Not every part of your home is ideal for a bulky vacuum cleaner. Getting into the smaller nooks and crannies is tough to do and there’s the possibility of knocking into furniture or the walls as you attempt to do so.
The solution is to purchase a cordless handheld vacuum, so you can reach the parts that other vacuums make it difficult to reach.
With a cordless handheld, they can clean up the sofa’s upholstery, an armchair with bits that have fallen down the side of the padded seating, up the stairs, minor spills (with wet/dry handheld models), deal with pet hair shedding, and even clean inside your car too.
When looking at the range of available cordless handheld vacuums, our top recommendation is the Dyson V7 model.
#1 Dyson V7 Trigger
The V7 Trigger model from Dyson has 110 AW of suction, so it’s a dust demon. The dust cup can be emptied quickly.
It runs for 30 minutes, so it’s great indoors but also to clean a car or caravan without needing a charge point.
There’s also a good range of attachments for it too.
Table of Contents
Key Factors to Consider When Buying a Cordless Handheld Vacuum
Here are some important questions to think about when considering purchasing a cordless handheld vacuum:
- How heavy is it?
- How strong is the suction?
- Is it good for picking up pet hair?
- Can it clean up water spills?
- How many minutes can it go without a charge?
- How long will the vacuum take to recharge fully?
- What attachments does it come with?
- Does it have a HEPA or other filtration system?
- How easy is it to empty the dust collector?
- How long is the guarantee or warranty period?
- Is it a respected brand?
The 5 Best Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaners
There are many different handheld vacuum cleaners on the UK market. We’ve narrowed the list down to the most useful five models from different manufacturers that offer well-rounded features.
Here are our 5 recommendations for you and your home.
#1 Dyson V7 Trigger (Top Pick)
The The Dyson V7 Trigger, our Top Pick, is an upgrade from their previous V6 model. The major improvement over its predecessor is the ability to easily empty the dust without spills.
This model has the predictable quality which with a brand like Dyson you come to expect. The V7 has a smaller motorised head where thousands of bristles (3,900 but who’s counting?) make short work of different surfaces and materials to whip up dust, dirt and other debris into its collector.
The workmanlike design and trigger are no-nonsense with a chrome exterior, red-coloured trigger and motor in the centre. Speaking of the motor, it spins 110,000 times a minute, to create enough suction to pick up stubborn bits and pet fur that have become emotionally attached to the furniture!
The weight of 1.38kg is manageable for most people with a strong arm to hold the vacuum at an angle while it does its work. Considering how much suction is generated by the motor and two-way activity from the cyclone blade, you get a solid power to weight ratio here.
The Dyson V7 includes the mini motorised tool, a useful crevice tool and a combination tool to help get into every spot possible.
The running time is 30 minutes which doesn’t disappoint compared to some lesser models. There is a 3.5-hour recharging cycle required to get back up to full power again, however, it’s possible to charge up halfway and still get some use of the V7. The vacuum itself uses 21.6-volts which is on the higher end.
Emptying the dust cup is a single button release. It stays hygienic through this process, so you don’t spray collected dust everywhere during the emptying process. The filter is also washable too.
While no handheld vacuum cleaner is designed for expansive rooms, it’s an excellent household tool to clean up plant debris, dust, pet fur, and areas on the stairs that the regular vacuum cannot reach. With the longer runtime, it’s also a great tool to clean up the car, car boot and inside a caravan too.
Also, there’s a two-year warranty from Dyson on this model.
#2 BLACK+DECKER PD1820L-GB PD1820L Handheld Vacuum (Best for Pets and Allergies)
The Black + Decker PD1820L-GB is a compact-looking handheld vacuum that’s available in several different voltage models to suit various power requirements. The model for this review is the 18-volt version which is the most powerful choice to avoid being disappointed by the suction level available.
At 2.28kg, this vacuum is heavier than other ones under review. However, we still didn’t find that a problem when you consider that this model has a 15-minute runtime. Your arm won’t get weak in a quarter of an hour!
A key feature of this B+D handheld vacuum is the elongated hose. It stretches out to 1.5 meters and is flexible, so it can get around open doors or reach to the other side of a sofa. This allows you to set the vacuum down and just use the hose – best of both worlds.
The use of this vacuum is flexible with it being able to handle delicate jobs like cleaning the dust from a lampshade or robustly move along multi-level bookcases to suck the dust off them. It’s adept at cleaning up your car’s upholstery too, which is good news for families with messy kids.
The cyclonic blade is bi-directional or tri-directional, as needed. This provides excellent suction using the 1700-watt capacity. There’s a 0.6 ml dust container in this bagless model. To empty the dust bin, there’s a convenient side door allowing you to access it without having to put your hands on it. Far more hygienic. This permits you to keep going if you fill up before the runtime of 15 minutes is over.
