Whether you’re hoovering up crumbs in the car, muddy footprints in the hall or those ever-present cobwebs, vacuuming can feel like a chore. It’s often hot, heavy work, too – but the best handheld vacuum cleaners are ready to make quick clean-ups a breeze.
Most handheld vacuum cleaners are cordless, making them ideal for stairs, awkward corners and even the car. Being wire-free means cleaning can be quicker and less of a faff, and as brands continue to improve their designs, these small-but-mighty gadgets are getting lighter and more versatile.
Don’t be fooled by their diminutive size, either. Handheld models can still pack a punch, offering impressive suction and functionality. These compact cleaners are perfect for everyday messes like the post-dinner crumb explosion, and they’re light enough to grab for a quick once-over without any fuss.
Some of the best cordless vacuums on the market come with a detachable handheld unit, which means you can clean the car without lugging the full thing outside. But for this review, we’ve focused on standalone handheld models, which are often cheaper than the two-in-one options.
While most handheld vacuums aren’t designed to tackle an entire house in one go (though a few come close – more on that later), some are built for tougher jobs in sheds or even the garden. With that in mind, read on to find the best handheld vacuum cleaner for your needs.
Why you can trust us
Zoë Phillimore is a freelance journalist and editor who specialises in tech and home interiors. She has been rigorously testing and reviewing products for IndyBest since 2021.
Alex Lee is The Independent’s senior tech critic. He joined the title in 2021 and has reviewed everything from household appliances to wireless headphones and soundbars.
How we tested the best handheld vacuum cleaners
We’ve spent months testing handheld vacuums in two very different households: one’s a lively family home where crumbs seem to multiply the moment your back is turned (especially in the car – cheers, kids), and the other’s shared with a very fluffy dog who loves muddy walks and shedding everywhere.
We looked at how well each handheld picked up crumbs, pet hair and general debris, how long the battery lasted and whether they were lightweight and easy to whip out for quick clean-ups. We also rated handy extras like crevice tools, pet-hair attachments and charging docks. As ever, value for money played a big part in deciding which ones made the cut. These are the best handheld vacuum cleaners that stood out from the rest.
The best handheld vacuum cleaners for 2025 are:
Gtech multi MK2 K9 cordless handheld pet vacuum
Gtech’s MK2 K9 is an absolute pocket rocket, and it packs in excellent suction. Made with plastic and aluminum, it’s lightweight but strong.
There’s a powerhead for stairs, sofas and car floors, while a crevice tool gets into all those annoying places that never usually see the light of day. Speaking of light, there’s a headlight on the Gtech, to help you see what you’re doing and whether you’re going to suck up dirt or your kids’ toys.
With a 20-minute runtime, the battery in the Gtech means this one will run for ages, whether you’re cleaning the car or doing a quick once-over around the house. It’s absolutely merciless on pet hair, too: it’s a brilliant little vacuum cleaner. The only drawback? The price. £200 is a lot to spend to vacuum up some crumbs.
Buy now £199.00, Amazon.co.uk
Shark classic CH950UK pet handheld vacuum
With a battery time of around 10 minutes, this certainly isn’t going to clean your house in one go. It probably won’t last long enough to clean your car, either. However, it’s perfect for little messes.
During testing, we found it sucked up all the dust in a room in minutes. It’s also super-easy to empty and managed to pick up an alarming amount of hair from our deep-pile carpets.
Getting the hair off the brushes was a bit of a challenge but otherwise, we were thoroughly impressed. It comes with three accessories for even more precise vacuuming along curtain rails and bookshelves.
Buy now £68.00, Amazon.co.uk
Shark wandvac 1.0 WV200UK
If you’ve got an issue with crumbs or have a quick job, this lightweight Shark hand vacuum is ideal. It’s tiny, designed to be put on kitchen work surfaces. It’s discreet enough that it won’t look out of place among other kitchen appliances. It comes with a crevice tool and a pet tool, which all tuck into the docking station neatly.
However, the run time is just eight minutes, which we found too short for anything other than a post-dinner clean-up. However, it’s impressively lightweight - we could easily hold it above our heads to get at light fittings and picture rails.
Buy now £79.99, Amazon.co.uk
Dyson car+boat handheld vacuum
The Dyson car+boat is essentially a Dyson V8 minus the stick and floorhead, but don’t let that put you off. It was seriously powerful for a handheld. We used it after a muddy dog walk to clean out the car boot and back seats, and it tackled dirt, gravel and pet hair without breaking a sweat.
