Best Car Vacuums for 2023, Tested

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For those of us who like our vehicles clean, a good car vacuum is essential.

We all know how annoying vacuuming your vehicle can be. There always seems to be dirt that won't come up or a few stray Cheez-Its under a seat, just out of reach. Worse yet is trying to accomplish this with a clumsy oversize shop vac or even your home upright vacuum. Good luck!

We set out to find the best car vacuum cleaner available to solve your car-cleaning needs. We lined up a test for the ages, pitting 14 vacuums of varying shapes and sizes against each other on as even a playing field as possible. The tests included noise readings, suction power, ease of disposal, battery life, and of course, how well they suck up different kinds of debris on a floor. Here's what we found.

Purchasing a vacuum specially designed for a car is a worthy investment, no matter how often you clean your ride's interior. They're usually lighter and more compact than a standard vacuum and come with attachments that allow you to get in the toughest nooks and crannies. Better yet, once all the Cheerios and beach sand are sucked up, dirt disposal is typically much easier than with larger vacuums.

Note on our floor-mat test: We lined up five different kinds of contaminants: fine sand, Cheerios, crushed-up Cheez-Its, potting soil, and pet hair. Then, in an effort to keep the test uniform and fair, we equipped each vacuum with a crevice attachment—whether built in or included separately. Because it's the most popular attachment to use when vacuuming your vehicle, we felt that it made sense to test them with that exclusively. Also, some of the smaller vacuums come out of the box with small mouth openings, so to test those against ones with larger mouths wouldn't have been fair.

It should be noted, then, when looking at the photo results of the floor-mat tests, that many vacuums came with attachments that would easily handle the larger chunks. While small openings produced higher suction readings, they really struggled against some of the large pieces.

So if you seriously want to cut down on time and effort when it comes to vacuuming out your ride, it's time to pony up some cash for a car vacuum. Some messes demand a more powerful machine, while for others a compact unit will suffice. But either way, it's better than lugging the vacuum out of your hall closet.

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Surprised? So were we. But there's no doubt—this is the best car vacuum we tested. While it lacked gold-star status in the suction and battery-life test, the trusty Black+Decker Dustbuster reigned supreme in our real-life floor-mat test. Black+Decker's renowned portable vacuum features a large mouth that had zero issues cleaning up all five of our test contaminants—just the sort of mess that's often found on a car floorboard. The opening was wide enough to avoid clogs and the collection chamber handled it all with ease. Dumping it is a breeze, too—without leaving anything stuck around the filter. We also liked the design of the stand-up charging base.

That said, it's not perfect. The battery life is low compared to the other contenders, so you'll have to hustle if you want to vacuum your entire interior. The Dustbuster is also on the loud side, with a high-pitched whistle that might make your dog squirm.

Despite those drawbacks, we chose the Dustbuster as our Best Overall Car Vacuum for its successful blend of price, performance, and household versatility.

Despite its relatively short battery life and high-pitched whine, the trusty Dustbuster really aced our floor-mat test. It's great for around the house. And the price is right.

Black+Decker performed well in our tests, as shown by its occupation of the top two spots. Again, the wide-mouthed crevice opening did very well against our five contaminants, but the most attractive feature is the pivot function, hence the name.

The long crevice opening, paired with up to 200 degrees of pivot angle, allows the Black+Decker Pivot to get into typically unaccessible places. Battery life is so-so, coming in at just around 11 minutes, and the noise level is pretty average.

Our one knock on the Pivot comes when dumping the dust. Due to its design, the small intake channel gets clogged with large particles quite easily as they try to get around the filter. Be prepared to empty it a few times if you're tackling big chunks.

Aside from that, the Pivot does an excellent job cleaning cars quickly, and the pivoting function offers unique angles.

The Pivot worked well—until it inevitably became clogged. We like the clever design and extendable crevice tool, though.

