Best Handheld Vacuum for Carpeted Stairs 2023

Finding the best vacuum for stairs to tackle the cleaning issue can be a challenge. Beforeopt for, what’re the latest technologies and what’re the things or the features you should consider.

However, we have done the hardest part for you. Analyzed and reviewed most of the popular vacuum for stairs and have made this top recommend list for you along with a comprehensive buying guide. Let’s scroll below to find out more.

What is the best handheld vacuum for carpeted stairs

It’s hard to recommend one specific product as the best one. Vacuums are used for different purposes, and different types of vacuum are best for different types of stairs and usability. So, it is better to find out your specific need first and then buy according to that.

We have listed the best vacuum cleaner for stairs into different categories. Check out below to find out the best-suited one for you.

8 Best Vacuums for Stairs Reviews: Our Honest Recommendations

01. Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless

Dyson V8 is the best vacuum for stairs with its innovative design and easy to use features. Apart from it, this offers spot cleaning, carpet cleaning, go across tough places, and more importantly, it catches allergens too.

Suggestions

When you apply the cleaner to the maximum power level (7 min run time), make sure to charge it to the fullest (40 min). For handheld cleaning, 25 min of charging would be fine.

Features Explanations:

Dyson V8 comes with cordless experience, you may transform it handheld cleaner instantly and clean across the crevices. It requires just 40 minutes of charge time and ready to go!

The main attention of it is to have a number of separate head attachments, and they are- carpet head, turbo head, bare floor head, soft dusting brush, combo tool, and crevice tool. All of them all together will clean every place of your lovely home, and you don’t need another cleaner at all.

If you want to apply it on your stairs, then attach the bare floor head attachment that will extend up to 3 feet long. And, when you need carpet cleaning, then snap the carpet brush head that will be 4 feet long with swivels.

Pros:

• Extreme suctioning power as suck up 125 grams of sand, rice, cereal.
• Motor absorbs vibrations and streamlined airways.
• The direct drive motorized cleaner head ensures 150% brush bar power.
• Comes with many attachments so performs in a versatile way.
• HEPA filtration captures allergens.
• Soft roller cleaner head for picking up large debris.

Cons:

• It works great on the mid-pile carpet with its limited suction ability, and when you run it for a long time, then you feel uncomfortable to tap on the power button.

02. Tineco A11 Hero: Runner’s Up

Tineco A11 Hero is the front line competitor of Dyson. If you find Dyson expensive, then this will be an affordable choice for you. Tinoco A11 is sleek in design, lightweight in carrying, and effective in kicking out the maximum debris.

Suggestions:

When you bring it home for the first time, then take the accessories out of the box only keeping the main brush & dust bin. Afterward, start charging the batteries for at least 2/3 hours in a raw, because it keeps the longevity intact.

Features Explanations:

There are so many things we may talk about Tineco A11, but the best feature is to have powerful suction power with its 120W capacity brushless motor. Even the fast go over, it can easily catch up dust or large spills like cereal.

As it ensures the cordless experience to you, so it also provides dual battery back up. Each battery takes 40 minutes to charge up and has 2500MAH power. You will definitely enjoy the convenience of wall-mounted storage along with a charging dock.

Also convenient in power mode as you can lock the switch for extra cleaning, and when it is done, then tap on the one-touch empty dustbin switch. Easy and no complicated features at all, indeed!

There will be numerous brushes you will find like the crevice tool, mini power brush, dusting brush. You can easily turn it in handheld version snapping with the mini brush that will go across the tight places and kick out allergens by dint of HIPA filtration technology.

Pros:

• Switch lock convenient for power mode.
• Interchangeable dual battery and each battery serves 40 min run time.
• HEPA filtration captures particles up to 0.3 microns.
• Easy to transform the Handheld version.
• LED headlights with multi-tasker power brushes.

Cons:

• The only downside of it is not to have an automatic hygienic system; however, you do it by yourself once in a month.

03. BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster (HHVK320J10) : Best Budget Vacuum for Stairs

Black & Decker represent this dustbuster with its extra length crevice tool that will clear up messes from your home no matter from kitchen space or living room. A great tool that every home should have to kick off dust, mites, debris. Let’s discuss more what we find after the in-depth research on it.

Suggestions

It is a dry Vacuum cleaner, so make sure you do not use it over the wet surface. The maximum charge required up to 5 hours, and ensure plugging off once it is done. Store the Vac safely outside from the kid’s hand. The material is not made of ultra-durable mesh, so make sure you won’t lose your grip.

Features Explanations:

Black & Decker brings it with two great features. The first one is it runs over the crevices as you may snap out the crevice tool to a great extent. Secondly, the extended run time is up to 90% long.

