Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum Review: ideal for quick cleaning

Ever since I started using the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum I have changed the way I go about upkeeping my home. As part of the HOOVER® ONEPWR™ cordless cleaning system series, it's an ideal tool for people who want easy access to a lightweight vacuum for quick pick-ups. Gone are the days when you'll have to take out a clunky vacuum from storage to take care of small messes or touch-ups throughout the week. 

The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum was tested for over a month in my studio apartment that also houses a cat. Most of the apartment has hardwood floors and contains one large living room rug and an upholstered couch. The main claim from Hoover is that this handheld vacuum has powerful suction for quick pick-ups and is compact and easy to store.

During testing to establish if this is one of the best handheld vacuums around, I ended up reaching for this handy appliance every single day, and thanks to the portable element it took me less than 10 seconds to insert the battery pack and get started on vacuuming every time. This review is a closer look at all of the included elements of this Hoover offering so that you can judge for yourself whether it would make a useful addition to your home.

Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum product specifications

• Model number: BH57005ID
• Battery run time: up to 14 Minutes
• Charge time: less than 3.5 hrs
• Number of settings: 1
• Bin capacity: 0.4 Liters
• Bagged or bagless: bagless
• Weight: 3 lbs
• Accessories: crevice tool

 Unboxing the product 

The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum arrived in a branded box that was easy to open. The vacuum itself weighs three pounds and with the added weight of the battery and battery charger, it was still light enough to carry with ease. The box contained the following: the vacuum with the crevice tool attached, the ONEPWR™ 2.0 Ah battery and charger, a user manual and quick start guide. The user manual features instructions in English, French, and Spanish.

The charger plugs in at the wall, but it's important to note that the battery itself will not arrive with the charge you need to use it. Instead, before you use the vacuum for the first time, you'll need to allow at least three hours for the battery to charge. Once all four circles light up, it means the battery is ready to be inserted into the Hoover ONEPWR for use. 

Who will it suit?  

If the thought of having to pull out your vacuum from storage in order to tackle a few crumbs is a frustration to you, then the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum will be just what you're looking for. All you have to do is insert the charged battery into the unit and you're good to do, with 14 minutes of charge available in one sitting.

As someone with a cat who sheds a lot of hair, having daily access to a vacuum has improved the cleanliness of my home ten-fold. Whenever I see clumps of hair resting in the corners of my apartment, I break out the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum and in less than two minutes the job is done, making this an excellent choice for pet parents and a good handheld version of the best vacuums for pet hair.

With a handheld cordless vacuum, you can also cover a larger surface area without having to unplug and plug a device when going into a new room or different floor. That means the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum will also be useful for those who live in homes with fewer outlets but have space spread out across multiple floors.

Performance

In general, getting started with this vacuum is so easy that I found keeping my home clean was a less difficult task. Hoover claims that the battery run time lasts about 14 minutes, and I found that this was true, with the charge giving enough time for touch-ups and quick pick-ups in my daily cleaning routine. 

Main vacuum
The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum works best for hardwood floors and other non-carpeted surfaces. I even found myself using it to clean up debris on my kitchen counters and dust off window sills. Using the main component of the vacuum is pretty straightforward with its single power setting meaning you can't go far wrong.

I tested it in the bathroom to pick up my partner’s beard hair after shaving and was impressed by how thorough the vacuum was. The user manual specifies that the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum is for “light-duty vacuuming of dry surfaces” so if you are using it in the bathroom, make sure the surfaces are clear of water before use. 

My cat is a messy eater so her dry food is always scattered over the kitchen floor. She also kicks litter out of her box daily. The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum performed very well picking up the bigger dry food pieces and the finer kitty litter sand. That being said, I would be careful to not attempt to suction anything bigger than the dry food due to the brand’s “light-duty vacuuming” designation of the product.

The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum is a perfect tool to assist you in the daily maintenance of your home. While your classic larger choice of the best vacuum cleaners can remain designated for deep cleans, the handheld vacuum will keep your home debris-free in between those days.

Crevice tool
The crevice tool is probably my least favorite part of the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum. Overall, the suction power of the vacuum isn’t the most powerful I have experienced, but it gets the job done for grab-and-go cleaning. However, I found that when I inserted the crevice tool into the vacuum, the suction power was significantly diminished, which created difficulties.

