Living with pets is great. Whether you have a cat or a dog, your life is all the better for having them. But there’s one big downside: pet hair. On everything. All the time.

It’s compact enough to store under your kitchen sink or on the top shelf of a closet, but we were surprised to find that it's a bit heavier than many other hand vacuums. As we mentioned earlier, Bissell has prioritised convenience when designing the handheld Pet Hair Eraser, which includes making it as lightweight as possible. A downside to this design is that the vacuum only has a 14.4V lithium-ion battery. For comparison, the Gtech Multi Mk2 has a 22V battery and the Dyson V7 Trigger has a 21.6V battery. This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience. We also tested the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Vacuum on a small area rug, and we found the vacuum’s angle to be too awkward for this application. To use the mini motorized tool, you have to hold the hand vacuum nearly horizontally, and this was really awkward to do on the floor—we basically had to sit down to make it work. Plus, the tool is just 4.5 inches across, so it would take forever to clean a whole rug. (Don’t get rid of your full-size vacuum just yet.)

On the plus side, the crevice tool is useful for cleaning window frames, carpet edges, and the folds of car seats. Price & Value for Money You’ll need to clean the filter to make sure the Pet Hair Eraser continues to run at its optimum level. To do this, just rinse it with warm water and leave it to dry. Make sure the filter is fully dry before you use the vacuum again though. Battery Life Emptying the dirt cup is straightforward. You just need to detach the dirt tank from the vacuum using the release button, remove the filter, and tip it into the bin. Most modern cordless vacuums don’t require you to remove the filter to empty dirt, although this is a minor issue. There’s no HEPA filter, however, so we don’t think it’s the best option for people with an allergy. Dust and other small particles can also escape when you’re emptying the vacuum, so make sure you do this outside. Emptying & Cleaning

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser provides strong all-round performance for a handheld vacuum cleaner – particularly when cleaning flat surfaces or carpeted stairs. It’s not going to replace your main vacuum, but for spot cleaning it’s an excellent choice. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser is relatively expensive for a handheld vacuum cleaner. At the time of writing, it’s a bit more expensive than the Gtech Multi Mk2, although it’s cheaper than the Dyson V7 Trigger. Ergonomic design — You hold a handheld vacuum in your hands, which means you want to buy one that you can hold easily. Look for one that has an ergonomic handle so that you can hold and control it easily as you vacuum up your home. Traditional and robot vacuum cleaners are great, but let’s be honest, they don’t let you really get down into small corners or the small, dark crevices of your sofa.With that said, it’s not the most powerful handheld vacuum on the market. It can’t match the Dyson V7 Trigger or Gtech Multi Mk2 for raw suction or performance on high pile carpets, although it’s smaller and more compact than these models. We also wish it had more than one power setting, as this would be useful for maximising battery run-time. The Bissell has a triple filtration system, which helps keep dust, pet dander, and other allergens inside the vacuum cleaner.