Next, we continued our evaluation of the Wandvac by seeing how it did with some tougher messes, as well as the amount of air its motor can move. This vacuum could suck up Mini-Wheats cereal without any tools attached, which is about the biggest particle type it can handle, but that’s average for this vacuum category. While it does clean difficult-to-access shark dustbuster areas and picks up pet hair a bit better than some, it simply costs too much for us to be able to recommend. It works well on every surface but runs out in 15 minutes – not quite enough time to clean a big car. The upholstery brush on the 2-in-1 nozzle needs clicking into place every now and again and the main handle vibrates a little uncomfortably.
The only thing I don’t like about it is that its kind of hard to slip it back in place on the charger. I always end up fiddeling with it to get it to slip in place. Right now i have the charger sitting on the counter so I am hoping once i mount it to the wall it will be better. We have noticed that for this kind of work it has started to become our go to machine. However, once you start to move outside these parameters you will find areas that challenge the vacuum.
The CHV1410L also comes with a convenient charging base that allows the vac to stand upright when you’re storing it, saving valuable space. One of our long-term testers keeps their CHV1410L upright on the floor, and shark robotic vacuums it’s sturdy enough that the bounding and capering of their energetic dog doesn’t knock it over. A well-made vacuum should last anywhere from five to 10 years, with most vacuums sticking around for about seven years.
At the back / base of the vacuum is a small hole where the charging pin connects to the charging base. Thanks to the lithium-ion battery, it maintains steady power throughout the charge cycle. The suction starts to drop off only in the last minute or so of battery life, or if the filter isn’t clean. The Pivot looks like a traditional handheld vacuum but has a slim, rotating nozzle that allows you to get into crevices at awkward angles. You can even rotate the nozzle mid-operation, and the Pivot maintains its suction level. The nozzle helps it excel at cleaning between couch cushions as well as in the seams and nooks around the seats of a car.
Chances are, you probably don’t need a wet/dry vacuum every day. But if you want the option of cleaning up wet spills as well as dry (we’re looking at you, parents), the Dirt Devil Quick Flip Wet/Dry Hand Vacuum is an excellent choice. —and is cordless, so you can use it around your place with ease. It also features an extra-large dirt cup to hold up to 17 ounces of liquid and dry debris. This one doesn’t come with a charging dock and simply plugs in to a charging cable.
We are also testing handheld models from two major powertool companies. We are curious to see how the new Ryobi 18V ONE+ Performance Hand Vacuum compares to the 7131. We’re also trying the WORX 20V Power Share Cordless Cube Vac. As the name suggests, it’s shaped like a small cube and comes with an extra-long hose.
There is also a little grumbling about the small capacity of the dust canister. If you are doing lots of cleaning you will likely have to empty it frequently. This is sometimes the price one pays for having such a small and lightweight machine. Another frequently discussed characteristic is the vacuum’s light weight. It is indeed a lightweight handheld and it is the lightest one that we have reviewed to date.
The Wandvac performed slightly above average when we challenged it to remove flour from a low-pile automotive-style carpet section. It vacuumed a decent amount of flour with either the bristle or crevice attachment, but it left leftover remnants in the fibers unless we scrubbed with shark pet hair vacuum the bristle brush and did a ton of passes. 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.