The HoLife HM036E is a cordless handheld vacuum. Unlike many other vacuums, it has a liquid nozzle attachment which allows it to clean wet messes such as spilled milk. However, we don't currently test this feature and the manufacturer notes that you need to thoroughly clean the vacuum afterward. That said, if you're looking to tackle dry debris around the home like dust or dirt, it has an outstanding performance on bare floors. It also does an overall good job on carpet, although it struggles a bit more with small and large debris.
Our Verdict
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum is excellent for bare floors. This well-built vacuum can clear pet hair as well as rice and cereal very effectively. Although it has a couple of parts that need regular maintenance, especially after cleaning wet debris, it's easy to take apart and the manufacturer includes a cleaning brush to help you keep it in good shape.
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Picks up most pet hair.
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Easy to maintain and few recurring costs.
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Small dirt compartment.
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum is good for low-pile carpet. It can pick up pet hair and most sand without an issue. However, it has a bit more trouble with finer debris like baking soda. While well-built, it has a few regular maintenance needs. On the upside, the HEPA filter is the only recurring cost.
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Picks up most pet hair.
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Easy to maintain and few recurring costs.
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Clears a significant amount of large debris.
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Struggles a bit more with small debris.
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Small dirt compartment.
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum is decent for high-pile carpet. It can pick up most pet hair but it struggles more with sand and baking soda. On the upside, this well-built vacuum is easy to maintain and only the HEPA filter needs to be replaced over time. Thanks to its small size, it also has decent maneuverability.
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Picks up most pet hair.
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Easy to maintain and few recurring costs.
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Struggles with small and large debris.
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Small dirt compartment.
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum is great for pets. It picks up pet hair without a problem on most surface types and its HEPA filter helps to trap allergens while you clean. This well-built vacuum is also easy to maintain and its HEPA filter is the only part that needs to be replaced over time. Although we don't currently test for this, it can also handle wet spills, but you need to clean it immediately after.
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Picks up most pet hair.
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Easy to maintain and few recurring costs.
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Small dirt compartment.
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum is outstanding for stairs. This lightweight cordless vacuum can easily tackle small messes, even in hard-to-reach areas. Since its battery can last over 20 minutes before it needs to be recharged, you should have plenty of time to tackle more difficult-to-clean messes. It also has an outstanding performance on bare floors and its ability to tackle debris on low-pile carpet is good.
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Picks up most pet hair.
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Easy to maintain and few recurring costs.
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Small dirt compartment.
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum is excellent for cars. This cordless handheld vacuum can get into tight crevices in your car without too much of a problem. It has a decent battery performance as it can clean for over 20 minutes at a time and it does a good job clearing debris on low-pile carpet.
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Picks up most pet hair.
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Easy to maintain and few recurring costs.
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Small dirt compartment.
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Picks up most pet hair.
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Easy to maintain and few recurring costs.
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Small dirt compartment.
- Bare Floor
- Low-Pile Carpet
- High-Pile Carpet
- Pets
- Stairs
- Cars
- Workshop
- Updated Oct 11, 2022: This vacuum's suction force has been retested with a more accurate manometer. The test results for the 'Maximum Suction' and 'Normal Suction' fields have been updated. All relevant scores and text have been updated.
- Updated Aug 05, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Jun 08, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Sep 30, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Sep 22, 2020: Early access published.
- Updated Sep 03, 2020: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated Sep 03, 2020: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated Aug 30, 2020: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The HoLife HM036E has a couple of different variations. The original model comes with either a fabric or stainless steel HEPA filter. We tested the original variant that uses a fabric HEPA filter with this label. However, the manufacturer advertises that the fabric filter needs to be replaced after a certain amount of time while the stainless steel filter is designed to be reusable. It should also be noted that the fabric HEPA filter variant is also available in a few different colors and we expect them to perform similarly to our test unit.
There's also an upgraded variant available, which comes with a plastic hose connector that's advertised to help you get into hard-to-reach places. It uses a different material for its HEPA filter rather than using the fabric or stainless steel version of the original model. We don't know how the upgraded or stainless steel filter variants hold up.
