It earned perfect scores in five of our seven performance evaluations, including in carpet, bare floor and large debris pickup tests. Because of its lightweight design, long battery runtime and array of tools, this hand vacuum is great for clean-up in your car, especially in between and under seats. The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab has a long history of testing vacuums to find the best ones on the market, from canister vacuums to robot vacuums to upright vacuums. The Max Flex Handheld Vacuum looks like a mad scientist shrunk a full-size vacuum, thanks to the extendable hose that wraps around the unit when you don’t need its full length.
If you’re looking for more vacuum cleaner content, check out our guides to the best vacuums from Bissell, the best stick vacuums and the best budget-friendly vacuums. Some car owners demand bissell vacuum cleaner strong suction, to pick up mud from work boots or food crumbs from the kids in the back seat. Others prefer light weight and maneuverability, to get the job done quickly and easily.
Her work has previously been published by The New York Times, The Guardian, Psychology Today, and many other publications. When she is not following her dream of an immaculate home and a flood-proof basement, she is taking care of her menagerie and creating magical animal quilts. Becky Rapinchuk is a natural cleaning expert, home-keeping expert, and founder of the lifestyle brand, Clean Mama.
Because it’s designed for use in a workshop or garage, not a home with lots of different applications, it only has one power option. Although it’s a little heavier than other handheld vacuums, you don’t need to hold the vacuum while you are using it, as its shape allows it to stand on its own. Other notable features include a removable battery that fits into other Worx tools, a washable filter and a top handle.
In other words, you can use this one-handed—like a regular handheld vacuum—or two-handed, extending the business end up to four feet away. The dirt bin is suitably oversized at 17 ounces and empties easily by unclasping one clip. It’s also washable for easy cleaning with a three-stage filter that’s designed to keep dust from escaping. The Max Flex includes a flip-up brush for dusting, a long crevice tool and a pet hair brush for cleaning fur and other stubborn debris from upholstery. This Hoover is a little powerhouse, with an onboard crevice tool that makes it easy to clean hard-to-reach places, like in the corners of your stairs, that full-size vacuums have a hard time getting to. Our experts rated it highly on pickup of small and large debris on both carpets and bare floors, but not so great for battery run and charge time (with a ONEPWR 20V battery).
And speaking of maneuvering, we did notice that some of the debris we picked up shifted and spilled out when the machine was tipped over, so buyers would just want to be sure to not invert it after using it. The one other hiccup with this machine is that the suction is so strong, it pulled at the high chair fabric cover, so users would want to be careful around loose or bissell vacuum cleaner unsecured items. Not only did we find it easy to use, but extra features like a steady battery and helpful attachments (a crevice tool and scrubbing brush) add to its overall effectiveness. If you’re looking for an appliance for quick and efficient cleanup, this is an excellent choice for you, especially with its powerful suction that performed well on various surfaces.
It was quick to pick up the materials we laid in its path, only struggling a bit when picking up flour and hair on a high-pile carpet. As far as suction and power, it was competitive in those areas too, although not quite a standout. Like some of the other vacuums we tested, the sticky raisins were a challenge, but we’re willing to forgive that since it wasn’t a unique issue to this vacuum. Lastly, we wanted to note that the list price for this handheld vacuum is high at $200—though we see it discounted regularly (often in the $60-$80 range) so we definitely recommend watching for a sale. Once we got the hang of it, though, it really excelled, and picked up various debris quickly and easily.