What's the actual benefit of the flexible hose?

The 4-foot hose lets you reach into tight spots - car footwells, under furniture, along stair edges - without twisting the whole vacuum body the way rigid handhelds require. Reviewers call this the single biggest reason to choose the FLEX over Black+Decker's base AdvancedClean+ model.

How long does the battery last?

Same as Black+Decker's other handhelds: about 15 minutes of runtime per charge with a 4-hour recharge time. The added hose and bigger bin don't change this - plan for quick jobs rather than extended cleaning sessions.

Does the hose actually kink or get damaged over time?

Reviewers note the hose can kink if it's not stored carefully, though the material itself is described as reinforced and durable. Coiling it loosely rather than folding it sharply when storing helps avoid this.

Is it worth paying more than the AdvancedClean+?

If you regularly clean cars, stairs, or furniture, reviewers say yes - the flexible hose, larger 750ml bin, and pivoting nozzle add real versatility. If you mainly need quick countertop or crumb cleanup, the lighter, cheaper AdvancedClean+ covers that job just as well.

How does it handle pet hair?

With 20AW suction and an included pet hair brush attachment, reviewers say it performs comparably to pricier premium handhelds on pet hair pickup, making it a strong value pick for pet owners who don't want to spend on a job-site-grade tool.

Is it too heavy for one-handed use?

At 3.2 lbs it's heavier than Black+Decker's own AdvancedClean+ (2.6 lbs), but reviewers don't flag it as a major issue for typical handheld cleaning sessions - it's more noticeable during extended overhead work like ceiling corners or car headliners.

Handheld

~$74

Black+Decker

Black+Decker dustbuster FLEX Cordless Handheld Vacuum

Name: Black+Decker dustbuster FLEX Cordless Handheld Vacuum
Brand: Black+Decker
Price: 74 USD
Availability: InStock

The FLEX is the dustbuster to buy over the plain AdvancedClean+ if you actually want to clean more than a car seat with it: it's a 20V MAX handheld that ships with a 4-foot flexible hose, a pivoting 2-in-1 nozzle/brush, a crevice tool, and a pet-hair brush attachment, so the same unit reaches under furniture and up into stairs and upholstery without you crawling after it. Worth being precise about that pet brush, though — it's a passive bristle/rubber attachment, not an independently motorized tool, so it's for surface pet hair on furniture and car seats rather than digging hair out of carpet pile. The dustbin is smaller than the AdvancedClean+'s at 502ml, and the rated runtime is shorter too at 15 minutes, which tracks with a machine that's built around hose-and-attachment versatility rather than raw capacity or endurance. The washable filter keeps it consumable-free. Black+Decker's spec page lists this unit at 5.0 lbs while Amazon's own item-weight field for the identical listing says 3.2 lbs, a large enough gap that weight is left blank rather than picked at random.

Approx. price

~$74

Runtime

15 min

Filtration

Washable filter (FVF100)

Best For

Above-floor cleaning — furniture, stairs, car interiors

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Specifications

Not disclosed

15 min

Yes

Washable filter (FVF100)

Bagged

Type

Handheld

Dustbin Capacity

502 ml

App Control

Dimensions

11.8 x 7.6 x 10.0 in

Warranty

2 years

Model

BDH2020FL

Highlights

4-ft flexible hose reaches under furniture and up stairsBundled pet-hair brush, nozzle/brush, and crevice tool20V MAX platform with washable filter

Pros

✓4-ft flexible hose extends reach well beyond a rigid handheld
✓Comes with a real accessory kit — nozzle/brush, crevice tool, and pet brush
✓Washable filter — no recurring filter cost
✓20V MAX battery platform, one step up from the AdvancedClean+'s 12V
✓Charging base keeps the unit and hose attachment organized
✓2-year limited warranty

Cons

✗Smaller 502ml dustbin than the plain AdvancedClean+ (750ml)
✗Shorter 15-minute rated runtime
✗Pet brush attachment is passive, not motorized — don't expect deep carpet pet-hair pickup
✗Manufacturer and retailer weight listings disagree by nearly 2 lbs, so true weight is unclear

Owner Insights(40 discussions)

The dustbuster FLEX takes Black+Decker's classic handheld formula and adds the one feature owners of the base AdvancedClean+ model most often say they wish they had: a flexible hose. That 4-foot reach, combined with a pivoting nozzle and included pet hair brush, is what separates it from typical rigid-head handhelds and is the reason reviewers consistently rate it above its own sibling model.

In practice, the larger 750ml bin means fewer stops to empty mid-job, and the 20AW suction is strong enough that reviewers say it delivers pet-hair pickup comparable to pricier handhelds. The hose is a genuine advantage for car interiors, stair edges, and furniture crevices that a rigid nozzle can't reach cleanly. The tradeoffs are the same battery math every Black+Decker handheld shares - 15 minutes of runtime and a 4-hour recharge - plus a bit more weight and a hose that needs careful coiling to avoid kinking in storage.

This is the better buy over the AdvancedClean+ for anyone who regularly cleans cars, stairs, or furniture and wants the extra reach and capacity, and reviewers say it holds its own against pricier premium handhelds on pet-hair performance for meaningfully less money. Buyers who only need occasional countertop and quick-crumb cleanup and want the lightest possible tool should stick with the cheaper AdvancedClean+ instead; those who need true job-site power and don't mind a separate battery platform should look at something like the DeWalt 20V MAX handheld.

Pros

+The 4-foot flexible hose is the standout feature reviewers call out - it lets you reach into car footwells, under furniture, and along stair edges without contorting the whole tool the way rigid handhelds require
+750ml bin capacity is noticeably larger than typical compact handhelds like Black+Decker's own AdvancedClean+, meaning fewer mid-job stops to empty
+A pivoting nozzle plus included pet hair brush attachment make it genuinely more versatile for angled surfaces and upholstery than fixed-head competitors
+20AW suction power delivers pet-hair pickup reviewers describe as comparable to pricier handhelds at a fraction of the cost
+Reviewers say the build uses quality plastics and reinforced hose material that inspire confidence for long-term reliability with regular use
+Rated higher overall than Black+Decker's own step-down AdvancedClean+ model (8.9 vs. 8.7) specifically because of the added reach and capacity
+Occupies a rare middle ground - reviewers note it delivers comparable pet-hair performance to premium options while costing significantly less

Cons

−At 3.2 lbs it's heavier than ultra-compact competitors, including its own sibling the AdvancedClean+ at 2.6 lbs, which matters for extended overhead or one-handed use
−The flexible hose that gives it its reach advantage can kink during storage, which reviewers flag as an annoyance if you're not careful coiling it
−Battery life is still just 15 minutes per charge with a 4-hour recharge - the added hose and capacity don't change the fundamental runtime limitation shared across Black+Decker's handheld line
−At 80dB it's slightly louder than the AdvancedClean+, a tradeoff of the added motor power
−Moderate 20AW suction still trails true job-site-grade handhelds for larger debris or sustained heavy-duty pickup
−Typically costs more than Black+Decker's base AdvancedClean+ model, so budget shoppers who don't need hose reach are paying for a feature they may not use
−No HEPA filtration, so allergy-focused households won't get the sealed filtration of pricier standalone vacuums