Best Car Vacuum Cleaner Buying Guide

Last Updated: 4th January 2020

Choosing a car vacuum cleaner isn’t easy because there are so many different brands and models all competing for your hard earned money.

If you’re like me you want to buy the best car vacuum available that delivers both excellent suction power and is still great value for money.

Luckily for you, I’ve just finished researching over 30 different vacuum cleaners for cars and settled on the Black & Decker CHV1410L as my #1 choice.

It’s great value for money, an Amazon best seller, has a powerful cyclonic suction and is the best Black and Decker car vacuum.

The manufacturer’s list price is $79.99 so if you can get it for under $75, grab it. With lots of 5 star car vacuum reviews, that’s one heck of a deal on this best selling portable automobile vacuum! (check current prices & read all the car vacuum reviews here).

Side Note: I also own the Dyson V8 Absolute and it’s equally amazing for vacuuming your car as well as your home. The only downside of the V8 is that it’s around 9 times the price of the CH1410L. More about the Dyson V8 below…

What’s The Best Car Vacuum Cleaner 2020?

Top 5 Vacuum Cleaners For In Car Detailing

Here’s a quick round-up of my top 5 car vacuum cleaners 2020. They are a good mix of both cordless and corded, handheld and portable auto vacs.

I’ve seen these car vacuums for sale in stores such as Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Sears, Lowes & Kmart, however I recommend getting yours online from Amazon or eBay as they usually offer the best price together with free shipping.

Also, I’ve found the best deals are offered around Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holiday season. Look out for big discounts during these periods.

(#1) Black + Decker CHV1410L 16V (Best Car Vac 2020)

This mini hand-held, portable, car vac from Black and Decker is a real best seller with over 10,000 customer reviews and ratings on Amazon.com.

It offers a great cleaning time of approximately 20 minutes from it’s 16V lithium rechargable battery which gives the small, cordless, CHV1410L a strong, fade-free suction of 15.2 Air Watts.

It’s bagless, takes 4 hours to fully charge, and comes with a 2 year warranty. All the on board filters are washable saving you time and money on getting new ones each time they get dirty.

Superb for interior detailing and valeting, it will pick up dust, dirt, sand & pet hair from your car carpet.

Included in the box with all the attachments is a charging base, on-board crevice tool and on-board brush tool. This is my recommendation for the best vacuum for your car 2020. As you can tell from my review, it is affordable, but not cheap!

(#2) Armor All AA255 (Best Vacuum For Car Detailing)

This small, corded, 2.5 Gallon portable car vac is a real bargain to buy for the amount of power it’s 2HP motor outputs.

Most times it’s on sale for under $50, so if you see it for less than this grab it!

It includes a plug in 10 foot mains electric power cord (not 12 Volt) and a 6 foot hose.

It’s perfect for using on your automobile interior with it’s compact design and onboard storage. No wonder it’s Amazon’s Choice for Best Car Vacuum Cleaner. The Armor All AA255 works well on the upholstery and can handle both wet and dry pickup and includes all accessories you need for complete car detailing.

Also comes with a 2 year warranty. You can also easily convert it become a blower allowing you to dry car grills, motorcycles and wheels.

On a side note: This is also a great little vacuum for cleaning out ash from pellet or wood stoves. Just be sure to purchase some fine filters instead of using the supplied regular filters. This will stop ash dust creeping through the filter and burning out the motor.

(#3) Black + Decker BDH2000PL 20V MAX

The BDH2000PL gets an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars from over 5500 customer reviews.

It’s a useful low cost, cordless, handheld vac with strong suction delivered by a high performance motor and 20V lithium battery.

The Black & Decker BDH2000PL weighs in at around 3.8 pounds and includes a washable filter, on-board brush, on-board crevice tool and charging base.

(#4) Bissell Cleanview 47R51 Deluxe

The Cleanview 47R51 also gets great reviews from customers who bought it online.

It gets an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars and many reviewers have commented on how powerful it is for the size and price.

It’s a lightweight, handheld corded, vacuum with a reasonably powerful 4 Amp motor.

The power cord is 18 feet long and it is also bagless.

It weighs in at 5 pounds and includes all the usual tools such as a 2-foot hose, wide-mouth tool, and crevice tool. The Bissell 47R51 also has a HEPA Media filter.

(#5) Dirt Devil SD20005RED Scorpion

A real budget car vacuum for impulse buyers. The SD20005RED is easy to hold weighing in at only 3.8 pounds and has a 16 foot power cord.

It has over 2500 reviews with an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars and usually costs less than $25. So this is one Scorpion that isn’t going to give you a nasty sting!

This compact Dirt Devil is bagless and is powered by a 7 amp motor for good suction. It also comes with a 3 year warranty.

Top Rated 12 Volt Car Vacuum Cleaners

Good Car Vacuum For Dog Hair

If you’re looking for a good budget vac that can deal with pet hair (dogs and cats), the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 33A1 is the perfect choice. It’s the best selling pet hair vac for your vehicle.

Of course you can’t compare it to a Dyson V8 Animal or Shark Rotator Truepet, however for the great value price (usually under $40), it certainly over delivers on performance.

