Black & Decker BDH2020FLFH Review: Is This the Best Handheld?

One of the biggest limitations of hand vacuums is the reach.

It’s a great tool to use as quick spot cleaning tool. However one big limitation of a handheld would be its inability to clean floors.

The new BDH2020FLFL solves this issue by adding a floor vacuum extension to the package so that you won’t need to get down on all fours to clean floors.

Will this effectively replace a stick vacuum?

Well to be honest it won’t but the addition of this tool gives you the option to spot clean loose dirt on floors. But let’s find out what consumers think of this hybrid stick / handheld

In a recent article by The Sweet Home, they called this the best portable vacuum, even over the higher rated BDH2000FL because this one has a floor tool included in the package which makes it even more versatile.

A quick look at the features

• Uses a 20 volt lithium ion battery
• Lightweight – weighs less than 4 pounds
• Equipped with a 4 foot flexible hose
• Extension wand attachment makes it usable on floors
• Other attachments include pet hair brush tool, crevice tool, 2-in-1 nozzle/brush tool
• Filter is washable
• It’s a bagless vacuum
• Cyclonic filtration keeps dirt away from the filter thus maintaining performance as the bin gets full

Pros

• Lightweight and easy to carry around
• Has several attachments to clean different types of dirt like dust, pet hair and larger debris like cheerios
• Floor attachment allows you to clean floors without bending over
• Decent suction at 25 air watts (only 3 less than a Dyson DC59 at normal mode)
• Charges in around 4 hours
• Great for stairs

Cons

• Lacks agitation to clean carpet (strictly a bare floor cleaner)
• Small dirt capacity
• Only for spot clean ups nothing more
• You will need to wash the filter often
• Hair or any statically charged dirt tends to stick on the inner walls of the dust bin
• Noisy – sounds like a lawnmower according to some reviews

What can you expect from the Black & Decker BDH2020FLFH?

Feature wise this is similar to the BDH2000FL I’ve reviewed in the past, the main difference is that this new model has an extension wand plus a floor attachment that transforms this from a hand vacuum to a stick.

The floor tool however does not have a motorized brush which makes this very limited on carpet.

And oh, it has a little bit more suction compared to the previous version.

This one packs 25 air watts of suction power while the BDH2000FL has 22 air watts.

Attachments and accessories

It comes with four attachments – crevice, 2-in-1 nozzle/brush, pet hair brush and stick vacuum flood head tools

You can attach all the tools on the extension wand so this extends reach.

Charging time

Black and Decker did not specify official charge times but based on consumer reviews, it will take between 4 to 6 hours to fully charge.

In a review done by The Sweet Home, they reported a 4 hour charge time.

Filter clean up

Emptying the dirt canister is easy, all you need to do is pull a latch then open the door. But it can be messy to empty especially when there is some moisture as dirt tends to clump up.

Statically charged dirt also will tend to stick on the inner walls. So you may need to use your filters to empty or take out the whole bowl and wash it in a sink.

The good thing with the cyclonic filtration is the filter does not clog as fast.

Again in the review by TheSweetHome, they had to wash it after every two charge cycles.

But judging by what they clean, I would consider it the worst case scenario. It would all depend on the type of debris you are cleaning and how often you’ll use it.

Yes, filter is washable so running cost won’t be high.

Run time

The average run time again based on reviews is around 15 minutes. The guys at the sweet home got 16 minutes in a full charge so expect it to be at a 15 minute range.

Warranty

It comes with a 2 year warranty, 1 year shorter than the Black & Decker BDH2000FL.

Bare floor performance

Even with the floor tool, this handheld is at its core a spot handheld tool. But it is a nice addition because it allows to clean floors.

Take note however that if you are using the floor tool that suction will decrease slightly based on some consumer reviews.

If you are using the other attachments, suction is strong enough to pick up even larger bits of dirt like cheerios or pet liter.

Carpet performance

This variant does not have a motorized brush so it won’t be able to clean carpet.

It will only be good enough to clean up loose surface dirt.

All of the tools that come with this is only usable to clean surface dirt.

Pet hair removal

To clean up pet hair the BDH2020FLFL uses a round shaped and textured tool that has a hole in the middle.

It is made from rubber. So it will follow the contours of the surface you want to clean.

This is great to use on upholstery like sofa or chairs and even pillows.

Unfortunately the floor tool does not have a motorized brush that will pick up pet hair off carpet.

It relies purely on suction to pick up dirt so you cannot use this to clean pet hair on carpet.

Product Specifications

Customer Reviews

People love the power of this handheld saying that it is more than enough for spot clean ups though they noticed that the power dropped when you put on the extension wand and floor tool.

Also the floor tool did not have any brushroll which makes this virtually useless on carpet. But it is still usable on hard surfaces.

One consumer even mentioned that it was impossible to move this back and forth on carpet.

Pet owners will find this one useful because even without the pet hair attachment, it still has enough power to pick up pet hair using the crevice or combo tool.

The pet hair brush would be most useful on upholstery as the rubber contoured tool will adapt to the contours of any sofa or chair.

As with all electronic tools there are some complaints of lemon units as a few consumers complained about the lack of suction.

Noise is also another issue as a number of people complained that it sounded like a lawnmower.

There were several complaints about the manual not easy to read. Black & Decker should improve this in the future.

Overall, consumers loved the portability and versatility that this product brings in the table.

It may not have the most powerful suction. But it isn’t no chop liver. It will hold its own even against pricier handhelds like the Dyson.

Though don’t expect too much from the floor tool because it does not have any motorized brush and the long extension wand saps some of the power.

Where can I buy this?

You can buy this versatile handheld from Amazon for less than $110. And it’ll be eligible to their free 2-day shipping if you join Prime.

They also sell extended warranties of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.

To wrap up

This product is great for people looking for a hand vacuum light enough to carry around but has an attachment to clean floors without the need to bend down.

This would be great for people like me who have some back issues. This is an upgraded version of the BDH2000FL that has slightly more suction and a floor tool to clean up floors and even stairs.

This is a great little tool to have for small messes especially if you have toddlers running around.

Take note that the floor tool does not have any motorized brush. So use this only to clean up surface dirt you’ll still need a full sized vacuum for deep cleaning.

If you don’t need the floor tool, then the BDH2000FL or the BDH2000FL would be more than adequate alternatives.

The extension wand is useful though to clean hard to reach areas like the ceiling and has enough suction to suck in cobwebs and dust bunnies of air vents and you don’t even need a ladder to do so.

Overall this is a great lightweight vacuum for light messes where a full sized vacuum would be too cumbersome to bring out.