Stubborn dirt and dust are pretty hard to remove when it sticks to your vehicle’s carpet. Even the small food pieces (Yes, food! Moms and Dads, you know a lot about this!) stuck between tight spaces and crevices inside the car are so difficult to remove.
Don’t’ you think those kids are intentionally placing those crumbs on those tight spaces to make our lives difficult? Or maybe, they are saving for later, in case they get hungry on your way somewhere.
Or is it the dogs that leave their fur? Anyhow, the point is, there is stuff stuck on difficult to reach areas.
With a properly sized brush, you can reach these tight spaces. However, it would take a lot of time! Imagine brushing those food crumbs on the car floor, how are you going to clean them off without a trace? It’s not totally impossible, but, would you dedicate an hour to cleaning your car interiors if you could do it in five minutes with a vacuum?
The good thing is, technological advancement has made things easy for us! The invention of vacuum cleaner is not really a quantum leap that we celebrate in history. But I’m pretty sure most of you, if not all, would agree that it has significantly shortened cleaning time!
However, today’s market is diluted with products that don’t work that well or even breaks easily. Let me help you with that. Let’s take a look at the things you must consider when selecting the right vacuum cleaner for you before I give you the top 10 list!
List of Top-rated Car Vacuums
We took the courtesy of listing out the best of them all. Here’s a summary of the ten best vacuums you can get your hands on.
Item Name | Cordless | Wall Socket Plug | Cigarette Lighter Plug | Battery Replacement | Motor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A | 14.4V | ||
Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A" | 25W | ||
No | Yes | No | N/A | 1200W | ||
No | Yes | N/A | N/A | 500W | ||
No | N/A | Yes | N/A | 12V | ||
Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A | 15.6V | ||
No | Yes | N/A | N/A | 550W | ||
Yes | N/A | N/A | Yes | 20V | ||
No | N/A | Yes | N/A | 12V | ||
No | N/A | Yes | N/A | 12V |
Which Car Vacuum Is Right For You?
What is it that we want our car vacuum cleaners must have? Portable and powerful. Those two things are at the top of the list of criteria. However, there are some other things that you must consider to make sure that you get to have the right vacuum cleaner for your style and intended use.
Portability
No doubt, one of the top things you want for your car vacuum is portability. Vacuum cleaners have to be light and easy to move around. Most of the time, portability means handheld vacuum cleaners. However, that may not always be the case. When powerful vacuum cleaners are equipped with wheels and made with lightweight and durable materials, it can also be portable for some people.
Power
Of course, a vacuum cleaner would not be worthy to be called a vacuum cleaner if it doesn’t have enough power to suck dust, crumbs, and other debris from tight spaces. It is important to know how much power your vacuum cleaner has, to determine if it's up to the job you intend to use it.
Battery operated vacuum cleaners are excellent. It gives you the maximum portability. However, it may lack some power. It may also not be recommended for extended usage as the battery may not have enough juice for heavy tasks.
Battery And Wall Sockets
Battery operated vacuums are the most portable car vacuums you could get your hands on. However, they may not be the most consistent because the sucking power gradually weakens as the battery nears the end of its life.
Wall socket powered vacuums gives you consistent power as long as it is plugged. It gives you the same power over time and can help you do a lot of task without worrying about replacing or recharging batteries. However, you are tethered to where the power originates. It limits your range but gives you more power and thorough cleaning.
12V Power Outlet
Since car vacuums are mainly used for cars, why not use the car’s 12V power outlet? There are car vacuum models out there that have sincerely thought about its best use. These models are often smaller and have lesser power than wall socket powered vacuums. However, they may actually have better performance compared with battery-operated vacuums. Also, since it is plugged in a 12V power outlet, it has consistent power, and you would not have to worry about gradually declining performance.
Accessories
Vacuum cleaners are designed to suck out dirt, debris, crumbs, and other stuff stuck on tight and hard to reach areas. But without hoses, brushes, and different nozzles, working with a vacuum cleaner would still be difficult. It’s important to determine what standard accessories the vacuum comes with and if it is what you need.
