The 8 Best Handheld Vacuums, Tested and Reviewed (2025)

A Handheld vacuum may not be the most essential household appliance, but they sure are convenient. You don’t have to mess with heavy, cumbersome (and expensive) vacuums that require a plug-in and hazardous cords. Sure, there are cordless vacs to mitigate this problem, but those are also large and can be expensive. The handheld vacuum—compact, lightweight, and inexpensive—has come a long way in recent years. As vac technology keeps improving, handhelds are becoming more powerful and lightweight. Kid spilled her Cheerios on the floor? Pet hair on your favorite reading chair? Need to spot-clean your car seats? The handheld vacuum's got you. Nearly every handheld vacuum cleaner comes with attachments for picking up hair or fur on carpets, brush and crevice tools, and smooth upholstery attachments. Plus, nearly every thing on this list is under 100 bucks (except our top Dyson pick because, well, it’s Dyson). We tested some of our favorite hand vacuums for many types of messes, but we’re c ... Read full article.