Item Weight | 3.2 Pounds |
---|---|
Specific Instructions for Use | Dual action |
Form Factor | Stick |
Assembly Required | No |
Batteries Required | Yes |
Included components | Stick Vac Floor HeadPet Hair Brush2-in-1 Nozzle / Brush ToolLong Crevice ToolCharging BaseWashable Filter (Model PVF110) |
Import | Made in the USA or Imported |
BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum with Floor Head and Pet Hair Brush (BDH2020FLFH)
Purchase options and add-ons
Brand | BLACK+DECKER |
Special feature | cordless, Washable filter, cyclonic, portable, pet hair |
Filter type | Clean floor to ceiling. |
Surface recommendation | Carpets,Upholstery |
Power source | Cordless |
Voltage | 20 Volts |
Included components | Stick Vac Floor HeadPet Hair Brush2-in-1 Nozzle / Brush ToolLong Crevice ToolCharging BaseWashable Filter (Model PVF110) See more |
Is it cordless? | Yes |
Item weight | 3.2 Pounds |
Capacity | 482 Grams |
About this item
- CORDLESS, PORTABLE, and ULTRA COMPACT - 20V MAX Lithium Hand Vac with stick vac floor extension and pet brush.
- FOUR FOOT FLEXIBLE HOSE - Clean floor to ceiling.
- WASHABLE BOWL AND FILTER - Easy-to-clean 17 oz. capacity dirt bowl.
- QUICK CHARGING - Charging station and base keeps the unit charged and accessories organized.
- PET BRUSH - Cleans stubborn pet hair from carpets, stairs, and other upholstery.
Customer ratings by feature
Frequently bought together
Compare with similar items
This Item BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Flex Cordless Stick Vacuum with Floor Head and Pet Hair Brush (BDH2020FLFH) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | |
Price | -28% $129.00$129.00 List: $179.99 | -9% $104.00$104.00 List: $114.29 | -7% $69.98$69.98 Was: $75.00 | $149.99$149.99 | $159.00$159.00 | $198.65$198.65 |
Delivery | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 13 | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 13 | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 13 | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 13 | Get it by Thursday, Mar 14 | Get it by Wednesday, Mar 13 |
Customer ratings | ||||||
Suction power | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.2 |
Battery life | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 | — | 4.3 | 3.9 |
Light weight | 4.5 | — | 4.4 | 3.8 | — | 4.1 |
Easy to clean | 4.2 | 4.2 | — | — | 4.7 | 4.2 |
For stairs | — | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.2 | — | 4.4 |
Sold by | Amazon.ca | Amazon.ca | Amazon.ca | Amazon.ca | BC Fasteners & Tools Ltd. | Amazon.ca |
power source | Cordless | Cordless | Battery Powered | Battery Powered | Battery Powered | Battery Powered |
special feature | cordless, cyclonic, pet hair, portable, Washable filter | Bagless, Washable Filter, Lightweight, Compact | Bagless, Lightweight, Cordless | Lightweight, Washable Filter, Headlight, Cordless, LED Lights, 40 mins Runtime, Autosense Technology, Cyclonic Filtration, Anti-Tangle, Self-Standing, Easy to Clean | Bag, HEPA | Adjustable Suction, Washable Filter |
surface suggestion | Carpets,Upholstery | Upholstery | All floors | Hardwoods, Carpet | Floor | Carpet, Upholstery, Car, Furniture |
capacity | 17 ounces | 15 ounces | — | — | 0.7 liters | 0.18 gallons |
voltage | 20 volts | 20 volts | 7 volts | 16 volts | 20 volts | 20 volts |
noise level | 70 decibels | 80 decibels | — | 80 decibels | 80 decibels | 78 decibels |
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Product guides and documents
From the manufacturer
BLACK+DECKER BDH2020FLFH 20-Volt MAX* Lithium Flex Vacuum
A Cordless Vacuum That Does it All
Finally a cordless vacuum that does it all; from floor to ceiling and everything in between, the 20V MAX* Lithium Flex Vacs with Floor Head offers limitless versatility. Choose between the four foot extendable hose, the new stick vac attachment with pivoting floor head, or the Pet Brush attachment. Having an optional stick vac attachment makes this the ultimate in portable and multi-functional vacuuming. No longer just a simple hand-carried vacuum, the Flex Vacs provide easy clean-up; high or low, in the house or car, and on any floor surface – wood, tile, carpet, rugs, etc. The compact design and lightweight yet powerful 20V MAX* lithium ion battery, makes it easy to take the Flex straight to the mess.