Dimension
Some people may not be really concerned about the size of the vacuum cleaner especially those who have enough space to house them. But, if in case, you don’t have the luxury of space, a gadget that won’t eat up your closet space when stored would be great
Car Vacuums 2021
Now that you know how to choose a vacuum cleaner that will suit your needs, we have taken a further step to help you! We have researched and tested some of the best car vacuum cleaners to save you time! You don’t have to scour the internet and search for numerous websites to find what you need.
Bissell Cordless Hand and Car Vacuum
Pet Hair Car Vacuum
Bissell Inc. is a home care company that specializes in vacuum cleaners. The business was passed along the family, and they have been here for 142 years! That’s just eight years shy of one and a half decade! The innovative gadget started out frustration. The two got tired of the tedious cleaning process that they have to go through every time they are done with their crockery business. The electronic sweeper, known as the vacuum cleaner, was the solution they designed to shorten cleaning time.
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Product Features
Bissel’s model 1782 is a cordless handheld vacuum cleaner. It operates on battery and can be easily carried around while cleaning your car interiors. This portable vacuum does not employ a bag and has two stages of filter that separates dust and pet fur.
It is specially designed to sweep fur and dust easily. It has a 60watt motor powered by a rechargeable nickel battery. It only has a one-speed setting, and each battery cycle lasts about 12minutes.
It comes with a crevice tool that is designed to reach tight areas. The upholstery tool attracts fur and dirt with felt for a clean surface area. The motorized brush allows you to have a deeper clean while trapping fur and dirt with the felt covering.
Bissel backs their products with a one-year warranty.
Pros
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Black+Decker BDH2020FL Flex Vac
Best Home and Car Vacuum
More than a hundred years ago, two friends, Black and Decker, partnered and opened a machine shop. With their passion and dedication to machinery, they designed the first motorized drill with a pistol grip that massively reduces effort when drilling holes. Today, they are one of the top brands that manufacture power tools as well as consumer home and kitchen electronics.
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Product Features
This cordless portable vacuum is designed to address one of the most common problems of using vacuum cleaners. Using a corded vacuum machine and other motorized tool limits the distance you could go with the tool. This model allows you to move freely without worrying about getting tangled with the wire tethered to a wall socket.
It’s powered by a 24AW (air watts) suction that easily cleans dust, pet hair, crumbs, and other debris stuck on your car floor and tight spaces.
The ergonomic hand grip is designed to be isolated from the motor giving you more comfort while using it. The flexible hose wraps around the body of the vacuum allowing easy storage. The wrap-around design of the flexible hose also makes sure that it will not be misplaced on your closet.
The washable bowl can be easily emptied by opening the trap door on one side of the machine. With its state-of-the-art three-stage filter, it effectively traps dirt, dust, and debris inside the bowl. It comes with a pet brush attachment works pretty well and does what it intends to do. The rubbery tip rubs down furs and hairs stuck on carpets and upholstery.
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Shark Navigator Upright Vacuum
Best Lift-Away Vacuum
Shark® is a company owned by SkarkNinja that started in 1998. They specialize in small household electronics that aims to innovate and dominate the market with their cleaning solutions. With laser focus and unyielding effort, they managed to grab a fair share of the market of consumer electronics and has become known across America.
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Product Features
Shark Navigator Lift-Away is aimed to give the most convenience to users with just one vacuum. This model has tons of feature that can cover some simple mess up to major catastrophe. The lift-away design allows you to have a portable vacuum and an upright vacuum for all your needs.
This vacuum is tethered to a wall socket. However, the lift-away feature allows you to carry the vacuum canister around while cleaning your vehicle. It comes with a crevice tool for hard to reach areas and a wide pet upholstery tool that combs hair and pet fur for easier cleaning.
