15 Best handheld vacuums in the UK: Comparison Table

Tired of lugging a shop vac around your car when it’s time to vacuum it out? We’ve put together this guide to help you choose a portable vacuum. We’ll walk you through how they work, what the difference is between corded and cordless vacuums and the best way to choose one.

If you’re like me, you’ve tried vacuuming your car with a shop vac or standard home vacuum with a hose attachment. Awkward, isn’t it? I’ve since discovered that car vacuum cleaners make the chore of vacuuming car floors and upholstery less painful. Many of these vacuums are cordless, so you don’t need to worry about untangling yourself from cords while you work. Their smaller size and lighter weight can also be helpful when you’re maneuvering into tight spaces. Car vacuums also come with specialized attachments designed for those hard-to-reach crevices found in cars.

We’ve reviewed and compared the TOP 5 car vacuum cleaners in the UK for 2022 to make your shopping easier.

• How handheld vacuum cleaners work
• What to look for in a handheld vacuum

Handheld vacuum cleaners are portable vacuums equipped to handle the type of dust, hair, and debris, and they’re designed to deal with small spaces and awkward positions.

Some of these vacuum cleaners are battery-powered and are more convenient to use than standard vacuums with extension cords.

What to Look for in a Vacuum

There are several factors to consider when shopping for a handheld vacuum besides its price or whether it's cordless. Here is a quick summary of the features that will likely affect whether a vacuum cleaner is right for you or not.

Do you want to use it for other chores like cleaning up the garage or small messes in your home? In that case, you may want a multi-purpose vacuum rather than one that’s just for cleaning cars.

When you shop for vacuum cleaners, you’ll often see a power rating listed for the motor. It’s usually measured in amps, which is the amount of electricity the motor consumes. This power rating tells you how much suction the vacuum theoretically can produce. The higher the motor’s power rating, the better it will pick up debris from a carpet.

Attachments can make your day when you clean out small spaces and awkward angles that you need to reach. Vacuums with special attachments designed just for these difficult spots will make cleaning less frustrating.

Capacity. This is how much dirt the vacuum can hold before it needs to be emptied out. A vacuum will lose suction power when the tank and filter fill up and clog. As a result, handheld vacuums are only designed to clean up small messes. 

Best Handheld Vacuums

There are many types of vacs on the market. Knowing a little bit about each one can make it easier to choose the right one for you. We have provided short descriptions of a few of the best types for cleaning up your car below.

BLACK & DECKER BDH1200PVAV Corded Automotive Vacuum with 12V adapter

Black & Decker’s BDH1200PVAV is a vacuum cleaner designed specifically for car interiors.

The two most convenient features of this vacuum are its 12V power cord that plugs into a car’s cigarette lighter and its pivoting nose design. For a vacuum that you’ll use only in cars, being able to plug into a car’s electric outlet a major plus.

The pivoting nose helps with different tasks by adjusting the nose angle with ten different settings.

It’s a compact vacuum that you may need to empty frequently, but you won’t need to worry about recharging batteries.

BLACK+DECKER BDH1200PVAV: Check the current price

BLACK+DECKER CHV1410L Cordless Hand Vacuum - Bestseller

Black & Decker’s CHV1419L Cordless Hand Vacuum is a best seller for good reason: At an affordable price, you get a cordless vacuum, a compact design, and a powerful motor.

The lithium-ion battery that powers the CHV1410L can hold a single charge for up to 18 months. That means it’ll need fewer recharges when you aren’t using it often.

The small, cordless housing makes it able to handle the difficulty of car vacuuming, and the motor can generate up to 15 AW of suction power.

BLACK+DECKER CHV1410L: Check the current price

Best-Selling Handheld Vacuums in the UK | Comparison Table

Budget-Friendly Hand Vacuums

Bissell’s Vacuum is one of the highest quality vacuum cleaners you’ll find, and the price matches its features. It’s equipped with a brush roller capable of picking up the most ground-in dirt. The amount of power required to run that brush roller along with the suction motor limits the time the battery can last to about 15 minutes. Still, this vacuum comes with a full set of features and attachments including a built-in extension hose, extension wand, crevice tool, and a dusting brush.

High quality doesn’t always come at the highest price point. Budget cordless hand vacuums come with a lithium-ion battery that can sustain full power for 30 minutes on average before it needs recharging. The compact size makes it easy to reach difficult areas in a car, and it comes with a set of three attachments: a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and a liquid nozzle. This vacuum can clean up liquid as well as dry dirt.

Bissell 47R51 Cleanview Corded Handheld Vacuum - Best Budget

Bissell’s 47R51 Cleanview is a corded vacuum well-suited to cleaning car interiors, and it’s also one of the most affordable models on the market today.

Its compact design and 2-ft hose attachment make it possible to get into the toughest spots. The Cleanview also has a powerful motor for its size, ensuring that it can pick up tough dirt found on car floors. The power cord isn’t designed for cars, but it is 18 feet long.

Bissell 47R51: Check the current price