9 best handheld vacuums that will make quick clean-ups a breeze
There’s no denying it – vacuum cleaners are getting smaller by the day, the best example of which is the trend for handheld vacuums. And opting for smaller versions no longer means sacrificing power, thanks to powerful motors, streamlined suction and longer battery life.
Handheld vacuums are especially suitable for smaller areas, but they’re brilliant for quick clean-ups, too – consider keeping one in the car and one in a kitchen cupboard for quick spruce-ups of high traffic areas.
Key factors to consider include dust bin size, battery life and the ease with which filters can be changed. With smaller vacuums, filters will often need to be changed more regularly as more dirt will be passing through a smaller area on a more regular basis.
LED lights on nozzles can make getting to tricky areas much easier, and two-in-one nozzles, which often incorporate an external shaft that can be used as a crevice tool, and raised to reveal an interior brush for situations where extra power is required, can be brilliant space savers. Run times – after a full charge – vary, but most cordless vacuums will typically run for between 15 and 20 minutes.
How we tested
As self-confessed clean freaks, this was our kind of challenge. We used the vacuums in a wide range of situations, including car boots, dog hair-covered areas of carpet and hard hallway floors. And given our love of vacuums, we knew what to look for. For this particular testing session, we paid extra attention to the features that save time and energy, which is what handheld vacuums are all about, after all.
The best handheld vacuum cleaners for 2022 are:
Best for a vacuum cleaner – Eufy homevac H30 mate: £169.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best for households with pets – Gtech multi MK2 K: £199.99, Gtech.co.uk
Best for quick cleanups – Hoover H-handy 700 express HH710M: £67, Ao.com
Best value for money – Eufy homevac H11 pure T2520G31 handheld vacuum cleaner: £48.99, Currys.co.uk
Best for ruggedness – Black + Decker gen 11 12v hand vac: £65, Ao.com
Best for versatility – Flymo simplivac cordless battery vacuum; £114.90, Amazon.co.uk
Best bug buster – Vonhaus 350W handheld UV bed vacuum: £44.99, Vonhaus.com
Best for power – Dyson micro 1.5kg cordless vacuum cleaner: £300, Argos.co.uk
Best small hoover – Roidmi black nano P1 pro: £115.30, Amazon.co.uk
Eufy homevac H30 mate
Full disclosure – we’re huge fans of Eufy, but we approached this review with total impartiality. Our conclusion? The homevac H30 mate is a household essential that raises the bar for handheld vacuums everywhere. From the get-go, it was incredibly easy to use – we could charge it by plugging it into the mains or connecting it to the charging base, to which the additional tools attach, thereby reducing space even further. That said, this is a handheld vacuum you’ll want to show off – a fellow tester’s excited exclamation that the base means “we can display it!”, sums up its aesthetic appeal. Switching between the eco and max settings was easy (and eco mode proved more than sufficient), while the ultra-bright light on the nozzle did a great job of highlighting dust and dirt in hard-to-reach places.
Buy now £169.99, Amazon.co.uk
Gtech multi MK2 K9
This is a more powerful version of Gtech’s multi MK2, with features designed specifically to grab debris such as pet hair. Other tweaks include aluminium reinforcements in key areas to make it more resistant to wear and tear, and a 36cm extension tube to make it easier to reach trickier spots. What we love about this vacuum is that all of the tweaks enhance its overall performance, whether you’re a pet owner or not (we found it especially suitable for cars). We loved how its lightweight, compact design made it easy to spot-clean tight, cramped areas and changing the filter (a spare is provided) and the battery, which simply slides onto the base and locks into place, was easy. Its compact design is enhanced by the way in which the crevice tool is stored inside the vacuum’s handle, which not only saves space but means it’s always right there, ready to go.
Buy now £199.99, Gtech.co.uk
Hoover H-handy 700 express HH710M
A simple, handheld vacuum, the Hoover H-handy isn’t weighed down with added extras we’ll never use – just a handful of features which slash cleaning times. The two-in-one crevice tool meant we could reach awkward spots without wasting time selecting the right tool for the job, and the ultra-bright light at the end of the nozzle did a fantastic job of lighting up the darkest corners of our lounge. It feels incredibly light, and although there’s simply an on/off switch, and no option to tweak the suction by tiny increments, it made light work of a wide range of surfaces, including a long-weave carpet which other vacuums struggled with.
