The 5 Best Car Vacuums – Summer 2023: Reviews
- Table of Contents
- Intro
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Best Vacuum
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Best Mid-Range
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Best Budget
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Best Shop
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Best Corded
- Notable Mentions
- Recent Updates
- All Reviews
- Discussions
Updated Jun 19, 2023 at 03:39 pm
By Evan Jakab
No matter how hard you try to avoid or prevent it, keeping your car completely clean is impossible. Kids accidentally drop snacks on the floor while pets shed or leave mud prints on the upholstery. Luckily, a vacuum designed for cleaning your car’s interior can help make your automobile feel like it’s dealership-new once again. These vacuums tend to be very portable and lightweight. They also favor better performance on low-pile carpet over other surface types, and they come with several tools to help you reach more difficult areas like crevices.
We’ve tested over 130 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best vacuums for cleaning cars to buy. These picks were selected based on their performance on different types of surfaces and their feature set, battery life, and price. For more recommendations, look at our lists of the best vacuums, the best cordless vacuums, and the best vacuums for pet hair.
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Best Car Vacuum
Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+
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Cars
8.3
Vacuum Type
Handheld
Bagless
Yes
Cordless
Yes
Anti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)
No
Wet Compatible
No
See all our test results
The best vacuum for cars we’ve tested is the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+.
It’s small enough to be easily stowed away on a garage shelf or even in the trunk of your vehicle. It’s also very lightweight, so you can carry it around with little effort, but thankfully doesn’t feel overly cheap or flimsy. It does a fantastic job of handling debris on flat, hard surfaces and is impressively effective in dealing with messes on carpeting and floor mats. Its dirt compartment is spacious for a handheld model, so you only need to empty it occasionally. Unfortunately, its battery life of a little over 10 minutes isn’t especially noteworthy, even by the standards of other handheld vacuums, so you’ll need to work fast when cleaning out your car. Worse, the battery isn’t designed to be removed or replaced, so you can’t swap in a new pack if the current unit’s performance degrades over time.This CH951 variant of this vacuum has a crevice tool for dealing with debris in tight corners and a miniature turbo brush, though the latter is pretty unwieldy and has a hard time picking up pet hair on fabric surfaces.
The vacuum also does a terrible job of capturing fine debris. For a similarly designed model with HEPA-level filtration and much longer battery life, albeit at a much higher price point, the iRobot h2 is the best handheld vacuum for car use we’ve tested. The reason it’s not our main pick is because of its very high price, especially for a handheld vacuum, and its much smaller dirt compartment.See our review
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Best Mid-Range Vacuum For Cars
Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum
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Cars
8.1
Vacuum Type
Handheld
Bagless
Yes
Cordless
Yes
Anti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)
No
Wet Compatible
No
See all our test results
The Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum is the best vacuum for cars at a mid-range price that we’ve tested.
Unlike the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+, it doesn’t come with a turbo brush attachment, which makes it a little trickier to clean larger carpeted and upholstered areas. It also takes much longer to recharge and has a similarly short battery life of about 10 minutes. It shares a common downside with the Shark in the form of its non-replaceable battery pack too, so you can’t swap out the pack without disassembling the vacuum first. All of that said, it’s not without its upsides. It’s cheaper than the Shark and has an even higher-capacity dustbin that won’t need emptying as often. Despite its bulkier size, it’s still very lightweight, so you can easily carry it around with minimal fatigue.This vacuum’s integrated extension wand/crevice tool makes it easier to clean tight spots, like between car seats and your center console or the depths of cup holders. It also has a flip-out hard-bristle brush for scrubbing away stuck-on dirt from seats or any plastic surfaces.
See our review
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Best Budget Vacuum For Cars
BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim
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Cars
8.
