We all know someone with a petri dish of an interior whose life would be immeasurably improved with a selection of car cleaning products and even a budget car vacuum cleaner. Seats stained with a takeaway, floor mats caked in mud, and a boot that looks like a crime scene, it's never a good look or smell. A quality bit of kit like a wet and dry car vacuum can totally transform the inside of your car, removing the grit and dirt that builds up over time.
For stubborn stains, proper upholstery cleaning solutions will help get rid of those unsightly marks. Sometimes, stains can become more ingrained, and giving your entire interior a deep clean might be worthwhile. In that situation, carpet cleaning machines can be extremely useful.
If you're more than happy to splash out a couple of quid on a good exterior car shampoo, then it's a good idea to look at a quality car vacuum cleaner so the insides of your car are as clean as the outside. Given that we tend to spend our time in our cars rather than on them, surely keeping the interior clean with even a handheld car vacuum cleaner is of more importance than the exterior.
The best car vacuum cleaners at a glance:
Editor's pick: Henry Quick Hen.100 - View on Amazon
Best handheld vacuum: Shark WandVac 2.0 - View on Amazon
Best wet and dry vacuum cleaner: Karcher WD 2 Plus - View on Amazon
A traditional corded vacuum cleaner is designed for home use and will probably be quite difficult to get outside to your car. It'll also more than likely be too cumbersome to properly navigate conventionally sized car doors. A more modern cordless vacuum will be a better option but may still be way too bulky to give your car's carpets a good clean in all areas. For a proper clean, a handheld vacuum is a great way of getting to those finer details of a car's interior. We've considered it all and this is our round-up of CAR's best car vacuum cleaners.
The best car vacuum cleaners
Editor's pick
Via HenryThe Henry Quick is in no doubt, one of the most compelling cordless car vacuums you can buy. Not only is it powerful thanks to its 300W power output, but it's also easy to hold, relatively light, and incredibly good at lifting up dirt from the carpets of a car. It also boasts amazing build quality which feels sturdy when you're moving it around.
The battery lasts the best part of an hour, and it comes with a few attachments. It doesn't come with as many attachments as you might like, but it's enough for most car cleaning jobs.
Pros
- Powerful suction
- Great built quality
- Battery lasts a while
Cons
- Struggles with fine corners and crevices
- Attachments aren't too extensive
Most versatile cordless vacuum
Via DysonA vacuum that can be transformed from a manoeuvrable home vacuum to a compact one for the car is always a useful thing. It's not quite as powerful as the others on this list at 150W, but it's a great quality vacuum that will deal with a filthy interior and is helped by a quick-release button for the dust to fall out.
You get six attachments as well as a docking station for when you're not using it as well as a motor that'll spin up to 110,000rpm to ensure the worst of dirt is lifted. It can be used on any home surface and is very useful for car cleaning jobs. It's just a shame that the run time isn't as long as its competitors at 40 minutes.
Pros
- Powerful suction
- Loads of attachments included
- Clever, anti-hair wrapping tech
Cons
- Run time falls a bit short
- Quite heavy
Best budget cordless vacuum cleaner
Via BoschWe'll get the weak point out of the way first. The cordless Bosch UniversalVac 18 doesn't have the option to be bought as a kit. It only comes as a bare tool without a battery. That's fine if you've already got Bosch POWER FOR ALL batteries. But it's a bit annoying if you don't.
Our review: "Most little cordless vacuums are quite anaemic and not really suitable for thoroughly vacuuming a car; This is the first we've tested, that is, making it an ideal lightweight option. It has healthy, reliable suction rather than a wheezy sniff that struggles to shift a human hair."
"You get a floor tool with extension tubes, a dusting brush, and a narrow crevice tool. It's bagless, too, simply unclip the chamber and empty it."
