Dread giving someone a lift lest they see the chaos inside your car? Obsessed with obliterating every crumb from your vehicle? Either way, you need a good car vacuum to ensure you’re never caught out by a stray clod of mud or scattering of Cheerios again.
The best car vacuums are small and easy to run around your vehicle. They come with attachments to get between the seats and into the yawning abyss that is the hole between the car seat sockets. You’ll be able to clean your floor mats and dashboard without having to lug out your household vacuum.
Many (but not all) car vacuums are battery-powered. This means you will need to take them inside your house to recharge. On battery life, you will find that the longer the juice lasts, the heavier the vacuum will be. You’ll need to work out the trade-off between the two, and how long you reckon it’s going to take to vacuum your car.
Vacuums that run off the mains are great if you have a garage or off-road parking, but if you aren’t able to get your car close to the power point, corded designs are not for you. You will also have to wrangle the power cable around the car. However, these vacuums tend to have better suction power, so if you want a spotless finish, a mains-powered vacuum might be worth investigating.
With so much to consider, we tested these vacuums on both a small car and a large family car to figure out which of these vacuums is best for different jobs.
How we tested
Our cars got a thorough deep clean several times over. We tested the vacuums in a moderate-sized car and a large family car to see how the vacuums performed across the two. The ideal vacuum would be able to get rid of all the dirt in our car in one go, with minimal need for charging or bin emptying, yet also be lightweight and easy to manoeuvre into all the awkward spaces that cars present. Price and value were factored into our decision.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
The Independent’s dedicated shopping section, IndyBest is committed to providing unbiased reviews and expert advice. Our team of editors and writers have years of experience in testing products and trialling them within their own homes. Joanne Lewsley is a journalist with particular expertise in testing vacuums from cordless to robot models and more. She’s also spoken to countless experts regarding the technology behind the best vacuums. Zoë Phillimore is a journalist and editor who has been contributing to IndyBest since 2021. Having tried, tested and reviewed household products such as handheld vacuum cleaners and steam irons, among others, she is experienced in assessing the specifications, durability and effectiveness of different appliances.
The best car vacuum cleaners for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Shark powerdetect clean & empty cordless pet vacuum cleaner: £549.99, Sharkclean.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Beldray wet and dry handheld vacuum: £32.99, Currys.co.uk
- Best lightweight option – Shark premium handheld vacuum WV270UK: £129, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for pet owners – Gtech multi platinum cordless handheld vacuum cleaner: £178.99, Amazon.co.uk
Shark powerdetect clean & empty cordless pet vacuum cleaner
Best: Overall
Weight: 3.7kg
Runtime: Up to 70 minutes
Dust box capacity: Up to 45 days' worth (0.7l on board)
Charging time: 3.5 hours
Why we love it
- Excellent suction that adapts as you clean
- Automatic emptying into base unit
- Great for pet hair
Take note
- The handheld unit is a little big
If your car interior tends to gather pet hair, dirt, and everyday debris, this Shark appliance is a brilliant all-rounder. While it’s larger than a typical handheld, its flexible wand and motorised pet tool make it much easier to manoeuvre inside a car than you might expect. This cordless vacuum was the most effective model we tested for car cleaning – it easily tackled a boot full of golden retriever hair, lifting it clean away from the fabric. It also made light work of gritty footwells filled with sand, dried mud, and dead leaves.
We loved how it automatically adjusted the suction power, depending on the level of dirt in each area, ramping up when it sensed more debris and dialling back down again when it didn’t need full force, making the most of the already generous 70-minute runtime. We also loved the scented pod system, which is vital if you often have to transport a wet dog from the lake to home.
Best of all, once you’re done, the base unit automatically empties everything into a sealed bin, saving you from any extra mess or hassle. It’s ideal if you want powerful suction, minimal effort, and a vacuum that’s always ready for the next clean.
Buy now £549.99, Sharkclean.co.uk
Beldray wet and dry handheld vacuum
Best: Budget buy
Weight: 1.3kg
Runtime: 20 minutes
Dust box capacity: 500ml
Charging time: 4 hours
Why we love it
- Cleans up spillages
- Has a clear bin so you can see the debris
Take note
- Not great between the seats
At less than £40, this vacuum is great value. It can handle wet and dry mess – great if you or your offspring are prone to spillages – and it stores everything in a clear bin with a decent capacity. Our pro tip is to empty the bin if it’s wet debris, otherwise things can get a bit grim in there.
The suction power on the Beldray is impressive, especially when you consider the price. This is a battery-powered number, and while not as slimline as the Shark handheld unit below, we found it pretty good for getting into most corners of the car, although, it’s not amazing between the seats. It requires mains charging, and comes with a wall-mountable charger. This means you have to store it in the house, but it’s compact enough to tuck into a corner.
