Dust and grime are unfortunately part and parcel of having a car. Between tracking in mud and dust on your shoes to the kids dropping crumbs (or worse!) in the back, mess can really build up fast. It’s crucial to keep on top of it and having the best car vacuum cleaner for the job can make all the difference!
Having a handheld hoover designed for just such detailing is invaluable when working in the cramped space of a vehicle. Whether you'd prefer a rechargeable cordless, corded or even a plug-in model, we'll guide you through the buying process and share our top 10 models from brands like Dyson, Vax and Black and Decker, all available at Argos, Amazon, and John Lewis.
Quick List - Top Car Vacuum Cleaners
Dyson
Excellent Suction and Stamina for Use in the Car and the Home
Hoover
A Mains-Powered Model That's Perfect for Pet Owners
Black & Decker
Light and Easy to Manage With a Specialist Flexible Hose
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Cordless vacuum cleaners are undoubtably hugely convenient when it comes to cleaning. However, the flip side of this is that you will need to check on the battery life of your chosen model, as having to store the energy to run the cleaner means that runtime will be limited between charges.
Look for models that offer at least 10 minutes runtime as a bare minimum for a small car, or 15 minutes if you have a larger car.
Similarly, cordless vacuum cleaners generally also have less powerful suction than their corded counterparts. Look for models that have at least 12.5 air watts suction power. Features like cyclonic action help maintain suction power for longer, and some models offer a boost or turbo function, however, this rapidly reduces runtime.
If your car gets really dirty on a regular basis, then perhaps a corded vacuum cleaner is for you. These types of vacuum cleaner not only have stronger suction, but by accessing mains power, they can keep going – perfect if you have a really large or particularly dirty car.
The downside of having a plentiful power supply is that you are limited by the length of the cord, and by the presence or absence of an electricity port. Ensure that any model you are considering has a sufficiently long cable – at least as far as the distance between the socket and the car plus at least 3 metres.
The alternative to the cordless vs corded vacuum debate is a vacuum cleaner that uses the car battery as its power source. While these 12V models are slightly less powerful than the others, they don't need to be near an electricity socket in the house, nor do the have to rely on their own battery charge. Ensure you have a reasonable cable length – at least 3 metres – to reach throughout your car.
These types of vacuums are generally light and small and are a great option for busy parents to keep in the car for touch ups on the go or even for more thorough cleans. Top tip: keep one of these in your boot and clean your car while you’re waiting for your child to finish their gymnastics or piano lesson!
It’s not just children or pets who generate mess in the car. If anyone eats, drinks or tracks mud onto the floor or seats, you’ll not only have to deal with the usual build up of dust, but may also get sticky or sodden surfaces.
With a wet and dry vacuum cleaner, you’ll be able to tackle these straight away, sucking up any mess before it has time to set and saving you a bigger job later on.
Many car vacuums are quite small, which means that their dust bowl is also smaller than their full-sized home vacuum counterparts. However, it’s a good idea to look for a model that has a larger-sized bowl to minimise the number of times you need to empty it out.
Whether you go for a regular vacuum or a wet and dry model, look for a capacity of at least 400 ml, or more if you have a particularly large car or if you regularly get a lot of debris in your car. Dog owners, parents, and keen hikers in particular may want to look for larger-capacity models.
Need something big enough for inside? See our reviews for full size Bagless Hoovers and Mops here!
Cars are notorious mess-traps, with endless nooks and crannies seemingly designed to collect crumbs, crisp packets and other unidentifiable things. Vacuuming these bits up is absolutely essential to keep your car clean and hygienic, but you need the right tools for the job.
In this case, it's wise to consider a model with attachments like crevice tools to pick up the hidden crumbs that we all know are there. Upholstery brushes are also great for ensuring the seats are clean and fresh. Some vacuums even come with a pet hair attachment to help you keep your car from looking like a beast!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dofly Handheld Cordless Vacuum Cleaner | ![]() | A Quiet Yet Powerful Vacuum With a Mighty 40-Minute Runtime | |
2 | Dyson V7 Trigger Handheld Vacuum Cleaner | ![]() | Excellent Suction and Stamina for Use in the Car and the Home | |
3 | Hoover Jovis Plus Pet Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner|SM550AC | ![]() | A Mains-Powered Model That's Perfect for Pet Owners | |
4 | Black & Decker 12V DC dustbuster® Flexi® Car Vacuum|PD1200AV | ![]() | Light and Easy to Manage With a Specialist Flexible Hose | |
5 | Tsumbay Car Vacuum|5000PA | ![]() | A Powerful Wet and Dry 12V Vacuum for Busy Families | |
6 | Black & Decker 12V DC Dustbuster® Pivot® Car Vacuum|PV1200AV-XJ | ![]() | Great for Quick Whip-Rounds on the Go | |
7 | GTech Multi MK2 Handheld Vacuum Cleaner | ![]() | A Multi-Use Hoover With a Handy Battery Life Indicator | |
8 | Hilka 12V Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner | ![]() | An Excellent Wet and Dry Vacuum on a Budget | |
9 | Shark Cordless Car Vacuum Cleaner|WV200UK | ![]() | The Best Option for Allergy Sufferers | |
10 | Vax Gator Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner|H85-GA-B10 | ![]() | Light, Cordless and Easy to Empty |
This fantastic vacuum boasts an incredible 40 mins runtime, and with wet and dry suction, it can clean up any sort of mess in your vehicle from soggy boots to sandwich crumbs. It also has a generous 500 ml dust bowl, and a powerful 120W motor with 8500 pa suction capacity to make sure you get every last dust mote.