After attempting to use the tool to vacuum hard to reach spots, using a broom to dislodge dirt from crevices and then using the vacuum to pick it up was a better use of my time. What's more, the crevice tool is stored on the underside of the dirt cup and the user manual directs you to firmly push it into the front end of the vacuum for use. I found that when I did this to get full use of the crevice tool, it was a hard task to pull it back out again. 

Upholstered furniture and rugs
I tested out how the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum would perform picking up debris and pet hair on my couch and living room rug and I was not impressed with the results. The vacuum's suction power and standard mouth were not designed for this purpose, so if cleaning your couch is something you are looking for in a handheld vacuum, then I would consider looking elsewhere.

Cleaning

One of the advantages of having a bagless vacuum is the easy emptying and cleaning of the device. The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum’s dirt cup has a 0.4 Liter capacity and over the span of a month of using the vacuum every day, I only had to empty it out twice. While the time between emptying the dirt cup can be significant, if you allow it to get too full it may affect the vacuum's performance. Every home and user is different so keep an eye on the dirt bin and empty it as needed.

To empty the dirt bin all you have to do is press down on the release button that has a picture of a trash can on it. Once you remove the dirt cup from the vacuum, you must remove the filter by pressing the tabs inward and lifting it out of the blue screen assembly. The filter and screen assembly combo easily come off, so easily that I accidentally dropped it when I first tried it. I scattered weeks worth of dust, debris and cat hair all over my kitchen floor, meaning that my recommendation is to do this very carefully over a trash can to avoid the same situation.

Some of the debris, dust and hair will most likely be stuck to the filter so you will have to pull it off carefully as part of the cleaning process. The screen assembly should also receive the same treatment as the filter. The filter, screen assembly and dirt cup can be washed if necessary but make sure the pieces are completely dry before putting everything back together.

Storage and maintenance 

The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum is lightweight and 16.5 inches long, with a width of 5 inches and a height of 6.5 inches. It is small enough to be stored in a closet and out of sight. Hoover recommends that the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum’s battery pack remain on the charger unless in use. The battery pack and charger do not take up a lot of space and can be stored connected to the outlet out of view if needed as well. 

How does it rate online? 

The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum scored a 4.6 out of 5 stars from 149 reviews on the Hoover website. Reviewers commented on the convenience of the ONEPWR™ 2.0 Ah battery working with other ONEPWR vacuum models and using it for quick touch ups around the house and car. The negative reviews focused on how the suction is not as powerful as they hoped and that the vacuum works poorly on upholstery, findings we came to agree with.

Looking at reviews on Amazon, the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum scored a 4.6 out of 5 stars from 1,323 reviews. Reviewers praised the vacuum for being easy to use for quick pick-ups, lightweight, and simple to empty.  Some users were less impressed with the separate battery system that is at work with this vacuum.

How does it compare to similar models? 

The Shark WV201 WANDVAC Handheld Vacuum ($129.99) and the BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum ($79.99) are similar handheld vacuums to the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum. Both models are praised for their strong suction and easy-to-use design, with the Shark WandVac praised for its aesthetically pleasing look too. It also converts to a cordless so has a lot more versatility than your classic handheld and two minutes more run time.

In terms of pricing, the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum sits between these two options at ($99.99) and is a great, midrange reliable option for those who don't mind the bulkier charging station. 

Should you buy the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum?

I believe that there’s a joy in maintaining a clean home and having the proper tools is essential in that endeavor. The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum was easy to use from the get go, from set up to vacuuming and dirt cup emptying. It has completely transformed my vacuuming habits and my home feels noticeably cleaner. 

The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Handheld Vacuum retails for $99.99 and is a perfect asset for those who want easy access to a lightweight vacuum for quick pick-ups. It is not a replacement for a standard vacuum but it does help maintain a clean home in between thorough vacuum and mopping sessions. 

About this review, and the reviewer 

Alexandra is a contributor to Real Homes and reviews household products to make your life easier at home, whether it’s cooking, cleaning or sleeping. She was sent this product to review at home to find out how it performs picking up debris on different floor types in her apartment as well as on rugs and upholstered furniture. Alexandra lives with a cat that sheds all over her home, requiring constant maintenance. This product was tested over the course of one month.

Find out more about our reviews by seeing how we test products at Real Homes.