Easy to Use and Easy to Clean
This Flex Vac features a removable, washable bowl and filter for thorough cleaning. Included with the Flex is a charging base with tool storage, a flip-up dusting brush, a crevice tool, and the stick vac attachment with pivoting floor head. It also features a Pet Brush that makes cleaning pet hair a breeze. Each of these attachments and extensions helps get in to hard-to-reach areas like under the table, in between car seats, stairs, ceiling fans, etc.
Lithium vs NiCad
Other types of batteries fade and lose suction, making it difficult for users to complete their cleaning task before running out of power. Instead, Lithium Ion batteries offer strong suction and fade-free power throughout their use. Users will now have confidence that they can complete tasks quickly, efficiently, and conveniently with flex handheld vacuum.
What's in the Box:
- (1) Vacuum with 4 ft. flexible hose
- (1) Stick Vac floor head
- (1) Pet Hair Brush
- (1) 2-in-1 Nozzle/brush tool
- (1) Long crevice tool
- (1) Charging base
- (1) Washable filter (model PVF110)
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20v MAX* Lithium Hand VacThe always -ready and convenient 20V MAX* Lithium Hand Vac is perfect for handy cleaning anywhere and anytime. The cyclonic action and strong suction of the 20V MAX* Lithium Hand Vac make cleanup easy and fast. This unit also includes a Pet Brush that's ideal for cleaning up after the family pet as well. The 20V MAX* Lithium Hand Vac has a charging station that keeps it at the ready and also provides a base for storage. |
Stick Vac Floor Extension and Pet BrushThe 20V MAX* Flex comes with a rubberized pet hair brush attachment that makes cleaning up after Fido a cinch. It also features a removable, washable bowl and filter for thorough cleaning. Included with the Flex is a charging base with tool storage, a flip-up dusting brush, a crevice tool, and the stick vac attachment with pivoting floor head. Each of these attachments and extensions helps get in to hard-to-reach areas like under the table, in between car seats, stairs, ceiling fans, etc. |
Charging Station and BaseThe 20v MAX* Lithium Hand Vac has a quick charging base that keeps the unit charged and accessories organized. Simply place the Flex Vac in its stand to charge. |
Cordless, Portable and Ultra-CompactThis vac is cordless, portable and ultra-compact so you can tackle chores without lugging out your vacuum. Cyclonic action spins dirt away from the filter to help maintain performance, and the 3-Stage filtration system prevents dust and debris from escaping for clean air exhaust. |
Looking for specific info?
Product information
Technical Details
Additional Information
ASIN | B00JILGZOC |
---|---|
Customer Reviews |
3.9 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #82,532 in Home (See Top 100 in Home) #167 in Stick Vacuums & Electric Brooms |
Date First Available | April 27 2014 |
Manufacturer | BLACK + DECKER |
Place of Business | New Britain, CT 06053, US |
Feedback
Product description
Finally a cordless vacuum that does it all, from floor to ceiling and everything in between, the 20V MAX* Lithium Flex Vac with Floor Head offers limitless versatility. Choose between the 4-foot extendable hose, the new stick vac attachment with pivoting floor head, or the Pet Brush attachment. Having an optional stick vac attachment makes this the ultimate in portable and multi-functional vacuuming. No longer just a simple hand-carried vacuum, the Flex Vacs provide easy clean-up, high or low, in the house or car, and on any floor surface, such as wood, tile, carpet, rugs. The compact design and lightweight yet powerful 20V MAX* lithium ion battery makes it easy to take the Flex straight to the mess.
Top Brand: BLACK+DECKER
Customer reviews
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from Canada
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Pros
- It's got good suction
- The pet hair brush actually works, it loosens and sucks up hair from upholstery
- The hose makes it much easier to use
- The tools latch to the vacuum with a neat system
Cons
- Very loud
- The wand doesn't use the same latching mechanism, it's definitely an after-thought
- Dust cup is a little clumsy to empty, you need lots of space above your garbage can.