When many Vac runs out of minimalized bin capacity, this will ensure to gather huge messes, with its 750 ml designed bin. As a result, you can collect tons of mites, debris, sand, and mostly any sorts of dry particles.

Another great feature is its 2 speeds of power-boosting mode, so use it on medium mode and rise a bit at high speed if needed. That said, it provides with the 4X more suction power compared to its rivals.

Pros:

• The battery indicator will show you when to switch off the line.
• One may snap the crevice tool inside and outside.
• Ultra-light tool easy to carry and easy to store.
• Bin can take tons of debris alone.
• Effective to collect pet’s hair or stool.

Cons:

• Limitation on head attachments only comes with the crevice tool. However, the crevice tool is wide and easy to extend that said, it might use alternatively.

04. Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E: Best Upright Vacuum for Stairs

Shark Navigator comes to clean up messes from bare floors and carpets with its lift-away pro-technology. That said, you can remove off the canister away from the head; as a result, it may clean to the hard-to-reach areas. Let’s talk about more on this best upright vacuum for stairs.

Suggestions

As it comes with multiple attachments, so be introduced with them and get to know when and how to use them. For example, you may use the pet cleaner brush along with the head when you need deep cleaning & for ghostbusting dirt from carpets.

Features Explanations:

We recommend it as one of the best upright vacuum for stairs because of two reasons. This cleaner comes as not only lightweight but also amazingly performs deep cleaning by dint of the detachable pod.

Also, you may attach the dynamic swivel steering when you need excellent maneuvering around home furniture. The pet hair attachment works great as it picks up tons of hair and turns out as a remarkable tool for you.

The main feature of it is to have diversity. The diversity is to snap away from one mode to another. Like, the 2 in 1 mode allows you to move on from the upright mode to the overhead mode. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best vacuum for cleaning stairs.

Pros:

• 2.2 quarts dust cup gather huge debris.
• The heavy-duty HEPA filter ensures capturing 99.99% dust and allergens.
• Bagless sealed system filter won’t let out the bad odor.
• Lift away overhead mode allow your walls and curtain to clean up.
• Easily switch between carpet cleaning to floor cleaning.

Cons:

• Many users claimed that it creates a high-pitched noise and that terribly bothered them. To make the cleaner quieter, you may replace the filter and clean it and then snap it. Hopefully, it will cut off the excessive noise.

05. Black+Decker BDH2000PL MAX Lithium Pivot Vacuum

Black & Decker has an enhanced handheld portable design with its lithium technology. With its 3 stages of the filtration process, you may pick up from large debris to infinitesimal particles. The pivoting nose like head goes in the different direction up to 200 degrees and easily pick up dust, mites, and debris across the tough places.

Suggestions

Make sure to charge it frequently, and it takes 4 hours to reload and then get back to the functioning. Stay the cleaner away from either too hot or too cool place while storing.

Features Explanations:

It looks compact in size and performs great while functioning, especially the pivot nozzle delivers the immense suction power to the hard-to-reach areas. You may use it in different directions using snap it backward or forward up to 200 degrees.

Furthermore, it comes with a wide mouth design at the front of the mouth. You can snap in the extendable crevice tool that easily sneaks into the crevices easily.

After the crevice tool, the head brush is another attachment, and you may use it effectively on the messed up surface or handy while cleaning curtains too.

Thankfully, the washable filter is easy to clean as you can soak it or clean it just from showering. Well, the see-through dirt bowl will allow you to track whether you need to clear it up or not. Last but not least, the 3 stage filtration is the major feature we suspected. It confirms maximum suctioning power at cyclonic motion.

Pros:

• Translucent bagless dirt bowl easy to track and empty.
• Handheld Pivoting ensure direct the pivoting nose at different directions.
• Washable dirt bowl & filter are easy to clean if needed.
• Easily picks up dust, cereal, sand, and other common messes.

Cons:

• You will definitely feel comfortable while cleaning up the messes from crevices or tight corners. You just have to forget about the hurdles while cleaning the floor surface.

06. Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Handheld Vacuum (33A1)

Bissell introduces its pet hair vacuum cleaner to you as a handheld version with the corded design. It ensures the portability and brings fast results in gathering the mess using its specialized rubber nozzle.

Suggestions:

The air vent seems facing on the direct way for that the wind coming out from it may blow away the debris. You may use some paper yourself that will fix it.

Features Explanations:

One of the main features of this pet vacuum cleaner is its convenience to pick up daily dog poo and pet hair around the house. It delivers fast results with powerful suction and, more importantly, works great on many surfaces such as upholstery, stairs, and car seats.

