Are handheld vacuums actually powerful enough for pet hair?

For surface cleanup on upholstery, stairs, and car interiors, yes — but only models with a motorized brush head (like the Black+Decker Furbuster or Bissell Pet Hair Eraser) consistently dig embedded hair out of fabric. Suction-only handhelds, even high-Pa ones, tend to leave hair behind on carpeted surfaces according to specialist testers and r/VacuumCleaners consensus.