6Vacuum Type
Handheld
Bagless
Yes
Cordless
Yes
Anti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)
No
Wet Compatible
No
See all our test results
The BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim is a great choice if you’re shopping for a cheaper handheld. It can’t hold nearly as much debris as a larger handheld model like the Black+Decker dustbuster Hand Vacuum. Still, its extremely small size makes it even easier to use in cramped quarters, like the inside of a compact car—it’s small enough that you can even stand it upright in an extra-large cupholder. Like the Black+Decker, it doesn’t have a miniature turbo brush tool or even a wide-nozzle upholstery tool to clean larger fabric-lined or carpeted areas like the trunk or floor mats. However, there is a crevice tool to extend your reach between seats and in cupholders, not to mention a slide-on soft-bristle brush for cleaning delicate plastic surfaces, like your car’s center console.
This vacuum feels well-built, especially for a handheld at this price point. Its simple design makes emptying its tiny dustbin or accessing its filters effortless. Unfortunately, while it’s highly effective at clearing away pet hair and lightweight debris, bulky material like whole cereal pieces can easily clog its narrow suction inlet, so you’ll want to clear out any larger chunks of material beforehand. It can also only run for about 15 minutes on a charge, which gives you little time to clean bigger messes. That said, that short a run time isn’t unusual for a vacuum of this type.
See our review
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Best Shop Vacuum For Cars
RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry
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Cars
7.7
Vacuum Type
Handheld
Bagless
Yes
Cordless
Yes
Anti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)
No
Wet Compatible
Fully Compatible
See all our test results
If you want a vacuum that can handle dry and wet messes inside your car, you need a shop vac! The RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal.
Project Wet/Dry is a great option for this use and is among the best cordless car vacuums we’ve tested. While compact for a shop-oriented vacuum, it’s much bulkier than a conventional handheld like the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. The trade-off of this larger design is a much greater debris capacity and a far more powerful suction motor, which lets it easily clear away heavy debris and liquids—make sure to remove the filter before using it to clean up wet messes, though. While the included 4.0 Ah battery only supplies roughly 15 minutes of runtime, you can easily swap out the depleted battery for a higher-capacity unit or grab another pack if you have any other RYOBI One+ products in your home like a cordless drill or reciprocating saw.You can detach the hose and fold the grab handle flush against the top cover, allowing you to stow it on a large shelf or under a worktable. However, it can become somewhat hard to carry around as it fills up with debris, as the motor unit/canister body is meant for you to carry in one hand.
While there is a crevice tool to extend your reach, its hose is very short, which makes it difficult to clean the furthest recesses of your car’s interior.See our review
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Best Corded Car Vacuum
Eureka Mighty Mite
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Cars
8.1
Vacuum Type
Canister
Bagless
No
Cordless
No
Anti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)
No
Wet Compatible
No
See all our test results
To avoid running out of charge partway through cleaning your car, the Eureka Mighty Mite is still among the best portable car vacuums we’ve tested.
Right off the bat, it’s important to note that it has a short power cord, forcing you to use an extension cord to clean hard-to-reach spots in your car and making it trickier to clean tight areas when compared to a cordless handheld model like the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. Still, its lightweight design makes it easy to pick up and carry around. Despite its affordable price point, it has a reasonably potent 12-amp motor, resulting in a strong performance on hard surfaces and low-pile floormats. It also does a great job of clearing away pet hair on upholstered surfaces like car seats when used with its mini brush tool. The vacuum’s simple design lets you quickly dispose of its high-capacity dirtbag once it fills up and replace its filters.Unfortunately, build quality isn’t especially impressive, with most of its parts made of cheap-feeling plastic. While its long wand, made of two hollow plastic tubes, gives you a bit of added reach for cleaning tight spots, it’s worth noting those plastic tubes can easily fall apart if you don’t force them together tightly enough.
In addition, unlike an actual shop vacuum like the RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry, you can’t use it to clear away liquid spills.See our review
It’s small enough to be easily stowed away on a garage shelf or even in the trunk of your vehicle. It’s also very lightweight, so you can carry it around with little effort, but thankfully doesn’t feel overly cheap or flimsy. It does a fantastic job of handling debris on flat, hard surfaces and is impressively effective in dealing with messes on carpeting and floor mats. Its dirt compartment is spacious for a handheld model, so you only need to empty it occasionally. Unfortunately, its battery life of a little over 10 minutes isn’t especially noteworthy, even by the standards of other handheld vacuums, so you’ll need to work fast when cleaning out your car. Worse, the battery isn’t designed to be removed or replaced, so you can’t swap in a new pack if the current unit’s performance degrades over time.