It comes with a 24” crevice tool that you can use on hard to reach tight areas. With this tool, you can reach and clean the ceiling effortlessly. The dusting brush it comes with swivels with ease to reach hard to reach the area and achieve thorough clean inside the house.
The dustbin is designed with a tight seal with HEPA filter. This vacuum trap dust and allergen inside the bin to make sure that you won’t get allergies!
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Metro Vacuum VM6BS500
Most Compact Wired Vacuum for Car Cleaning
Israel Stern started out Metro Vacuum with his wife Pearl using a fifty-dollar gift that her dad gave them in 1939. Can you imagine what company you could put up with fifty dollars? Israel was an innovative man who used to work for a floor care company. When he left his work, he was determined to put up his own company using his extensive knowledge in floor cleaners.
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Product Features
Metro Vacuum’s VM6BS500 is a compact cleaner that weighs less than three pounds. For its size, it’s a little hard to imagine how they managed to put in a 500watt motor inside the bullet-shaped body. The stainless body gives this vacuum a professional and stylish look, so you could have it laying around the house without getting your eyes sore.
This product is one of the most compact and one of the lightest wired vacuum cleaners in the market. The design is straightforward and very easy to use. The handle is attached on the elongated side of the cylinder. Two studs opposite the handle prevent the unit from rolling while resting on any surface.
It comes with multiple tools that help you thoroughly clean the interiors of your vehicle. Every unit comes with an upholstery tool, an elongated nozzle that helps you reach tight nooks and crevices, a dust brush, and a shoulder strap. It has an 11-foot wire that gives you maneuverability while tethered to a wall socket.
This unit uses a small bag inside the canister. Although bagless vacuums are trending, Metropolitan Vacuum sticks with the unmatched suction power and not worry about clogging filters.
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Black+Decker BDH1200PVAV
Pivoting Vacuum Cleaner
Black+Decker is one of the most notable brands of consumer electronics from America that is known across the globe. Using customer feedbacks, they have managed to improve their products according to what really is applicable for end users. With this strategy, they have earned success and became one of the most trusted brands in the world.
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Product Features
This device is a handheld wired vacuum cleaner that has an ergonomic handle. The control switches are situated near the hand grip and can be operated with using your thumb while firmly holding the handle. It has a pivoting straight nozzle that is attached directly to the body of the vacuum cleaner.
The nozzle pivots and conforms according to the angle you need to serve you well. The flat nozzle has a retractable nozzle hidden inside that extends a few inches to extend the reach. It comes with an extension hose with a brush tip that can be attached to the nozzle.
It comes with a 16-foot wire that allows you to circle around your vehicle without getting tangled. It is powered by your cigarette lighter, so you would not need extension cords plugged to a nearby wall socket. When done using, the nozzle tip can be folded to the body to make it smaller and easy to store inside the vehicle.
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Dirt Devil M0914
The Smallest Hand Vacuum Cleaner
Dirt Devil is another company with a humble beginning. Before they were one of North America’s top brand, they used to operate a repair shop in a garage. From garage repairs, now they operate manufacturing companies that design and innovates household cleaning materials and turn them to Dirt Devils.
Product Features
M0914 is a simple handheld vacuum that operates on battery. It has over a hundred watts of power output and has a large canister for less frequent emptying. This beak-shaped vacuum cleaner weighs a little over 3lbs and is easy to carry around.
It has enough power to suck all the dirt trapped inside your vehicle! The Quick Flip™ crevice tool can be easily deployed and retracted with a single flip. You won’t ever lose the crevice tool because it stays in place and attached to the body of the vacuum cleaner.
Because of its small and compact size, storing it is not a problem.
Pros
Cons
CarrandAutoSpa 94005AS
Most Powerful Powered Vacuum Cleaner for Car
Carrand debuted in 1982 and became known as one of the leading brands in the market. They make sure that they design, innovate, invent, reinvent and update their products to make sure that every customer is happy with their cleaning tools.
