BLACK+DECKER dustbuster Flexi Pet 14.4V Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, PD1420LP-GB

I'm absolutely blown away by how good this is - so much so that my mum asked me to order one for her as well. My view of dustbusters was a fairly low suction thing with a wide nozzle which would only run for a few minutes before needing to charge for hours on end. Not so this beast: it's tackled everything I've thrown at it and I'm yet to run it flat. I got this because I've got a cat who tracks his wooden cat litter from the kitchen into the living room, and to a lesser extent the rest of the house. The vac is great for getting that off the carpet and furniture, as well as doing a quick zoom around the kitchen to clear up anything he's spilled in there. It's also good for when you spot a cobweb on the ceiling and would ignore it if you had to get the Dyson out of the cupboard. I've used it for doing a quick clean up of dust/hair/fur on my small bathroom floor (lino) and it's coped easily with that. The flip-out brush is useful for dusting furniture or a quick clean of my laptop and computer keyboards. I mainly keep the wider attachment with the flip-out brush on it attached to the vac. It's handy for quick clean ups. If you need to change a tool, they easily unclip. The crevice tool is fine - not much you can say about it. It's comparable to the ones on a standard hoover. The 'animal' attachment, though, is absolutely brilliant. It makes cleaning fur off furniture a very easy task. It also works on rugs and curtains, without sucking the fabric into the hole. Now, instead of taking my living room curtain down to wash it (because the black cat pushes past it to go on the windowsil and it gets a big black streak of fur) I can quickly hold the curtain taut with one hand and the animal attachment removes everything within seconds. It's really good. The machine is fairly easy to empty once you get the hang of holding the door so it doesn't flap about as you try to shake all the bits out. To clean the filter is also easy as you just press a button and twist the body of the unit to remove the motor and hold the grey plastic bit in your other hand. you open the filter compartment and the filter itself can be easily lifted out by a little metal handle, which folds flat against the top of it. I clean the filter every couple of times I use the machine as I notice there's a drop in suction when that needs doing. You clean the filter by removing it and then you can shake it into a bin or brush it with a stiff brush. If you're worried about creating dust clouds in your bin as you do this, you can just use your normal vacuum cleaner to suck all the dust off. Apparently you can wash the filters periodically tp clean them but I've not yet done this because of how long it'll take to dry. Replacement filters cost under £8 from what I've seen. Although the filter seems to be made of concertinaed cardboard, the original one I'm using is not showing any signs of wear or deterioration, even with brushing the dust out of it. Some people have said that the machine is noisy when in use, but I don't find it to be so and it doesn't make the cat run away as he would if I got the proper hoover out. It sits neatly on the charging base provided and charges up within an hour or so after a 10 minute cleaning session. I've run it for half an hour and still not got it to go flat. To be honest, if I needed to clean constantly for that length of time I'd use the actual hoover instead. But this copes brilliantly with everything - I even took it up in the loft to clean up a load of dead wasps after we had a nest cleared. Weight-wise, I do find the unit a little heavy to hold for too long, but with the flexi tube it's not often that I have to as I hold that and have the base down on a solid surface. The hose then neatly coils round the unit to be stored. I can't recommend this highly enough - I find it invaluable and it's a very powerful little vac with lots of good features. Hopefully it'll last for a few years.

I've now purchased three of these over the last 14 years three exactly the same my last one lasted for eight years and I've just purchased one a few days ago. Now I'll start with the negatives the negative is probably the fact that it's not fantastic at picking up debris especially hairs from carpets. However the positives are many for instance around the kitchen this little handheld hoover is absolutely perfect for everything you could possibly want and if you have heart floor throughout your living space this is great for picking up all their brief from a hard floor instantly but me personally I use it for my car and I found that in conjunction with my hand brush I use in my car this handheld is excellent and does exactly what I need so therefore in short I am completely happy I've got no Grimes and grumbles and I would very happily purchase one again this is 50% cheaper than it's rivals that might only give a marginal increase in suction so 50% discount for what the rivals charge is money very well spent.

