BLACK+DECKER dustbuster Pet Hair Handheld Vacuum Review

When you're an industry giant like Black+Decker, expectations are naturally sky-high. Fortunately, the AdvancedClean+ Furbuster for Pet steps up to the plate. It tackles stubborn pet hair across multiple surfaces using a specialized motorized brush, backed by impressive suction and a robust build. Let’s explore where this cordless vacuum cleaner excels, and where it drops the ball.

9.5 Performance

The Black+Decker Furbuster AdvanceClean+ delivers outstanding suction power, effortlessly clearing away everything from fine dust to large debris. Its high-power motor shines on challenging surfaces like thick carpeting and porous leather, pulling out stubborn, trapped dirt with ease. This makes it an ideal choice for refreshing heavily used fabric surfaces, from living room sofas and office chairs to car interiors. For pet owners, the included motorized pet brush is a game-changer, specifically engineered to lift deeply embedded hair from tight fabric weaves.

In terms of battery performance, this vacuum is the best we’ve tested. The vacuum can run for approximately 30 minutes on one full charge and it doesn’t take long to charge up once the charge is depleted. What’s more, its ability to quickly charge up after a brief cleaning-session also outperforms the other in our list.

10 Fabric Chair Cleaning

Seamlessly adapting to the contours of the cushions, the vacuum demonstrated remarkable efficiency by clearing 95% of the seat surface in just one minute. The performance clocks in as the second-fastest speed we’ve ever recorded, which is made even more impressive by the spotless results it left behind.

8.6 Car Cleaning

On porous leather upholstery, the vacuum effortlessly extracts the dust and grime buried deep inside the material's air pockets. While lesser handheld units often choke on these tricky surfaces, this model tackles them with ease. It proves equally ruthless on footwell carpets, aggressively pulling up the stubborn debris that typically gets trapped beneath thick, stubborn weaves.

9.8 Battery Performance

The vacuum can operate for close to half an hour on one full charge, which is the most impressive out of all the models we have. If you need to trigger the high-drain boost mode, that operating time drops to roughly 12 minutes—a standard trade-off for extra power. Replenishing the battery is equally impressive, taking just 3 hours and 47 minutes to juice up from empty. To put that into perspective, several competing models take significantly longer to charge despite having much smaller battery capacities. Furthermore, a quick 5-minute cleanup session takes less than an hour of charging to bring it back up to a full charge.

9.1 Design

The Black+Decker Furbuster features a clever, unified design that lets it stand on its own and integrates the dustbin into the body, utilizing an intuitive release door for quickly emptying out dust and debris. Construction is high-quality, and components are all crafted from thick, high-grade materials that feel exceptionally durable and can easily withstand the occasional ding or bang against hard furniture.It is also one of the most feature-rich models on the market, offering a built-in crevice tool, a motorized pet brush, two speed options, and a battery indicator. Although its double-layer filtration is not the most protective option out there, the filter module is easy to assemble and disassemble, making maintenance as straightforward as possible.

In the Box

• Black+Decker Furbuster Pet
• Charger
• Motorized pet brush
• Documents

Beside the pet brush, the vacuum only comes with a charger and user manuals. The package doesn’t include any other accessories as the nozzle already has a built-in crevice tool.

Dimensions

The vacuum is bulkier than most cordless handheld vacuums on the market. However, this is mostly due to the large dirt compartment and its generous holding capacity. The sizeable bin and its broad base is why the vacuum can stand upright on its own. 

9.0 Utility Features

Features-wise, the vacuum has lots more to offer compared to most of its competitors. It features two speed settings: a standard setting with decent suction and a boost setting with extra cleaning power. This boost setting consumes more power and heats up the motor much faster, which may trigger the overheat failsafe. The vacuum features a simple screen which indicates charging status and lets users track roughly how much charge is left.

8.0 Filtration Quality

The filter module consists of a plastic pre-filter mask and a layer of cloth filter. This filtration design is very typical of Black+Decker handheld vacuums and a very cost-effective one. The plastic pre-filter works incredibly well against sizable debris while the cloth filter deals with dust and lint.

9.5 Build Quality

Despite its somewhat toy-ish color scheme, the Black+Decker Dustbuster for Pet is highly impressive in terms of quality. Most of the build is made from thick, high-quality plastic and details are streamlined, from the elongated nozzle and its built-in crevice tool to the dirt compartment and the filters inside. 

