The 9 Best Hand Vacuums

Pet owners get a lot from the slim Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. Its motorized brush clears hair from its own roller as it spins, so less of it wraps, and a sliding ejector pushes dirt out of the clear bin without your hand going in. TechGearLab named it the best handheld it tried. The bin is small, a charge lasts only about 15 minutes, a full recharge takes hours, and it's loud.

Made for homes with shedding pets, the Black+Decker Dustbuster Furbuster pairs an anti-tangle motorized brush with a boost setting for stubborn spots. The bowl is large for a handheld, so you can finish a sofa before emptying it, and its filters wash out. Black+Decker lists about 10 minutes a charge, but one test got nearly half an hour, so runtime swings with the power setting. The wide head is clumsy in tight gaps, and the battery is small.

A classic bowl-style hand vac at a modest price, the Black+Decker Dustbuster HHVI315 has a wide mouth that swallows crumbs, kibble and spilled cereal. The clear bowl shows when it's full, and a slim wall-mount charger keeps it ready by the kitchen or garage door. It holds up well over long use and runs close to 14 minutes a charge. There's no powered brush, so hair woven into upholstery and ground-in dirt are weak spots, and it's loud.

Couches, stairs and car seats are the target for the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 2390A, which pairs a motorized brush tool with upholstery and crevice tools. Its bin is roomy for a handheld, and a charge lasts close to 20 minutes. The wide nozzle struggles in narrow gaps, larger bits can get stuck, it's loud, and the warranty runs only one year. An earlier Bissell recall for fire risk covered the Multi Reach line, not this one.

The sealed Dyson Car+Boat keeps fine dust inside instead of blowing it back out, and its boost mode pulls hard. A mini motorized brush, a combination nozzle and a long crevice tool for narrow slots come with it, and Dyson claims up to 50 minutes on low with an unpowered tool. Power isn't everything, though: standard mode is much weaker than boost, the exhaust is strong, and it's heavy, pricey and not made for liquids.

If your wrists tire, the Shark WandVac WV201 is a slender, very light wand for quick jobs. It stands in a charging dock that also holds its pet tool and crevice duster, and a button drops the bin straight into the trash. It suits counters, desks, high shelves and car cup holders. The tradeoffs are real: a charge lasts only about nine minutes, and the tiny bin needs emptying often. Shark backs it with a two-year warranty.

Set the Black+Decker Dustbuster Flex on a car floor or stair, and its flexible hose reaches under seats and into door pockets without lifting the machine. A charging base stores the pet brush, crevice tool and flip-up brush, and the filter washes out. Black+Decker's specs suggest 15 to 20 minutes a charge, but no outside review has confirmed it. The battery is built in, and the separate hose and body are bulky to store.

Because it plugs into the wall, the Dirt Devil Scorpion Plus never stops halfway through a job to recharge, and its power never fades. A crevice tool flips out from the nozzle, a short hose reaches stair corners, and the big dirt cup empties over the trash. It carries a three-year warranty. The cord limits your reach, so the car needs an extension cord, and it's on the heavy side.

For a kitchen counter, desk or car console, the Black+Decker Dustbuster HNVC215 handles small messes at a very low price from an established brand. It's light, and its crevice tool is built into the nozzle, so there's no loose part to lose. The clear bowl and both filters wash out, and a wall-mount charger gives it a home. It has no brush, so pet hair and rugs are beyond it, and its motor is modest.