If someone comes across a variant that's different from ours, let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The HoLife HM036E is a cordless handheld vacuum. Unlike other handhelds such as the Shark WANDVAC, it can handle wet spills. Although we don't test for this feature, it does add another step to its maintenance, as you need to thoroughly clean this vacuum afterward. That said, it has an outstanding performance on bare floors and it has a decently long battery life for its design.
If you're looking for more, check out our recommendations for the best lightweight vacuums, the best car vacuums, and the best vacuums.
The HoLife HM036E is a slightly better handheld vacuum than the Black+Decker dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet. The HoLife is better-built. It comes with a liquid nozzle for cleaning spills, and it has a better performance on bare floors. It also has a better battery performance and is easier to maneuver. However, the Black+Decker comes with a turbo brush that can tackle debris on fabric-based furniture.
The HoLife HM036E and the Shark WANDVAC are two cordless handheld vacuums with different strengths. While both are similarly well-built and decently easy to maintain, the HoLife is better on bare floors. It has a larger dirt compartment, its battery performance is significantly better, and it also comes with a specialized liquid nozzle for tackling wet messes, though we don't currently test for this. In comparison, the Shark has the edge when it comes to low-pile carpet as it can pick up more small debris.
The HoLife HM036E is a better cordless handheld vacuum than the eufy HomeVac H11. While both vacuums feel similarly well-built and easy to maintain, the HoLife has a better performance on all surface types. Although we don't currently test for this, it can even clean up liquid spills, thanks to its specialized tool. Its dirt compartment is bigger and it has a better overall battery performance. However, the eufy is more portable.
The Black+Decker 16V MAX dustbuster Cordless Hand Vacuum and the HoLife HM036E are two cordless handheld vacuums with different strengths. While both are decently well-built and similarly easy to maintain, the Black+Decker has fewer recurring costs, its dirt compartment is larger, and it's easier to store. However, the HoLife has a better performance on all surface types, its battery life is longer, and you can also use it to clean wet spills, although we don't currently test for this.
The HoLife HM036E is a more versatile handheld vacuum than the BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim. The HoLife has a larger dirt compartment, almost twice the battery life and shorter recharge time, more tools and brushes, and performs much better on all surface types, with no issues sucking up bulky material. While we don't test this feature, the HoLife also has a liquid nozzle to suck up wet messes. Meanwhile, the BISSELL is much lighter and incurs practically no recurring costs.
The HoLife HM036E and the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ are two handheld vacuums with different strengths. The HoLife has a longer battery life and has a better overall performance on bare floors. It also comes with a wet nozzle to clear liquid. However, the Shark is better suited for carpet. It can clean low and high-pile carpet significantly better than the HoLife and it comes with a turbo brush with a self-cleaning brushroll. Its dirt compartment is also larger, and the vacuum is easier to maintain overall.
The HoLife HM036E is more versatile than the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Hand Vacuum. The HoLife is better-built, has a longer battery life, comes with more tools and an allergen-trapping filter, and delivers superior cleaning performance on all surfaces. It can also be used to clean wet messes, though we don't currently test that particular feature. The Hoover is easier to store and takes much less time to charge.
The HoLife HM036E is better than the iRobot H1. The HoLife is less demanding in terms of maintenance, incurs fewer recurring costs, takes less time to recharge, and delivers significantly better performance on bare floors. You can also use it to clean liquid messes thanks to its included nozzle attachment, but we don't currently test for that. Meanwhile, the iRobot has a larger dirt compartment, delivers better performance on low and high-pile carpet, and comes with a turbo brush.
The HoLife HM036E and Wyze Handheld Vacuum each have their strengths, so one might be a better fit for you compared to another. The HoLife can be used to clean up liquid messes, though we don't currently test for this, and you should thoroughly clean the vacuum following this kind of use. The HoLife also struggles much less with bulky debris such as cereal and has a larger dirt compartment. Meanwhile, the Wyze has a suction power adjustment feature, a longer maximum battery life, and struggles less with larger material like sand on high-pile carpets.
The HoLife HM036E and the Dyson Humdinger perform quite similarly overall. The HoLife performs a bit better on bare floors and low-pile carpets and has longer battery life. Its dirt compartment is slightly larger, too. On the other hand, the Dyson performs better on high-pile carpets and has fewer recurring costs.
