A handheld work apparatus has a combustion engine for driving a tool of the work apparatus and further has an air filter unit for filtering the intake air of the combustion engine. The work apparatus defines a vertical direction. The air filter unit includes an air filter and a filter housing enclosing the air filter. The air filter extends along a filter axis and has a filter element disposed peripherally around the filter axis, wherein the filter axis forms an angle of inclination (α) with the vertical direction. The filter element has an upper filter section in relation to the vertical direction. The filter housing has, remotely from the upper filter section, at least one air intake window and, in addition thereto, a further upper, permanently open cold air intake window in the region of the upper filter section.