You'll feel like Rambo throwing this bad boy over your shoulder, but—by golly—it does the job. Resembling some sort of jet engine activated by a chunky, old-school toggle switch, the MetroVac Vac N Blo Compact Wall Mount is a true beast.

While it's meant to be mounted onto your garage's wall, this vacuum comes with a handy shoulder strap that we prefer. (Make sure you don't bonk it into the vehicle as you work.) The vacuum comes with a plethora of attachments, but we used the crevice tool for our floor-mat test—where it underachieved against the big pieces.

When it comes to power, the Vac N Blo scored highly while somehow keeping the noise levels lower than most of the handheld vacuums. However, the 10-pound weight does get heavy, and emptying the filter is a chore—we had to manually remove it and shake the pieces out, which proved to be an endeavor on its own.

If you're not playing around and need to clean your car with power, look no further.

The Vac N Blo is ideal for vacuuming van/RV interiors and truck beds. It's bigger and heavier than most, but the blow-drying function is a feature you don't get from most handheld vacs.

The Dyson V8 gets brownie points for also being usable in the home; only needing one vacuum to clean everything is a plus in our book. While there are plenty of bright spots—it's quiet, emptying the waste is a breeze, swapping attachments is simple—it underwhelms as a standalone car vacuum.

The battery life is the big negative on the V8. It's equipped with two different power levels, and max power lasted just under eight minutes in our test. Shocked, we charged the battery again for 24 hours, and once again, it lasted the same amount of time. This is a problem, as the weaker, longer-lasting power isn't sufficient enough to get most sand and dirt out of carpeted floor mats when used with the crevice tool—let alone vacuum more than a room or two in the home.

Speaking of crevice tools, the V8's is criminally small and really struggled against large pieces. For a home/car vacuum, it works—but we wouldn't recommend dropping this kind of cash to use it strictly for your vehicle.

Despite its unique design and around-home functionality, when it comes to cleaning up floorboards the Dyson V8 doesn't quite live up to the hype surrounding the brand.

Milwaukee really makes everything these days, so we had to try the Milwaukee M18 Cordless Vacuum. Right off the bat, you're looking at the winner of our battery-life test—the M18 RedLithium XC5.0 beating all of the contenders with a healthy 23-minute, 24-second time.

The collection chamber is nice and large, and emptying it is simple. The vacuum doesn't produce that much noise either—but all of the excess air blows out from the top, so expect a warm breeze as you use it.

The crevice attachment is sadly skinny, and it struggled against Cheerios and Cheez-Its, as seen in the photo below. Weighing in at nearly six pounds, it does get the forearms burning after extended use.

The other knock is you'll need Milwaukee's proprietary M18 battery and charger, sold separately. But if you already have other Milwaukee M18 tools, the battery works with this vacuum like a charm. For a long cleaning session, this is the way to go.

If you're already a Milwaukee acolyte, you're good to go. If not, you'll need to purchase an M18 battery and charger separately. The same holds true with all rechargeable tool systems.

The DeWalt 20-Volt Max Cordless Vacuum competed nicely with the Milwaukee vac, but the yellow machine was edged out in certain areas. Notably, battery life from the 20V Max XR Lithium Ion was not as impressive as the Milwaukee M18's, but it was still good enough for a comfortable second in our testing.

The DeWalt's crevice tool also struggled against large chunks, and emptying the vac was a tad trickier. However, the DeWalt is lighter, and more of the weight is over the middle of the machine—which helped with wrist fatigue.

Our verdict? Get whichever machine you already have batteries for—the DeWalt and the Milwaukee are similar enough in price and performance. Even companies like Bosch, Makita, and Ryobi offer handheld vacuums along with the power tools in their respective proprietary rechargeable-battery lines, and most offer optional power packs that increase run time even further. These rechargeable-battery systems really work—but they only make sense if you go all-in on one brand.

If you already own a system of cordless rechargeable Li-ion hand/power tools, then that's the brand you should go with when buying a car vacuum. They generally outperform household handheld vacs but require a proprietary battery and charger, sold separately.

