The 5 Best Car Vacuums of 2024

The best car vacuum cleaner we've tested is the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. While this isn't the smallest handheld vacuum, it's still compact enough to stow away easily on a garage shelf or even in the trunk of your vehicle. It's also very lightweight yet still feels solidly built. 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 quite large for a handheld model, so you won't need to empty it at the end of every cleaning session. The CH951 variant comes with a crevice tool for dealing with debris in tight corners and a miniature turbo brush.

Unfortunately, the brush is bulky and has difficulty picking up pet hair on fabric surfaces. Its battery life of a little over 10 minutes is also pretty poor, even by the standards of other handheld vacuums; the battery also isn't replaceable, so you can't swap in a new pack if performance degrades over time. It also does a terrible job of sealing in fine particles, which can easily escape from its exhaust. If that's an issue, consider the Wyze Handheld Vacuum, which does a much better job of trapping allergens. It's also one of the best car vacuums wseève tested, but it struggles with bulkier material compared to the Shark, which can clog its suction inlet.

The Black+Decker 16V MAX dustbuster Cordless Hand Vacuum is the best cordless car vacuum we've tested that balances cost and performance. Unlike the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+, it doesn't come with a turbo brush attachment, making it a little annoying to clean larger carpeted or upholstered areas, like seats or carpet mats. It also takes much longer to recharge than the Shark and has a similarly short battery life of around 10 minutes. Another common downside it shares with the Shark is that its battery pack isn't replaceable; you can't swap it out without disassembling the vacuum first.

But there are lots of positive features, too. It's cheaper than the Shark, uses a less expensive filter, and has an even higher-capacity dustbin that you won't need to empty as often. Despite its bulkier size, it still doesn't weigh much, so you can easily carry it wherever you need it. 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 built-in hard-bristle brush for scrubbing away stuck-on dirt from seats or any plastic surfaces, and the brush stows away when not in use, so you don't have to worry about misplacing the attachment.

If portability is the most important feature to you, then get the BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim, the best portable car vacuum we've tested. While its super-small design limits the amount of debris it can hold, especially compared to a larger model like the Black+Decker 16V MAX dustbuster Cordless Hand Vacuum, it's much easier to use in tight spaces, like the inside of a compact car. In fact, it's small enough that you can even stand it upright in an extra-large cupholder. This vacuum feels well-built, especially for a handheld at this price point, with a body made from high-grade plastic, and its simple design makes emptying its tiny dustbin or accessing its filters easy. Its battery life is about 15 minutes, longer than any of our more expensive picks above.

In terms of accessories, it comes with a crevice tool to extend your reach in the crevices between seats and in cupholders, not to mention a slide-on soft-bristle brush for cleaning plastic surfaces that scratch easily, like your car's center console. Unfortunately, like the Black+Decker above, 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. Also, while it's highly effective at clearing away pet hair and lightweight debris, bulky material, similar in size to cereal pieces, can easily clog its narrow suction inlet—you'll want to clear away any large debris by hand or with a broom before you clean with it.

A shop vac can be a great investment if you want a vacuum that can handle dry and wet messes inside your car. 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. It's relatively compact for a workshop vacuum, so you can stow it away on a shelf or under a work table when not in use. That said, it's still much bulkier than a conventional handheld like the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+, so you might have trouble fitting it within the confines of your car. The benefit of this larger design is a much greater debris capacity and a far more powerful suction motor, allowing it to clear away heavy debris and liquids ⁠easily—just make sure to remove the filter before cleaning up wet messes.

Of course, the downside of its greater debris capacity is that it makes the vacuum somewhat hard to carry around as it fills up. Also worth noting is that while there's a crevice tool to extend your reach, its hose is still very short, making it difficult to clean the furthest recesses of your car's interior or tight spots, like underneath seats. Finally, while the included 4.0 Ah battery only supplies enough power for roughly 15 minutes of runtime, you can easily swap out the depleted battery for a fully charged one, which is likely something you already have if you own any other RYOBI One+ products like a cordless drill or reciprocating saw.

If you want a corded vacuum to avoid running out of charge while cleaning your car, get the Eureka Mighty Mite. It has a short power cord, so you'll probably need an extension cord to clean hard-to-reach spots in your car, but its lightweight design makes it easy to pick up and carry around compared to most conventional canister vacuums. Despite its affordable price point, it has a reasonably potent 12-amp motor, so it has little trouble lifting heavier debris or material embedded within 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, though it doesn't include a mini turbo brush. The vacuum has a simple design, so you can quickly dispose of its dirtbag once it fills up and replace the filter.

Unfortunately, the Eureka's build quality isn't especially impressive; most parts are made of cheap-feeling plastic, which isn't surprising given its bargain price. 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 wedge them together very tightly. 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.