I'm finding this vacuum useful for jobs such as cleaning the car where starting to faff around with extension leads etc can make things more complicated than they need to be. Moving on to the vacuum itself, in use the suction is reasonably good, but I wouldn’t call it impressive – rated at 1700 watts I was expecting it to lift anything that wasn’t nailed to the floor; in reality it has nowhere near the suction power of a mains powered vacuum. The supplied tools seem up to the job, however, as another reviewer mentioned the ‘bristles’ on the flip out brush won't stand up to extended use as several are deformed and facing the wrong way after only a few uses. I haven’t timed the endurance from first switching on until the battery is exhausted, but it has been more than good enough to cover a mucky car interior with lots of dog hairs thrown in without any sign that the battery was running down. One thing to note is that it’s very noisy, so e.g. starting on the car at 8am on a Saturday morning may leave you in the doghouse with the neighbours. Lastly, the price – I got this model for £70; I have noticed the price bouncing around, sometimes as high as £129. I’d suggest that £70 is a reasonable asking price; I wouldn’t be prepared to pay much more for an item which is adequate, but not particularly special.

Simply Brilliant. I had the older 12v (Non-Lithium) model from 3 or 4 years ago. I t was great but the battery finally died & wouldnt hold charge. This basically the same design but is a lot more powerfull due to new 18v Lithium Battery, and a full charge lasts for a lot longer (around 15 minute). I wanted to buy this for ages, but put it off as I could really justify spending £100 which I though was a bit steep for a small hand-held vacuumm. Anyway, after a few weeks of procrastination, I DID buy it & Im glad I did. I might be expensive, but is really is very good. - The unit is lightweight, so very portable & using it is a breeze. - The flexible tube has about a 1.3m reach at full extension enabling you to get into alls kinds of nooks & crannies. - The suction is pretty powerfull & hasnt failed to suck up anything. - Very quick & easy to empty - 15 minute run time is great - I hardly ever have to charge the unit. 1 minor niggle - the previous model a had a seperate motorised brush attachement which was really usefull & used often, but they no longer make one. To sum up, A bit expensive, but works brilliantly & Highly recommended.

I wanted a mini vac to save me having to drag the big Dyson out every time I wanted to clear the couch of husky dog hair. They shed a LOT and when blowing her coat you can literally pull handfuls of hair off ours, creating epic fluff balls all over the house but especially the couch where she likes to sleep. I was worried this might not be powerful enough but the 18v version didn't have the pet hair tool so I bought this. I needn't have worried! This little vac is almost as powerful as my DC14 Animal with very impressive suction for its diminutive size. It actually clears the couch better thanks to the pet hair tool, which has little rubber fingers to drag the hair out of the fabric without damaging it. This works quite well on clothes too. The other tools are also useful for various vacuum tasks around the house. The vacuum is compact and lightweight and the hose means it's very easy to reach all those corners and awkward bits. The on/off switch is a push through type which is easy to use and solid enough not to get knocked accidentally. I like the little charging stand which keeps all the attachments tidy and means you always have a spot to keep the vacuum rather than wherever you can find space. It's not the quietest of vacuums but then again neither is my Dyson and to be frank you're just not going to get really powerful suction in a whisper quiet appliance! It's not unbearable and as the vacuum is only in use for a minutes it really doesn't matter. I've found the charge lasts more than long enough to clear my 4 seater couch of excessive dog fluff and do a general pick up on the living room and hall floors. I haven't tried hoovering out my car with it yet but I'm sure it would last long enough to do the whole thing. It charges quickly too. Overall I am very pleased with my purchase and would highly recommend this mini vac. It won't replace my big vacuum but I'll certainly be using it less often.

