Best Small Vacuum Cleaner for Home and Car: Handheld, Portable & Compact

It‘s hard to use an upright or canister vacuum cleaner to clean up everyday small messes on desks, sofas, laptops, cars or stairs. This is why you need a small vacuum cleaner that is portable, lightweight, handheld and compact.

If you are looking for a powerful small vacuum cleaner, check this post for tips on how to pick the best compact vacuum and our list of the best small vacuums.

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1. Use of a Small Vacuum Cleaner

2. How to Choose a Mini Vacuum

3. Top 3 Small Vacuum Cleaners

1. Why Do You Need a Small Vacuum Cleaner

While bulky full-size vacuums tackle entire-home messes, small vacuum cleaners are a better solution for small everyday chores. They are compact, lightweight and portable, and can go where the big vacuums can’t.

Small vacuums can easily ferret out crumbs and pet hair from between couch cushions. Also, they are the best vacuum cleaners for car. Your cars tend to accumulate dust, food crumbs and dirt. A mini handheld vacuum cleaner can help you keep your car seats and interior neat and tidy.

Some stick or upright vacuum cleaners are also available in handheld configurations. They come with extra accessories such as a crevice tool, soft brush or long hose. They are more versatile if you need a vacuum cleaner for both whole-house cleaning and spot cleaning.

Smaller vacuums can easily get into hard-to-reach nooks and crannies, sucking in hidden trash and allergens, from small kitchen spills to pet hair and dander.

In short, small-form vacuum cleaners are perfect for light-duty cleaning tasks and fast cleaning. They are extremely convenient to angle into awkward spaces and light enough to grab for a quick job.

If you already have a large vacuum that does your most extensive vacuuming job but you want something lightweight and handheld, a small hoover can be just what you need.

2. How to Choose the Best Mini Vacuum Cleaner

There are various types of vacuum cleaners in the market. When choosing the best small vacuum cleaner, it is important to know what elements need to be considered.

#1. Type

There are a few different types of vacuums - corded, cordless, canister, stick, robot, handheld, upright and central.

Although larger vacuum cleaners like corded, canister and central vacuums typically offer more powerful suction, cordless handheld models are more portable and lightweight, with more cleaning flexibility.

So if you are looking for a handy model for cleaning desks, stairs and upholstery, a cordless vacuum is your top pick.

#2. Suction

When it comes to cleaning performance, suction power is the main consideration. A small vacuum cleaner does not mean having weak suction.

A good handheld vacuum cleaner should provide at least 1,000 Pa of suction power to pick up visible debris and dirt, and even larger food crumbs.

If you prefer to get a 3-in-1 or 2-in-1 stick vacuum cleaner for whole-home cleaning, you will also have to take the types of floors into consideration. Carpets usually require a stronger suction power.

#3. Dustbin Capacity

The capacity of a vacuum cleaner relates to the size of the dustbin. If you don‘t want to empty the dust container frequently, you’d better invest in a vacuum with a high capacity.

The larger the dustbin, the more dirt it can hold. If you need to vacuum a big house with kids or pets, this is even more essential.

#4. Weight

You will certainly need to evaluate the weight of the vacuum cleaner if you are looking for a small-form model. A small lightweight vacuum cleaner is easy to be used for cleaning curtains upholstery, sofas, stairs, cars, and even ceilings.

Generally, vacuum cleaners with a weight between 13 to 18 pounds can be regarded as lightweight models. Some handheld vacuum can weigh as little as 8 pounds because of their compact design.

#5. Runtime

The runtime of your vacuum cleaner is also important. It determines how long your vacuum can operate constantly without needing to recharge it frequently.

Corded vacuum cleaners have unlimited runtime because they are powered directly by electrical outlets, while the runtime of a small cordless vacuum is determined by the battery performance.

Depending on the types of batteries used, the operating time of a battery vacuum cleaner can range from 15 to 50 minutes. For ease of use, it is necessary to buy a small-size cordless vacuum with at least 40 minutes of runtime.

#6. Noise Level

No one likes a noisy vacuum. In most cases, you may use the small handheld vacuum to suck up debris on small areas like cars, desks, sofa cushions and beds.

The distance from the vacuum motor to your ears is about 3.28 ft. Some models generate a loud noise that would be unbearable and even hurt your hearing. So you must find a vacuum with a low noise level, no more than 75 dB.

Reference: Learn more about the noise level of vacuum cleaners by reading this blog.

3. Best Small Vacuum Cleaner for Small Areas Cleaning

Buying a vacuum cleaner can be an overwhelming task since there are various types on the market. We list three great compact models that would help you clean small messes around the home and car.

Pick 1: Best Self-Standing Compact Vacuum Cleaner for Home - Lubluelu 202

The outstanding feature of this cordless vacuum cleaner is self-standing, no need to place it against a wall and just put it aside during cleaning while someone is ringing your doorbell or your baby needs your help.

It is better in suction power which we think is important for a handheld model. It provides up to 25,000 Pa of suction power, making it easy to deal with dirt and gravel on your floors and carpets.

In terms of accessories, it comes with a crevice tool and a soft brush. You can turn it into a handheld vacuum cleaner by replacing the brush head to tackle crumbs in sofa cushions, mattresses and any cracks and crevices.

Weighting only 4.62 pounds, you can hold this lightweight hoover anywhere effortlessly with one hand.

Last but not least, it’s quiet in operation, with a noise level of only 65 dB (normal conversation) at the lowest suction mode setting.

Here is a video indicating how flexible and maneuverable this portable vacuum cleaner is:

 

Pick 2: Best Budget Handheld Cordless Vacuum Cleaner - Lubluelu 008

The best cord-free handheld vacuum at a budget-friendly price is Lubluelu 008.

There are three brush heads included with the vacuum: a roller brush, a crevice tool and a soft brush. These attachments make it easy to transform from an upright vacuum to a handheld vacuum. It performs well on both bare floors to carpets, hard-to-reach corners and high places.

If you suffer from allergies and want a vacuum that works well in trapping allergens, just choose 008. It has a 5-layer HEPA filtration that can seal in 99.97% of tiny particles, like dust, mites, pet dander and hair.

At only 4.63 lbs., the 008 is one of the most lightweight options available. It also produces a low noise, only 65 dB on minimum mode.

Watch the full-review video to see how this HEPA vacuum cleaner performs in real life:

 

Pick 3: Best Powerful Vacuum for Pet Hair with Large Dustbin - Lubluelu 006

This is the best small vacuum cleaner for hair. Its upgraded roller brush is ideal for picking up hair on hard floors, low and mid pile carpets with the wide diameter and anti-hair wrap sawtooth design.

Furthermore, it has a large dustbin (1,000 ml) which means less frequent emptying, making this model a great choice for large homes.

Besides, an included HEPA filter can filter up and seal in 99.97% of allergens, such as pet hair, pet dander, dust, pollen and mites. If you keep a furry friend in your home, this HEPA vacuum cleaner is undoubtedly the best option.

There are also a few attachments included with the vacuum that can convert this stick vacuum to a portable vacuum cleaner.

A crevice tool helps to get into hard-to-reach areas and tight spots, minimizing the amount of furniture you need to remove to complete the cleaning task.

The other one is a soft brush designed for use on delicate surfaces like windows, computer keyboards, car seats and other decorative items.