Best handheld vacuum cleaners from Shark, Dyson and more

When at home, who doesn’t like to make sure our surroundings are squeaky clean. Tidy home, tidy mind, after all.

No matter how big your home, a handheld vacuum will always come in handy. Easy to store, you can bring them out when you spot a cobweb mid-email or scoop up the remnant crumbs from your elevenses biscuit break.

Of course, they can be great for when you have children or pets too – especially when they bring in dirt or cause a spillage. And even if you don’t have little ones, you’ll find having having a handheld hoover handy for cleaning stairs, down the backs of sofas or even for sprucing up the inside of your car.

Depending on your budget, most handheld models are super sleek and lightweight, while others attach to a cord to form a bigger vacuum to provide a hassle-free way to clean the whole house.

How long should the batteries last?

As handheld vacuums are wireless, they’ll need to be charged before you start to tidy up the house, and could take from two to four hours. Some bigger models will provide over an hour of charge - more than enough time to go over the ground floor, without losing power by the time you get upstairs.

Some of the devices are complete with LED lights, to alert you when it’s low on juice. You won’t need to fully charge them all the time, and if you need them for a quick spillage even just one bar of battery is likely to get the job done.

We’ve gathered the best handheld vacuums on the market to give you a headstart when deciding which one to buy.

Shop our favourite below

Shark Deluxe Cordless handheld vacuum cleaner

This sleek and light model comes with a comfortable grip that meant it was easy to pick up and put down whenever you need to use it. It was so sleek that we even kept it out on show, back on the charging base, ready for the next use.

Easy to charge - and quick - we loved how it came with a twin battery model – meaning it has a second battery stored on-board in case you run out of charge mid-clean. Its design meant it made light work to hoover the parts of the house you usually miss, such as the skirting boards, corners and in between furniture.

The high-efficiency motor also meant its suction was really powerful, cleaning up larger items from the kitchen floor and even dry mud in the boot of the car. The three accessories also ensured you could clean sofas, stairs and in cupboards. The emptying process was also seamless.

Buy now £179.99, Shark

Hoover H-Free 500

This award-winning hoover is a two-in-one model, with a handheld vacuum that easily separates from the lower part.

We loved how it effortlessly moves around any room, then stays upright when you click the handheld compartment off. With three power levels and a turbo mode, it was seamless to switch it up for different cleaning needs, especially when we needed to deep clean mud stains from the stairs.

The attachments were handy too – especially the brush tool that simply clicked on and came off at the push of a button when you needed to clean cushions and upholstery.

The Removable Li-Ion battery charges in just under two hours and gave us around 40 mins of cleaning time – enough to do the whole house. The LED lights on the front also warned us if the battery was low.

Buy now £130.00, AO

Dyson V7 Animal cordless vacuum

This vacuum, which transforms into a handheld in one click, comes with five additional tools and will give you 30 minutes of cleaning after a full charge.

We loved the look of the model, very sleek and easy to store after we’d used it. The handheld section didn’t feel as lightweight when used on its own though, while some of the attachments made it even heavier.

Despite the compact size, it has a powerful suction where the motorhead and mini motorhead attachments work wonders in deep cleaning car seats and picking up pet hair. While the smaller attachments, especially the combination tool, were great for smaller and hard-to-reach areas.

While it comes programmed with three settings – eco, auto and boost – we loved switching it to boost to get a really thorough clean on rugs and carpets. The vacuums filter system also means it captures allergens and expels cleaner air than the air you breathe – which we thought was pretty clever. Bravo Dyson.

Buy now £249.99, Dyson

Gtech Handheld Multi K9

This handheld hoover is bigger than some of the other models, and not as sleek, but it makes up for it with its powerful suction and lightweight nature – weighing in at just 1.5 kg.

The brush on the suction makes it easy to thoroughly clean sofas, pet beds and rugs, while the extra attachments gives the vacuum some advantages. The extended tube means it’s great for catching cobwebs hiding in corners and the dusting brush is ideal for messy cars.

Charging it to its full capacity takes four hours and the green flashing LED lights show you just how much power you have left. We also loved how you don’t have to mess about buying new filters after a few uses as its washable.

The only slight drawbacks were that we found it hard to empty and its odd shape made it tricky to store once we were finished cleaning.

