Car Vacuums

Suction numbers in these listings are mostly fiction. Manufacturers quote peak pascals measured at the motor with no filter, no hose and no dirt in the path. A unit claiming 20,000Pa is not twice as good as one claiming 10,000Pa, and often it is the same motor with a different sticker.

What separates a car vacuum that gets used from one that lives in a cupboard is runtime, nozzle design, and whether emptying it is annoying.

Corded or cordless

Corded 12V units plug into the accessory socket and never run out. They also tether you to the front of the car, and the cable is always slightly too short for the boot.

Cordless is more pleasant to use and the reason most people give up on car vacuums anyway. The catch is runtime. Anything under about 15 minutes on full power will not finish a car interior in one go, and battery specs are quoted at the lowest setting. Assume you get roughly half the claimed figure on the setting you will actually use.

Nozzles matter more than motors

A car interior is mostly seams, rails and the gap between the seat and the console. A wide floor head is useless there. What you want is a long thin crevice tool that reaches the seat rails, and a brush head for vents and dash.

Check the crevice tool length in the photos. Short stubby ones cannot get under the seats, which is where the crumbs are.

Filters and emptying

HEPA is worth having if anyone in the car has allergies, and irrelevant otherwise. What matters more is whether the filter is washable, because a clogged filter kills suction faster than a weak motor ever did, and replacement filters for obscure brands stop being available quickly.

Look at the dust cup release. If it needs two hands and a twist, you will empty it less often than you should, and a full cup means no suction.

What to ignore

The LED light is a gimmick that eats battery. So is the “air duster” mode on most units, which produces about as much airflow as blowing on it. Pick on runtime and nozzles.