Handheld vacuum cleaners Dyson DC16

The DC16 was the first Dyson handheld vacuum cleaner

Launched in 2006, the DC16 was the first Dyson handheld vacuum cleaner. Although we haven't tested handheld vacuum cleaners for a while, retrospective comparisons suggest that the DC16 will certainly hold its weight.

It’s great at vacuuming hard surfaces and carpet, and gets tightly into corners. At 1.6kg it’s fairly light, and because it’s battery operated, you’re not restricted by a cord. You won’t be able to use it for prolonged periods of time, however, as regular charging is required - it runs for approximately six minutes per charge.

It has brush and nozzle attachments and the unit can be stored horizontally or vertically if you wall-mount the charging unit. In some tests, this handheld even outperformed some of the upright vacuum cleaners that we’ve tested in the past, which is no mean feat. Pet hair is likely to take longer to clear up than with an upright, however.

It’s worth noting that this handheld vac only comes with a two-year guarantee as standard, as opposed to the five-year guarantee offered with most Dyson upright and cylinder cleaners.

It’s also available in Car and Boat (with lighter socket charger) and Animal (with motorised brush) variants.

Pros: Great on hard surfaces and carpets, gets tightly into corners, light, and easy to use on stairs

Cons: Needs frequent recharging, takes time to pick up pet hair