Test Results
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum is well-built. Although it's made of plastic, it mostly feels sturdy. However, the exhaust fans on its side can be slightly pushed inwards if you apply some pressure. The dirt compartment also looks like it could break if dropped on the floor. Still, it's very easy to assemble and it comes ready to use, right out of the box.
This handheld vacuum is decently easy to maintain thanks to its simple design. However, there are still a few parts that need regular maintenance.
- Dirt compartment: This part is accessible by pushing the dirt compartment release button on the vacuum's body. To empty this compartment, you must first remove the filter cover. The compartment itself is fairly small and needs frequent emptying. There's no cover to prevent debris from falling out, either. You can clean this part with a damp cloth or by using the small cleaning brush provided.
- Filter cover: This part is located in the dirt compartment and can be wiped down with a damp cloth if necessary.
- HEPA filter: This part locks into the filter cover and can be cleaned with a damp cloth or washed with water only. It should be cleaned after each use.
If you've cleaned up liquid debris, you must make sure to immediately empty the liquids and make sure the motor is clean and dry before charging it again. All parts that can be cleaned with water should be left to dry for at least 24 hours before putting them back in.
This handheld vacuum has one recurring cost. The HEPA filter needs to be replaced after three to four months or after 100 uses.
Note: There's a discrepancy in replacement time for the HEPA filter. The manual and paper instructions say that it needs to be replaced after three to four months. However, the manufacturer's website says six to eight months.
This handheld vacuum is easy to store as it sits on a rack to charge. It's compact and doesn't take up too much room, which is good if you want to store it in a closet or on your countertop. Unfortunately, unlike the Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Hand Vacuum, it doesn't have any on-board storage for its tools and brushes.
The vacuum's dirt compartment is poor. It's quite small and debris can spill out of it since there's no cover or seal to help prevent debris or liquid from escaping. Luckily, there's a fill line indicator to let you know when it's full. If you're looking for a handheld vacuum with a larger dustbin, consider the iRobot H1.
- HoLife HM036E handheld vacuum
- Dirt compartment
- 2x HEPA filter
- Filter holder
- Crevice tool
- Soft bristle brush/upholstery tool
- Liquid nozzle
- Small cleaning brush
- Charging station and cable
- Vacuum User Guide
Since this is a cordless handheld vacuum, its range is only limited by the room left in its dirt compartment and its remaining battery life.
This handheld vacuum is exceptionally portable. It's lighter than the Black+Decker 16V MAX dustbuster Cordless Hand Vacuum and it can easily be taken around your home, thanks to its carrying handle.
This handheld vacuum's battery performance is decent. It lasts just over 20 minutes, which is a bit longer than other handhelds such as the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+, and it charges quicker. It has a power indicator light that flashes to let you know when its battery is running low. It also turns red when it's charging and it flashes for ten seconds to let you know when it's fully charged.
This vacuum has a power button located on its handle. You need to hold this button for about a second for it to turn on.
This vacuum comes with a combination hard bristle brush and upholstery tool. There's also a nozzle that can be used to pick up liquid messes, but we don't currently test this feature. There's a small cleaning brush included as well so that you can clean the dirt compartment as well as accessory tools. If you're looking for a handheld vacuum with a turbo brush, consider the Black+Decker dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet.
You can use this vacuum with its combination hard bristle brush and upholstery tool if you want to clean furniture. You can also reconfigure it to clean wet messes by using its liquid nozzle, but we don't currently test this feature.
This vacuum has an incredible performance on bare floors. It can pick up pet hair as well as rice and cereal easily.
The HoLife Handheld Vacuum has a good performance on low-pile carpet. It can pick up most pet hair as well as a significant amount of sand. It has a bit more trouble with smaller debris like baking soda, though.
This handheld vacuum has decent performance on high-pile carpet. While it doesn't fare as well as it does on low-pile carpet, it can still pick up a lot of pet hair. It has a harder time with sand and baking soda, though.
This vacuum has decent maneuverability. It's not meant for cleaning large areas, but thanks to its portable design, it can easily clean around electric cords. It's also easy to tidy up furniture, especially with the crevice tool.
