacuum cleaner on the market today can beat or replace the "conventional" wired full-size vacuum cleaner to achieve true deep cleaning.

“This category is an excellent and convenient addition to your cleaning procedures, allowing debris and fur to be quickly processed before it enters your floor,” she said. "Handheld vacuum cleaners are best for quickly picking up food scraps after dinner (rather than passing through the long and complicated'gut' of a large vacuum cleaner, where it may also sit and rot after a long time)."

However, some of these advantages also have disadvantages-according to Decker, "99% of the time," these vacuum cleaners are bagless and cordless, and rely on rechargeable batteries. "This means that even the best of them are not super powerful and still require a lot of maintenance to empty and clean them (usually every time they are used)," she said.

In addition, due to its small size, the trash can of a handheld vacuum cleaner has a low capacity and usually does not contain a large amount of dirt. "They are also generally of poorer quality, more fragile, prone to catastrophic electrical problems, and have a life span not as good as wired, bagged or full-size vacuum cleaners," she said. "It can be said that they are also very expensive-usually comparable to or exceed the cost of ordinary vacuum cleaners. But this is the price of convenience."

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Lauren Levy is a writer whose work has been published on The Knot, PopSugar, CafeMom, Mom.com, Bridal Guide and Care.com.

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