Buy now £32.99, Currys.co.uk
Henry quick pro
Best: For flexibility
Weight: 3.2kg
Runtime : 60 minutes
Dust box capacity: 1l per pod
Charging time: 2.5 hours
Why we love it
- Flexi-hose offers extra reach in tough spots
- Great range of cleaning attachments
- Powerful suction
Take note
- You’ll need to replace the pods
While this vacuum is designed for whole-home cleaning, it really shines in the car, too. We loved the flexi hose, which you can use to reach under seats and into footwells much more easily than with the rigid wand or crevice attachments.
The mini motorised head is brilliant at pulling up ground-in dirt, gravel, sand and crumbs from the upholstery and boot carpets. What makes it extra appealing is the pod system, which traps dust inside for a mess-free, allergen-safe empty. If your car interior gets as much traffic as your home, this one’s a worthy multitasker.
The LED headlights on the main head are a small touch, but useful when you’re tackling low-light areas such as under the seats. Plus, it’s nimble enough to manoeuvre around the inside of a car without any hassle. We also liked that you get a generous selection of attachments in the box. It’s not the cheapest cordless on the market, but for the convenience and cleaning power it offers, especially across multiple spaces, it earns its keep.
Buy now £249.00, Myhenry.com
Shark premium handheld vacuum, WV270UK
Best: Lightweight option
Weight: 650g
Runtime: 15 minutes
Dust box capacity: 100ml
Charging time: 3 hours
Why we love it
- Crevice tool was really useful
- Great suction power
- Easy one-bin emptying
We were thoroughly impressed by the suction power on the Shark. Despite it being incredibly lightweight and easy to wield, it got crumbs, gravel and Cheerios off the floor of our car with no problem. The duster crevice tool did a great job of getting in between seats and sucking up crumbs that had been dwelling there for who knows how long.
The battery life is 15 minutes, which is enough to do a fairly thorough clean of a moderate-sized car. It charges via mains, so you’re going to have to store it in the house, but the stand accommodates the attachments neatly, and it is all fairly discrete and neat. Plus, it’s handy to have in the house for the daily stairs/sofa/under the kitchen table vacuuming gauntlet. We appreciated the easy one-hand bin-emptying function, too.
Buy now £129.00, Amazon.co.uk
Gtech multi platinum cordless handheld vacuum cleaner
Best: For pet owners
Weight: 1.5kg
Runtime: 30 minutes
Dust box capacity: 400ml
Charging time: 3 hours
Why we love it
- Power brush lifted up ground-in dirt
- Includes scented cartridges
- Long 30-minute battery life
If your pets are leaving your car a bit stinky, this Gtech vacuum is just the ticket. An innovative element of this vacuum is that the filter has scented cartridges inside, blasting your car with fresh scent while sucking up the grim parts. The result is a pleasingly clean car.
The power-brush bar was fantastic at whipping away even ground-in dirt on the carpeted floor of the car. We found the extension on the crevice nozzle was handy at getting hard-to-reach spots in the boot, but this vacuum is a little heavy for its size, so it gave our arms a bit of a workout.
This is another vacuum that relies on being charged via the mains, so you’re best off storing it inside the house. However, the 30-minute battery life will have cars of all sizes sparkling in just one charge.
Buy now £178.99, Amazon.co.uk
Bissell spotclean portable carpet and upholstery cleaner
Best: For removing stains
Weight: 4kg
Runtime: N/A
Dust box capacity: 1.4l
Charging time: N/A
Why we love it
- So good we used it on our carpets indoors
- Great for upholstery
- Got rid of all our car stains
If your car is in need of a bit more TLC – if the kids have spilt a sticky drink on the seats or a chocolate bar has melted all over the floor, for example – this Bissell upholstery cleaner is perfect. It has two tanks, one for clean water, one for dirty water. When you switch it on, the suction starts automatically, so you could do a bit of vacuuming first. Then press the trigger on the end of the hose so the water sprays out. You can then scrub baked-in stains to loosen them, then the spot clean sucks up all the dirty water.
It’s hard to exaggerate how grimly satisfying it is seeing all the brown water suck up out of your car’s upholstery. The downside is that you need to plug in the device to use it, so your car has to be close to the mains. It’s also quite heavy for lugging about the car, but we got totally addicted to using this cleaner – so much so, our carpets and sofas got a once-over, too.
Buy now £129.00, Amazon.co.uk
Dyson car + boat
Best: For car upholstery
Weight: 1.9kg
Runtime: Up to 50 minutes
Dust box capacity: 0.54l
Charging time: 5 hours
Why we love it
- Compact with strong suction
- Well-chosen tools for tricky spots
Take note
- Trigger-button operated
Designed specifically for vehicles, this model comes with all the right tools – a crevice nozzle for tight gaps, a brush for seat seams, and a mini motorised head that pulls up pet hair like a pro. This vacuum is compact, powerful, and runs for up to 50 minutes – more than enough time for a thorough clean.
