There are tons of car vacuum cleaners on the market today at a wide variety of prices. How not to get confused trying to choose the best for yourself?
From my decade of driving experience and using a plenty of car vacuum cleaners, in this article I’ll discuss what you should pay attention to when choosing a vacuum cleaner so as not to overpay for a useless device.
What was my experience of finding the best car vacuum cleaner?
The first time I thought I needed a vacuum cleaner for my car was a year after getting my driver’s license. I started driving with my friends and every time after our trips my car was full of crumbs, dirt, and hair. I felt I had to find something that would help me keep my car clean.
My first choice was a large corded vacuum cleaner that took up half my trunk but seemed very powerful and durable. It was powered by an electrical outlet, so the only place I could use it was my garage. This vacuum was very noisy and had to be dragged from place to place to clear all the corners and the trunk. I hated cleaning with this giant… And after half a year of suffering, I realized I needed something more portable.
My next car vacuum cleaner was a small and cordless one. To be honest, I chose it simply because I wanted a compact and cute replacement. But this little vacuum only lasted 15 minutes on a full charge and didn’t handle dirt at all, especially my dog’s hair. It turned out to be a useless toy, unable to clean a car.
Then I found a powerful vacuum cleaner of a larger size, which worked from the cigarette lighter. It was fine for getting rid of the dust and dirt in my car, but the cord was terribly uncomfortable, and particularly when I had to tidy up the trunk. It was quite long, but constantly got tangled and annoyed me…
Then I tried a few more vacuums before finding my perfect one. From weak batteries to an inconvenient dust container that took 5 minutes to empty, I’ve come across all the cons a car vacuum cleaner can hide. But thanks to this long-term experience, I can share with you the key characteristics that will help you to make the right choice!
What you should pay attention to when choosing a car vacuum cleaner?
Power type
Yes, corded vacuum cleaners provide longer cleaning performance. But at the same time they lack mobility, while the cord can become tangled and damaged over time.
Such vacuums also require an electrical outlet that you have to bring from your home or garage. And when working from a cigarette lighter, they can load your car’s battery.
I recommend choosing rechargeable vacuum cleaners with a built-in battery. They don’t have a cord and can easily clean all hard-to-reach places inside your car, and the trunk too. Despite the fact that these vacuums work autonomously for no more than 30-40 minutes, in practice, this is more than enough for a good vehicle cleanup.
Battery capacity
While searching among vacuum cleaners with a built-in battery, pay attention to the number of batteries and their capacity. The more batteries and the higher their capacity, the longer your vacuum cleaner will work on a full charge.
For example, a vacuum with one built-in 1500 mAh battery provides about 10 minutes of cleanup performance, but it will still take you about an hour to charge. That’s why I recommend choosing a vacuum cleaner with at least two or three built-in batteries, and with a capacity of at least 1500 mAh each. Such a device will give you about 30 minutes of good cleaning.
Suction power
When choosing a vacuum cleaner, you want it to clean your car properly, right? Then don’t be fooled by the cutest design and pay attention to the suction power!
Most often on the market you can find vacuum cleaners with a suction power of 4000-6000 Pa. This works if your car is usually clean and you only need to clean up some dirt on the floor mats. But if you’re driving with kids who eat in the car and leave crumbs, or travel with your dog that leaves hair on the seats, you better look for a vacuum with suction power of about 10000-15000 Pa. Believe me, it won’t disappoint.
Size
This is simple as two times two: the smaller the vacuum cleaner is, the more convenient it will be for you to store and use. Compact vacuum cleaners with good suction power can even be stored in seatback pockets! Plus, they are perfect when cleaning under seats and in corners.
Accessories
In this case, more doesn’t mean better! Manufacturers often put a plenty of accessories to underline versatility of their vacuum cleaner, but all these nozzles are in fact useless. Practically, you’ll need no more than two of them.
Based on my experience, the most needed are a hose attachment and a brush nozzle. The hose attachment will help you vacuum corners, seams and air outlets. The brush nozzle is great for cleaning car mats and removing hair from upholstery. That’s it. You don’t have to pay extra for something you won’t use.
Dust container
It’s not the size of shape that is important here, but the design itself.
Best of all are car vacuums which you can empty from dirt and dust easily and without much disassembling. It’s cool if this is done just by pressing a few buttons. In fact, if dust removal is quick and simple, you don’t need a large container. It’s much more convenient to have a compact vacuum cleaner that is easy to empty.
Filter
To choose the best vacuum cleaner, check which filter it has.
So, for example, I highly recommend vacuum cleaners with a HEPA filter. It effectively copes with the smallest particles of dust, germs and irritants, which is ideal for allergy sufferers. Paper filters are common, but they tear quickly and are almost impossible to clean properly. This is a cheaper, but very short-lived option.
But the most durable vacuum cleaners are with an extra protective filter made from stainless steel. They protect the internal paper or HEPA filter and provide stronger filtration, which makes clogging much slower. Plus, they don’t rust over time!
And is there anything I could recommend?
Yes, I finally managed to find my favorite vacuum cleaner that combines all of the above characteristics. And this is the
Owleys Car Vacuum Cleaner. Here’s why:
– It’s a
battery powered vacuum that is cordless and conveniently rechargeable via USB.
– With three built-in 2200mAh batteries, it works up to 40 minutes on a full charge!
– Featuring two power modes from 6000 to 16000 Pa, this
powerful vacuum removes crumbs, pet hair, dirt, and dust just perfectly.
– It’s super compact for storage and use, so I keep mine in the glove compartment.
– This
mini vacuum cleaner comes with two really useful accessories that I mentioned above: a hose attachment and a brush attachment.
– To empty the dust container, just one click is enough. One click. Nothing more.
– Designed with double filter, this
car interior vacuum has a HEPA filter with a protective stainless steel filter on it.
– It’s very cute and has a perfect minimalist design to match any
car interior!
I’ve been using my
Owleys portable car vacuum cleaner for about half a year now, and this is a product that I really love and can highly recommend. I have something to compare with, and I’m glad I finally found the vacuum that works just the way it should.
I hope that my experience will be useful for you! Wish you comfortable and safe trips!