Read our full Bosch UniversalVac 18 review
Pros
- Powerful yet light option
- Good storage capacity
Cons
- Doesn't come with a battery
On sale
Via SharkOne of the best premium cordless vacuums out there comes in the shape of the Shark Stratos IZ420UKT. It tackles anything from pet hair, long and short, tough dirt and more from carpets, hard flooring, and even the inside of your car. It comes with various attachments designed for a number of uses, including a long crevice tool, pet tool, and two brush tools.
It comes with two batteries which when running in Eco mode, provide a 60-minute run time each. It also automatically detects dirt and adjusts the power settings on the vacuum, making the process more efficient as you go.
Pros
- Very comprehensively-equipped
- Powerful motor
- Comes with two batteries for extended cleaning time
Cons
- Not a bespoke car vacuum
- Heavier than competitors
Best budget handheld vacuum
Via BeldrayThis very compact option from Beldray balances suction power and run time effectively against weight and size. It weighs just 600 grams and features a powerful 1.1 V Lithium-Ion battery with dual speed settings.
It comes with a 25-minute run time (reduced to eight if turbo mode is engaged), a HEPA filter and a 100ml storage capacity.
It also comes with a stylish docking station that also holds the accessories. Overall a very smart handheld vacuum cleaner.
Our review: "This vacuum is ideal for those smaller jobs around the home and car where even the smallest multi-purpose vacuum would struggle. It comes with two handy attachments, one for upholstery and a crevice tool. It's decently powerful, especially in turbo mode, and the run-time means you'll be able to clean a car's interior with ease."
Pros
- Very small and lightweight
- Clever packaging
- Powerful
Cons
- Small dust storage capacity
- Quite a short run time
Best wet and dry vacuum cleaner
Via KarcherCorded vacuums are cheaper and more powerful than cordless options. This Karcher vacuum is a case in point, and we like it immensely. In return for a machine with a power cord, you get 180 air watts of suction power, 12-litre capacity, wet and dry use, an attractive price tag, and Karcher quality.
Attachments include just a floor tool and a crevice tool. It's quite sparsely-equipped and while it can clean the carpets in your home, it isn't the most suited tool for it. It can however, comfortably clean out a car and garage floor, but only if you can reach far enough. The cable is simply too short at 3m long, and any added extras are a big chunk of extra cash.
Pros
- Powerful vacuum for a car
- Great for cleaning up the garage floor, too
- Great value
Cons
- Not to useful around the home
- Cable is very short
On sale
Via SharkA 15 minute run time isn't brilliant when using the Shark WandVac 2.0. However, with 300W of power and weighing just over a kilo, it's a very useful tool for cleaning out bits of your car dashboard. It's designed primarily for quick clean-ups, so any crumbs or detritus in your car can be quickly and easily dealt with.
It also comes with a useful stand-up charger and a washable filter, making it a very simple item to maintain. It even has a pet tool which makes things very useful if your dog has been sitting in one of the passenger seats.
Pros
- Compact Design
- Very lightweight
- Quite powerful at 300W
Cons
- Only has a 15 minute run time
- You'd probably need to recharge it if going through a whole car
What do you need to consider with a car vacuum cleaner
What attachments does it come with?
Regardless of whether it's a corded car vacuum cleaner or not, different attachments will allow you to reach more areas of your car's interior and allow you to get better results. Different nozzles and heads will be able to clean different surfaces, while flexible attachments will allow you access to areas that are usually impenetrable to most vacuum cleaners.
How much do you want to spend?
Some car vacuum cleaners offer better value for money than others. Just remember to weigh up the costs with what you'll be using your vacuum for, especially if you're toying between corded or cordless types. A more expensive model may well offer better suction and be perfect for maintaining a fleet of dirty cars, but it would be a bit over-the-top for a car that's rarely driven.
What is the run-time?
You will want your vacuum to be able to clean your entire car on a single charge. This isn't a concern for corded options such as Karcher WD 2 Plus, but it will be on a Bosch UniversalVac 18. For a corded vacuum, you will be needing a long suction hose, in case you have any troubles with reaching parts of your car's interior.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tool Editor for Parkers and CAR, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. He also contributes to What's The Best.