Black+Decker HHVI315JO42 Review

The HHVI315JO42 isn't as proficient as top handheld vacuums at cleaning tougher messes or getting into the more confined areas of your home, but it is a bit better at dusting and cleaning up pet hair.

Performance Comparison

Dust & Dirt

We started our testing by scoring how well each device tackles dirt and dust from hard surfaces and how effective the bristle brush is at dusting in tight spaces. The HHVI315JO42 scored well in this metric.

This vacuum has a relatively short bristle brush on the stiffer side, which did rather well in our dusting test, removing all of the stuck-on flour from a plastic sheet in approximately 21 seconds. It also did quite well with dirt and dried-on mud as the stiff bristles allowed us to scrub off the mess from linoleum easily.

Unfortunately, this wider brush isn't the best for cleaning dust and dirt from small areas, like the top of a baseboard or corners of a shelf.

Tough Messes

Next, we moved on to assessing how the HHVI315JO42 managed more challenging messes, like extracting flour and oats from carpet and an upholstered cushion. We also scored its performance at picking up Mini-Wheats cereal and the overall air movement the vacuum generated. This vacuum did slightly above average in these tests.

First off, we cleaned up flour on an automotive-style carpet. Overall, this handheld vacuum was an average-performer, picking up a decent amount of flour on the first attempt, but ultimately, multiple passes were required to clean the carpet thoroughly. However, it does a superb job if you use the bristle attachment and scrub while you are trying to clean.

It also did quite well at cleaning up oats from the same carpet section and on a fabric-covered cushion. Interestingly, it performed well when vacuuming the oats on the upholstered cushion, only leaving a tiny bit of dust behind, but encountered trouble when cleaning the carpet section, failing to collect all the oats and leaving a noticeable amount of trapped particles in the carpet fibers. But, it finished this metric with a strong showing, collecting all of the Mini-Wheats without any problems at all.

It also put up one of the highest numbers in our airflow test. We used an anemometer in a sealed box connected to the HHVI315JO42 and received a reading of 1889 feet per minute (fpm) of airflow. This measurement was quite a bit higher than the average of just over 1300 fpm.

Hard-to-Reach Areas

Our next set of evaluations for each handheld vacuum focused on how well they could clean various nooks and crannies of a house, such as in the kitchen or car. We tested out how well the HHVI315JO42 did at removing debris from the track of a standard sliding window and how far it could clean inside two different sizes of openings. It didn't do the best, earning a lower score in this metric.

The HHVI315JO42 does fine at cleaning out the slot of a sliding window track, but the nozzle is a tad bit wider than most tracks, making it a slower process than some of the other products with a narrower crevice tool. And, unfortunately, it also has one of the shortest reaches when cleaning gaps, only able to make it about 5.75" into a 3" slot and 3.5" into a 1.25" space.

Battery Life

We evaluated and compared the battery life of each cordless vacuum. After charging each product, we awarded points for how long it lasted. The HHVI315JO42 didn't do very well in this metric, lasting 12 minutes and 20 seconds before failing. It's one of the shortest run times among the competition and a bit below the group average of around 17 minutes.

Convenience

Here we looked at how convenient it was to manage all of the cleaning tools, the weight, the noise level, and the ease of emptying the collection bin and its size for each product. This vacuum is average in size, weighing just over 2 lbs.

The HHVI315JO42 did lose some points by being particularly noisy, registering 81.5 dBa on our meter. We also noticed a bit of a high-pitched whine that can be particularly annoying.

However, the HHVI315JO42 has a larger dust collection bin with a 0.94 L capacity. It is also simple to empty, though it does require two steps. Pull the container out from the vacuum body, then pull out the filter before dumping it.

Pet Hair

Our last set of tests assessed how proficiently the HHVI315JO42 was at picking up pet hair; important information if you're a pet owner. We cleaned up pet hair from a section of carpet and a cushion, noting how much dodged the vacuum and if the hair clogged up instead of making it to the collection bin. This vacuum collected about half the pet hair in each test, and most of the hair was trapped on the brush head and failed to make it into the dust bin.

Should You Buy the Black+Decker HHVI315JO42?

At first blush, this contender shares a similar appearance with some relatives from the same manufacturer and sports an inexpensive price tag that might initially attract your attention, but from our testing, it doesn't offer much. With better performing cleaning machines in our lineup and in other floor cleaning categories, we think it's worth exploring those options to find one that scores higher yet meets your needs.

What Other Handheld Vacuums Should You Consider?