The mini motorised tool was a particular highlight. It’s small enough to get into awkward spots but strong enough to lift embedded fluff from fabric. Around the house, it was great for sofa cushions, pet beds and stairs, while the crevice tool came in especially handy for getting into the narrow bits between car seats and under kitchen cupboards.
It also has the longest battery life out of the vacuums we’ve tested, running for around 50 minutes on the standard mode, which was plenty for a full car interior clean and a quick once-over in the hallway. The only thing we didn’t like was that we needed to keep the trigger held down while cleaning. It’s also hard to ignore that it’s basically just a Dyson V8, so you don’t need to buy this if you’ve already got that older full-size vacuum. On top of that, it’s very expensive for a handheld vacuum.
Buy now £199.00, Johnlewis.com
Gtech prolite
Gtech’s lightest ever handheld vacuum cleaner, this model is light but not that light – weighing a moderate 1kg. It is powerful, however, featuring two suction settings. We adored the rotating brush head attachment, making it easy to clean carpets, while the light on the head helped brighten the floor of our dark car while vacuuming. It’s a little awkward to hold, due to its chunky shape, but it’s still a lightweight sucker that cleaned up crumbs and leaves with ease. We just wish the battery life was a little longer. It’s also a fairly pricey gadget compared with some others.
Buy now £120.99, Amazon.co.uk
Beldray wet and dry handheld vacuum cleaner
It’s unusual to find a handheld vacuum cleaner that can clean up crumbs off the floor and small spillages, but Beldray has done it with its wet and dry handheld vacuum. Now, this thing might not look like much, but looks can be deceiving. During our tests, it sucked up dirt with ease, and it even handled spillages well. However, it has relatively low suction power, so while it works, it takes a while.
On top of that, the liquid capacity is pretty low. There are max fill lines to tell you when to stop hoovering up liquid. Go beyond this line and you might damage the machine. It wouldn’t usually be a problem but a leak in the fridge is out of the question. Kids spilling cereal or a guest knocking over wine? It works like a dream. Because of its lightweight design, it’s easy to manoeuvre around the car, too.
Buy now £33.99, Currys.co.uk
Henry quick
Everyone’s favourite little googly-eyed anthropomorphised gizmo has cut the pounds and has grown a couple of inches. This is the Henry “quick”, an affordable two-in-one cordless stick that transforms into a handheld vacuum for, well, quick clean-ups.
As you’d expect, it’s bright red with a cute design, and features a disposable bag system instead of a bagless system like most cordless vacuums. That does make it easier to dispose of dirt and dust with one click of a button, but makes it less environmentally friendly. You get 26 disposable bags inside the box, which is said to last a year, and also means the bin capacity is larger – so do with that information what you will.
While the suction is pretty powerful in stick mode, it’s a little lacklustre in handheld mode, but does a decent job. It comes with a nifty handle extension attachment to help with cleaning in higher-up places, but this is a heavy vacuum, even in handheld mode, so your hand is going to get tired. Our favourite feature of the Henry quick has to be the scent pods (£9.99, Myhenry.com), which sit under the motor, pushing air through the pod and filling your home or car with a lovely smell as you vacuum.
Buy now £199.99, Myhenry.com
Ryobi 18V hand vac kit
You might know the brand Ryobi for its selection of power tools, but the brand also has this handheld vacuum in its toolkit. We think it would work in a workshop or garage to clear up DIY messes. It’s easy to use, with a sliding power button you can flick on with your thumb and the suction is decent – we tried it in a home setting and it got plenty of debris out of carpets and off hard surfaces. Emptying the dust bin is easy, the front slides off and you can tip out the dirt and clean the HEPA filter at the same time.
Buy now £99.99, Ryobitools.eu
The verdict: Handheld vacuum cleaners
If you want something reliable, well-built and actually capable of lifting more than a crumb, the Gtech multi MK2 K9 stood out as the most powerful and versatile handheld we tested, being great for both pet hair and proper deep cleans. For those on a budget, the Shark CH950UK surprised us with how well it handled dust and hair, even if the runtime is short. Meanwhile, if you’re after a compact option to live on your worktop for quick clean-ups, the Shark wandvac blends performance and style nicely. The Dyson car+boat was also a strong contender, especially for pet owners or anyone who regularly tackles car interiors, boasting a an impressive battery life.
We’ve also found the best cordless vacuum cleaners for hassle-free hoovering