During testing, we were impressed with how effortlessly it tackled embedded pet hair on the seats and boot upholstery – the mini motorised tool lifted with minimal effort. However, it wasn’t quite as effective at shifting heavier grit, dried mud, or sand from deep in the footwells – you’ll need a few extra passes to get that spotless finish.
A couple of things to note: there's no wand for standing use, and you have to keep your finger on the trigger the entire time, which can be tiring, especially if you have arthritis or any kind of mobility issue. On top of that, like all Dysons, it’s very expensive.
Buy now £199.99, Dyson.co.uk
Miele duoflex HX1 totalcare
Best: Three-in-one design
Weight: 3.1kg
Runtime: Up to 55 minutes
Dust box capacity: 0.3l
Charging time : 3.5 hours
Why we love it
- Powerful suction on carpets and rugs
- Flexible 3-in-1 design for tighter spaces
- Hygienic filter captures allergens
Take note
- Handheld is on the heavy side
While the HX1 isn’t marketed as a car vacuum, it surprised us with its ability to handle deep cleaning in vehicles, especially those with carpeted interiors or pets on board. The suction power is excellent, pulling up embedded pet hair, dust, and fibres from footwell carpets and boot linings with minimal effort.
Its three-in-one design makes it easy to switch between upright, handheld, and compact modes, which came in handy when reaching under seats or cleaning vertical surfaces such as seat backs and door panels. We also appreciated the onboard accessories holder – ideal if you're prone to misplacing nozzles mid-clean.
Battery life is decent, lasting up to 55 minutes on standard mode, although it noticeably drops off on higher power settings. The 0.3l bin is on the small side, so you’ll be emptying it more often, but we found it sealed in dirt well and emptied cleanly – no clouds of dust here.
It’s not the lightest or most compact for in-car use, but if you want a cordless vacuum that tackles both your carpets at home and your car’s soft surfaces with serious power, this one earns its place.
Buy now £499.00, Miele.co.uk
Karcher wet and dry vacuum cleaner, WD4
Best: Heavy-duty model
Weight: 7.1kg
Runtime: N/A
Dust box capacity: 20l
Charging time: N/A
Why we love it
- Huge bin capacity
- Great for heavy-duty car cleaning
Take note
- Heavy
- Best suited to those with a garage or off-road parking
This Kärcher machine is perfect for cleaning up heavy-duty mess – maybe your dogs went wild in the local river, or your kids brought a beachful of sand into the car. This vacuum is capable of sucking up all of that – wet or dry – and storing it in the massive 20l bin.
This vacuum isn’t going to be for everyone – it’s huge and heavy, and better suited to those with a garage or, at the very least, off-road parking – but, boy, does it make quick work of banishing dirt from the car. We liked that you can wheel it around the outside of your car, and that the long hose and power flex gave us a chance to reach the further regions of our car boot. For something so durable and robust, we were pleasantly surprised by the price of this Kärcher vacuum.
Buy now £94.68, Amazon.co.uk
Black+Decker dustbuster flexi auto car vacuum
Best: For plugging into a car socket
Weight: 1.49kg
Runtime: N/A
Dust box capacity: 560ml
Charging time: N/A
Why we love it
- No need to recharge
Take note
- Suction power was a bit disappointing
For those who don’t want to worry about recharging batteries, the Black+Decker car vacuum plugs into your car’s 12-volt socket. This is great, as it means you can take as long as you please, and you don’t have to lug the vacuum inside your house to charge it. However, if your car is like ours, be wary of it automatically locking when all the doors are shut and the key is in the ignition to run the socket – make sure you leave one door open, to avoid being locked out.
While the suction on this vacuum isn’t comparable with some others in this lineup, we liked that the very long hose and 5m power cable meant we could cover every surface of our large family car. The transparent bin means you can check on how full it’s getting, and, although it’s a two-handed affair, emptying the bin is very easy to do.
Buy now £45.00, Argos.co.uk
Beko powerclean cordless vacuum, vrt94929vi
Best: Home-to-car vacuum cleaner
Weight: 800g
Runtime: 60 minutes
Dust box capacity: 900ml
Charging time: 5 hours
Why we love it
- Picked up crumbs in-between seats
- Great battery life
- Also works well as a home vacuum
This Beko vacuum is great for the car, and works well in the house, too, making it a versatile option. The suction is powerful and got up every scrap from our fluffy car floor. The crevice tool made light work of the crumbs lodged between seats and on the seat stitching.
The 45-minute runtime can easily handle the biggest cars. It would be great in your house, too, with its flexible extension for reaching under the sofa and beds, and the helpful headlights on the floor attachment.
Buy now £84.99, Amazon.co.uk
The verdict: Car vacuum cleaners
The Shark powerdetect clean & empty cordless pet vacuum cleaner ticked all our boxes – it has excellent suction, making it great for tackling pet hair, and the base unit automatically empties everything into a sealed bin. If you want something a little more budget-friendly the Gtech multi platinum portable vacuum cleaner is also a great option with impressive suction power. It will have your car smelling fresh, too.
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