Now, just over two years after buying it, it only lasts about 20 seconds on initial use, and if I switch it back on after it turns itself off, the suction is noticeably weaker. I looked it up and apparently the battery cannot be replaced, so the vacuum is now junk.
I suggest buying a corded vacuum right off the bat so you don't waste $160+ on something that'll only last you a couple of years.
The only negative about the vacuum it the build quality. The small plastic piece that connects the two metal tubes together is not made well and it does not 'Click' into one of the tubes causing the tube to twist every time I move the vacuum, the vacuum head twists. Also, the front of the handle that locks into the vacuum is always loose.
I will not return the vacuum because I got it at a great price and it does work, I just need to try to fix something on a new product which shouldn't be necessary.
1. It's insanley loud. I didn't think this would bother me but it's over the top.
2. The handle detent/lock to hold the tube is so weak, it keeps coming unclipped/moves around if you don't grasp hard with your hand. You could unclip it so you're holding the vacuum in one and and the attachment in the other, but that defeats the much of its purpose as often using this type of vacuum, you operate one-handed so you can move items with the other. And if you hit a wall and the floor head shifts (see #3 below), you must put everything down to realign the head.
3. The only attachment that is friction fit (doesn't click in) is the floor head, the most important. Every time you hit a wall/corner, the darn thing twists/rotates on its tube and you have to bend down to straighten it up.
4. The suction is quite low. Not a deal-breaker but it's borderline poor, but works fine. Not impressive.
I tend to avoid returning things, but this was an easy decision. I'm unpleasantly surprised given the high Amazon.ca rating. I don't get it. It's a shame, as I mentioned, it ticks many boxes. IMHO B&D should have shifted some of the marketing/frills towards functionality. I will replace it with a non-Black and Decker product as this one is bad enough to soil their reputation.
Top reviews from other countries
For many years, I have owned a Black + Decker “Dustbuster” handheld rechargeable vacuum cleaner (similar to the current CHV1410L model) that I have considered to be one of the best designs I have ever seen for this class of appliance. It is ergonomically excellent, easy to use, has very good suction power and plenty of battery life so it does not falter halfway through cleaning up spilled bits and pieces. It is still going strong.
But that vacuum is on one side of my house and I wanted another on the other side. In a moment of weakness a year or so ago, I picked up a “Dirt Devil” model of similar size and functionality at the local hardware store (which does not carry DustBuster products), which turned out to be a real turkey (in many ways). So now I was looking to buy the latest “Dustbuster” model CHV1410L, but noted something about it that would not work for me. While my old Dustbuster, when not is use, rested on its tail end on top of the charging base, the new model does not work that way, rather it hooks onto and hangs from a wall-mounted charger. I have an ideal tabletop location for the new vacuum, but no suitable wall space. While perusing Black + Decker’s Amazon store to see if they might have a model that charges like my old one, I ran across this “Flex Vac” model BDH2020FL, and it looked pretty good, albeit considerably more expensive than the CHV1410L.
This “Flex Vac” vacuum is still a handheld model, and shares with other handheld vacuums the same limitations; it cannot hold very much volume of vacuumed particles before its ‘dust bin’ gets too full to allow continued use (without emptying first), it does not have any kind of ‘beater’ and thus cannot dislodge small items that have worked their way down into carpeting (a full sized vacuum cleaner is better for carpeting), and being battery powered it needs to be returned to its charge after use.
Note that this Flex Vac is NOT a wet/dry vacuum. Using it to vacuum liquids would not be a safety issue (being only battery powered), but it would probably ruin the appliance. This vacuum is perfect for short, light jobs like cleaning up the kid’s spilled Cheerios, general small bits and pieces of litter when you don’t want to drag out the normal vacuum cleaner, light dusting and things like that.
Resting on its table-top charging base, this vacuum has dimensions of approximately 12” x 7” (without accessory holders attached) or 12” x 8.5” (with them attached) x 9” tall. The charging base is very basic, just a molded piece of plastic with two electrical contacts on top which make contact with those on the bottom of the vacuum. The “wall wart” style power supply, unlike most such devices there days, is NOT “universal” and is only designed to work with 120VAC 60Hz, and it has a typical 2 prong North America plug configuration. I have one small gripe about the charging base design; while my old Dustbuster did not care which orientation the vacuum was in when set down on the charging base, this “Flex Vac” must be oriented properly in order for its electrical contacts to mate properly with the base. If they do NOT mate properly, the blue “charging” lamp on the base of the vacuum will not illuminate. There seems to be no facility designed into the vacuum and its charging base to assist the user to orient things properly, other than to look at the contacts and use them as a guide.
