One of the best car vacuums we've ever tested is on sale for $37

'Tis the season to travel, and more time in the car means more chances for dirt and crumbs to invade the interior. Who hasn't turned around to see a backseat covered in Cheetos dust, ignored a mountain of fast-food receipts or been haunted by a lone, lingering french fry under the floor mat? We're not judging — with all its nooks and crannies, your car is one of the hardest spots to keep clean. But we do have a suggestion: the ThisWorx car vacuum. We recently tested this affordable gadget and named it the best car vacuum for detailing.

Amazon

ThisWorx Car Vacuum Cleaner

$37$40Save $3

With its cyclonic force and strong suction, this compact, lightweight vacuum can tackle just about any mess in your car. The kit includes a filter brush, a carrying bag, a spare HEPA filter and three attachments for detailing.

$37 at Amazon

Why is this a good deal? 💰

As Yahoo's senior home editor, I tested this car vacuum along with nine others and found that it outperformed models more than double the price. To check the suction, I scattered a blend of soil, sand, pet hair and crushed crackers all over my car's back seat and floor (yes, it was a dirty job, and yes, someone had to do it). I weighed the mixture before dumping it, then measured the amount of debris each vacuum picked up after a set amount of time.

The ThisWorx car vac had the second-best suction, inhaling almost all the dirt and debris. Its crevice attachment got into the narrowest spaces, and its flexible hose gave me extra reach. I'm not the only one impressed by its crumb-busting skills: This product has more than 168,000 perfect ratings on Amazon. Paying full price seems fair, but buying it when it's on sale? That's a no-brainer!

Why do I need this? 🤔

Next time there's a Cheetos spill, don't crush all that orange dust into the carpet. Grab your ThisWorx Car Vacuum from the trunk, plug it into the car's 12-volt outlet and clean like a pro. Thanks to a HEPA filter, this gadget also eradicates allergens. (And just think of all the money you'll save by not having to hit the car detailer as often.)

Cordless vacs are convenient, but you have to make sure they're charged before you take them on the road. No worries with this one: It has a 110-watt motor and a 16-foot cord for getting in between seat cushions and down into that no-man's-land under the seat.

The hand vac comes with three attachments, including a brush nozzle for pet hair. And unlike other car vacuums, it has a large dust cup, so you won't need to empty it in the middle of cleaning. (Be sure to check out our tech editor's ThisWorx Car Vacuum review for even more on what to expect with this practical buy.)

What reviewers say 💬

Over 168,000 fans give this little sucker a glowing five-star review.

Pros 👍

"I got this because I was tired of always having to lug a vacuum and then wire it from the house to my car," shared a fan. "Its suction is great and the attachments included help with getting stubborn crumbs out of the carpet, or in my case, metal shavings my shoes carried in from the factory I work in which are much harder to vacuum than crumbs."

"This little vacuum cleaner does a great job for being small!" said another reviewer. "If your car is really messy, you may need something bigger, but this thing is great. It gets into small places easily with several different attachments to use, and I like that it plugs into the car. No charging! It has a zipper bag to hold everything. I am going to get another one for my sister. It's not noisy and has enough power to get most things."

A ride-share driver who regularly uses the vac said it helps them score some great tips from appreciative passengers. "This is a terrific vacuum cleaner! Very easy to set up! This baby does the job!"

"I literally have bought over five of these since last year," wrote one motorist. "One for me, and one for each driving family member! ... All the different heads and things it comes with really make this the best car vac ... Has saved me so much money by not needing to pay for drive-through vacuuming anymore!"

Cons 👎

I wasn't blown away by the effectiveness of this little vac's pet hair brush, and some reviewers say you won't get pro-level detailing (but given the price, they don't expect it). "I had to go over the same spots (floor specifically) to notice a difference — but it worked great on the seats," said one four-star fan. "The extension hose is a nice touch, but I felt like it wasn't super sturdy and would occasionally get kinked and lose even more suctioning power. The body itself doesn't hold a lot and once it gets full you will know, as the debris will literally only make it part ways up the hose and then just fall back out."

Another shopper said that it would've been nice if "the little brush was softer for cleaning the vents." The same reviewer did point out, though, that it "works great for detailing my truck."

A final customer offered a rather specific con: "Bought this little vacuum for my small camper. Constantly tracking in fir and pine needles, and it's nice to have a clean carpet in the evening and first thing in the morning. ... The one downside is with as much suction as this thing has, it puts out a lot of cold air from its exhaust. When you are using it and wearing nothing but your birthday suit before bed, you may experience some shrinkage. Only did this once. Brrrr." (Pro tip: Don't vacuum naked! Problem solved.)

Amazon

Power Practical Handheld Cordless Vacuum

$50

Look ma, no cords! ThisWorx also sells a rechargeable version under the brand Power Practical. It's not on sale, but it's still more affordable than most other cordless car vacs. In my testing, I found this gadget lacked some power, but overall it performed well, with a run time of about 16 minutes when I toggled between regular and turbo modes (the corded version has only one mode).

$50 at Amazon

Another popular product that'll help you keep your car clean? This Shark Tank fave:

Amazon

Drop Stop Car Seat Gap Filler

$24$25

Save $1 with coupon

This gizmo is sent from the heavens to fill the gap between your car seat and the center console — you know, the abyss that swallows everything from pens to chicken nuggets to iPhones.

Check out our full Drop Stop review for more. 

Save $1 with coupon

$24 at Amazon

If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

Looking for more great Amazon home deals? Check these out:

Vacuums

Home

Kitchen