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Product Features
Carrand’s 94005AS is fitted with a 550watts motor that sucks up dirt, debris, fur, and dust. With 550watts of power, you get to have an excellent car vacuum and a household vacuum cleaner. This device is fitted with a 12-foot wire to give you maneuverability while tethered to a wall socket.
It comes with a dash brush, a crevice tool, and an upholstery tool that gives it a wide range of usage. The brushes it comes with makes an excellent tool for carpet and fur. The crevice tool helps you clean hard to reach an area with ease. It comes with a 40-inch hose that extends your reach.
The motor is housed in a bulky enclosure that is also designed to hold the accessories. When you are done using this vacuum cleaner, you can attach all the accessories to the body to keep it tidy.
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Hoover BH52160PC
Lightest Battery Operated Vacuum Cleaner
Hoover is an Ohio-based US company that designs, innovate, and manufactures vacuum floor cleaners. William Henry Hoover founded this company 110 years ago and had been producing excellent cordless and wired vacuum cleaners. With more than a century of experience in the market, they have become one of the leading brands that you can trust.
Product Features
Hoover’s BH52160PC is a cordless vacuum cleaner that weighs 2.1lbs. Without a cord, you are free to move around the car or home hassle free. This device has a clear canister that has a .7liter capacity. It operates on a detachable 20V Lithium-Ion battery that eliminates the problem with fading power. You get to have consistent suction power until your battery runs out of juice.
Its lightweight construction enables you to do more without strain and even reach high places with ease. It comes with multiple tools lets you clean the tight spaces between car seats. The turbo tool is a great device you can use to thoroughly clean your car’s interior carpet and get rid of dust. This tool also removes pet fur and hair with ease.
The filter system effectively traps dust and protect the motor from debris. The filter is washable which eliminates the need to buy filters after every few usages.
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Vacplus Car Vacuum Cleaner
Most Affordable Car Vacuum Cleaner
Vacplus is one of the leading vacuum repair centers in Europe and has acquired years of expertise in their chosen field. With their extensive knowledge in repairing and reconditioning vacuum cleaners, they have decided to up their game and make their own. Today, aside from their services, they offer a selection of vacuum cleaners for car and home use.
Product Features
This little monster equipped with a 120watt wired motor that would help you suck up dirt, dust, debris, or whatever it is that is stuck inside the nooks and crevices of your car. Its 2.5lbs light and can easily fit under your seat if you have a roomy car.
The compact one-piece design combines the nozzle, the bin, motor, and handle in one piece. It comes with a crevice tool, brush tool, and an extension hose. These tools make cleaning a lot easier and allow you to reach tight spaces. When done, you can place it inside a nifty bag that comes with it, and you can stow it under your seat.
The best thing about this vacuum, of course, is the price. This product is affordable and won’t require you to rob a bank to purchase.
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Black+Decker BDH1200FVAV
Overall Best Car Vacuum
Wide Black+Decker’s extensive experience in the industry, you can rely on almost any product that comes from them. They have a huge selection of tools, consumer electronics, appliances, and many other products that they have designed and manufactured over the years with amazing quality. To this day, Black+Decker lived up to its name.
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Product Features
Black+Decker specifically designed BDH1200FVAV for vehicles. It draws power from your vehicle through a cigarette lighter plug. Cordless vacuum cleaners are pretty neat and get the job done. However, Black+Decker made sure that you will not run out of battery because it runs on your vehicle's power!
You are not limited to a few minutes of suction power because you are plugged on to a power source. It’s designed to ergonomically fit in your hands and keep all the accessories in place. With this feature, it’s highly unlikely that you would misplace and lose them.
The flexible hose can be extended to increase your range and can be coiled to the body of the vacuum for easier stowing. This compact car vacuum cleaner is a little shy of 2lbs which makes it incredibly light! This was made possible because of the “motor in the filter” design that Black+Decker patented. The cyclonic action keeps the dust and debris circulating to avoid clogging the filter.