The vacuum also does a terrible job of capturing fine debris. For a similarly designed model with HEPA-level filtration and much longer battery life, albeit at a much higher price point, the iRobot h2 is the best handheld vacuum for car use we’ve tested. The reason it’s not our main pick is because of its very high price, especially for a handheld vacuum, and its much smaller dirt compartment.
Unlike the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+, it doesn’t come with a turbo brush attachment, which makes it a little trickier to clean larger carpeted and upholstered areas. It also takes much longer to recharge and has a similarly short battery life of about 10 minutes. It shares a common downside with the Shark in the form of its non-replaceable battery pack too, so you can’t swap out the pack without disassembling the vacuum first. All of that said, it’s not without its upsides. It’s cheaper than the Shark and has an even higher-capacity dustbin that won’t need emptying as often. Despite its bulkier size, it’s still very lightweight, so you can easily carry it around with minimal fatigue.
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Project Wet/Dry is a great option for this use and is among the best cordless car vacuums we’ve tested. While compact for a shop-oriented vacuum, it’s much bulkier than a conventional handheld like the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. The trade-off of this larger design is a much greater debris capacity and a far more powerful suction motor, which lets it easily clear away heavy debris and liquids—make sure to remove the filter before using it to clean up wet messes, though. While the included 4.0 Ah battery only supplies roughly 15 minutes of runtime, you can easily swap out the depleted battery for a higher-capacity unit or grab another pack if you have any other RYOBI One+ products in your home like a cordless drill or reciprocating saw.
While there is a crevice tool to extend your reach, its hose is very short, which makes it difficult to clean the furthest recesses of your car’s interior.
Right off the bat, it’s important to note that it has a short power cord, forcing you to use an extension cord to clean hard-to-reach spots in your car and making it trickier to clean tight areas when compared to a cordless handheld model like the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. Still, its lightweight design makes it easy to pick up and carry around. Despite its affordable price point, it has a reasonably potent 12-amp motor, resulting in a strong performance on hard surfaces and low-pile floormats. It also does a great job of clearing away pet hair on upholstered surfaces like car seats when used with its mini brush tool. The vacuum’s simple design lets you quickly dispose of its high-capacity dirtbag once it fills up and replace its filters.
In addition, unlike an actual shop vacuum like the RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry, you can’t use it to clear away liquid spills.Notable Mentions
- Shark WANDVAC:
The Shark WANDVAC is among the best portable car vacuums we’ve tested, with a very good performance on low-pile carpets and much better air filtration performance than the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. However, it lacks a miniature turbo brush tool.
See our review - Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Hand Vacuum:
The Hoover ONEPWR Cordless Hand Vacuum is a solid alternative to the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ and uses a detachable battery pack that offers a longer runtime out of the box. However, compared to the Shark, the best cordless car vacuum we’ve tested, it doesn’t perform as well on carpeted surfaces and doesn’t come with a turbo brush.
See our review - Wyze Handheld Vacuum:
The Wyze Handheld Vacuum is among the best handheld vacuums for car use we’ve tested, as it offers HEPA filtration and a near-30-minute runtime on a single charge. That said, like the BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim, it struggles with bulky debris. Its availability is also somewhat limited.
See our review
Recent Updates
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Jun 19, 2023:
Ensured all main picks are still available and represent the best option for user needs. -
May 24, 2023:
Ensured all main picks are still available and represent the best option for user needs. -
Apr 28, 2023:
Minor in-text adjustments to improve clarity of information.