It comes with two nozzles that you may easily snap in and out. The one nozzle effective while cleaning messes from floors, and another is for upholstery. If we compare with another cleaner, we find it as more portable with just 4 pounds of weight. Also, it is easy to grip across the handle, and there you find on/off power as well.

After cleaning the surfaces, you will find a bagless hand vac, which is easy to empty where the dirt cup capacity is up to 0.798 liters. Though it comes with corded design, you will find the power cord length up to 16-foot, which is huge. Last but not least, the multi-level filtration gives you access to collect maximum dry debris to a great extent. This one is surely one of the best handheld vacuum for stairs.

Pros:

• Cyclonic style suction process ensures to collect maximum pet wastage.
• Bagless bin roughly contains 1 litre that is easy to empty.
• Long corded cable portable and easy to carry.
• Multi-level filtration process allows quick clean-up.
• Ensure picking up all types of hair (long or short)

Cons:

• Since it is a hand-vac cleaner, so it seems tough to collect debris from floors, but the great suction power offers fast result

Best Bagless Vacuum for Stairs

07. Bissell 9595A CleanView Bagless Vacuum

If you want to have a vacuum pet cleaner, which also cleans up debris from stairs and tight paces across the furniture, then Bissell 9595A would be the best vacuum for stairs and pets. It is designed as the best bagless cleaner with a huge 2.2-liter cup, also having the Clean View technology.

Suggestions

It is not a dedicated hand vac with its hose attachments, and the hose seems very short to reach the floor surface. So when you transform it as a hand-vac, then make sure it won’t fall on your head.

Features Explanations:

Bissell 9595A comes with an upright cleaning motorized system with OnePlus technology. Interestingly it is lightweight at the same time has a large capacity with a clean view bin that is easy to monitor. Thus it seems to us as one of the best upright vacuum for stairs.

It designed with long cord up to 25 feet long, so no hassle with the battery issue, and you may keep the ball running all day long. The multi-cyclonic system ensures enough powerful suction, and the innovative filter easily catches up messes.

Surprisingly, you may use the hose attachment for stair clean up or any upright position. The turbo brush tool is designed to go with the hose attachment.

Pros:

• Premium hose attachments convenient for stair clean up.
• Washable filter easy to wash.
• Huge bin capacity with 2.2 Litter dirt cup easy to empty.
• Extended 25-foot power cord allows reaching almost anywhere.
• Great for cleaning the ceiling without straining your back.

Cons:

• Some users found that the brush roll design seems faulty, and thus the drive belt comes to break apart.

The Best for Spot-Cleaning

08. Bissell Multi-Purpose Portable Cleaner (1400B)

The only line-up that saves your carpet and upholstery from stubborn stain is Bissell multi-purpose portable cleaner. With its hose attachment and brush tool easily sucks up the stains and clean your carpet thoroughly.

Suggestions:

Pre-motor foam filter requires to re-install occasionally after cleaning it and remember to fix it once it would be completely dry. You need to have a head screwdriver to take off the multi-layer post-motor filter; afterward, you need to clean it. Remember, it is not washable with water.

Features Explanations:

If you are looking for a portable spot cleaner, then this product is the right choice for you. It performs great with the targeted spot cleaning formula; also, the powerful suction power allows it to go deep into the spot and clean it.

A hose attachment comes out with 3” stain tool that travels to the hard-to-reach areas. The cleaning formula is 226 mL, formulated by Bissell to ensure tough cleaning. It comes with a 2 attachment – the spray hand tool is for stain, and hydro rinse is for eating up messes.

Bissell portable spot cleaner comes to us with a compact design, so you may store it easily in cabinets. And, when you clean surfaces, you engage it in may surface like carpet, stairs, upholstery, interiors, and rugs.

Pros:

• Powerful suction power with a strong spray hand tool.
• 48 ounces removable water tank easy to fill and empty.
• Easily combat with stains from carpet and upholstery.
• Hydro rinse tool attachment takes debris without showing any mercy.
• It comes with a 15-foot cord that is easy to roam around.

Cons:

• During the lifespan of this cleaner, you might face that the sprayer doesn’t work out anymore. Possibly, the sprayer gets clogged, so we recommend you run it under hot water.

Buying Guide to Selecting the Best Handheld Vacuum for Stairs

Types of Stair Vacuum

While looking for a good vacuum for stairs, you must know what are the types of it. Because different types of vacuums are effective for different types of material and use.