The HEPA filter filters out even the smallest particles, making this a great option for allergy sufferers and LED lights help you see under the seats. The long reach nozzle and hose can follow up by reaching even the most difficult spaces.
No list of the best vacuum cleaners is complete without at least one Dyson, and the V7 Trigger is an excellent example of their innovative and quality products. From the 15 cyclones that give you 100 air watts’ suction to the washable lifetime filter, this vacuum cleaner offers excellent cleaning properties for your car.
This hoover boasts 30 minutes of use, dependant on how eager you are with the “max” boost mode, which generates even more suction power. This machine, together with the attachments it comes with, is great for ensuring your car is a mess-free zone.
The major benefit of this vacuum is that it has the power – 550 watts – that most corded or plug-in models lack because it is mains-powered. This model is designed specifically to remove stubborn pet hair and its turbo tool grabs every last pet (and human!) hair to leave your car spotless.
The Hoover name is synonymous with vacuuming and the brand has a range of handheld cleaners in its Jovis Plus range, ranging from plug-ins to cordless models and more. However, for the many pet-owning drivers, this model serves best for de-fuzzing your car.
This lightweight (just 1.49 kg), compact car vacuum features a long 5 m long cable and 1.5 m flexible hose, allowing you to reach through even a large seven-seater with ease. Powered through the car's lighter socket, this is an essential tool for keeping on top of the debris that magically seems to appear in the car.
The clear sides allow you to keep an eye on how full the 560 ml-capacity dust container gets and the dust bowl can be swiftly emptied using its easy-eject feature. While not as powerful as many of the corded models, this vacuum offers convenience and ease of use for busy drivers.
Crumbs are not the only source of mess found in cars. Drink spillage is also common, and mud, too, can get tracked in, and before you know it, your car is a disaster zone! Thankfully, it’s wet and dry car vacuums to the rescue!
This is a highly-rated 12V vacuum that boasts powerful suction capable of sucking up drink spills, crumbs and more. It is also one of the quietest models on the market and has a long cable to reach around even big cars. This is a good piece of kit that’s just the ticket for those with bustling lifestyles full of kids, dogs and real-life mess.
This rather funky looking vacuum is a 12V machine that plugs into your lighter socket, meaning you can clean your car anywhere! Its 5 m cable means that you can reach all the way back into the boot, and the cyclonic action ensures that the filter is kept clog-free to maintain maximum suction.
The nose pivots at 10 set angles and it comes with a built-in extendable crevice tool to ensure that you can really get into those hard-to-reach places. This is a great option for stowing in the boot to clean up messes on the go, or to sneak in a quick hoover when you find you have a few minutes waiting in your car.
This lightweight handheld vacuum is ideal for cleaning your car. Combining the convenience of a cordless vacuum with great suction and a generous runtime of 20 minutes, the Gtech Multi MK2 will get those crumbs caught and your upholstery ship-shape in no time.
It comes with an accessories bundles that includes the all-important crevice tool as well as power brush head, extension tube, and dusting brush. The battery indicator lights are also a really useful feature, letting you know when your vacuum is running low on juice.
Spills and crumbs are almost inevitable in a car if you have children, pets, or a certain type of job. Wet and dry car vacuum cleaners like the Hilka 12V model are a great way to clean up car messes from biscuit crumbs to split drinks.
This vacuum plugs into the car lighter socket for maximum convenience, and at under £20, this cleaner is great value. However, it does have a fairly short 2.8 m cable, probably best suited to cleaning smaller cars, and does sacrifice some suction power.
This sleek, stylish car vacuum cleaner is probably one of the most attractive cleaners on this list. Featuring a wand-style shape, it is the lightest in the lineup at just 0.6 kg. Somewhat unusually for a handheld vacuum cleaner, it comes with a HEPA filter.
This filter makes it a good cleaner for allergy sufferers, and, combined with the crevice and pet tools that come included, your car will be squeaky clean. However, this is best suited as a touch-up cleaner as its runtime is just 8 minutes and its dust bowl capacity is 250 ml – the smallest we found.
This modest 10.8V cordless vacuum cleaner comes with all the tools you need to keep your car crumb-free and clean. Its 300 ml dust bowl boasts proprietary technology designed to make it quicker, cleaner and more convenient to empty without any mess.
This is one of the lighter handheld vacuums on our list, good for getting into corners with the included crevice tool. But it doesn't hold charge well and the crevice tool is the only included attachment.
Written and researched by Sonata Winchester
No. 1: Dofly|Handheld Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
No. 2: Dyson|V7 Trigger Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
No. 3: Hoover|Jovis Plus Pet Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner|SM550AC
No. 4: Black & Decker|12V DC dustbuster® Flexi® Car Vacuum|PD1200AV
No. 5: Tsumbay|Car Vacuum|5000PA
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