Best Garage Vacuums
Regular household vacuums are an absolute cleaning essential, but there are some jobs they just can’t quite cover. If you find yourself with messes that your Dyson can’t cover, like large debris or liquid messes, then here are the best garage vacuums to handle those big messes.
- Best Blower Combo: BISSELL Garage Pro Wall-Mounted Wet Dry Car Vacuum/Blower
- Best Wall Mounted: VacuMaid GV30 Wall Mounted Garage Vacuum
- Best Budget: Armor All, AA255 , 2.5 Gallon 2 Peak HP Wet/Dry Utility Shop Vacuum
- Best Compact: Vacmaster Professional – Professional Wet/Dry Vac
- Best Handheld: DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Vacuum, Wet/Dry, Portable
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Best Garage Vacuums
Best Blower Combo: BISSELL Garage Pro Wall-Mounted Wet Dry Vacuum/Blower
- Every Bissell purchase helps save pets. Bissell proudly supports the Bissell Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets
- 12 Amp Wet/Dry Vacuum: Picks up both wet and dry messes in the garage, car, workshop, etc.
- Converts to blower – Cleaning System: Helix System. Suctions up wet and dry debris
This BISSELL Wall-Mounted garage vacuum frees up garage space by attaching straight to the wall, but without sacrificing the ability to reach all the nooks and crannies you need to clean with a 32’ hose. The reviews praise this model’s strong suction and large capacity as its best features.
Pros:
- Reliable
- Powerful suction
- Long hose
- Large capacity
Cons:
- Removing the filter to clean is very messy
- Attachments feel cheap and flimsy
Specs:
- Tank Capacity: 4 gallons
- Hose Length: 32’
- Wet/Dry: Yes
- Bag/Bagless: Bagless
- Included Attachments: 7
- Warranty: 2 years
Best Wall Mounted: VacuMaid GV30 Wall Mounted Garage Vacuum
- Includes 30′ hose & hanger, caddy bag, telescopic wand, dusting brush, floor & crevice tools
- Easy to change 7 gallon 5 layer HEPA style bag – No messy cans to empty or filters to clean.
- 5.1” Ametek Lamb Motor for up to 25% more life than comparative brands.
This wall mounted garage vacuum has a powerful motor and quality finishes that reviewers love. It’s also quieter than most models this size. The only drawback of this option is that it’s not intended for use with liquids of any kind.
Pros:
- Large capacity
- Quality finishes
- High-performance suction
- Quiet
Cons:
- Slightly shorter hose
- Has a bag instead of a tank
- Not intended for use with liquids
Specs:
- Tank Capacity: 7 gallons
- Hose Length: 30’
- Wet/Dry: No
- Bag/Bagless: Bag
- Included Attachments: 5
- Warranty: 5 years
Best Budget: Armor All AA255 2.5 Gallon 2 Peak HP Wet/Dry Shop Vacuum
- 2.5 Gallon Polypropylene Tank.Specific uses:Car,Garage,Shop
- 2 Peak HP Motor
- 10 Ft. Cord With Cord Wrap
This vacuum is a great option for those on a budget, and it’s a great value for its size. Lightweight and portable, the Armor All vacuum won’t take up a ton of space in your garage, but it will still get the job done. It’s important to note, though, that because of the smaller capacity and smaller hose, this vacuum won’t pick up larger debris in the same way a larger option will.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Lightweight
- Portable
Cons:
- Small diameter hose that makes it harder to pick up larger debris
- Small capacity
Specs:
- Tank Capacity: 2.5 gallons
- Hose Length: 6’
- Wet/Dry: Yes
- Bag/Bagless: Bagless
- Included Attachments: 5
- Warranty: 2 years
Best Compact: Vacmaster Professional Professional Wet/Dry Vac
- Sold as 1 Each.
- Canister vacuum cleaner quickly removes pet hair, dust, dirt, and other debris.
- Bagless.
With over 5,000 5 star reviews, this compact vacuum is a great value and comes with all the suction you want with the portability you need. This model is small, yes, but doesn’t sacrifice powerful suction. Reviewers do warn, however, that the extender on this model is short, so you may have to bend over to reach the areas you are trying to clean.
