No matter how hard we try, wet spills will inevitably happen. Having a shop vac at home can reduce the risk of your carpet staining and is particularly helpful for families with pets and children, who are often the culprits of all sorts of liquid messes. Nowadays, most newer shop vacs have improved suction technology and leave carpets much cleaner and drier than older wet/dry vacuum models. “The problem with the shop vacs of old was that they didn’t have enough sucking power and would leave carpets moist,” says Yavor Gorolo, founder of Fine Carpet Cleaning Services with over a decade of experience in the carpet cleaning industry. “This would leave stains and odors and defeat the whole purpose of what you were trying to do.” Carpets aren’t the only items that today’s wet/dry vacs can clean. These handy appliances can also tackle other types of flooring and upholstered furniture, too, such as sofas, armchairs, and cars. Shop vacs are available in upright, canister, and drum options, in both corded and cordless varieties, and you can also get smaller, portable models. Plus, they come in a variety of tank capacities and hose lengths to suit your personal preference and needs. To assemble this list of the best shop vacs, we looked at vacuum style, size, accessories, price, bin size, and performance. We also talked with Yavor Gorolo and Velko Havjiyski, founder of Perfect Carpet Cleaning Services who has been in the carpet cleaning business for over 17 years. Our overall pick for the best shop vac is the Stanley SLI8II5P Five-Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum. It delivers big performance in a compact size that makes it easy to clean in tight spaces, including your car. It also includes several accessories so you can dig into crevices and reach further to grab more of the mess. One shopper called it “the best purchase” they’ve ever made and wrote: “Not only can this thing clean out your car better than a dealership, [but also] I used it in the first week we had it when I dropped a large 3-wick candle on my patio. Glass was everywhere. This cleaned it up in no time. Great investment!” Another called it a “great all-purpose vac” that’s “super for pet hair.” Price at time of publish: $60 Price at time of publish: $54 One user wrote: “I bought this unit a few months ago, and it has been one of the most surprisingly helpful purchases that I have ever made! I didn’t realize until now how much extension cords and bulky vacs had made a ‘cleaner’ life difficult. This unit has the perfect 3-gallon waste bin capacity for the everyday messes that I run into. The motor is surprisingly strong with a lot of vacuum power. The fact that the battery power source is interchangeable with my other power tools was one of my purchasing factors. This unit may cost more than some cheap, corded wet/dry vacs, but I guarantee you, its versatility is worth it!” Price at time of publish: $125 Price at time of publish: $300 One reviewer calls it “an exceptionally great budget vacuum [that] performs like a champ” and says it comes with everything most will need for simple cleaning. “The vacuum does well with a mix of wet and dry vacuuming. I was able to vacuum up sand on a carpet, followed by standing water, then back to a sandy carpet. It also did a thick wet mixture quite well. The collection bucket holds quite a large amount while still being easy to handle.” Price at time of publish: $50 Price at time of publish: $200 While it’s not ideal for larger cleanup tasks, one reviewer explained that it’s the “perfect size for my apartment, car, DIY, window tracks, and so much more.” Another user called it “small but mighty.” Price at time of publish: $53 Price at time of publish: $50 Price at time of publish: $213 Price at time of publish: $70
What to Know About Shop Vacs Before Shopping
Style
Traditionally, shop vacs (named after the popular wet/dry Shop-Vac appliances invented in 1953) were heavy-duty machines made for industrial use with a drum-style design, which is basically a cylinder canister with an attached hose. Wet/dry vacuums nowadays come in various styles including canister, upright, handheld, portable, and even backpack options, although these are typically reserved for commercial purposes. Our picks for the best shop vacs are available in both corded electric and cordless battery-powered options. For a cordless model, the more economical the product, the less likely it will be that the battery will provide a lot of runtime on one charge. That being said, even higher-end cordless vacuums only offer around 20 minutes of life on a single charge. Thankfully, these machines only take about an hour to fully charge up again, so you’ll be ready to go again in no time.
Size
Professional shop vacuums are rather large machines that can be heavy, too. These tend to have wheels for easier maneuverability and often need quite a bit of storage space when not in use, especially if they have many accessories. Wet/dry vacs for home use, however, come in various sizes to suit your personal needs and are available in large and small sizes for both those with a lot of storage capacity and anyone with limited storage space. Some wet/dry shop vacs are even wall-mountable to free up floor space.
Capacity
In relation to how much water a wet/dry vacuum can hold, this often depends on the size of the machine. The best shop vacs can hold anywhere from half a gallon to a massive 10 gallons of water. The more water the vacuum can hold, the more area it can cover without you needing to stop and empty it. In any event, if you prefer to buy a smaller machine with less water capacity and the waste bin fills up, you can always stop to empty it, and then continue with the remaining carpet.
Hose Length
Shop vacs with hoses (not the upright kind) are available with a variety of different hose lengths. More expensive and professional-grade machines typically have longer hoses of around 13 to 15 feet whereas a smaller, portable machine may have a hose of around 4 to 7 feet in length.
Attachments
Many new shop vacs come with handy attachments for multiple different cleaning purposes, which can come in handy if you plan on using your machine for cleaning surfaces other than just carpet. Some of these attachments include extension wands and crevice tools for reaching corners, stairs, and sideboards. There are utility nozzles for large areas, wet squeegee nozzles, and even smaller nozzles for tight areas, such as in cars. Round brush nozzles for upholstery and multi-purpose turbo nozzles are also available. Many wet/dry vacs come with their own accessories included, but most attachments are available to buy as add-ons if you decide you want them later on.
Your Questions, Answered
Is a wet/dry vacuum worth it?
It depends. According to Velko Havjiyski, if you’re using a shop vacuum to clean up liquid spills and prevent carpet stains, then it’s definitely worth it. If you’re using one to replace your annual or bi-annual professional carpet cleaning, then the answer is no. “A wet/dry vac or a residential carpet cleaner can’t provide as deep of a clean as a professional carpet cleaning service that uses machines that cost thousands of dollars,” he says. Yavor Gorolo agrees and says that as long as you have a good vacuum cleaner, a wet/dry vac is not a must but can still come in handy for cleaning up spills and even for use in emergency situations, like floods. “You should still be getting your carpets cleaned professionally at least once or twice a year,” he says.
Is a wet/dry vacuum the same as a carpet cleaner?
No. A wet/dry vacuum is a vacuum cleaner that can suck up both dry and wet matter whereas a carpet cleaner sprays a soapy detergent on the carpet and then vacuums it up and cleans the carpet at the same time. Some wet/dry vacs allow for wet carpet cleaning whereby you apply a detergent to the carpet manually and then go over it with the wet/dry vacuum. However, you would have to make sure that your particular shop vac model can support this, as some older models can’t.
Can I use a wet/dry vacuum to clean upholstery?
Yes, you can. In fact, many wet/dry vacuum cleaners come with specific upholstery accessories designed for this task.
Who We Are
This article was written by Kat de Naoum, who has over 10 years of commerce writing experience. Kat is also the commerce editor-at-large at Thomas-Xometry, the leading U.S. online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing. For this best shop vacs article, Kat reviewed and researched multiple wet/dry vacuums and spoke to Yavor Gorolo, founder of Fine Carpet Cleaning Services with over a decade of experience in the carpet cleaning industry, and Velko Havjiyski, founder of Perfect Carpet Cleaning Services who has been in the carpet cleaning business for over 17 years. She also researched factors such as each wet/dry vacuum’s power, style, size, capacity, hose length, attachments, and value for money.