I've only had this item for 7 months, and only generally used it for approximately a minute at-a-time, 1-3 times a day. However a few weeks ago, I was using it to vacuum the back of my car and after only about 5 minutes it shut off. I thought maybe the battery had gone, except the noise didn't seem to lessen beforehand - though I thought maybe this was a feature of Lithium-Ion batteries (no loss of power as the battery gets low?) - and I also expected a full charge to last longer (maybe 10-20 mins). I put the machine back into its charge cradle and the charging light flashed as it should, but I've not been able to get it to switch back on since. It's been emptied and I've checked all the filters are clean, etc. but to no avail. Before this, however, it was a good machine though not without its faults: It's very loud - after only a brief time using it I'd get a slight ringing in my left ear for a few seconds, so was wary of using it near my 5-11 month old baby (age she spanned in lifetime of this product). Though I am now wondering if the noise level was due to having a faulty product? Bit of a pain to empty it - as the unit is a bit bulky, you need a bit of room above the bin to angle the machine so that when the door opens the dirt falls straight in, and most of the time some dust goes onto the battery, so when the doors closed again you have to vacuum the vacuum itself. Like I've just mentioned, it's a bit bulky and not a great looking design (not bad either) but I chose it for practicality and price over looks. You can't charge it without the cradle (e.g. removing the cable from the cradle and plugging it straight into the unit) and the cradle can't be wall mounted either - which could be a problem for some. The positives: Unlike other leading brands of this type of machine, because of the hose, I thought its a benefit to be able to hold the bulk of the machine in one hand and use the tube to get to harder to reach areas with the other. This also means you can reach up high without having the weight of the whole unit in one hand. Also I find really beneficial that the exhaust vent is therefore able to be pointed away from dusty areas whilst the vacuuming hand is going wherever it wants - it's been a big gripe I've had with previous models that I'm trying to vacuum an area and there's air blowing out the sides and disturbing all the dust I'm yet to get to. There's also useful tool attachments and the charging cradle that come included (and the cradle holds those attachments too) - unlike the main brand in this field, where they'll charge you on top for each little piece. I can't comment on battery life or usage speed/ charging time, as I only used it in brief bursts before it broke. All-in-all it showed great promise, and if I didn't have a defective unit I don't think I could find a better vacuum of its kind, especially considering the price.

This is a great little tool. I was about to buy the previous Black and Decker model but this newer model was available - and at a lower price! The main change from old, appears to be the new Lithium battery - sounds like Black & Decker are aware of the fairly short battery life of the previous model, that a few reviewers picked up on. I haven't used the previous model so can't compare but to give you an idea on this the charge lasts for a good 20 - 25 minutes on constant power with a full charge. This is the main and pretty much only drawback, although not enough to deduct a star, but I had expected a little more. It took approximately 4 hours to charge the battery up on first use. I have a pug that sheds LOADS of fur in my car and this was the main reason for my purchase. It is much easier than lugging out the main hoover, plugging it in, etc. However I will definitely be using this to get fur off the sofa and elsewhere too. If you have a Henry Hoover (for comparison) which is of course mains , the suction is of a similar level to that. There is no Turbo button because of course that would zap the battery life even more - but the suction is really the main selling point of this. If you are unsure - as I was - I can safely say, do not be. The pet hair piece is absolutely brilliant. When I unwrapped it I thought it was a cheap piece of plastic that would soon find its way in the bin, but it loosens and pulls up fur with ease, making it so much easier. Also includes a thin nozzle and brush piece. PROS: Great suction, half the price of a Dyson, pet hair removal is brilliant, has small filter, easy to empty (bagless obviously). CONS: Power only lasts for 20-25 minutes on full charge. Slightly difficult to maneuver in tight places given 'plastic bend' I haven't tried the Dyson equivalent ... but I can't see how it can be any better at 2x the price. I'm the sort of person who would never pay a premium just for a 'brand' - I have a Henry Hoover for the house and it's so much better than any Dyson I've ever used, so I'm very glad I bought this and didn't waste £70+ more on a Dyson.

I was a little apprehensive about buying this, but it turned out to be quite good. It is very light, although very loud, and it blows out a lot of air at the side. The suction is ok and better than most portable vacs. In terms of battery you'll get a realistic 15-20 mins out of it before it starts to turn off (it doesn't slow down). It does occasionally turn itself off which I think is because it detects there is no actual suction occurring (which is a nice feature). I would say it is best suited as a regular top up to a normal power vacuum. I used it in my new Mini Cooper and I was able to do the inside before it conked out (wasn't enough battery to do the boot), although it was the first time using it properly, so next time I'll probably be quicker. You will have to go over some areas a few times. The hair attachment worked well as it is a massage type (it looks like a shower head). I like the fact you can change the attachment, and the long hose is a boon.