REASONS TO BUY
Great for getting those hard-to-clean areas
Good value
REASONS TO AVOID
Lackluster battery life
Takes two hands to operate
Loud
Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL Review
A great all-around vacuum that excels at cleaning hard-to-reach areas and pet hair
The Flex Vac doesn't have any onboard storage but does hold a couple of attachments on its charging base.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
By Austin Palmer ⋅ Senior Review Analyst ⋅ January 12, 2022
Contributions From: David Wise
RELATED: The Best Handheld Vacuum of 2025
Our Verdict
The Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL is a solid, all-around vacuum that does an excellent job getting into all of those difficult-to-clean places. No matter the mess in your home or car, this vacuum can likely handle it. On top of that, it is excellent at cleaning up after your furry friends and collecting pet hair with ease. However, the Flex Vac usually requires two hands to operate, is quite loud, and has a lackluster battery life, making it a bit more of a hassle to use than some of the other products in our lineup of handheld vacuums. Despite these relatively minor drawbacks, it's still one of our favorite vacuum cleaners, and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants well-rounded performance. Our handheld vacuum review shows how it fares versus competing products.
Editor's Note: We updated this gear review on January 11, 2022, with additional information on what we would buy and if there are any other handheld vacuums we would consider.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL is a solid performer.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Tough Messes
The Flex Vac performed about average. It left a decent amount of flour behind, but we eventually got it pretty clean with multiple passes.
The Flex Vac's attempt at removing flour.
Credit: Austin Palmer
Using the same tool, the Flex Vac did a bit better on the cushion, getting the vast majority of the oats and only leaving a bit of dust behind. However, it would occasionally suck down to the fabric, flinging some oats to the side. It didn't fling any oats to the side on the carpet section, but there were still plenty of leftover oat fragments lodged in the carpet fibers that the Flex Vac couldn't entirely extract.
The before and after of picking up oats with the Flex Vac.
Credit: Austin Palmer
The Flex Vac sucked up all of the Mini-Wheats cereal we placed before it without any clogging.
The Flex Vac was above average in this test, with the anemometer reading 1427 feet per minute (fpm) of airflow in our testing apparatus. This reading wasn't the highest in our group (hello Black+Decker HHVI315JO42 with an 1889 fpm!), but it's above average.
Hard-to-Reach Areas
The Flex Vac got off to a great start in our first test, easily cleaning out the small gap in the track of a window. It sucked them all out without any signs of struggle using its crevice tool. The Flex continued its excellent performance in our crevice tests, easily reaching 36" into a 3" gap, effectively cleaning the entire way. Essentially, if you can fit your hand in the gap, you can fit this vacuum.
Having an integrated hose makes it nice for those hard to reach places.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Flex Vac finished this testing metric with a strong showing when we cut the size of the gap down to 1.25". It was only able to reach about 7.5" when using the crevice tool, but this is the furthest any of the products we have tested.
The integrated hose on the Flex Vac requires two-handed operation, but you can reach almost anywhere in your home with it.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Dust & Dirt
The Flex Vac fared well in our dusting test, cleaning a sheet of flour in about 21 seconds with its medium-stiffness bristle brush attachment.
The Flex Vac does fine for dusting.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Unfortunately, this vacuum didn't do as well with caked-on dirt and mud, taking around 20 seconds to clean it all up in our test, one of the longer times compared to the group, though not by much.
Medium stiff bristles take a little bit longer to work the dirt loose.
Credit: Austin Palmer
However, the Flex Vac fully redeemed itself in other areas, easily cleaning the top of a baseboard and a window sill with its bristle brush attachment, even getting into tight corners.
The Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL is a well-rounded machine, and we appreciate that it manages harder-to-reach areas, thanks to its attached hose that makes it easier to reach places.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Battery Life
Unfortunately, the Flex Vac performance took a dip in our battery life metric. The overall runtime of this vacuum is quite mediocre, especially when compared to the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser, which has a slightly longer run time. Still, the Flex Vac is better than some contenders.
This vacuum only has a single cleaning mode, and you can expect it to last for about 15 minutes on a full charge. It takes about 4 hours to recharge completely, making it challenging to clean larger areas with this product. Therefore, a full-sized vacuum cleaner might be a more suitable device if you're consistently vacuuming larger spaces.
The Flex Vac has about 15 minutes of battery.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Convenience
The Flex Vac weighs 3 lbs without any tools and is far from the lightest handheld vacuum in our lineup, such as the Bissell AeroSlim, which weighs 1.2 lbs. With that said, all the tools are relatively light and don't add much weight from there.
The Flex Vac also lost some points for being one of the noisiest handheld vacuums we tested. It's too loud to carry on a conversation over, and it would likely disturb someone working on a computer or watching TV in the same room. However, we appreciate that emptying the collection bin is super easy, and the container is good-sized at 0.5 liters.
You need two hands to operate this vacuum, but its design allows a lot of flexibility - hence the name.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Flex Vac includes three tools but doesn't offer a convenient way to store them on the main unit, but it does have a spot for them on the charging base. The main unit has a charging dock to set the vacuum on to recharge, which is more convenient than plugging it in each time.
Pet Hair
This vacuum lacks a powered bristle brush attachment but does have a dedicated pet hair tool with stiff rubber bristles. While we were initially a little skeptical, this tool proved its worth, with the Flex Vac collecting close to 95% of the hair from both test surfaces without too much work.
The pet hair tool on the Flex Vac was surprisingly effective at cleaning up pet hair, even though it isn't motorized.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Should You Buy the Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL?
In a nutshell, yes. The Flex Vac is an award-winning option that offers excellent performance. It's not the most expensive option in our lineup, but it does require dishing out some money. If you seek a handheld vacuum to supplement your floor and surface cleaning needs, we recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to make too many sacrifices regarding performance.
What Other Handheld Vacuums Should You Consider?
The Black+Decker HHVI320JR02 is an attractive option if you're on a tight budget. Although its overall performance is inferior to the Flex Vac, it's a decent and wallet-friendly option that can manage tough messes but not pet hair. Therefore, if you're regularly cleaning up after your furry friends, we suggest going with the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser. It's less money than the Flex Vac and is designed to tackle pet hair, giving it a slight advantage.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL versus top competing products:
—Austin Palmer and David Wise
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