Shark WV201 WANDVAC Handheld Vacuum, Lightweight at 1.4 Pounds with Powerful Suction, Charging Dock, Single Touch Empty and Detachable Dust Cup,Graphite, Slate

Why it's worth it

The WANDVAC is a 1.4-pound wand you keep docked on the wall and grab a dozen times a week. It's got real pull for crumbs, dander and dry spills on hard surfaces, and you empty it with one button instead of shaking a bin out over the trash.

At 1.4 pounds, this is light enough that grabbing it stops being a decision. That sounds like a marketing line, but with a handheld it's the whole ballgame. A vacuum you have to think about is a vacuum you skip. This one sits on a dock at arm height, charged, and you can run it one-handed while you're holding a kid with the other arm. Owners who've kept one for years say they use it multiple times a day.

The brushless motor does more than the size suggests. Dry cereal, coffee grounds, flour dust, the halo of litter around a cat box — it takes those in one pass on hard floors and countertops. On upholstery it lifts what's sitting on the surface, and fine dander comes up easily. Longer fur is a different story, and we'll get to that.

From our review of 12 cordless handheld vacuums, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +At 1.4 pounds, this is light enough that grabbing it stops being a decision
• +The brushless motor does more than the size suggests
• +The one-touch empty matters more than it should
• +The charging dock is the reason this one stays in rotation instead of dying in a drawer

What to know

• –The runtime is short
• –There's no motorized brush roll, so long pet hair tends to wrap around the nozzle and build up rather than getting agitated…
• –Battery life over the long haul is the most common complaint