Vacuums

The Shop-Vac 965-06-00 is a midsized wet-dry vacuum with a bright yellow 6-gallon tank and a lot of attachments. The motor, at 3 horsepower, is about average, and its performance in our tests reflected its lack of power. One standout feature is the length of the hose.

The DeWalt DCV581H features cordless or corded operation and is the only shop vacuum we reviewed with a rechargeable battery. The motor lacks power at only 2 horsepower, but it's also very quiet. Our sound test recorded 81 dB, which is the lowest of the shop vacs we tested by over 10 dB.

The PowerSmith PAVC101 is specifically designed for cleaning warm and cool ash out of fireplaces and barbecue grills. It can be used like other shop vacuums, generally, but it isn't able to clean up wet messes around the house.

The Craftsman 12004 is a midsized shop vacuum that performs well without a high price tag. The wet-dry vac has an adequate 3-horsepower motor and the second largest hose of the vacuums we reviewed, despite weighing a relatively light 12.8 pounds.

The Ridgid WD1450 is a 14-gallon wet-dry vacuum with powerful suction, the largest-capacity tank we tested and rugged construction. The motor reaches a peak of 6 horsepower. It includes a unique dust filter for fine powders and a drain port for quick disposal.

Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it is no longer available.

The ArmorAll AA255 is specifically designed to clean the interior of your car. Unlike other shop vacuums, it has no wheels, and the tank has a capacity of only 2.5 gallons. It handles both wet and dry pickup and comes with an assortment of attachments despite its small size.

The Stanley SL18129 is a stainless steel tank with several attachments on its small frame and adequate power for its size. This wet-dry vacuum only has a 4-gallon tank capacity, but it still rolls on the floor despite being lighter than portable shop vacuums we reviewed.

The Black & Decker 20V MAX Lithium Pivot handheld vacuum features a unique nozzle that makes it especially useful for the top task of all handheld vacuum cleaners – odd jobs that traditional

The Shark Cordless Pet Perfect II is made specifically for pet hair on upholstery and carpet. It offers a decent level of suction, a rechargeable battery and several attachments. The charging stand doesn't take up a lot of space and has slots for all the tools.

The Dyson V6 Trigger handheld vacuum is the signature hand vac of the Dyson brand and has the price tag that goes along with it. It has a nice design, with a rechargeable lithium battery and a modern trigger-style handle that's comfortable to hold.

The Black & Decker Dustbuster gives you an easy way to clean up small messes in odd places, including your car, RV or boat, and even quick jobs around your home.

The Eureka Easy Clean Handheld Vacuum is designed for quick pickups on multiple surfaces.

The Dirt Devil Quick Flip is compact, portable and lightweight – all things you want in a handheld vacuum.

If you’re a pet owner the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser is a handheld vacuum to consider. Like many Bissel vacuums, this one specializes in pet hair removal, as its name implies.

The MetroVac Vac N Go handheld vacuum is designed differently from every other small vacuum cleaner, with a long steel tube for the dustbin instead of plastic. It's one of the lightest of all the vacuums in our lineup and has a couple of convenient attachments.

The Dirt Devil Accucharge handheld vacuum cleaner runs for a long time, has a great warranty and weighs little, but it did poorly in our tests. This is one of the worst portable vacuums we tested for picking up pet hair.