It comes with a brush and a crevice tool for your convenient use. The 16-feet cable allows you to circle around your car without getting tangled. You can easily clean the back of your truck or your car trunk while it's plugged on your cigarette lighter.
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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Before you get that car vacuum cleaner of your dreams, here are some questions that many users have asked before. Read them and get to know what others have already experienced and how they were able to address it.
• Q: Can you use car vacuum cleaner at home?
A: Most car specific vacuum cleaners use a car lighter plug instead of standard wall socket plugs. To be able to use a car vacuum cleaner with a lighter plug inside your house, you would need a power converter that adapts your cigarette lighter to a standard wall socket.
• Q: Is it difficult to clean car vacuum cleaners?
A: It depends on the model. Most car vacuum cleaners are bagless and have filters near the motor. But cleaning the chamber is quite easy. Usually, the trap doors are easy to open, and the filters are washable.
• Q: Do wired vacuums offer more suction than battery operated cordless vacuum cleaners?
A: It depends on the power rating of the motor. But usually, wired vacuums have more consistent suction over wireless vacuums.
• Q: Are wireless vacuums more reliable than powered vacuums?
A: Fading power is one of the most common problems of battery-operated vacuum cleaners. Today, there are vacuum cleaner manufacturers using Lithium-Ion batteries to eliminate power. However, wired vacuums still outperform wireless vacuums in terms of continuous use.
• Q: Are powered vacuum cleaners better than going wireless?
A: It really depends on how you intend to use it. Most powered vacuum cleaners have larger motors and come with a wide selection of tools and accessories for different applications. However, wireless vacuum cleaners allow you to move with ease an eliminates the need for an extension cord.
• Q: What’s the best car vacuum for me?
A: It’s quite hard to specifically say what is great for you. However, if you think you will have a problem with range, going wireless is worth considering. If you are concerned about fading power, corded vacuum cleaners don’t lose their power as long as it is plugged in. If you are concerned about weight and storage weight, there are a lot of models that you could choose from that are both lightweight and compact.
Conclusion
The huge selection of car vacuum cleaners in the market makes purchasing one a little difficult. Of course, we all want to have the most value for our money. It’s great that you have decided to read and research more before getting one! At least now, you have more information, and probably, you have finally narrowed down how you intend to use your vacuum cleaner.
The top ten best cad vacuum cleaners listed here are all great. In fact, any of them would serve you well since we have already chosen the best of the best for you. However, there are a few details that would be nice and would fit your style and intended use.
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If you want the most powerful wireless vacuum cleaner with the option to replace the battery, Hoover BH52160PC is a great choice. It’s light, easy to use, and has a removable battery.
When you need a battery replacement, you could easily buy another set to extend your use or replace your dead batteries. It comes with a turbo tool that easily gets rid of fur, hair, and thoroughly cleans your carpet.
Shark Navigator Upright Vacuum is your best choice for multi-purpose use. When detached, it is an amazing handheld vacuum cleaner that packs a lot of suction power. Very easy to use and small enough to easily go through the crevices of your car. When docked, it’ becomes an amazing upright vacuum cleaner for home use! It comes with a large selection of tools that can deal with a huge selection of mess!
Lastly, the best and lightest powered car vacuum cleaner is Black+Decker’s BDH1200FVAV. It is powered through a cigarette lighter and gives you constant suction power. It has a 16-foot cord that promotes maneuverability and helps you reach the back of your car without a problem. It has an ergonomic design that makes handling and storage perfectly easy. The accessories can be attached to the body so that you would not misplace it! That’s a clever feature, by the way. However, it cannot be directly plugged to a standard wall socket.
There you have it! The ten best car vacuums of 2021. Simply determine how you intend to use your vacuum so that you may come up with the right features you would need.
Simon graduated with a Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Degree. He has over 20 years of servicing experience in both Japanese and German car dealerships. He now acts as a freelance mechanic’s instructor for local schools.