Bestek Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Review

The Bestek Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is a no frills portable vacuum cleaner suitable for people that want a simple, but powerful device which will be great for everyday cleaning (being able to reach spaces where the traditional, larger vacuum cleaners won’t be able to); it’s also easier to manoeuvre, it does not have a cord (relies on the internal rechargeable 10.8V Lithium-ion battery) and, besides being a reliable tool for indoor cleaning, you can take it with you outside to clean the interior of your car (it promises up to 40 minutes of running time).

Furthermore, the device is one of the three available variants of vacuum cleaners created by the Chinese manufacturer Bestek, in an attempt to widen its reach (the company is best known for its automotive electronics and for its power chargers), so let’s see how does the Bestek Handheld Vacuum Cleaner fare in this fairly competitive market.

Design and Accessories
The Bestek Handheld Vacuum Cleaner went for the ergonomic shape that is quite common with handheld vacuum cleaners, but it did not skimp on the quality of the used materials, so the device is both elegantly designed and it has a premium feel. The body of the vacuum cleaner is divided into two parts: the main section which features the handle, along with all the buttons, and the front, removable section on which the user can attach the accessories and which is home to the internal filters.

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The main body part is covered by a glossy black finish (that does retain fingerprints, but, because of the colour choice, it’s unlikely anyone will actually notice them) and inside the handle, Bestek has added a softer plastic which feels nice to the touch.

Still on the main section of the vacuum cleaner, you can notice two sets of exhaust vent fins positioned on the lateral sides (on the inside with some sort of foam filter) and, on the top, there are a couple of plastic buttons (covered by a metallic paint): a larger Power button and a smaller Dust Cup Release button. There aren’t levels of power, so, if you push the Power button, you will get the full performance until the battery is depleted. Furthermore, there’s a small LED light which becomes a solid yellowish-green colour while functioning and, when the battery gets depleted, the LED light will blink a few times before turning off – this is a sign that you need to recharge it. As you charge the battery, the LED will flash red until the device is fully charged.
Note: The vacuum cleaner will function out of the box (don’t forget to remove the orange plastic part) and, in my case, it came fully charged.

bestek-vacuum

While the Power button is easy to push, the Dust Cup Release button is a bit rigid and, at first, I was unsure if it worked at all, but after a firm push towards the front side of the device (where the small arrow is carved on the button – don’t push it on the middle), you will be met by a click sound which indicates that the front part can be removed (it does come off quite easily afterwards). Putting the front part back is extremely easy if you do it right (sure, you can use force and push it back into place, but why would risk damaging the device?) – to do it properly, you need to first put the front section on the bottom plastic bump and then, simply move the device into the top metallic hinge until it clicks into place, and you’re done (you will get used to the mechanism in no time).

The front section of the Bestek portable vacuum cleaner is transparent (it has a dust capacity of 0.5L), revealing the internal filter components; on the front side, you will be able to find a narrow nozzle/inlet which allows for the attachment of the provided accessories. In order to clean the filter, you first need to remove the front section (referred as the bagless dust cup), afterwards you can remove the filter by simply pulling it out (using the handle) and you can further divide the filter into two sections (which will reveal the HEPA filter) by rotating it out of its plastic hinges (there are clear instructions written on the filter).

bestek-vacuum

To re-insert the filter (after cleaning), you need to push it until the external silicone ring will go into place – the plastic handle positioned in the centre helps a lot with both the removal and the reinsertion of the filter.

bestek-vacuum

Overall, the Bestek handheld vacuum cleaner has good proportions (it measures 15.3 x 4.7 x 6.1 inches and weighs 2.4 lbs) and feels balanced in hand, while also providing the user everything one would expect from a portable vacuum cleaner. The weight balance is about two thirds towards the handle side, so the weight doesn’t feel like it pushes forward.
As for accessories, the device comes with a 27-inch long hose, a crevice tool (suitable for tight corners, such as the space around a radiator) and a brush tool (it will work great with dustier areas, such as bookcase shelves or blinds).

Performance and Battery Life
The Bestek Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is surprisingly powerful for a portable device, featuring a 3.8kpa suction capacity (a lot more than other vacuum cleaners from the competition at a similar price point), therefore, it should do fine with both hair and other type of solid particles. So, I could easily clean the interior of my car (using the brush tool), it handles easily the pet hair stuck in both the carpet and the sofa and, if you don’t feel like dealing with the large, heavy-duty vacuum cleaner, it is very easy to just grab the handheld vacuum cleaner and immediately clean up any breadcrumbs that may have fallen off the table or quickly remove the dust from the top of a cupboard.

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While functioning even for longer periods of time, the vacuum cleaner remained completely cool (so there seems to be no risk for overheating – the lateral vent holes do a great job into keeping the device at a proper temperature).
So far, the 0.5L bin has proven to be more than enough even if the vacuum cleaner has been used frequently for more than some quick dust cleaning duties and the noise is within an acceptable range (I was able to measure 75db which is exactly as advertised by the manufacturer and this is the average expected level of noise from most portable vacuum cleaners). What could be considered a mild inconvenience is the lack of storage spaces for the accessories on the vacuum cleaner itself, which makes it very easy to lose them around the house.

On the rear side of the Bestek portable vacuum cleaner, you’ll notice a small charging port to which you need to connect the provided charger when the battery is low. The device is equipped with a 4,400 mAh Lithium battery that can deliver around 36 minutes of continuous use (very close to the advertised 40 minutes and a lot more than what most other handheld vacuum cleaners are able to deliver). Furthermore, the battery will require up to 8 hours to go from 0 to full.

Bestek Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

8.4

DESIGN

8.7/10

PERFORMANCE

9.2/10

FEATURES

8.0/10

EASE OF USE

8.0/10

AFFORDABILITY

8.0/10

Pros

  • High Suction Power
  • Up To 40 Minutes Of Battery Life
  • Lightweight And Easy To Handle
  • HEPA Filter

Cons

  • Not Many Accessories
  • The Dust Cup Release Button Is A Bit Rigid

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