Best handheld vacuums to buy UK 2023, from Shark to Hoover

We noted the vac essentially pulls itself, and we gave it a perfect rating for maneuverability. The stand’s accessory box makes it bulky to store, but it’s otherwise compact enough to manoeuvre easily. It sucks up debris well, especially on hard floors and long pile carpets, but its dust pick-up lets it down. The handle is chunky and the battery life short, but on balance, it’s a neat gadget to have on hand. The Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum offers a high level of performance for a low price. Pet hair is easily lifted and removed from all indoor surfaces and additional accessories allow users to tackle an even wider range of messes with just a quick swap of the tool.

Two ultra-powerful cyclonic air streams for incredible suction and long-lasting filter and motor life. Lithium-ion battery technology ensures reliable performance every time. Comes with a crevice tool for hard-to-reach places and a scrubbing brush for removal of stuck-on dirt. It includes a lithium-ion battery for lasting power and performance and a washable filter, all at only 2.2 Lb. All in all, the vac turned out to be a great cleaning partner that never quits on you because it’s not powered by a battery. Because it doesn’t stand up on its own, either, you’ll have to lean it against your furniture or gently rest it on the floor if you need to pause your vacuuming session.

Additionally, this cleaning method allows for more consistent suction power. Here at The Spruce, we want to ensure we fully stand behind every product we shark dustbuster recommend and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list.

The soft bristles on this brush struggled to clean dirt or dried mud, with this vacuum doing one of the worst jobs at cleaning mud from linoleum in our test. However, the soft bristles allow you to easily clean corners or on small ledges. Hannah is our senior homes writer, specialising in reviewing the latest kitchen appliances, cleaning products, mattresses and bedding, and crafting equipment.

If you live in an apartment with a small dog or cat and you don’t have room to store a large upright vacuum, this convertible hand-and-stick vacuum from Shark is a great option. While we initially had a few issues when first testing this model, it did impress us with new technology like a self-emptying base and a self-cleaning brush roll. The setup process is a little complicated for this model, as the individual vacuum pieces are not labeled, which makes the directions slightly confusing. However, we still managed to assemble this vacuum in just 10 minutes. When it came time for testing, our first two rounds of testing on carpet and hard flooring did not go smoothly.

This metric looked at the ease of organizing and storing all the different tools and attachments, each vacuum’s sound and noise level, and the ease of emptying the collection bin. The Wandvac earned a mediocre score, even though it earned some points for being lightweight, weighing about half as much as most other products. The Shark® WANDVAC® Cord-Free Handheld Vacuum is the extraordinary answer to your everyday mess! This sleek handvac combines lightweight portability with the incredible suction power of a high-speed brushless motor. While some vacuums have filters that need regular replacement, a washable filter is both easy to maintain and minimizes the recurring expense of buying new filters. By regularly cleaning a Shark vacuum’s filter, you can keep your vacuum operating at peak levels of suction and particle capture.

When it comes to swapping out the cleaning tools, all you have to do is slide the appropriate end of the tool into the nozzle’s hole at the nose of the vacuum. Accessories play a large role in making this style of vacuum a more convenient choice. In my opinion, Shark does a fine job of including some extra accessories with its handheld vacuum.