Best Handheld Vacuums for 2025

Choosing handheld vacuum cleaners to test for this comparison was relatively easy, since I reused eight of the products from the list of the best car vacuums I put together earlier. But I also used the opportunity to bring in five other vacuums I didn’t test for lack of time or because they weren’t yet available. As with the previous vacuums, these new test candidates come from best-seller lists and positive customer reviews.

On the whole, my handheld vacuum testing methodology is the same as it was for car vacuums — the runtime, airflow and noise tests are identical. The main testing change is how I measured cleaning performance in a home compared with a car — I added a few kinds of debris and new test surfaces.

Cleaning performance

All four cleaning performance tests use the same base conditions:

• Scatter a premeasured amount of debris over the testing surface.
• Rub debris into the surface to simulate foot traffic.
• Use the recommended attachment before switching to other methods to help the vacuum remove the remaining debris as needed.
• Weigh the dust cup (or entire vacuum) before the test and after each pass before emptying, to track sample collection progress.
• Don’t wash a vacuum’s filters until all tests are complete, to simulate what a typical user would do.

Handling test

The newest element of the cleaning performance tests is a simple evaluation of how easy each vacuum is to use. A vacuum earns a good handling score if it’s small and light or includes a hose to offset bulk. Worx and Fanttik earn perfect marks for meeting both these requirements. Lifting these vacuums never felt tiring, and the attachments don’t negatively affect the maneuverability.

The DeWalt, Dustbuster Blast and Shark Cyclone Pet each perfectly embody one attribute. In the DeWalt’s case, the hose attachment eliminates any issues I have with how heavy and large it is. The Dustbuster Blast and the Shark Cyclone lack any bulk.

The Shark WandVac, Shark UltraCyclone, Ryobi Cordless Performance, Bissell and Dustbuster PowerConnect come close to good handling with minor nitpicks. The WandVac, Bissell and PowerConnect feel surprisingly heavy, while the others are too long.

Dyson barely passes the weight test, but the combination of the crevice attachment and the overall bulk holds it back. (I tested Dyson with the optional hose accessory, which can put it on the same level as the DeWalt. But I can’t award points since that’s technically an extra purchase.) The Ryobi Powered Brush was the only product that was too long and heavy. It was still very usable but more solidly in the two-handed category than any other cordless vacuum cleaner I’ve used.

Upholstery test: Pet hair and lint

This light-duty test uses a supply of cat-hair-rich dryer lint collected over three months (including two months of lint from a previous test). Before each test, I rubbed the sample on a cushion. I focused on two attachments: brushes and motorized brushes, always starting with the motorized option when available. Both types of brushes were effective, but powered brushes were usually faster.

The top performers in this test were the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser, the Worx Cube Vac and the Ryobi Powered Brush, though most of the other vacuums weren’t far behind. The only outlier is the Dustbuster PowerConnect, which didn’t come with a brush attachment to help loosen stubborn hairs.

Large debris test: Rice, beans, cereal and shredded paper

This medium-duty test uses the same shredded paper and sticky cereal from a previous evaluation — plus added dried beans and white rice to more closely represent the messes found on a typical tile kitchen floor. I chose these specific elements to maximize clog potential.

The Dyson Car+Boat, Dyson V8 and Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro finished with perfect scores in a single session. They were fast, didn’t clog, and picked up every crumb. The Ryobi Cordless Performance, Bissell Pet Hair Eraser and Dustbuster PowerConnect were almost as good, though they left a few crumbs behind.

The Worx, Shark Cyclone, Shark WandVac, DeWalt, Ryobi Powered Brush and Dustbuster Blast took two cleaning passes to complete this test, with clogs reducing suction drastically after the first pass. Clogs on the DeWalt and Worx proved difficult to remove. HEPA filter placement led to clogs on the DeWalt and Ryobi Powered Brush. There’s not much room for debris between the filter and the air intake, which keeps it from reaching the empty portion of the bin.

Fanttik took three passes because its small dust cup filled quickly, but it ultimately grabbed every crumb.

Small debris test: Sand and baking soda

Small debris excels at clogging filters rather than intake nozzles. I chose a potent combo for this test sample: baking soda and sand. The light baking soda is very good at blocking filters, and heavy sand is ideal for spotting when suction drops. I spread the mixture on vinyl flooring panels, which also serve as a stand-in for dusty shelves you might clean with a handheld vacuum. After vacuuming each panel, I wiped it with a clean cloth to see if any dust remained.

Six vacuums pulled up the test sample in a single pass, with the Shark UltraCyclone and Bissell Pet Hair Eraser leaving almost no dust behind. The DeWalt and Dyson both did very well but left some residue. The Dyson mainly lost points for its powered brushes kicking sand around. The runners-up — the Worx, Shark Cyclone, Ryobi and Dustbuster — produced passable results. Despite a good performance, I can’t get over how much dust comes through the Dustbuster Blast’s filter.

Compact vacuums — the Shark WandVac and the Fanttik — fared the worst. Although WandVac took fewer passes than the Fanttik, it pulled up the least debris by weight of any vacuum in this test.

Combination test: Dirt, lint, rice, beans, paper and cereal

For material, I spread 55 grams of moist dirt, rice, lint, beans, paper and cereal on high-pile carpet samples I got from a local flooring store. (The musty smell was a dead giveaway that moisture was present.)

Don’t let the low weight fool you. None of the vacuums collected more than 95% of their samples by weight here. For some perspective, the collection rate for the other three tests is usually over 98%. (I say “by weight” because the score also evaluates the visual cleanliness and number of passes.) This is the effect a small amount of water can have on a vacuum’s performance. None of the models on this list are for vacuuming wet objects — the moisture is minuscule, just enough to make it stickier.

The Dyson Car+Boat, Ryobi Cordless Performance and Dustbuster Blast earned perfect scores in this category. They collected all the debris in a single pass and left the carpet spotless. The Dyson V8, Worx, Ryobi Powered Brush, Dustbuster Connect, Bissell, DeWalt and Shark UltraCyclone also finished in a single pass but pulled up less debris by weight.

The Shark Cyclone, Fanttik and Shark WandVac required a second pass due to full dust bins or loss of suction, with the WandVac pulling up the least debris overall.