
Running these analyses costs money. Buy through my links to help keep lights on! I may get a small commission.
Reddit Reviews
I swear, even vac companies are sexist. I was cleaning for a guy and he asked me to use his DeWalt hand vac on the stairs. I was, like, WAIT A MINUTE! A cordless vacuum with an endless supply of rechargeable batteries that you can pop in? I ended up getting a Ryobi hand held that has a floor adapter. I can use it at most clients houses and in my car and shop! It's easy to clean. It comes apart and fits in a backpack! The only disadvantage is the container is small. It's not good for houses with a lot of dog hair. But other than that I LOVE it. I bicycle commute to most of my jobs, so it fitting in a backpack is awesome!
The small Ryobi hand vacuums don't have any cyclonic separators so everything just gathers by the filter and they can lose suction pretty quickly. I prefer a small hose and crevice tool to get into the tight areas of a car. So I'd look at the [18V ONE+ 1 GALLON WET/DRY VACUUM PCL733B](https://www.ryobitools.com/products/33287199839) and the [18V ONE+ HP BRUSHLESS JOBSITE HAND VACUUM PBLHV701B](https://www.ryobitools.com/products/33287201853?queryID=43f62e70ac71c8f21ec671958067cc30&objectID=51791472296299). The 1 Gallon Wet/Dry can use a hepa cartridge filter and the Brushless Jobsite Hand Vacuum comes with a hepa cartridge filter. I'd choose the Brushless Jobsite Hand Vacuum, the brushless motor is more powerful and it comes with the hepa filter standard.
Until last year we had the classic Sanitaire. Then the motor burnt out on all of them because nobody can take care of them. They replaced them with shitty little battery powered Ryobi ones definitely NOT made for commercial use. Surprise, mine already had a wheel fall off this week 😒
Get one with a cord. Also, Dyson filters need to be cleaned often. Try cleaning the filter to help with suction. I have a Dyson multi floor canister (with a cord) and have had it for over a decade. I still love it. Recently my husband bought me a handheld cordless shop vac for cleaning up messes in the kitchen. It's awesome. It's by Ryobi and uses the same battery packs as my husband's tools. I highly recommend it. They have a stick vac version of it too.
I have 4. Dyson Outsize+ stick vac, Dyson DC24 (old model), Roomba and a Ryobi handheld dustbuster.
I have the handheld Ryobi vacuum. Don't expect much. It sucks dust, that's it.
I have an older, but similar, Ryobi hand vac. It works well for picking up tofu litter. (I haven’t tried it with the more common clay-type litters.)
I've got a Ryobi hand vac and the reason it'll last for a long time is because there is no point using it. I like Ryobi stuff generally but very disappointed with the hand vac.
Mine is the multisurface which I think is the cheapest one. Maybe I've just got a rubbish one or maybe it's not a great model. Just disappointing suction.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Cleaning stairs

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Deep cleaning thick carpets

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Hardwood and delicate floors

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Heavy pet shedding

Top pick
SEBO - AIRBELT E3 Premium
Best for Long-term durability (buy it for life)

Top pick
Numatic International - Henry Canister Series
Best for Quick daily maintenance

Top pick
Dyson - V15 Detect Series