There are two small plastic tool holders included with this appliance, and one or both of them can be snapped onto one side of the charging base, and any two of the included attachments can be stored on these, standing up vertically alongside the vacuum cleaner. Presumably the third attachment will be stored docked to the vacuum cleaner’s hose.
The ”Flex Vac” is called that apparently because, unlike most other hand vacuums, it includes a built-in length of flexible vacuum cleaner style hose. The hose starts on the lower front of the vacuum and then wraps around underneath (passing through a channel on the bottom side), then wrapping up around the rear side of the vacuum, then its handle snaps into a channel on the top side of the vacuum. Pulling the hose handle up and backwards disengages it from the vacuum, and the user is then free to take advantage of the flexibility that the hose offers. The hose is quite short when not extended, but it easily stretches out to about 4 feet in length. This allows the user to do things like vacuum cobwebs from the ceiling while holding the vacuum in one hand, or rest the vacuum on the floor while reaching under the sofa to clean up crumbs that fell past the cushions. I am 5’8” tall, and with the “crevice” tool installed on the end of the hose, I can comfortably reach the normal-height ceiling of my house with arm outstretched. I cannot reach that far using my older Dustbuster handheld vacuum that does not have the hose.
This version of the “Flex Vac” (BDH2020FL) comes with three accessories; the normal “nozzle/brush” tool, the “crevice” tool, and the “pet hair” tool. The “nozzle/brush” tool has a flat rectangular opening, similar to most other handheld vacuums, that is ideal for vacuuming up small bits and pieces from a floor, or which are laying loosely on top of a carpet, or cleaning up dust from a table top. It has a fold-back brush which normally remains stowed out of the way, but which easily flips around to the front where it can be useful in helping small items that might be slightly stuck on carpeting or other surfaces to come ‘unstuck’, or for light dusting of surfaces. The “crevice” tool is just like every other crevice tool ever made for vacuum cleaners, and is the longest reaching accessory provided. The “pet hair” tool looks a lot like a wide round shower head, with a soft rubbery surface having many bumpy protrusions resembling coarse brush bristles. These are designed to dislodge hair from carpeting and upholstery while still discouraging the hair from getting tangled up on the tool. I don’t have a pet, or much hair myself, so I have not been able to put this last tool to any kind of test. However, the nozzle/brush tool works just fine, as does the crevice tool. All three tools have molded detents where they fit into the end of the hose, and the hose has an end fitting with a spring-loaded button which releases a tab that normally fits into one of the detents. This allow the attached tool to remain firmly in place on the end of the hose, but at the touch of that button, the tools can be rotated until they snap into position at the next detent.
I should note that there is a more expensive version of this product, the BDH2020FLFL, which also comes with a “floor head”, two extension tubes, and an adapter to join the end of the hose and the extension tube(s). With these items fit together and attached to the end of the hose, this vacuum takes on some additional functionality that resembles a normal floor vacuum cleaner, albeit one with a lot less power and useful operating time. According to the common user’s manual that is provided with both product versions, the floor head does have some kind of beater, but it seems that it is not electrically powered, rather it most likely is powered by the vacuumed air stream. My awful Dirt Devil hand vacuum also has a vacuum air powered upholstery attachment that is too weak to be useful, and I suspect that the beater on this Flex Vac’s “floor head” will also be useful for only the lightest use situations. Better to fire up a real floor/carpet vacuum cleaner for those cleaning jobs.
The Flex Vac is turned on an off by a pair of push buttons located on either side of the handle in a position easily reached by the user’s thumb and forefinger on the hand that is holding the vacuum cleaner. Pushing the button with one finger turns the vacuum on and extends the opposite button, and pressing that button turns the vacuum off and extends the first button.
