To say that I had a love/hate relationship with handheld vacuums for many years would be putting it mildly. I love the idea of a cordless handheld vacuum that is charged up and always ready to make a quick pickup; in fact, it is on my list of household must-haves.
Backstory
It’s been more than 30 years since I got my first handheld Dustbuster. It would hold a charge for maybe two minutes, if all the stars were properly aligned and I held it in just the right position. And the thing completely failed after only a few months—refusing to hold any charge at all. Rubbish!Since then, I’ve had no fewer than five other brands of handheld vacs, putting up with a lack of suction, short-run times between charges, and difficulty emptying and cleaning—only to have all of them fail as well.
The pricey Dyson handheld vac was nothing to write home about. Its maximum run time of about six minutes was marginally acceptable, but it was really heavy, awkward to empty, and difficult to clean. Plus, it lasted for fewer than three years.
Can’t anyone make a decent cordless, handheld vacuum cleaner that is convenient to use; holds a charge well; runs for at least 15 minutes before needing to be recharged; has powerful suction to pick up all kinds of stuff we need a vacuum to pick up, including pet hair; will last for more than a couple of years; and doesn’t cost a fortune?
Yes! Finally.
Power
Powered by a high-efficiency 16-volt lithium battery, this handheld vac has long battery life. I’ve had it running continuously for longer than 15 minutes without a hitch on a single charge. The powerful battery holds a charge for up to 18 months when off the charger and does not have a memory effect when left sitting on the charger. That means I can leave it there or take it with me in the car or even leave it in another part of the house, and it will not lose its charge. It recharges from completely dead to fully charged in four hours.Suction
This vac has excellent suction. I don’t have pets, but others who do report that it picks up loose hair on hard surfaces very well, which is quite a significant test. I have never had a handheld vac as reliable—not even that pricey Dyson. It can suck up Lego bricks, which I find to be the ultimate audition for a handheld vac. Not that I would ever do that intentionally, of course.Easy to Use
I love that this vac is super lightweight and has an on/off switch—no trigger or button I have to hold down continuously for it to run. It’s lightweight, too, which makes it easy to maneuver into tight spaces.Easy to Maintain
This Dustbuster has a large bagless dirt bowl that is easy to remove and empty. The bowl and the filter are completely washable. Confession: In the four years I have owned and heavily used my three Dustbusters, I have not replaced any filters. I hand-wash and dry them, and they just keep working like new.I love this cordless handheld vacuum more than I’ve loved any other handheld vac, and I give it many stars—far more than the traditional five! For the money, Black and Decker 16-volt cordless lithium hand vac (CHV1410L) can’t be beat. Please do not confuse it with its disappointing cousins that have NiCad batteries.