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Mar 29, 2023:
Verified that all main picks still represent the best fit for user needs. -
Mar 03, 2023:
Ensured all main picks are still available and represent the best choice for user needs.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best vacuums to clean the inside of your car. We don’t just base our results on overall performance, but also on factors like availability, price, and reader feedback.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our vacuum reviews, ranked by their suitability for car cleaning. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no vacuum is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
Best Car Upholstery Wet-Dry Vacuum Cleaners For 2023 – Forbes Home
Vehicle interiors are basically rolling storage lockers for the detritus of our lives. If you eat, drink or transport pets or messy items in your car, it’s going to get dirty in a jiffy. From spilled coffee to errant French fries and from pet fur to good old-fashioned dirt, if left to accumulate unchecked, can cause some difficult-to-correct issues.
The solution is a regular maintenance regimen, one that includes a heavy-duty upholstery cleaner—otherwise known as a wet-dry vacuum. While spray and wipe products are fine for quick clean-ups and detailing, most daily drivers accumulate dirt, oil, debris and errant fast-food condiments rapidly; left to settle even for a brief period and you’ll need a pro-quality wet-dry vac to remove them.
Most upholstery cleaners work like dry vacuums with the added benefit of the capability to apply a deep-penetrating soap and water solution to impregnate the fabric—and in turn, encapsulate the stain—and then extract the entire mess with powerful suction.
Because they are designed to distribute and hold liquids, these vacuums have two tanks to separate clean and dirty water; one need only look at the “dirty” tank for evidence of how effectively they work. There are slight differences among the units, however, as some include a scrubbing action, steam or require the cleaning agent to dry before extract.
Regardless of type, the cleaning talents of these devices are far superior to simple spray and wipe solutions.
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The 5 Best Car Upholstery Wet-Dry Vacuum Cleaners
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Bissell Little Green Pro Portable Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner
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Hoover CleanSlate Plus Carpet & Upholstery Spot Cleaner
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Kenmore KW2001 Portable Carpet Spot Cleaner
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Bissell Big Green Professional Carpet Cleaner
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Dupray One Plus Steam Cleaner
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Methodology
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What are the Different Types of Upholstery Cleaners?
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How do You Use These Wet-Dry Cleaners?
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What Kinds of Stains Can Be Cleaned?
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Information provided on Forbes Home is for educational purposes only.
The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
Forbes Home adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
How to choose a car vacuum cleaner?
A clean and tidy car interior can say a lot about its owner. First of all, to characterize him as a neat and caring motorist who loves his faithful four-wheeled friend. However, full-fledged cleaning in the cabin is almost impossible without one small but powerful car accessory – a vacuum cleaner. About what to look for when choosing, we will tell today.
Some motorists believe that cleaning in the car can be done with the help of a conventional vacuum cleaner used in everyday life. However, in cleaning the interior, he is unlikely to be able to compete with a special car vacuum cleaner.
First, car vacuum cleaners do not need to be plugged into an outlet. The power source is at hand – it is a car cigarette lighter or a built-in battery. Secondly, the kit with a car vacuum cleaner includes a large number of different nozzles designed to clean the most inaccessible places in the cabin. And finally, car vacuum cleaners are much more compact than usual, so they can always be put in the trunk of a car, where they do not take up much space.
So, how to choose a car vacuum cleaner? There are several parameters that you need to pay attention to.
No. 1. Vacuum cleaner power supply. According to this criterion, vacuum cleaners are divided into three types:
– powered by a cigarette lighter. As a rule, vacuum cleaners with this type of power supply are characterized by increased power and, therefore, a high cleaning capacity. In addition, they can work indefinitely – as long as the battery charge lasts. The disadvantage of such vacuum cleaners is that prolonged operation can drain the car battery.
In addition, the cord connecting the cigarette lighter and the vacuum cleaner to some extent limits the maneuverability and range of the cleaned space.
– powered by built-in battery. These vacuum cleaners are usually compact and easy to maintain, as well as the greatest maneuverability. However, the battery lasts, as a rule, only for 20-30 minutes. And the power of the vacuum cleaner leaves much to be desired, so it does not cope with heavy debris very well, removing, for example, wool or sand.