All vacuumed dust and bits will end up in the dust bin (“dust container”) which is built a lot like a front-loading washing machine, with a similar swinging door having a latch on the side opposite its hinge. Press the latch button and the door swings open, and tipping the vacuum to that side allows whatever is in the dust bin to fall out into a trash container. The door itself is made of clear plastic, so the user can see how full it is. The door snaps shut easily after emptying the bin.
To clean the pleated filter, the right side of the vacuum must be removed. This is easily done by pressing a button on the top of the right side and rotating the entire side a few degrees, at which point it detaches from the body of the vacuum. The filter is shaped like a paper cup, and has a fold-out wire handle that makes it easy to pull it away from the motor housing (which it normally surrounds). It can be tapped on inside a trash container to dislodge most of the dust and bits, then placed back over the motor housing, and the right side re-attached to the body of the vacuum. No tools are required for any part of this operation. There is also a disk-shaped “pre-filter” that can be easily removed and cleaned. In addition to quick, perfunctory tapping to clean the filters, they can be washed in warm soapy water and then allowed to air dry before being put back on the vacuum.
The body of the vacuum, with the right side removed (along with the motor unit and the battery), is just a big plastic assembly, and it can be rinsed under running water to clean it, but this should normally not be necessary.
The battery is a Lithium-Ion rechargeable type, and is integral to the motor housing assembly on the right side of the vacuum. It charges fairly quickly, and seems to run the vacuum for many minutes at full power. It has a built-in charge management circuit, which automatically changes from normal charging to trickle charging. According to the user’s manual, it is safe to leave the vacuum on its charging base all the time, no need to remove it when charging is complete. While normal charging is happening, the large blue lamp on the side of the battery will illuminate, and when normal charging is complete, the lamp will be dark. There is no direct way to tell the difference between a battery that has been charged and is now trickle charging, and a situation where the vacuum is not making electrical contact with the charging base, or the charger’s “wall wart” power supply is unplugged, or the AC power to the outlet is off for some reason. However, if the vacuum is removed from the charging base and run for perhaps 20 or 30 seconds and then returned to the charging base, the blue lamp will light again for a short while, so this method can be used to verify that all is well with the charging case and its wall-wart.
The Flex Vac by itself weighs about 3.25 pounds.
This tool seems to be of pretty good ergonomic and mechanical design. If my older DustBuster hand vacuum is any indication, it should have good battery life and continue to work well for many years.
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2022
For many years, I have owned a Black + Decker “Dustbuster” handheld rechargeable vacuum cleaner (similar to the current CHV1410L model) that I have considered to be one of the best designs I have ever seen for this class of appliance. It is ergonomically excellent, easy to use, has very good suction power and plenty of battery life so it does not falter halfway through cleaning up spilled bits and pieces. It is still going strong.
But that vacuum is on one side of my house and I wanted another on the other side. In a moment of weakness a year or so ago, I picked up a “Dirt Devil” model of similar size and functionality at the local hardware store (which does not carry DustBuster products), which turned out to be a real turkey (in many ways). So now I was looking to buy the latest “Dustbuster” model CHV1410L, but noted something about it that would not work for me. While my old Dustbuster, when not is use, rested on its tail end on top of the charging base, the new model does not work that way, rather it hooks onto and hangs from a wall-mounted charger. I have an ideal tabletop location for the new vacuum, but no suitable wall space. While perusing Black + Decker’s Amazon store to see if they might have a model that charges like my old one, I ran across this “Flex Vac” model BDH2020FL, and it looked pretty good, albeit considerably more expensive than the CHV1410L.
This “Flex Vac” vacuum is still a handheld model, and shares with other handheld vacuums the same limitations; it cannot hold very much volume of vacuumed particles before its ‘dust bin’ gets too full to allow continued use (without emptying first), it does not have any kind of ‘beater’ and thus cannot dislodge small items that have worked their way down into carpeting (a full sized vacuum cleaner is better for carpeting), and being battery powered it needs to be returned to its charge after use.
Note that this Flex Vac is NOT a wet/dry vacuum. Using it to vacuum liquids would not be a safety issue (being only battery powered), but it would probably ruin the appliance. This vacuum is perfect for short, light jobs like cleaning up the kid’s spilled Cheerios, general small bits and pieces of litter when you don’t want to drag out the normal vacuum cleaner, light dusting and things like that.