Buy now £199.99, Gtech

Bissell Icon 25V Cordless vacuum

If you haven’t got room for different hoovers for different jobs then this two-in-one vacuum is perfect for you. It can convert with just a clip of a button from an upright hoover that tackles floors, to a handheld one that gets into every nook and cranny.

It is easy to assemble and only around an hour to charge – with the blue lights on the vacuum telling us when it was ready to go. As a whole it’s great for gliding round the house, picking up hair and dirt without too much effort. The stand-out feature? The light on the base of the hoover that highlights dust on wooden floor and dirt on carpets.

The handheld section is quite heavy, but great for getting into corners, dusting skirting boards and getting those cobwebs from ceilings with the many attachments – one which even has a retractable dusting brush. The power mode has three settings, which made the whole experience very efficient for different floors.

When you’re done, just a turn of the filter will empty the contents. The slight nature also means it’s easy to store and can, if you so desire, be hung on the wall.

Buy now £288.00, Amazon

VAX OnePwr Blade 4 PET cordless vacuum

Pet parents will know that its not just pet hair that’s a challenge – its also the hidden treats down the back of the sofa and the dirt they bring in. This lightweight and powerful stick hoover, which converts into a handheld vacuum with a click of a button is perfect for your furry friend.

Powerful enough to clean the whole house in one charge – its glides around the house with its VAX CoreTM Technology. When you get to sofas, pet beds and stairs, the handheld part clicks off and has different attachments for differing textiles – which include a crevice, brush and a mini-motorised tool.

The cylinder is easy to empty and you can access the filter with just a twist when you need to clean it. For charging, the battery slips out and can be plugged in, instead of the whole hoover and it offers 45 minutes of vacuuming time for three hours of charging time.

Buy now, Amazon

Black and Decker 10.8Wh Wet and Dry Lithium-ion dustbuster® Cordless Hand Vacuum

If you don’t want to shell out too much on a handheld vacuum then this small fuss-free model should be on your list. Small enough to tuck away in a cupboard, or even slip under the sofa, it’s great when you want to hoover something up quickly, without dragging a big hoover out.

We loved how the easy the lightweight hoover was to hold. It also powers off when you’re not holding down on the button, in a bid to conserve battery.

The cost does reflect the suction power though. We found it great for picking up the odd crumbs spilt, but not so great for powerful deep cleaning. The nose easily detaches for emptying dirt, which gives you access to change the filter. Charging wasn’t complicated either – just plug it into the base and away it goes.

Buy now £33.00, Argos

Hoover H-Handy 700 Express

This sleek little model has a great grip is only 42cm long – so you’ll barely notice it in your living room.

The vacuum has a powerful 120W brushless motor and picked up hair and dirt from the kitchen floor and behind the sofas with ease. Plus, it’s easy to empty, with just a quick turn of the machine.

The lightweight handheld vacuum is also a breeze to charge – we attached it to the charging dock and after an hour, it had full power – which is the equivalent to 12 minutes of vacuuming time.

You can use it on its own or attach the crevice tool for areas which are just out of reach, a dusting brush for skirting boards, or a furniture nozzle. One of its best features, though, was the light which glows as you use it, helping you see the dust or dirt in front of you.

Buy now £74.25, Amazon

Black+Decker 12V Cordless Li-ion Dustbuster Hand Vac

This hand vac weighs just over 1kg, and is more powerful than its cheaper brother - great if you’re hoping to clean up after the kids or pets quickly and efficiently.

We liked the wide mouth of the model, which meant it could pick up larger items or bigger spills, while the see-through bin compartment made it easy to see when it needed emptying.

A full charge takes four hours, which we seemed long for such a small device, but it does give you 16 minutes of vacuuming power. The LED light, which doubles up as a the power light, lets you know when your battery is getting low.

The lightweight nature, capacity and two-speed function are impressive, considering its low price.

Buy now £64.99, Currys

Verdict

The Shark Deluxe Cordless handheld vacuum cleaner is small enough to charge in your living room, without taking up too much room, while it’s perfect for making the house look spotless with hardly any effort. If you’re looking for a handheld model, which detaches from a bigger vacuum we’d recommend Hoover’s H-Free 500, which glides through rooms with ease and detaches from its base in seconds – ready to find dirt in all those dark corners of the house.