Armor All

Car messes are made of more than dust, dirt and crumbs — sometimes there are also spills and “accidents,” and for those moments, you’ll need a wet vac. It’s even better if you can find a portable wet/dry vacuum to clean all sorts of messes, and that’s where the Armor All AA255 comes in.

The Armor All AA255 may resemble a shop vac, but it’s specifically designed for cleaning your car interior, with a nozzle and several crevice tool options custom made for getting into nooks and crannies. This car vac also converts to a blower, allowing it to easily provide air flow to remove debris that gathers on the outside of a car, like leaves or dirt.

The AA255 is a corded cleaner, but the six-foot hose adds some flex room to the reach afforded by the 10-foot cord. Its 2.5-gallon tank ensures that even large messes are little challenge. As for performance, the AA255 is consistently among the highest-rated car vacuums on retail sites such as Amazon, Walmart and AutoZone.

HoLife

The Holife Handheld Vacuum Cleaner may look like a traditional Dustbuster, but this cleaning tool is much more. The cordless cleaner is actually a wet/dry vacuum, picking up spills as easily as soil and other dry debris. Its lithium-ion battery extends cleaning time, and the powerful motor performance offers 6 KPA of strong suction — good for a handheld.

As with most handheld cleaning devices, Holife’s cordless vacuum cleaner can be used on minor household messes, as well as a car’s interior (one user review on the official website touts the product’s ability to pick up cat litter). This makes it an easier alternative to regular vacuuming.

Basically, there’s nothing too fancy about the Holife model, but this hand vacuum works really, really well. It’s selling for only $40 on Amazon, making it an accessible and effective auto detailing helper.

HOTOR

The Dustbuster-style Hotor car vacuum is a model of efficiency. At only 2.44 pounds, the Hotor is one of the lightest options available, which makes maneuvering in a car or cleaning for extended periods easier. The long power cord (16.4 feet) also gives you less to worry about during a car wash.

One thing to note about the Hotor — the description on the Sears website notes that the vacuum has trouble picking up debris such as pet hair. If you have a pet that regularly rides in your car, it may be a good idea to consider a different car vacuum.

That said, it will be hard to beat a Hotor vac when it comes to price. Usually selling for $40 on Amazon, it boasts a super low price for an elite cleaning machine (its rating on the same site currently sits at 4.3 out of 5 with nearly 10,000 reviews). This means you can maintain a dirt-and dust-free car without breaking the bank.

Shark

If the Hotor car vacuum isn’t quite your cup of tea and you have a bit more money to spend, the Shark Rocket Corded Bagless Stick Vacuum is another great option. It comes with an ultralong 25-foot power cord, and like the Dyson model later on this list, it has enough suction power to be used as a vacuum cleaner for your house, as well.

The attachments offered by the Shark Rocket make cleaning nooks in cars easy. There’s a precision duster, a pet multi-tool and a crevice tool that can reach just about anywhere in a vehicle — even under the front seats.

While the Shark Rocket may run you more money than some of the other models on this list — and you may decide it’s ultimately not worth it if you’re only using it on your car — the customer satisfaction rates speak for themselves. The model currently has a 4.6-star rating out of 5 on Amazon, with over 6,000 reviews.

Bissell

With a unique design and an affordable price ($50), the Bissell Cleanview stands out from many competing car vacuums. It functions as a portable handheld Dustbuster, but also comes with a hose attachment for cleaning tighter areas. It boasts an 18-foot power cord, which really helps when doing a deep dive into the backseat.

The Cleanview boasts near-universal approval on Bissell’s website, with 99% of respondents recommending the vac. People cite its powerful suction and ability to reach and clean tight spaces as benefits.

At 5 pounds, the Cleanview is a bit heavier than the other hand vacuums on this list, but part of that weight comes from the large tank, which holds more dirt and debris and is an easy dust bin to empty.

Black and Decker

The Black & Decker Dustbuster offers a modern spin on an old classic. Like the Pivot, it has a lithium-ion battery that allows for hours of cleaning — it holds a charge for 18 months — along with a sleek rotating nozzle that helps it dig deeper than many other hand vac options.

This car vac is also an environmentally conscious option if you’re concerned with energy consumption. That’s thanks to the model’s Smart Charge Technology, which uses only half the energy of similar models.

All that, plus an affordable price (around $60 at most retailers). The CHV1410L is currently the top-selling handheld vacuum cleaner on Amazon, with a 4.2 average score based on more than 21,000 reviews.

Black and Decker

You know what’s annoying? Finally setting aside time to clean your car only to find that your vacuum’s battery is drained. Fortunately, that disappointment can be all but eliminated with the Max Lithium Pivot, which boasts a lithium-ion battery capable of a four-hour power duration. That’s enough time for one car vacuum to clean a fleet of limousines.

In addition to the robust battery life, the Pivot has an ergonomic design with an adjustable nozzle that makes this portable vacuum ideal for cleaning hard-to-reach places in your car or home. It also boasts a three-stage filtration system that improves both power and cleanliness.

The Pivot is currently selling for $105 at Walmart, which is more than many of the options on this list. That said, the unique design and properties of the Pivot make it ideal for car cleaning, so the price may actually be a steal.

Dyson

Dyson has a reputation for making some of the best cleaning machines available, and while they may cost more than their competitors’ products, their popularity suggests they’re worth the price. The Dyson V11 is no exception: a handheld, cordless vacuum that can clean your whole house just as effectively as it can clean your car interior.

Each of the various V11 models — from the $600 Animal to the $800 Outsize — come with a series of nozzle attachments that allow the Dyson to remove dust and dirt from crevices and tight spaces, making them ideal for a vehicle’s interior. These battery-powered cleaners also boast twice the suction of many cordless hand vacuums.

As far as user ratings, the V11 is unmatched. On the Dyson website, it has a 4.8 rating out of 5, and on both Amazon and Costco, different models have 4.7 ratings out of 5. If price were no object, this vac would be the best overall, but it’s worth a reminder that you can use it for cleaning your home, making the price more reasonable.