Resting on its table-top charging base, this vacuum has dimensions of approximately 12” x 7” (without accessory holders attached) or 12” x 8.5” (with them attached) x 9” tall. The charging base is very basic, just a molded piece of plastic with two electrical contacts on top which make contact with those on the bottom of the vacuum. The “wall wart” style power supply, unlike most such devices there days, is NOT “universal” and is only designed to work with 120VAC 60Hz, and it has a typical 2 prong North America plug configuration. I have one small gripe about the charging base design; while my old Dustbuster did not care which orientation the vacuum was in when set down on the charging base, this “Flex Vac” must be oriented properly in order for its electrical contacts to mate properly with the base. If they do NOT mate properly, the blue “charging” lamp on the base of the vacuum will not illuminate. There seems to be no facility designed into the vacuum and its charging base to assist the user to orient things properly, other than to look at the contacts and use them as a guide.
There are two small plastic tool holders included with this appliance, and one or both of them can be snapped onto one side of the charging base, and any two of the included attachments can be stored on these, standing up vertically alongside the vacuum cleaner. Presumably the third attachment will be stored docked to the vacuum cleaner’s hose.
The ”Flex Vac” is called that apparently because, unlike most other hand vacuums, it includes a built-in length of flexible vacuum cleaner style hose. The hose starts on the lower front of the vacuum and then wraps around underneath (passing through a channel on the bottom side), then wrapping up around the rear side of the vacuum, then its handle snaps into a channel on the top side of the vacuum. Pulling the hose handle up and backwards disengages it from the vacuum, and the user is then free to take advantage of the flexibility that the hose offers. The hose is quite short when not extended, but it easily stretches out to about 4 feet in length. This allows the user to do things like vacuum cobwebs from the ceiling while holding the vacuum in one hand, or rest the vacuum on the floor while reaching under the sofa to clean up crumbs that fell past the cushions. I am 5’8” tall, and with the “crevice” tool installed on the end of the hose, I can comfortably reach the normal-height ceiling of my house with arm outstretched. I cannot reach that far using my older Dustbuster handheld vacuum that does not have the hose.
This version of the “Flex Vac” (BDH2020FL) comes with three accessories; the normal “nozzle/brush” tool, the “crevice” tool, and the “pet hair” tool. The “nozzle/brush” tool has a flat rectangular opening, similar to most other handheld vacuums, that is ideal for vacuuming up small bits and pieces from a floor, or which are laying loosely on top of a carpet, or cleaning up dust from a table top. It has a fold-back brush which normally remains stowed out of the way, but which easily flips around to the front where it can be useful in helping small items that might be slightly stuck on carpeting or other surfaces to come ‘unstuck’, or for light dusting of surfaces. The “crevice” tool is just like every other crevice tool ever made for vacuum cleaners, and is the longest reaching accessory provided. The “pet hair” tool looks a lot like a wide round shower head, with a soft rubbery surface having many bumpy protrusions resembling coarse brush bristles. These are designed to dislodge hair from carpeting and upholstery while still discouraging the hair from getting tangled up on the tool. I don’t have a pet, or much hair myself, so I have not been able to put this last tool to any kind of test. However, the nozzle/brush tool works just fine, as does the crevice tool. All three tools have molded detents where they fit into the end of the hose, and the hose has an end fitting with a spring-loaded button which releases a tab that normally fits into one of the detents. This allow the attached tool to remain firmly in place on the end of the hose, but at the touch of that button, the tools can be rotated until they snap into position at the next detent.
I should note that there is a more expensive version of this product, the BDH2020FLFL, which also comes with a “floor head”, two extension tubes, and an adapter to join the end of the hose and the extension tube(s). With these items fit together and attached to the end of the hose, this vacuum takes on some additional functionality that resembles a normal floor vacuum cleaner, albeit one with a lot less power and useful operating time. According to the common user’s manual that is provided with both product versions, the floor head does have some kind of beater, but it seems that it is not electrically powered, rather it most likely is powered by the vacuumed air stream. My awful Dirt Devil hand vacuum also has a vacuum air powered upholstery attachment that is too weak to be useful, and I suspect that the beater on this Flex Vac’s “floor head” will also be useful for only the lightest use situations. Better to fire up a real floor/carpet vacuum cleaner for those cleaning jobs.