Buy now £67.00, Ao.com
Eufy homevac H11 pure T2520G31 handheld vacuum cleaner
This vacuum’s resemblance to a hairdryer or a mic makes it a particularly suitable option for anyone partial to singing while they’re sucking. In all seriousness, this vacuum is a joy to use – a lightweight dust-busting mean machine, which doesn’t have an overload of unnecessary parts or functions unlikely to see the light of day. It can be used with or without the accompanying brush, which doubles as a crevice tool, and we loved the way the exterior casing slid down over the brush to transform into a basic nozzle, It also charges via a USB cable, rather than a three-pin plug (a thirty-minute charge provided more than enough power for a decent cleaning session).
Buy now £48.99, Currys.co.uk
Black + Decker gen 11 12v hand vac
This might not be the slickest of vacuum cleaners, but it’s more than up to the task at hand, thanks to a handful of simple features that slash cleaning times. We love the ease with which the dust bin can be emptied, and the extendable nozzle makes light work of tricky areas such as cupboards and footwells in cars. The washable filter is incredibly easy to change, too.
Buy now £65.00, Ao.com
Flymo simplivac cordless battery vacuum
It’s a myth that Flymo just makes garden tools – and if this vacuum cleaner is anything to go by, they produce pretty good super suckers, too. This vacuum is actually intended for outside use, although we found it ideal for quick clean-ups indoors as well. One advantage of the fact that it’s been designed for use outside is the additional power because there’s next to nothing this vacuum can’t cope with. Although we found it particularly suitable for use in cars and on doormats, it will effortlessly suck up the dried dirt which quickly accumulates in areas like footwells, car boots and hallways.
Buy now £114.90, Amazon.co.uk
Vonhaus 350W handheld UV bed vacuum
First things first: although this vacuum is handheld, it’s not cordless, but that’s okay. It’s designed specifically for beds, and its ultra-long cord means you’ll never struggle to reach a power point (unless there are none in your bedroom, which would be slightly odd). There’s never been a bigger focus on hygiene than there is currently, and we’ve all heard the horror stories about how much of our pillows and mattresses are made up of dead skin cells and dust mites. This vacuum has been designed not only to suck up these microscopic nasties before they embed themselves in our duvets, pillowcases and sheets but to kill the ones that have made it. Weirdly, once it gets going it emits a wonderfully fresh scent (a fellow tester described it as “smelling like the Alps”).
Buy now £44.99, Vonhaus.com
Dyson micro 1.5kg cordless vacuum cleaner
For such a compact vacuum, this really packs a punch – throwing out 20 minutes of seriously powerful suction after a relatively short charge time. The filter is incredibly easy to use – you simply press a button on the front and the filter section comes away. We’re being a bit cheeky by including this one as it’s marketed as a cordless, due to the fact that it comes with an extra-long shaft. However, we actually prefer to use it as a handheld, which is what it becomes once the shaft is removed (this particular part is now gathering dust at the bottom of our cupboard). The extra power means it’s on the heavy side for a handheld vacuum, but if you’re looking for something which will quickly clean high-traffic areas in minimal time, this is one of the best options.
Buy now £300.00, Argos.co.uk
Roidmi black nano P1 pro
This is a sleek, compact vacuum that is incredibly easy to use, has brilliant suction power and looks like the vacuum cleaner of our dreams – something that tucks neatly into cupboards, but which we’re not afraid to display loud and proud. It weighs just over 0.5kg, which makes it one of the lightest vacuum cleaners in this selection, and it charges incredibly quickly using the included USB-C cord. After a full charge, you’ll get an impressive 24 minutes of power. Its bin capacity means it’s best suited to smaller jobs, but that’s no bad thing – its size means it can be pulled out for quick clean-ups with minimum faff.
Buy now £115.30, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: Handheld vacuums
The Eufy homevac H30 mate does it all, without requiring huge charge times or costing the earth. It’s powerful and rugged and does a great job of cleaning a wide range of areas. The Gtech multi MK2 K9 is one of the best handheld vacuums for pet households due to its ability to remove trickier debris such as pet hair, while the Hoover H-handy 700 express HH710M offers brilliant cleaning power with an easy-on-the-eye price tag.
We’ve also found the best cordless vacuum cleaners for hassle-free hoovering
