Whether you have pets, kids, or you just hate messes, a dustbuster is a convenient way to clean up dry spills, dirt, crumbs, and more. When it comes to home appliances, few brands are as highly regarded as BLACK+DECKER. That’s precisely why we picked up their Cordless Lithium Hand Vacuum and got to testing its power, efficiency, convenience, and more. Read on for our honest review.
Design: Modern and intuitive
While aesthetics may not be your number one priority when it comes to purchasing a dustbuster, BLACK+DECKER’s handheld vacuum is an attractive appliance. Sleek and modern-looking, it has a blue, white, and dark gray color scheme along with a transparent dust cup where you can see how much debris has been picked up. All this is to say that if you’re stuck mounting it in a high traffic area (say, your living room), it shouldn’t be too much of an eyesore. Operating and emptying this dustbuster is a breeze. It arrives fully assembled; you’ll just need to charge it before your first use. (It takes roughly 10 hours to go from a dead to full battery.) The vacuum has two switches: one which turns it on and off, and one which releases the front nozzle so you can empty it into the trash. Luckily, the 31.8-ounce dust cup is pretty spacious, so you’ll fit in a few uses before you need to stop and empty it. Additionally, the filter can be removed and washed in warm, soapy water. If you find it needs a little TLC after extended use, you can scrub the filter with an old toothbrush to dislodge caked-on dust. You can also purchase replacement filters for roughly $13 for a pack of four. The one small feature we wish the gadget had was an indicator light. As is, there’s no way to tell when the vacuum is fully charged or about to die. Otherwise, the design is intuitive.
Extra Features: Two attachments and a handy wall mount
Adding to the BLACK+DECKER’s versatility is two attachment tools that can be inserted right into the dustbuster’s nozzle. The crevice tool is ideal for getting into tight spaces, like under furniture, between seat cushions, and in ceiling corners. Then, the brush attachment can be used in sandy, dusty, or lint-covered places, like on upholstery or around bookshelves. Another small but handy accessory is the accompanying wall mount which allows for easy access and space-saving storage. The dustbuster has a built-in lip that slides onto the mount—just make sure to secure it near an outlet so the vacuum can recharge between uses.
Performance: Effective and powerful
This handy tool is undoubtedly powerful. In our experience, it effortlessly sucked up particles of all sizes, including dirt, pet hair, cereal, stray kibble, and kicked-out kitty litter. With its angled nozzle, it easily fits in and under small places, plus two additional attachments—a crevice tool and a brush tool—make it even more versatile. We found that the dustbuster was especially effective in cleaning hard surfaces. We used it under our kitchen cabinets, on the hardwood stairs that lead up to our first floor, and in the car after a sandy beach trip with our Shar-Pei/Golden Retriever mix. While it didn’t do a perfect job on the latter, it did suck up a good amount of sand, and it easily outperformed other handheld vacuums we’ve owned. We found the brush attachment particularly useful in this application as it loosened the grains from the floors and upholstered seats so they were sucked up easier. The crevice tool also came in handy when cleaning between seat cushions and under the seat. That said, it wasn’t quite long enough to reach the narrow spot between the seat and door, so we would prefer a longer crevice tool or just an additional one that’s suited to harder-to-reach spots. While it definitely performed best on non-carpeted areas, the dustbuster does a decent job on low-pile carpets. We found that we got the best clean after doing a few passes with the brush attachment. Overall, the hands-down best part about the vacuum is that there are no cords to get tangled up in.
Battery Life: Could be better
BLACK+DECKER’s dustbuster can run continuously for 12 to 15 minutes before losing steam. While this is plenty for small jobs like spilled cereal, it does pose a problem for bigger projects, like cleaning your entire SUV. We used it for the later and found that it conked out at exactly 12 minutes. While we would enjoy a longer battery life, we appreciate that it’s cordless and easy to charge with the included jack plug charger and wall mount.
Price: A wallet-friendly purchase
BLACK+DECKER’s cordless dustbuster retails for $42. That’s a small price to pay for power, versatility, and cord-free use. We think the vacuum would be especially useful for families with little ones or pets prone to making messes, but anyone who wants to keep a cleaner home will certainly find it useful.
Competition: Lots of options (and features) to choose from
Eureka Blaze 3-in-1 Swivel Lightweight Stick Vacuum: While it appears to be a completely different product at first glance, Eureka’s versatile vacuum converts from a lightweight stick vacuum (that works particularly well on hard floors) to a handheld dustbuster device, plus it comes with a crevice cleaner attachment. For those looking for more versatility in their cleaning tool—and an incredible value at around $30—the Eureka is it. One caveat, though: this one is corded. Homasy Portable Handheld Vacuum Cleaner: This bestselling dustbuster not only performs classic functions, but it also comes with three additional attachments, including a crevice tool, a brush, and a rubber jar attachment that actually sucks up liquid. A wall mount and two additional washable filters are also included. At close to $60, this vacuum is significantly more expensive than the BLACK+DECKER, but it may be worth it for those looking for an upgraded hand vacuum. This BLACK+DECKER dustbuster upholds the brand’s reputation for quality. This powerful, cordless picker-upper makes cleaning messes a breeze, plus it won’t break the bank.
