For routine car cleanups, our favorite is the Ryobi 18V One+ Performance Hand Vacuum Kit. If you need to clean up after pets, the Black+Decker 20V Max Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet Hand Vacuum HHVK515JP07 handles fur better than any other handheld vacuum we’ve tested. And if you need something lighter-weight and more comfortable to handle, try the Black+Decker 20V Max Flex Handheld Vacuum BDH2020FL or the Worx 20V Power Share Cordless Cube Vac WX030L.
Our pick
This model’s powerful suction, long runtime, and extra-large bin make short work of tidying up the car. Its build may make it difficult to reach under car seats, though.
The Ryobi 18V One+ Performance Hand Vacuum Kit offers powerful suction, long battery life, and a capacious 22-ounce bin, larger than almost any other cordless handheld vacuum we’ve tested. The pivoting dust brush and crevice tool reach into most cup holders and car storage compartments.
It runs for a respectable 18 minutes and recharges in less than an hour, faster than any of the other handheld vacs we tried.
Many of its parts, including its filters and battery, are easily replaceable, and its battery is compatible with all One+ Ryobi tools.
Its three-year warranty is one of the strongest among the vacuums we tested.
Also great
This model’s motorized brush makes cleaning up pet fur a breeze, especially on car upholstery. Its extendable crevice tool allows you to reach into most nooks and crannies.
The Black+Decker 20V Max Dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet Hand Vacuum HHVK515JP07 reliably handles common car messes and cleans up pet fur better than any other handheld model we’ve tried.
This vac’s strong suction is enhanced by a motorized brush that agitates debris and dislodges stubborn fur from grippy surfaces like car upholstery. Its built-in extendable crevice tool helps ferret out dirt from most car storage compartments, but it can be unwieldy for smaller nooks and crannies. Its 25-ounce bin volume is the largest of the handheld vacs we’ve tested, which is especially helpful for bulky fur.
It runs for up to 25 minutes and charges in less than three hours. It comes with a two-year warranty.
Also great
This model’s extendable hose makes vacuuming a car’s nooks and crannies more comfortable. But it’s a weaker cleaner, has a short runtime, and takes a long time to charge.
The Black+Decker 20V Max Flex Handheld Vacuum BDH2020FL has an extendable hose that lets you put down the body in order to reach under seats and into crevices, which makes it more comfortable to use if you have hand or wrist issues. Although this model struggled with larger debris like chips and Cheerios, it picked up dust, bird seeds, and glitter easily. Its rubber-nubbed pet-hair tool does a decent job of picking up fur from most types of upholstery. It has a sufficiently large 17-ounce dustbin.
But the Black+Decker BDH2020FL only runs for 12 minutes—hardly enough time for a deep clean on a large car—and it takes a full four hours to recharge. It’s also noisier than most handheld vacuums we tested.
It comes with a two-year warranty.
Also great
This model has an extendable hose for easier cleaning, convenient on-board tool storage, a long warranty, and a replaceable battery. But its suction is weaker than our other picks, and it has a tiny bin.
The Worx 20V Power Share Cordless Cube Vac WX030L is beautifully designed and compact, with onboard storage for its tools and a flexible hose that allows you to set down its body during use.
The Worx WX030L excelled at sucking up dust but struggled with larger debris and pet fur and has a tiny 6-ounce dustbin.
The vacuum runs for up to 25 minutes and recharges in just one hour. The battery is replaceable and compatible with other Worx tools, and the vacuum comes with a strong three-year warranty.
