Dad’s short answer: Often no — a convertible stick covers most handheld jobs. But a dedicated handheld is smaller, lighter and easier to keep in the car or garage, and it doesn't tie up your main vacuum every time somebody does the stairs.

When the convertible is enough

Most cordless sticks detach into a hand unit, and with the right tool on the end they'll do stairs, upholstery and a car interior perfectly well. If you already own one and you're wondering whether to add a handheld, start by using yours that way for a month.

For plenty of people that's the end of it. The convertible is bigger in the hand than a dedicated handheld, but it's more powerful and you've already paid for it.

When a dedicated handheld earns its place

When you want one living in the car or the garage permanently. Nobody leaves their main vacuum in the trunk.

When size genuinely matters — a dedicated handheld is far easier to work with in a footwell or between couch cushions than a converted stick with a motor pod hanging off the back.

When other people in the house need to grab something for a quick mess without dismantling the main vacuum.

And on cost: a dedicated handheld is the least expensive of the three types by a distance, which makes it an easy second machine rather than a big decision.

Dad’s Take: Try your stick as a handheld for a month first. If the answer is "I wish this lived in the car," then buy one.