The Flex Vac is turned on an off by a pair of push buttons located on either side of the handle in a position easily reached by the user’s thumb and forefinger on the hand that is holding the vacuum cleaner. Pushing the button with one finger turns the vacuum on and extends the opposite button, and pressing that button turns the vacuum off and extends the first button.
All vacuumed dust and bits will end up in the dust bin (“dust container”) which is built a lot like a front-loading washing machine, with a similar swinging door having a latch on the side opposite its hinge. Press the latch button and the door swings open, and tipping the vacuum to that side allows whatever is in the dust bin to fall out into a trash container. The door itself is made of clear plastic, so the user can see how full it is. The door snaps shut easily after emptying the bin.
To clean the pleated filter, the right side of the vacuum must be removed. This is easily done by pressing a button on the top of the right side and rotating the entire side a few degrees, at which point it detaches from the body of the vacuum. The filter is shaped like a paper cup, and has a fold-out wire handle that makes it easy to pull it away from the motor housing (which it normally surrounds). It can be tapped on inside a trash container to dislodge most of the dust and bits, then placed back over the motor housing, and the right side re-attached to the body of the vacuum. No tools are required for any part of this operation. There is also a disk-shaped “pre-filter” that can be easily removed and cleaned. In addition to quick, perfunctory tapping to clean the filters, they can be washed in warm soapy water and then allowed to air dry before being put back on the vacuum.
The body of the vacuum, with the right side removed (along with the motor unit and the battery), is just a big plastic assembly, and it can be rinsed under running water to clean it, but this should normally not be necessary.
The battery is a Lithium-Ion rechargeable type, and is integral to the motor housing assembly on the right side of the vacuum. It charges fairly quickly, and seems to run the vacuum for many minutes at full power. It has a built-in charge management circuit, which automatically changes from normal charging to trickle charging. According to the user’s manual, it is safe to leave the vacuum on its charging base all the time, no need to remove it when charging is complete. While normal charging is happening, the large blue lamp on the side of the battery will illuminate, and when normal charging is complete, the lamp will be dark. There is no direct way to tell the difference between a battery that has been charged and is now trickle charging, and a situation where the vacuum is not making electrical contact with the charging base, or the charger’s “wall wart” power supply is unplugged, or the AC power to the outlet is off for some reason. However, if the vacuum is removed from the charging base and run for perhaps 20 or 30 seconds and then returned to the charging base, the blue lamp will light again for a short while, so this method can be used to verify that all is well with the charging case and its wall-wart.
The Flex Vac by itself weighs about 3.25 pounds.
This tool seems to be of pretty good ergonomic and mechanical design. If my older DustBuster hand vacuum is any indication, it should have good battery life and continue to work well for many years.
It excels at all the basic things you’d expect it to do. It cleans crumbs on the counter. It picks up animal fur off furniture, and stuff around the pet food bowl. It works great for vacuuming the car. We keep it under the kitchen sink, where we use the second outlet from the garbage disposer. (If you decide to do that, make sure you plug it in an unswitched outlet, rather than the one connected to the garbage disposer switch.) It is right there waiting at all times. It gets used almost every day.
It has an excellent filter, so it picks up flour without spraying dust around. The hose unwinds, so you can reach into tight places. It has several attachments that expands its usefulness. They all work very well, and they store nicely on the base. Wonderful design. We bought the floor attachment, which works great. It doesn’t replace the regular vacuum cleaner, because it's not good for carpets. It’s nice to do a quick clean up without getting out the big rig. For instance, a workman came to fix something in the bathroom. My wife grabbed the Black and Decker and vacuumed the hair off the bathroom floor. It did just as good a job as the full blown vacuum cleaner. It works great for hard surface floors. I wouldn’t recommend it for carpets.
Other reviewers complain about battery life. That’s never been an issue at all.
Summary: It is well designed, well built, and makes life easier. It’s one of those rare products that whenever it is used we appreciate how the engineers thoughtfully designed it.
It’s more expensive than others, but it is worth every penny. Spend a little more and you’ll own a product that will bring joy to your life. My wife and I give it our absolute top recommendation. One extra tip: It is not immediately apparent how the filter is removed for cleaning. Use the instructions. You definitely want to clean the filter once in a while. I clean it about once every two months.