There are a number of different options you can find in the market and online store like Amazon, but these are the best types you can buy for your carpet and stairs:

Upright Vacuums: These are the most common type of vacuum for carpeted stairs. This is a great option for those who have three levels of their home and a small set of 3-4 stairs. While choosing an upright vacuum, keep in mind that if the hose doesn’t reach your desired spot, you need to lift the vacuum up the stairs. So, the lightweight model might be best for you.

Stick Vacuum: These vacuums are generally lightweight and compact. Most of the modern sticks vacuums are run with a battery, so you do not need to worry about portability and cord length. Keepin mind that these types of vacuums can’t generate as much as suction as canisters or uprights ones, so these are best for small staircases and come in corded and cordless versions. Some stick vacuums are convertible to handheld ones, so it will be an extra feature you might like.

Handheld or Cordless: These are the small and most portable ones. Handheld or cordless vacuums are best for larger staircase because these are easy to move and enough power to clean all of the stairs in your house with a single charge. These vacuums have high-capacity batteries, motorized brush roll, and efficient airflow systems. From younger ones to older ones, anyone in your family can use this and clean the staircases. But These vacuums are not suitable for overall cleaning. If you buy handheld ones only for your stairs, then it’s okay. Otherwise, you have to go for a larger one.

Canister Vacuums: These types are powerful and have strong airflow, so with no doubts, canister vacuum is effective on a variety of surfaces. These vacuums can generate a strong suction power and lift any rough dirt from any surfaces. But be noted, canisters are bulky and heavy that need a lot of effort to haul up a staircase. If the hose is long enough to reach all of the stairs in your house, and you have the right attachments, then this one is good to go with.

Things You Need To Consider

Whenever any person asks to us what is the best vacuum for stairs? We recommend them to follow these main features to find their best ones. Check out the features below and be confident while buying your next best stair vacuum cleaner.

Design of the Vacuum: Your design of the vacuum cleaner plays an important role while cleaning up the stairs. Normally, you may bring any type of or any shape of cleaner for flat-floor cleaning, but when it comes to stairs, then a special design is inevitable. The light and accurate shape of the cleaner is more friendly to stair to clean. That said, we should prefer the upright cleaner, which upholstery enables the cleaner to move on at different angles to mop or clean. 

If we mark the expert saying then Owen Burke has already said it on Business Insider 

The best vacuum for your home depends on a number of things, the most important ones being the size, floor plan, floor material, and inhabitants of your abode

Owen Burker

So now we need to sort it for our stairs, and the inhabitants would be us and our pet (If we groom anyone).

Keeping this in mind, the best vacuum for stairs comes with the handy operation, easy to grip, lightweight, multi-tasking attachments, and has a shoulder strap. 

Noise and Weight:  If you want to easily maneuver the vacuum cleaner, then the lightweight one always remains on the first preference. So, you may easily haul up it from the bottom of the stairs. Normally, this kind of cleaner weighs between 10 to 15 pounds. However, the lightweight vacuum cleaner should not sacrifice the essential attachments compared to the heavyweight counterparts. 

Secondly, you should opt for a vacuum that comes with minimalistic noise. Ironically, finding the noise-free cleaner is way to the advanced tech-geek in the future, not possible in today’s world. Hence, you may only choose the lowest decibel level, only around 65 dB or less. By the way, the vacuum that sounds more than 80 dB would be the worst pick, and using them may cause your difficulty of hearing. 

Suction Power: Debris carried by vacuum’s hose and without suction power, at the right proportion, the debris won’t accumulate. Also, the debris will travel a distance within the hose, and so on, the good amount of power is inevitable to perform it. 

Filtration: On the other hand, when it comes to dealing with the filtration process, then there are some specific methods remaining. Among them, the Hepa filtration system would be the effective one as it keeps the air clean by not letting out the dirt and grime outside of it. That said, it breaks up the dust particles in infinitesimal order so that allergens are easily trapped inside of it. 

Apart from it, there is another filtration process like water filtration, cyclone separation filtration, washable and disposable filters. But in terms of stair cleaning, the Hepa seems the best one. 

Length of the Vacuum Hose: If you have already fixed your mind to purchase a corded vacuum, then don’t forget to consider the length of the vacuum hose.

For stair clean up, you may measure the approximate distance you need to travel from the socket where you plug in the vacuum and the reach endpoint where you will clean the last step. Afterward, you should look for the vacuum that comes with sufficient hose length.

However, hose easily gets tangled; hence, looking for an anti-tangle vacuum hose would be another feature you should consider while purchasing. 

Revolving Brush Roll: When you are in search of the best handheld vacuum for carpeted stairs, then having the revolving brush roll would be the must-have accessories along with the cleaner.