If there were a prize for the best packaging, the Eufy by Anker HomeVac H30 would take the cake. Getting this thing open was like unboxing a royal relic. Luckily, the sleek machine within backed up all the fuss, ranking as our best wand-style vacuum.

Immediately, the narrow opening gave the vacuum issues with big chunks, causing clogs. However, it handled the small stuff with ease. Surprisingly powerful in its high-power mode, the H30 also produces higher-than-average noise levels.

Battery life on max power lasted 10 minutes, 6 seconds; in Eco mode, it lasted just over 22 minutes. Emptying the dirt from the vacuum is a tad tricky the first time, but once you figure out how the machine comes apart, cleaning the filter is a piece of cake.

Due to its simple usability, light weight, and powerful suction, the Eufy by Anker HomeVac H30 is our choice for quickly taking care of small messes in your car.

The HomeVac H30 features a sleek design and a cool, pseudo-carbon-fiber finish. Even the box it comes in is clever.

The Shark Ultralight Pet Pro competed with the Dyson V8 for the title of dual-use champion. (They both also feature a fun, gun-like design that resembles a blaster from a sci-fi movie.) The Dyson emerged victorious for one reason—it can do everything the Shark can, without a power cord. The one bright spot? The Shark's crevice tool is far superior to the Dyson's, as shown in the picture below—the Shark left nearly nothing behind.

While it's fun to point and make pew-pew noises, the Ultralight proved to be heavy on the wrist, as all of the weight is in front of the hand. At 25 feet, the cord is plenty long, but yanking it all over the car as you work gets old quickly. While it performed well in our testing, the corded Shark seems stuck in the past when it comes to portably vacuuming your car.

If it weren't for its power cord, the Ultralight would have competed for Best Overall on our list. It is fun to play with, however, which might inspire the kids to help out when it comes time to clean the minivan.

Most of us aren't professional car cleaners or shop owners. But if you are, it might be time to upgrade to the Bissell Garage Pro. This wall-mounted wet/dry vacuum/blower isn't portable in the slightest but makes up for it with supreme power and a 32-foot-long hose.

Once the Garage Pro is mounted, the professional-grade features become available. The hose is more than long enough to wrap around a vehicle and comes with tons of attachments. The dirt tank is simple to empty, and a nice protective cover over the power button is designed to keep it clean.

It's the loudest vacuum of the bunch, but that's expected because of the fantastic suction power. It sucked up just about everything with the crevice tool, leaving behind only a few stray chunks.

The Garage Pro won't be for everyone, but it's a great investment for professional detailers, shop owners, or someone who cleans cars frequently.

If you've been thinking about a wall-mounted wet/dry vacuum/blower for your garage or shop, the Garage Pro is a solid investment.

The Shark WandVac is another lightweight wand vacuum with a sexy, sleek design that excelled with small messes but struggled against anything beyond that. The battery life is quite poor, but the noise is tolerable. The vacuum's mouth opening just isn't designed to handle Cheerios or any other modestly sized objects that may end up on your floorboard. It's great for home or office, but not so much for the car.

One note we had is that small bits of dirt and other debris sprinkled out the bottom when we powered off the vacuum. This seemed to be due to some sort of issue with the seal around the dirt-chamber-release door on the bottom. It is possible that we received a faulty unit. Again, it's usable for small touch-up messes on your dashboard or seats but not much else in a vehicle.

The WandVac couldn't pick up Cheez-Its, Cheerios, or even potting soil. It did well with the sand and pet hair, though.

Collin Morgan is an Associate Commerce Editor at Hearst Autos, where the former Rust Belt mechanic and gadget enthusiast presents the best gear for your automotive endeavors.

Jon Langston is an avid motorcyclist and gear collector whose work has appeared in Men's Journal, Cycle World, The Drive, Rider, Iron & Air, Motorcyclist, and more.

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