The quick release door and its latch feel responsive every time we empty out the dirt and the mechanism stays nice and solid even after a long time of using the vacuum. The only notable flaw is the power button, which looks and feels a bit cheaper than the rest of the machine, though it still functions exactly as intended.

Motor Module

On a full charge, the vacuum can yield ample suction that outperforms most handheld vacuums we’ve seen, especially using its boost mode. In fact, it’s the second strongest on our list. On the standard setting, it’s noticeably weaker yet still sufficient to pick up crumbs on a hard surface. 

Dirt Compartment

This vacuum has a considerably larger dirt compartment compared to most models on the market. This means that users don’t need to empty it out as frequently. When they do, the quick release mechanism is highly intuitive and convenient, making it a fairly enjoyable process as it takes a simple action and just a few seconds. The release button and latch here are also well-made and solid, which easily opens and securely closes. 

That said, the dirt compartment is integrated with the motor module, making rinsing it with water impossible without getting the motor wet and likely damaging it.

Nozzle

The nozzle has a crevice tool that’s tucked away inside itself that can be pulled out to give even more reach to the already elongated nozzle. This helps make the vacuum always at the ready for cleaning tight spaces. The nozzle is integrated completely into the body, unlike the classic two-piece design which often uses the dirt compartment as the airway. Although this newer design makes sense with the quick release window that’s situated at the other end of the vacuum, it makes cleaning the nozzle with water a lot riskier. 

Filter Module

The design of filter assembly is straightforward and easy to grasp, with a pre-filter element which is made of plastic and covers the cloth filter to protect it from large debris. This basic filtration design has proven its effectiveness over the years, featuring in countless top-selling handheld vacuum. For optimal suction, the manufacturer recommends replacing the cloth filter every 6 to 9 months.

Charging Adaptor

The charging base is rated for a 120V electrical grid only, so make sure you have the appropriate voltage, especially if you are using it outside the US. The cord is roughly 72 inches long, which is much more generous than many models on the market. 

Accessories

Aside from the built-in crevice extension, the vacuum only comes with one other utility tool which is the motorized pet brush. According to Black+Decker the pet brush is supposed to replace the typical dusting tool that’s often included with handheld vacuum. However, the size of this pet brush makes it difficult to use on tight spaces like the edges of shelves or desks. 

7.3 Usability

For something of its size, the Black+Decker Dustbuster Furbuster AdvanceClean+ is surprisingly lightweight and portable. The pet brush does add some weight to the whole setup, but most basic cleaning needs don’t need it on. Its versatile two-speed operation helps make use of its battery cells more efficiently and the battery indicator shows you exactly the life of its charge.

With all that said, the product’s weight distribution negatively impacts its handling, despite its rather comfortable grip, because the vacuum tends to tilt upward. Moreover, it’s incredibly risky to clean the vacuum with water, and although the dirt bin’s quick release mechanism is a clever feature, the filter assembly often falls out when trying to empty out the content.

8.0 Ease of Use

Our performance tests reveal that the vacuum’s arsenals and outstanding cleaning power can handle various types of debris and residues on different surfaces, including pestilent pet hair. Its 28 minutes 40 seconds runtime put other vacuums to shame and the two-speed operation means more flexible usage of its battery capacity. 

Additionally, while many vacuums only feature a charging signal light, the vacuum's battery indicator allows for a more accurate visual presentation of the remaining charge at any time while working double as a charging indicator as well.

7.0 Handling

The vacuum is not heavy so it’s easy to carry around, but the biggest issue here is how the weight distribution makes it tend to tilt upward unless you deliberately angle it downward. This back-heavy balance makes it a hassle to handle, especially when cleaning surfaces higher than hip level. Having the motorized pet brush on does mitigate this issue by balancing the weight towards the nozzle, naturally tilting the vacuum downwards. But for basic cleaning or when users want to use the crevice tool, the pet brush is often left off.

7.0 Maintenance

The vacuum’s quick release door, letting users empty out the dirt compartment with just a click of a button, is a big plus for maintenance. The filter assembly can be taken out simply by lightly pulling it and it can be safely washed with water. However, it’s a major turn off that the filter assembly easily falls out when you lightly bang on the vacuum to try to get everything out of the dirt compartment. It basically requires you to hold the assembly in place if you don’t want it to accidentally fall out, which renders the single-action process of the quick release door a lot less fun. 

And the biggest drawback is the fact that it's almost impossible to clean the nozzle and the dirt compartment with water without risking damage to the motor because it is fixed inside the dirt compartment. The safest way here is to clean manually with a piece of damp cloth, but it can be a hassle.

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