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Don’t be fooled into thinking shop vacuums should only be used at a car mechanic shop. These versatile vacuums are great to keep around the garage, making the task of cleaning your car a lot easier when compared to a traditional hand vacuum. Shop vacuums are designed to be more heavy duty than your run-of-the-mill vacuum, but more importantly, they can be used for both wet and dry pickup.
When it comes down to choosing the right shop vacuum, there are a few factors to consider. Do you need one with extra long reach? How much suction power do you need? How large of a tank should you get? We address every one of these questions when detailing our recommendations below, noting the peak horsepower of each vacuum, how large the tank is, and the reach from the hose and/or power cord.
If you only need a shop vacuum to clean up your car, you don’t need an extremely powerful option, or one with an oversized tank. Larger tanks are more convenient if you own a large SUV or crossover, but even the smallest tanks will do the job—you’ll likely just have to empty it out more often. If you want to use your shop vacuum for other tasks around the house or garage, we recommend a more powerful option for larger objects.
For more information on the best shop vacuums, refer to our table of contents.