7 Best Handheld Vacuum for Cat Litter: 2023 Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

If you want a cat, you know they can be quite meticulous about keeping themselves clean. However, that cleanliness doesn’t usually apply to the area they live in, and they can make quite a mess of your home, dropping food everywhere while kicking around litter. One of the best tools you can get is a handheld vacuum that makes it easy to clean up messes quickly, but with so many brands available, it can be challenging to find the best one for your home. If you are looking to make your life easier, keep reading while we discuss weight, durability, power, capacity, and more to help you make an educated purchase.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2023

The 7 Best Handheld Vacuums for Cat Litter

1. BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum – Best Overall

The BLACK+DECKER dustbuster Handheld Vacuum is our pick for the best overall vacuum for cat litter. It has plenty of power drive from a 16-Volt lithium-ion battery. The charge lasts for several hours while you’re using it, and it can hold the charge for months in storage. Smart charge technology allows it to charge faster and use less energy than other brands, and it comes with a rotating swim nozzle to make it easy to get hard-to-reach dirt. It also includes a countertop charger and wall mount so you can store it in a convenient location.

The only downside we experienced while using the BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster was that the wall mount does not charge, and you need to use the countertop charger. We would always forget it in the charger, so the wall-mount never got used.

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2. VacLife Handheld Vacuum Cordless – Best Value

The VacLife Handheld Vacuum Cordless is our pick as the best handheld vacuum for cat litter for the money. It has a crevice nozzle and dusting brush that makes it easier to pick up litter in hard-to-reach places. It’s easy to use and charges quickly, so it’s always ready to go. It only weighs a little over 1 pound, so it’s easy to carry around, and the HEPA filter is machine washable, so you can use it over and over.

We liked using the VacLife Handheld because it’s attractive and works well. However, it’s not as powerful as some other brands on this list, and it quickly loses charge.

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3. Shark CH951 Cordless Handheld Vacuum – Premium Choice

The Shark CH951 Cordless Handheld Vacuum is our premium choice handheld vacuum for cat litter. It’s extremely powerful and uses two cyclone airstreams to pick up litter and other debris. The large dust cup holds plenty of material, so you won’t need to empty it as often as other brands, and you can wash the filter to keep it clean. It comes with several accessories to help you get in the hard-to-reach places, and it’s relatively lightweight despite its size.

The only real downside we experienced while using the Shark CH951 was that it pulls the hair in so forcefully that it gets stuck in the filter and is hard to remove.

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4. CherylonVac Handheld Vacuum Cordless – Best for Kittens

The CherylonVac Handheld Vacuum Cordless is our pick as the best for kittens. It’s extremely lightweight at less than two pounds and includes a washable filter that you can reuse. It also comes with an extension press and hose to get in the difficult-to-reach places, and it comes with a storage bag.

We like to use the CherylonVac I found it attractive and well balanced.  The only complaint we have is that it’s slightly underpowered compared to other brands on this list.

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5. VacLife Hardfloor Handheld Vacuum

The VacLife Hardfloor Handheld Vacuum features a double filtration system with a reusable filter to help clean the air while you’re picking up litter. The LED headlamp is especially handy when you’re cleaning under the couch or other dimly lit areas, and it comes with the crevice nozzle and dusting brush.

The problem we had with the VacLife Hardfloor was that it loses charge quickly and is slow to recharge.

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6. Surwit Portable Cordless Car Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

The Surwit Portable Cordless Car Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is an extremely lightweight handheld vacuum that weighs just a little over 1 pound. It has a washable filter that does a good job of removing small particles from the air. It also includes a crevice nozzle and dusting brush, and the attachment design allows for a larger debris capacity. It has plenty of power and is efficient at picking up litter.

The issues we had with the Surwit Portable include that it loses charge quickly end is slow to recharge. We also felt that the accessories were a little too large and were difficult to install and remove.

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7. beyond by BLACK+DECKER Cordless Dustbuster

The beyond by BLACK+DECKER Cordless Dustbuster is a smaller version of our top pick, and it has a lot of features in common. It’s extremely lightweight and has a large washable collection bowl. It’s easy to take apart to clean, and it includes a wall-mounted charger, so it’s always ready to use. It looks attractive and features a narrow nozzle that’s great for getting into tight spaces.

Unfortunately, the beyond by BLACK+DECKER Cordless Dustbuster lacks the power of our top choice and is only suitable for small jobs. It also loses charge quickly and will need to sit in the charger for quite a while before you can use it again.

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Handheld Vacuum For Cat Litter

Power

When choosing a handheld vacuum for cat litter, one of the first things you will look for is power. It’s not always easy to know how much traction a machine will create by looking at the package, but there are a few clues. We recommend looking at the voltage rating because more voltage equals more power engine 18-Volt machine will almost always have more suction than a 12-Volt. If the voltage is not available, you can also use the ampere rating, and while the numbers are larger and harder to understand (2200mAh), you are only looking for the larger number when choosing a brand. We tried to point out the voltage or amperage rating of each of the brands we reviewed.

Weight

You might not consider it ahead of time, but a pound or two difference in a handheld vacuum can have a huge impact on your experience using it. You often need to stretch or band to get behind couches and other furniture, so we recommend choosing the lightest machine possible, and we tried to list the weight of each brand we reviewed.

Collection Basket and Filter

Since you anticipate using your handheld vacuum to pick up litter, we recommend choosing one with a larger basket size. It’s also important that you can clean the filter easily, and we recommend brands that allow you to wash them since you are dealing with litter. Though many HEPA filters are not washable, you can often clean them by knocking the contaminants into the trash, and these work great for dusty clay litters.

Recharging

Since your cat will track litter all over your home, you must have a cordless vacuum. We recommend choosing a brand that charges quickly and doesn’t lose charge before you finish cleaning. We tried to point out any models that didn’t measure up on our list, but you will need to check online reviews and other sources for any brands you are considering if you continue to shop.

Wall Mount vs Counter Mount

We prefer wall mount handheld vacuums because they don’t take up any counter space, and many brands tend to allow dirt to escape when you pick it back up after laying it on its side in a counter mount. However, many counter mounts work perfectly and are a great choice if you have the space.

Conclusion

When choosing your next handheld vacuum for cat litter, we highly recommend our choice for the best overall. The BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum has a large capacity, slim rotating nozzle, and uses smart charge technology for quicker, more efficient charging. Another great choice is our pick for the best value. The VacLife Handheld Vacuum Cordless is easy on the wallet, but it includes a crevice nozzle, dust brush, and washable filter.

We hope you have enjoyed reading over these reviews and found a few brands you’d like to try. If we have helped you keep your house cleaner, please share this guide to the best handheld vacuum for cat litter on Facebook and Twitter.

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Featured Image Credit: Troyan, Shutterstock