The 5 Best Car Vacuums - Winter 2022 Reviews

The best cordless car vacuum with a handheld design that we've tested is the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. This handheld vacuum's cordless design allows you to clean every part of your car's interior without having to worry about staying close to an electrical outlet. Its plastic construction is lightweight and feels quite sturdy.

This vacuum delivers fantastic performance on low-pile carpet, with minimal loss of suction power as its dirt compartment fills up, which is good if you have a couple of messes to deal with inside your car. It comes with a turbo brush to help clean upholstered surfaces, as well as a crevice tool to clear debris in tight corners, not to mention a hard-bristle brush that you can use to dislodge particularly stubborn debris from different surfaces.

Unfortunately, this vacuum doesn't have an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, which could be a disappointment if you have a heavily shedding pet. This vacuum's battery life of a little over 10 minutes also forces you to work quickly, though it's worth noting that battery life can vary in the real world. Still, its mix of portability and performance make it one of the best vacuum cleaners with good suction we've tested.

The best handheld HEPA vacuum for cars that we've tested is the Dyson Humdinger. This compact vacuum has an allergen-trapping HEPA filter, and as long as you regularly clean it, you shouldn't need to worry about any recurring costs. It's also easy to take apart and reassemble during routine maintenance. It easily cleans pet hair on low-pile carpet and does a good job dealing with very fine debris, but you still might need to make another pass to clear it all.

This vacuum can provide up to roughly 30 minutes of runtime on a single charge, giving you plenty of time to spot-clean parts of your car's interior, though its battery life can drop by a noticeable amount if you run it continuously in its 'MAX' suction mode. It comes with a turbo brush to easily clear debris on seats and other upholstered surfaces, as well as a combination crevice tool/soft-bristle dusting brush and a dedicated 'Worktop' tool for dealing with debris on flat, even surfaces.

Unfortunately, this vacuum doesn't feel especially sturdy, especially its clear plastic dustbin. It's worth mentioning that this dirt compartment is also very small, so you need to empty it after almost every cleaning session. Still, if you're looking for a compact vacuum with a HEPA filter for vacuuming inside your car, this is an excellent choice.

The best vacuum for cars we've tested with a stick/handheld design is the Dyson V8 Animal. This vacuum easily cleats pet hair as well as large and fine debris on carpeted surfaces. Its lack of a dirtbag and washable, reusable pre-filter and post-motor HEPA filter help keep recurring costs to a minimum. Depending on your choice of suction power mode and attachments, you can expect roughly 10 to 40 minutes of runtime on a single charge, which should be sufficient for cleaning most cars' interiors.

This lightweight stick/handheld vacuum's cordless design enables you to easily vacuum all parts of your car without having to stay close to an electrical outlet. You can also detach its wand to use it as a handheld vacuum and deal with messes in tight corners. It comes with some attachments, including a turbo brush, a dedicated upholstery, and a 180-degree pivot extender to reach messes in tight corners.

Unfortunately, this vacuum's mainly plastic construction feels rather fragile in places, especially its clear plastic dustbin. There are also quite a few parts that need regular cleaning. Otherwise, its portable design and strong performance make it one of the best cordless vacuums for pet hair that we've tested.

The best vacuum for cars in the budget category that we've tested is the Eureka Mighty Mite. This bagged canister vacuum is lightweight and fairly compact, making it easier to pick and move closer to your car. You can use it in a semi-handheld configuration by detaching a section of its wand and fitting the included crevice tool or combination hard-bristle brush/upholstery tool in place instead.

This vacuum clears pet hair and larger debris like sand from low-pile carpet without difficulty. While you might need to do an extra pass to fully clear fine debris like baking soda from this surface type, its overall performance in this regard is still impressive. The suction performance also remains very consistent as its dirtbag fills up, which is good if you have several large messes to clean. It's remarkably easy to maintain, with very few parts that you need to clean regularly.

Unfortunately, its pre-motor filter and dirtbag need replacing periodically, so recurring costs are somewhat high. Its power cord is fairly short, which can make it difficult to clean the inside of your car if you're parked far away from an electrical outlet. Still, if you're looking for a compact canister vacuum that can easily deal with messes inside your car, this is a great option.