Everyone already owns a great vacuum cleaner, don't they? It's the go-to appliance for cleaning carpets, rugs, stairs, I could go on almost indefinitely. But what about cleaning countertops, cars or chairs? They can all do with a vacuum every now and again, but even the lightest regular vacuums are cumbersome to use in these situations.
This is where the bustling market of handheld vacuums comes in, these are lightweight machines that may lack the suction of larger appliances but are easy to manoeuvre and a neat gadget to have handy. Beldray is just one of the brands offering handheld vacuum cleaners and we've put one to the test to see if it would make a great addition to your cleaning arsenal.
First Impressions:
This vacuum is absolutely tiny. Even with the charging stand, it takes up next to no space on a kitchen counter. It also comes with two attachments (a crevice tool and a brush head) that can be stored within the charging dock, too.
The gold and graphite finish is very handsome and adds to the already stylish design. The handle makes the vacuum easy to hold and the single button operation makes it a doddle to use.
It takes four to five hours to fully charge this device and that will give you a total runtime of up to 25 minutes. And while the dust compartment is tiny at only 100ml it does go quite a long way. I also feature a HEPA filter, a relief for anyone who suffers from allergies. The small size helps keep weight down to only 0.6kg for the vacuum.
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Review:
In order to properly test this vacuum cleaner, I had to make a mess and see if the vacuum could successfully clean it up. So, in the name of fair testing, I ate a massive lunch and left plenty of crumbs for the Beldray to clean up. The Beldray aced the first test, making light work of even the largest crumbs. The table was cleared in no time and I was left thoroughly impressed.
Moving on to soft furnishings and again, the Beldray was excellent. The brush attachment helps penetrate fabrics and remove ground-in dirt. It was also really good at lifting pet hairs from fabrics, too, especially if you used the high-power function.
Not once in any of my testing did the vacuum run out of battery, but it clearly would struggle with larger tasks. The high-power function does drain the battery much more quickly, but the standard suction power is enough for most tasks.
Being bagless is a huge bonus and the dust compartment is relatively easy to cleanout. It can be opened from both ends which is an added bonus. One small but visible irritant is that very fine dirt does get trapped in the space between the clear plastic and gold plastic, which does take away from the overall look over time.
Verdict:
I guess if you're a very patient person (or live somewhere absolutely tiny) this could be your sole vacuum, but realistically it makes more sense as a secondary vacuum cleaner; one that you keep upstairs or in the kitchen for odd-jobs.
And even though it is a very impressive piece of kit for its size and weight, it cannot compete with larger models. Some multi-purpose vacuums offer the same power and flexibility but are bulkier and heavier owing to the larger motor they use. The Beldray's clear purpose as a secondary vacuum cleaner is its biggest strength because it can be made so small and light.
In short, if you already own a vacuum cleaner but want a second one for everyday tasks, to clean the car, your furnishings or get deep into those crevices on the stairs, you can't go wrong with this model from Beldray.
Pros:
Very compact and light
Powerful enough for small tasks
Cons:
Not up to the job of a regular vacuum
Dust gets trapped in a visible place
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Ryan Gilmore is a contributor to What's The Best. He also writes for CAR and Parkers.
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