This brush easily kicks off the dust, which entrapped within the carpet fibers.  Therefore, the carpet will lose the grip over it, and easily the vacuum sucks it up.  

Telescopic Wand: If you finish one stair line-up and then climb on another, then a vacuum should come with a telescopic wand. By the way, this kind of vacuum cleaner is an expensive choice. 

But it saves your time and effort, which you won’t miss at all. Another great feature of the telescopic wand is to have a flexible hose. For that, it easily reaches the vacuum at great convenience, and it won’t get tangled.

Bagged or Bagless?

You need to know about your stairs traffic; then, we may share the story, the bagged or bagless. As both of them have some counterparts, then one needs to assess them and then buy.

The bagged preferably good for high traffic like when you will have pets and kids then opt for it. With the best vacuum for stairs and pets, you may choose the bagged filtration. Because it has a higher capacity to take garbage in easily. But the hurdle is to make this free when it seems full of garbage. 

On the other hand, when it comes to the bagless choice, then make sure it will come with transparent design and easy to empty. Keep in mind the bagless option is expensive. That said, you need to invest more to pay off.

Battery-powered or Corded?

When it comes to choosing the power mode, then you have two choices to go. The corded or the cordless, which one you will prefer? The main difference between the two is with the suction power and ease of cleaning. 

The cordless designs have much suction power, but we recommend it with convenience. However, the best cordless vacuum for stairs has enough power that even deals with carpets. 

The disadvantage of your corded cleaner is to have short cables that won’t reach every nook and corner conveniently. With cordless models, the battery life issue is a common one, as it requires refills with power at a certain moment after serving and eventually dies someday. 

On the flip side, if you find convenience like the cables are long and never get tangled, and you get results, then go with it. 

Lastly, but most importantly, always bring the best vacuum cleaner for stairs, preferably with great brand value. The warranty will be offered and always look for it as well.

How to Vacuum Stairs – Easy Ways

Cleaning your stair is a laborious task, but when you do some tricks, then results will show up. In order to do so, bring some tools and your tricks in head to head order and begin to work on it.

The first thing is to start from the head of the stair where you go down, not the tail, where you go up. Because it releases your hard time while cleaning. 

Now bring on the best vacuum to clean stairs (upright one), fix it, and start cleaning. Notably, the dust or dirt conceal at the tip of the iceberg that is the crevices or corners of your stairs. 

You may add a new efficient cleaning weapon like a turbo brush with rotating bristles to kick off maximum dirt; also, your cleaner may have some sort of accessories to deal with this work. On average, 70% of effort and time will spend on cleaning the corners, so keep calm and clean. 

Finally, you can bring on the big guns-Vacuums, with a powerful suctioning power at an upright position. When you have a pet inside your home, then you should go outside and bring the best vacuum for stairs with carpet. It is because the lashes or hair of your pet is the hardest object to kick off. 

When the upright vacuum can involve in detail cleaning, you should clear off some trash by your own hands. It will save the effort of your vacuum, and thus, it will engage in more detailed work with the toughest debris we have just mentioned. 

As you have started your work from the bottom and on the way to reach the pinnacle, then do this in reverse order. That said, you will move on from the top heading towards the bottom. 

Meanwhile, make sure to get your hands on the dirty patches to clear up manually and then use your machine. 

Let us give you a hack on it. You will hold the grip of the cleaner, then move on your one hand to the bottom pole and set another on the handle. 

You can also use your shoulder like you may place the cord against it. So, the cleaner comes to stand still and never slips away. When you are close to the finish line, then clean the storage properly.

Additional Attachments for Multitasking:

A vacuum is not just a sucking up machine; rather, it does a lot of work. Hence, some bunch of additional tools is prerequisites to do so. Let’s say, starting from the self-retracting cable; the duty is to go to the hard to reach areas across the stair caves and pick up infinitesimal objects. 

Secondly, we may talk about the mop attachment, which is specially used for hardwood floors. Once you have it, then it will wipe out maximum dust-mites. 

Finally, pet hair attachment is a popular add-on, indeed as so many of us are having pets, and so on, it seems a great one. With it, you may see results as it will gather more hairs and lashes that hide inside in the carpets or crevices. 

Recap

A vacuum for stairs always make done the hardest part of your house cleaning job. It provides you convenient cleaning and save a lot of time. However, choosing the best one of any cleaning machine is tough. We have tried our best to write all the things simply to understand what you need and what you don’t.

Now it’s your job to select as your preference and let us know about your experiences using the new cleaning buddy of your home. So, don’t forget to comment and share. Your little appreciations help us a lot.