– combined power supply from cigarette lighter and battery. Vacuum cleaners with combined power successfully combine the advantages of the other two varieties mentioned above, but they are certainly more expensive.
No. 2. Vacuum cleaner power. Vacuum cleaners of two types are most often found in the assortment of stores: low-powered ones (designed for 50-75 W) and vacuum cleaners whose power exceeds 80 W. The first type is lightweight, small and economical.
However, heavy pollution such vacuum cleaners are often beyond the power. Low-power vacuum cleaners are designed for infrequent use for cosmetic cleaning of the interior from dust. More powerful samples are good for use in commercial vehicles or for regular overhaul cleaning of the interior. But you need to be prepared for the fact that such vacuum cleaners consume a lot of energy and “plant” the battery.
No. 3. Dust collector device. There are two options here – bag or container. The first option is less convenient, but vacuum cleaners with a bag as a dust collector, as a rule, are cheaper. The container dust collector is much more practical. It is easy to install and remove. The capacity of the container is from 0.2 to 0.7 liters. But it is not always worth chasing a capacious dust collector, because the larger its volume, the less compact the vacuum cleaner itself is.
No. 4. Destination . When choosing a car vacuum cleaner, you also need to consider what type of interior cleaning it will be intended for – dry or wet.
For example, only a washing vacuum cleaner can remove small puddles from melted snow on rugs. Therefore, it is especially convenient when used in winter. But, of course, washing vacuum cleaners also have their drawbacks, which are, first of all, in their rather bulky size. Vacuum cleaners for dry cleaning can be equipped with HEPA filters or aqua filters. The first contribute to the retention of allergens and harmful substances, the second – to reduce the number of dust particles when air exits the vacuum cleaner.
No. 5. Cord length . Please note that the 2 m cords are suitable for cleaning small vehicles. For minivans and SUVs, the cord length should be within 3-5 m. If the cable length is insufficient, an alternative may be the possibility of working from built-in batteries or buying an additional extension cord for the cigarette lighter.
No. 6. The number of additional nozzles. Vacuum cleaner attachments provide the most mobile work and access to even the most inaccessible places.
So, for example, the crevice nozzle will help when cleaning corners, seams and crevices in the car interior. The brush nozzle is useful for softer cleaning of upholstery. The turbo brush, powered by a separate electric motor, is used to clean the most dirty areas or remove wool from the fleecy surface of the upholstery. The retractable bristle nozzle is used for cleaning carpets. As you can see, each of the nozzles for a car vacuum cleaner has its own purpose.
So, we have listed the main characteristics that you need to pay attention to when choosing a car vacuum cleaner. However, to a greater extent, it all depends on how much money you are willing to spend on the purchase of this accessory. Well, in order to choose the best option for the price-quality ratio, we recommend contacting the consultants of the AKS store, who will be happy to answer all your questions. Happy shopping!
Car vacuum cleaner, wet and dry, 3 nozzles, model VC-108B (id 94962093)
Characteristics and description
Car vacuum cleaner VC-108B helps to efficiently and quickly clean the car interior from dust and dirt.
Modern filtration system combined with a powerful 150W motor for high-quality cleaning, both wet and dry.
3 removable nozzles expand the possibilities of using the vacuum cleaner, allowing you to reach even hard-to-reach places.
Does not take up much space, easy to carry in the trunk. Carry case included.
The included crevice nozzle makes it possible to clean the spaces between the backrest and the seat, where a lot of dust and small debris tend to accumulate.
Large, transparent dust container allows you to control the filling.
The washable, reusable vacuum cleaner filter is durable and does not need to be replaced during its lifetime.
Specifications of VC-108B car vacuum cleaner
- Cleaning type: Dry and wet
- Type of dust collector: Container
- Filter type: Reusable HEPA filter
- Power supply: from car mains
- Suction power, W: 150
- Vacuum: 5000Pa
- Material: ABS plastic
- Voltage: DC12V
- Noise: <70 dB
- Height: 160 mm
- Width: 400 mm
- Weight: 1.
