BLACK+DECKER 20V Max Pivot BDH2000PL Review

Our review of the BLACK+DECKER 20V Max Pivot covers every element of handheld vacuum performance, ease of use, and storage. The details of our testing will help you pick the best product for your household needs.

Performance Comparison

Dust and Dirt

The dust and dirt metric measures a vacuum's ability to pick up fine debris on various surfaces. The Max Pivot excelled in this category. The Max Pivot's success is largely attributed to its powerful motor, although its pivoting nozzle and stiff brush bristles helped give this unit an advantage, too. While the Max Pivot tackles dust and dirt efficiently, getting it to perform at a high level requires playing with the nozzle angle to pick up rather than push around debris.

We use a variety of tests to evaluate the vacuums in our review. We start with a basic dust removal assessment and progress towards caked mud. Throughout these evaluations, testers noted they could feel the difference in power compared to the competition when using the Max Pivot. The vacuum also has stiff bristles. Despite wide spacing, these bristles effectively agitate flour and dried mud. The pivoting nozzle benefited the tester's posture and increased reach regardless of what we cleaned.

Tough Messes

The Max Pivot excelled in the tough messes metric. The testing in this metric includes timed removal of course material like crushed oat and Mini-Wheats scattered on automotive mats and upholstery. We also test the airflow at the mouth of the nozzle using an anemometer. The Max Pivot delivered across the board in this metric.

The tests in this metric are timed, with the vacuums getting 20 seconds in each evaluation. Within the time limit, the Max Pivot did quite well, entirely removing the crushed oats from the mats. The vacuum did leave a bit of oat dust on the couch cushion; given a few more seconds, it would have had it all.

We also tested the Max Pivot with flour spread on the car mats and threw out some small and large Mini-Wheats cereal for good measure. The Max Pivot did reasonably well with the flour, though a residue remained. On the other hand, the vacuum did surprisingly well gobbling up the smaller of the two Mini-Wheats. Finally, the vacuum's airflow measures 1614 feet per minute which explains why it did well with large and small debris types.

Hard-to-Reach Areas

The hard-to-reach areas metric looks at all those nooks and crannies that a traditional vacuum struggles to access. Unfortunately, the Max Pivot's wide nozzle makes it a poor fit in tight spots. We tested the vacuums on window slides, in the car, and under a nightstand. While the Max Pivot did reasonably well under car seats with big gaps, it could not penetrate more than a few inches between the seats and console. The unit also struggled with cleaning under the nightstand. A bright spot was the window slides. However, we got the best results with the nozzle extender, which covers the brush and limits contact in corners.

Battery Life

Battery life is fairly short with the handheld vacuums in the class. A long runtime is around 20 minutes. The Max Pivot clocked in at 12 minutes, 12 seconds, which is below average for the class. We also found that correctly placing the vacuum in the charging stand can be challenging.

Convenience

The convenience metric looks at the factors such as weight, noise, bin capacity, and tool storage. At just under 3 pounds, the Max Pivot is among the heaviest unit in the class. It's also one of the noisier models --though the noise isn't unpleasant. More to our liking is the Max Pivot's integrated tools. And while the bin size is not the biggest, it is good for several uses before needing to be emptied.

Pet Hair

We tested the Max Pivot of pet hair on the couch and in the car. The results are good news for pet lovers because the vacuum ranks highly in both categories. Testers found that the Max Pivot worked best with the brush folded down as it collected a great deal of hair that was easy to remove while the suction picked up most of the remaining fibers.

Should You Buy the Black+Decker Max Pivot?

The Max Pivot performed well in all metrics except hard-to-reach areas. Hard-to-reach areas are a leading reason that someone would buy a handheld vacuum in addition to an upright. For the price, there are better-performing vacuums. We recommend checking out the best vacuum cleaner review before settling on the Max Pivot.

What Other Handheld Vacuums Should You Consider?