For removing pet hair, the multi-directional cyclonic action and included filter make it powerful for catching stubborn pet hairs that want to stay in place. As a result, this model gets our vote at Best for Pets and Allergies.
This Black + Decker PD1820L-GB model is more heavy-duty than some others with effective suction and the useful long bendy hose.
#3 Hoover Freedom Handy Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
Hoover has long been a powerful name associated with vacuum cleaners. Their Freedom Handy model is no departure from this.
It looks bulky with a black main exterior and a turquoise coloured vacuum in the centre that’s business-like and modern. The trigger has a convenient option to start and stop along with an upper trigger to set the continuous, non-stop mode.
The weight of 1.6kg is on the lower end for a handheld vacuum. The lithium-ion batteries provide 25 minutes of cleaning duration with a 6-hour charge required to get up to full power again. The LED battery indicator at the top is a nice touch too.
The accessories and attachments are strong here. There’s a useful 2-for-1 upholstery brush that is also good for dusting tasks. A crevice tool helps get to the smallest areas and the longer nozzle tube lets you work while keeping your back straighter too. In addition, the pet turbo attachment is ideal for collecting pet hair from carpeting.
The filters are washable and can be reused. A cleaner filter not only makes the vacuum more effective but ensures the maximum possible suction too.
The dust bin holds 0.7L which is higher than most similar cleaners. Emptying to dust bin involves releasing the lid and holding the vacuum over a dustbin to empty it out.
As with other Hoover products, there’s at least a one-year guarantee when registering the product on the Hoover website.
#4 Gtech Multi MK2 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
The Gtech MK2 is a bit more colourfully designed than some handhelds with its grey and black along with yellow accents.
This lightweight 1.5kg handheld vacuum is a good choice for a flat or terraced house but will struggle with too many rooms. Being more compact, it won’t take up as much space to store it between uses which are a consideration too.
This 22-volt model runs for 20-minutes between charges which is good enough for most homeowners. The battery requires four hours to be fully charged. The charging cable is slightly over one metre in length. There’s a useful LED display that confirms the current battery level too.
The supplied power brush and longer runtime are particularly useful when cleaning your car or a caravan out without the use of a long extension cord.
The 0.4ml dust capacity is on the small side with other models under review ranging from 0.5-0.7 ml in the case of the Hoover model reviewed previously. It has a flip latch release mechanism to open up the collector and dispose of debris collected directly into the dustbin or a black bin bag.
The suction power is impressive for a smaller unit. This Gtech vacuum comes with several attachments include an extended nozzle, dusting tool and a traditional power brush tool for vacuuming carpets.
The MK2 has a two-year warranty too.
#5 NOVETE Handheld Vacuums Cordless (Budget pick)
The Novete Handheld vacuum is our Budget Pick.
It’s more of a hand-vac of old with a smaller size that weighs just 1 kg which is the lightest under review (better for women or kids to use around the house, perhaps).
It has a battery which is detachable should it need to be replaced. The unit requires 14.8-volts and 100-watts of power but delivers 7KPa of suction through the mini cyclone design which is more than adequate in most situations.
The 2,200 mAh battery delivers around 30 minutes of usage which is impressive for its size. There’s also an indicator on the vacuum to confirm the current battery level too. The charging time is roughly 4.5-hours. The replaceable battery ejects with a single button release.
The dust collector holds 0.6 ml which is plenty. The handheld vacuum system includes a two-stage filtration system. The filter captures large particles and the second is a washable HEPA filter that captures 99.5% of small particles.
Two washable HEPA filters are provided in the box. HEPA filters collect allergens that are too small to see with the human eye making them good for occupants who are sensitive to dust, pollen, etc.
The Novete works best in conjunction with an attachment tool. The crevice nozzle tool gets into the small spaces. This model is the only one under review that can collect up to 100ml of spills at a time and there’s a special rubber nozzle attachment for that. Also, there’s a brush noddle that was fine for collecting dust but not especially great with collecting pet hair.
Both spare batteries and compatible HEPA filters for this model are sold on Amazon.
This model comes with a 3-year warranty – the longest for the products reviewed above.
Is a Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner the Best Option for You?
Beyond a cordless handheld vacuum cleaner, there are other options too.
An upright vacuum cleaner is more traditional with a rotating brush to agitate and release deeply embedded dust and pet hair from carpets.
A cordless vacuum is convenient for homes with fewer power sockets, large rooms and doesn’t wish to keep tripping over the power cord!
Cylinder vacuum cleaners are powerful with small footprints and convenience but usually less suction power than other types.
Founder of homeappliancegeek.com, avid cook, and lover of Asian food.
Signature dishes include Thai Red Curry, Chicken Saag, Bibimbap and Sushi.
Massive clean freak; a habit baked-in after spending 9 years in the catering industry.
The one appliance he couldn’t live without? Easily the dishwasher (total relationship saver!).