Pros:
- Great value
- Easy to store
- Portable
- Powerful suction
Cons:
- Short suction piece with a short extender, so you may have to bend over to reach the mess you are trying to clean
Specs:
- Tank Capacity: 5-gallon
- Hose Length: 18’
- Wet/Dry: Yes
- Bag/Bagless: Bagless
- Included Attachments: 9
- Warranty: 5 year
Best Handheld: DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Vacuum
- Gore HEPA wet/dry filter of DEWALT cordless vaccum traps 99.97% of dust at 0.3 microns
- Dual clean-up modes of DEWALT 20V vacuum allow for debris removal with either the front utility nozzle or extendable rubber hose
- 1/2 gallon tank with heavy-duty latch is easy to empty and clean
This battery-operated vacuum is like the dust buster of garage vacuums. It’s small enough to hold in your hand, and it’s perfect for quickly cleaning up smaller messes. It has no hose or extender, which can make it a little tricky to maneuver.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Portable
Cons:
- Small capacity tank
- Battery operated
- Hard to maneuver in small spaces with no hose
Specs:
- Tank Capacity: ½ gallon
- Hose Length: N/A
- Wet/Dry: Yes
- Bag/Bagless: Bagless
- Included Attachments: None
- Warranty: 3 years
Garage Vacuums vs. Regular Vacuums
A garage vacuum is a lot more powerful than a regular vacuum and will do the job a lot faster. Regular vacuums are meant for smaller indoor messes, while a garage vacuum can pump out a flooded basement and suck up things like nails and wood chips with no problem whatsoever.
Benefits of Using a Garage Vacuum
A garage vacuum can handle a lot more than a regular vacuum. A typical household vacuum is not intended for liquid messes, and it simply won’t suck up larger particles like a shop vac will.
There are also a myriad of creative ways to use a garage vacuum, from blowing off snow from the driveway to cleaning out a barbeque pit. It can even be used to help clean your artificial grass!
Considerations Before Purchasing a Garage Vacuum
Power
If you have a heavy-duty mess, you need heavy-duty power. Most of the options on this list have great reviews of their suction capabilities. If high power is a top priority for you, a larger model will have a larger motor and more powerful suction.
Portability
For garage vacuums, there are several options when it comes to portability. If you need something portable, try a battery-operated garage vacuum or an option with a long cord.
If you need something large-capacity with unstoppable suction and you aren’t as concerned with portability, then a wall-mounted option will likely be your answer.
Hose Length
Hose lengths vary dramatically between models and depending on what portability you require that could be a deciding factor. A longer hose will increase portability and allow you to maneuver freely. A longer cord, however, could also be cumbersome to store.
Tank Capacity
A larger tank will hold more debris and allow you to clean more without stopping to empty the bag or tank. Larger garage vacuum tanks will also take up more space in your garage.
Filtration
The models featured in this list include great filtration systems. With that said, it’s important to consider the ease of cleaning the filter and what kind of filter you may need depending on what kind of debris you’re regularly vacuuming.
Sound
Garage vacuums are very powerful, but with that power can also come loud noise. Some garage vacuums are quieter than others.
Special Features and Attachments
Depending on the type of garage vacuuming you plan on doing, you might be interested in a model with special features. Special features can include:
- Handling of wet and dry messes
- Blower functionality
- Multiple specialty attachments
Warranty
The warranties on the garage vacuums in this list vary from 2 to 5 years.
FAQs
A shop vac is better for certain kinds of messes, depending on how much cleaning is really needed in your space. Shop vacs are better for heavy-duty messes, cleaning up larger-sized debris as well as liquid messes. They are also generally more powerful, depending on the model (Source: Gadget Review).
There are a few ways to get your garage dust free. You can always use a regular vacuum, but this might take a little more time and might cause damage to your regular vacuum. If you have a garage vacuum with a dust filter on it, you can get rid of the dust in your garage very quickly.
This depends on how clean you like your garage. Some people clean their garage once a month, others once a year, and some close to never. Once a season is a good goal. Schedule time each season to go through the garage, get rid of anything you don’t need, vacuum and dust.
