Kari, "small and light" will get you something that probably won't last. Quality vacuum sealers, by nature, are going to be larger and heavier than some of the cheapies you get from the big box stores. Not that those are bad, it's just they won't last for us. You'll find you use it a LOT with your new hobby! One of the best tools to have, so buy a good one.
If I had unlimited resources, I would opt for a chamber sealer. But, since I don't, I would go the VacMaster 260, if I needed to replace my old FoodSaver Pro III today. Fortunately, the Pro III is still going strong!