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Black+Decker HHVI315JO42 Review

Unless you are only planning on dusting, we would recommend an alternative choice
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Black+Decker HHVI315JO42 Review
Price:  $50 List
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Manufacturer:   BLACK+DECKER
Austin Palmer
By Austin Palmer ⋅ Senior Review Analyst  ⋅  January 12, 2022
Contributions From: David Wise
52
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#9 of 11
  • Tough Messes - 20% 6.4
  • Hard-to-Reach Areas - 20% 4.0
  • Dusting - 20% 6.5
  • Battery Life - 15% 4.4
  • Convenience - 15% 5.1
  • Pet Hair - 10.0% 4.0

Our Verdict

The Black+Decker HHVI315JO42 finished close to the back of the pack of handheld vacuums we tested. It did well at cleaning up light messes, like loose dirt or dust, but is far from the best at cleaning stuck-on messes or pet hair. It's convenient to operate, but doesn't have the most outstanding battery life and struggles to vacuum smaller cracks and crevices around the home. We think you should consider a different handheld vac with better performance.
REASONS TO BUY
Cheap
Good at dusting
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor battery life
Difficult to clean pet hair

Our Analysis and Test Results

The HHVI315JO42 isn't as proficient as top handheld vacs at cleaning tougher messes or getting into the more confined areas of your home, but it is a bit better at dusting and cleaning up pet hair.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - the black+decker hhvi315jo42.
The Black+Decker HHVI315JO42.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Dust & Dirt


black+decker hhvi315jo42 - even though the bristles are stiff, they are close together which...
Even though the bristles are stiff, they are close together which made dusting easier than other stiff bristle brushes.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

This vacuum has a relatively short bristle brush on the stiffer side, which did rather well in our dusting test, removing all of the stuck-on flour from a plastic sheet in approximately 21 seconds. It also did quite well with dirt and dried-on mud as the stiff bristles allowed us to scrub off the mess from linoleum easily.

Unfortunately, this wider brush isn't the best for cleaning dust and dirt from small areas, like the top of a baseboard or corners of a shelf.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - this black+decker vac did a great job at removing crusted on mud...
This Black+Decker vac did a great job at removing crusted on mud from linoleum floor.
Credit: Austin Palmer

Tough Messes


Overall, this handheld vacuum was an average performer, picking up a decent amount of flour on the first attempt; however, multiple passes were ultimately required to clean the carpet thoroughly. However, it does a superb job if you use the bristle attachment and scrub while cleaning.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - this vacuum picked up a decent amount of flour.
This vacuum picked up a decent amount of flour.
Credit: Austin Palmer

It also did quite well at cleaning up oats from the same carpet section and on a fabric-covered cushion. Interestingly, it performed well when vacuuming the oats on the upholstered cushion, only leaving a tiny bit of dust behind, but encountered trouble when cleaning the carpet section, failing to collect all the oats and leaving a noticeable amount of trapped particles in the carpet fibers. But, it finished this metric with a strong showing, collecting all of the Mini-Wheats without any problems at all.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - the 'jo42 handled the oats with ease.
The 'JO42 handled the oats with ease.
Credit: Austin Palmer

It also put up one of the highest numbers in our airflow test. We used an anemometer in a sealed box connected to the HHVI315JO42 and received a reading of 1889 feet per minute (fpm) of airflow. This measurement was quite a bit higher than the average of just over 1300 fpm.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - this model doesn't reach into corners very well.
This model doesn't reach into corners very well.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Hard-to-Reach Areas


black+decker hhvi315jo42 - this vacuum doesn't reach very far.
This vacuum doesn't reach very far.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The HHVI315JO42 does fine at cleaning out the slot of a sliding window track, but the nozzle is a tad bit wider than most tracks, making it a slower process than some of the other products with a narrower crevice tool. And, unfortunately, it also has one of the shortest reaches when cleaning gaps, only able to make it about 5.75" into a 3" slot and 3.5" into a 1.25" space.

Battery Life


The HHVI315JO42 didn't do very well in this metric, lasting 12 minutes and 20 seconds before failing. It's one of the shortest run times among the competition and a bit below the group average of around 17 minutes.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - this black+decker model doesn't have a battery charging indicator.
This Black+Decker model doesn't have a battery charging indicator.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Convenience


This vacuum is average in size, weighing just over 2 lbs.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - there aren't any power options to choose from with this vacuum.
There aren't any power options to choose from with this vacuum.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The HHVI315JO42 did lose some points by being particularly noisy, registering 81.5 dBa on our meter. We also noticed a bit of a high-pitched whine that can be particularly annoying.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - the 'jo42 only has two cleaning attachments.
The 'JO42 only has two cleaning attachments.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

However, the HHVI315JO42 has a larger dust collection bin with a 0.94 L capacity. It is also simple to empty, though it does require two steps. Pull the container out from the vacuum body, then pull out the filter before dumping it.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - luckily this filter is washable.
Luckily this filter is washable.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Pet Hair


This vacuum collected about half the pet hair in each test, and most of the hair was trapped on the brush head and failed to make it into the dust bin.

black+decker hhvi315jo42 - this vacuum performed well while still staying affordable.
This vacuum performed well while still staying affordable.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Should You Buy the Black+Decker HHVI315JO42?


At first blush, this contender shares a similar appearance with some relatives from the same manufacturer and sports an inexpensive price tag that might initially attract your attention, but from our testing, it doesn't offer much. With better performing cleaning machines in our lineup and in other floor cleaning categories, we think it's worth exploring those options to find one that scores higher yet meets your needs.

What Other Handheld Vacuums Should You Consider?


The Black+Decker HHVI320JR02 is a cheaper and slightly higher-scoring handheld vacuum than the HHVI315JO42. Although it doesn't stand up to our top-performer, the Black+Decker Flex Vac BDH2020FL, it will work for the occasional messes around the home - just temper your expectations accordingly.

Side-by-Side Comparison
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Austin Palmer and David Wise