Clean Freaks: If You Don’t Have a Tiny Car Vacuum, It’s Time to Invest in This One (Trust Me)

• Functionality: 18/20
• Value: 20/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Performance: 19/20
• Usefulness: 20/20
TOTAL: 96/100

The credit goes to my sister who has always given gifts that prioritize practicality and general life usefulness: The Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner (the H11 model, priced at $60) from Eufy by Anker is exactly that—practical, useful and a gamechanger when it comes to cleaning crumbs and dust bunnies caught in the most hard-to-reach places.

Case in point: My car. I’m a mom to a 5-year-old who has a natural affinity for trashing most surfaces either by tracking dirt and mud in even on a rain-free day or stepping right on the Goldfish crackers he dropped, grinding the pieces into the car mats and making it impossible to quickly pick up.

It might also be useful to understand a bit about me: I’m a bit of a Danny Tanner when it comes to keeping things clean. I get a lot of joy from it—or at least I get joy from the feeling of a space that is pristine. My son wreaks havoc on this, which is where this handheld vacuum comes in.

Upon my sister gifting it to me, I immediately made its my car its home (you can charge it via USB) so that I could quickly zap those Goldfish messes or spot clean the car seat after a long weekend away.

It was the right move. This vacuum is one of the most satisfying cleaning tools I’ve ever owned. Not kidding, I voluntarily lingered in the car after a recent trip to Massachusetts just to test its power.

The size of a wine bottle and weighing a little more than a pound, it delivers 13 minutes straight of cleaning time following a full charge. I scoured the car seat, the crevices where the trunk closes, even the floor mats and seats. Credit goes to the 2-in-1 crevice tool attachment, which allows you to reach even the tiniest particles of lint, dust and dirt in things like the cup holders or seat pockets. It’s the portability that really makes it extra easy to clean. I could feel my nimbleness and speed as I tackled every dirt spot. It felt so good to have a solution to the non-stop mess brought on by my son.

I actually bought a second cordless vacuum from Eufy just to keep in my home. To be clear, this isn’t something that’s meant to replace your regular sized vac at all. But it’s the perfect tool to run along the radiators or stairs without a ton of hoopla. It’s the ideal solution for when you want to dust or spot clean.

My only complaint: The position of the on-off button makes it easy to bump with your thumb and power down right when you’re in a cleaning groove. Other than that, cleaning—and emptying when the vacuum is full—is intuitive and seamless to use.

Eufy actually has a full-range of cordless vacuums worth taking a peek at. The H20 is a souped-up version of the H11—and one that comes with car-specific tools, but at a slightly higher price point ($120).

Still, I’m a huge fan of the H11 for its convenience and affordability and the fact that it absolutely gets the job done.