This 4 amp hand vac uses a cyclonic suction system and a specialized rubber nozzle to pick up pet hair effortlessly. Combined with a 16 foot power cord, lightweight (5 lbs) bagless design and 1 year warranty, it’s a real bargain buy for pet owners.

Best Dyson Car Vacuum 2020

The best dyson car vacuum 2018 is the Dyson V8 Absolute.

There are many different makes and models of portable vacuum cleaners available for your car, caravan or van on the market, however if you’re searching for the best, then the Dyson V8 Absolute wins by miles.

This was last year’s best cordless car vacuum and is a great all rounder that can be used effortlessly throughout your entire home and not just your car.

It especially excels if you have pets or kids to clean up after.

Pet dander and other debris over your car seat, floor or trunk is no match for this sucking machine.

The digital V8 motor sucks ridiculously well on it’s own, but if you need a little bit extra power for some stubborn debris, the turbo button takes the suction to the next level.

I challenge you to find dust or dirt around your car that the Dyson V8 can not handle! No other machine comes close. This probably is the best vacuum for car interior cleaning.

Best Features Of The Dyson V8 Absolute

Portable Cord-free. No cords to drag along or get tangled around furniture legs. Great for using in your car.
HEPA Filtration. Captures allergens and dust and keeps them locked away inside the sealed 0.54-litre container.
High Capacity Lithium-ion Battery. Delivers up to 40 minutes of fade free suction during normal use, up to 25 minutes with motorized floor tool attached and 7 minutes on max power mode. More than enough time to clean your whole car or caravan.
Powerful V8 Motor. 150% more rotating brush power than the Dyson V6 and 50% quieter.
Cleaning Tools Collection. Combination and Crevice tools for hard to reach surfaces and spaces. Mini Motorized brush for removing pet hair and stubborn dirt from upholstery and mats. Soft dusting brush. Soft roller cleaner for larger debris across hard floors.
Lightweight. Approx 5.75 pounds.

Watch How The Dyson V8 Performs!

Dyson V8 Absolute Pros & Cons

Pros

Cleans better than most mains-powered vacuum cleaners
Easy to empty dust container
Sealed HEPA air filtration
100% more battery life than the Dyson V6
Superb tool collection for any job

Cons

Price is high for just using as a car vacuum

If you’re looking for the absolute best handheld vacuum for your car, boat, caravan, etc., then you need the Dyson V8 Absolute cordless. It’s a superb all round tool for cleaning every area of your home.

If the price of the Dyson V8 is putting you off buying, then the older model, the Dyson V6 Absolute might be a better option for you. The Dyson V6 is also a really great handheld vacuum with superb suction power and all the same tools and accessories as the V8.

However the battery life is slightly less at around 20 mins in normal mode, the suction isn’t as powerful, and it’s also a little bit louder.

Choosing The Best Car Vacuum Cleaner

When I review a car vacuum, I want to take into consideration the price, weight, suction power and how it is powered (battery, 12v dc outlet, usb or mains).

The main purpose of this cleaner is to keep my automobile free from dust and dirt. It doesn’t need to be professional or industrial standard, but it still needs to be high quality enough to complete the tasks I want to use it for. I could also use it around the house, but my primary reason for buying a new auto vac is to clean my car.

1) How much do I want to spend?

You can pick up a standard auto vacuum cleaner for under $100. They range from around $20-$80. If you spend more than this, then you should expect to be able to use your new machine for other tasks around your home as well.

For example, I use the Dyson V8 for cleaning my car. It cost $500, however I clean my whole house with it. I can use it on carpets, hard floors, stairs and any other nooks or crannies that need cleaned. It’s a superb all round tool.

2) How powerful is the suction?

Your new auto vac needs to be powerful enough to remove dust and light dirt from your seats, floor mats and trunk area and also any pet hair if you have a cat or dog.

Most handheld vacs are powerful enough to do these tasks whether they are battery, mains or 12v DC powered.

The best suction power should be fade-free from start to finish no matter how full the dirt container is. The Black & Decker CHV1410L is a good example with 15.2 air watts of fade-free suction.

3) What type of power supply is best?

There are usually three types of power supply available, battery, mains AC and 12 volt DC outlet. Whichever you choose depends on your own situation.

Choosing a battery powered, cordless, machine allows you ultimate portability. The battery should have a good run time (10-20 minutes), hold the charge well (3+ months) and be quick to recharge again when it runs out (less than 4 hours).

These batteries are normally Lithium ion technology as NiCad can fade as they discharge. I prefer removable batteries as you can buy a spare or replace them if the performance starts to deteriorate, although some manufacturers don’t give you this option.

The best mains AC and 12v DC powered corded machines have the advantage of never cutting off during your cleaning time. You can start your task with confidence knowing that the battery isn’t going to run out and leave you with the job half done.

You’ll usually get the most powerful suction from a mains powered, corded, vacuum although it can be harder to maneuver when vacuuming your car. You also need to be close to a mains outlet for power which reduces your cleaning area to a specific location.

A 12 volt powered vac (cigarette lighter) gives you the most flexibility from a corded machine when cleaning your car. You can keep it on board and use it anywhere. They generally have the same suction power and cleaning ability as the battery vacs with the convenience of a continuous power source.

A great 12v powered vacuum is the best selling LollDeal 12V Portable Super Mini Car Vacuums 75W.