The 6 Best Overall Small Wet Dry Vacs

If you want to clean up small amounts of wet and dry messes from pets or food spillage, a small wet dry vac will be the cleaning machine to have.

The best small vacuum cleaner boasts powerful suction that cleans up every bit of the mess, leaving your stained surface sparkling.

What’s more, a small vacuum cleaner could be cordless to allow you to clean your room even when there is no electrical power.

Here are the 6 best overall small wet dry vacs review.

Even more impressive is the fact that you can convert your small vacuum cleaner into a blower.

Yes, you can find small vacuums that double up as powerful blowers with incredible airflow rates in cubic feet per minute (CFM).

You only have to buy the best unit to unlock the full potential of your small wet dry vacuum.

But the market has plenty of these units, and not all of them yield the best cleaning results.

If you’re looking for the best small wet and dry vacs for your shop or home, you have come to the right place! We have rounded up some of the best units we think you might love.

They clean with exceptional power to suck up or blow away dry and wet messes from your surfaces.

We have even included a buyer’s guide to help you buy the best small vacuum cleaners. So, you want to read on for more information!

Six Small Wet and Dry Vacuums to Consider Buying

Vacmaster VP205

Vacmaster, VP205, 2.5 Gallon is very portable since it features a top handle and weighs only 6.39 pounds.

At least, the lightweight design works with the top handle to make transportation effortless and convenient.

So, if you want to take your cleaning elsewhere, this is a wet dry vac you should consider buying.

It has plenty of features wrapped up its sleeves, making it an excellent buy.

The vacuum cleaner has a 2.5 gallon tank that ensures you can vacuum dust and liquid spillage from the floor.

The tank capacity isn’t much, but it still ensures you can vacuum a dry and wet floor to leave the surfaces sparkling clean.

The suction power is quite impressive since this unit features a 2HP motor. 

Even though it’s a small vacuum cleaner, it does pretty much everything. You can use your vacuum cleaner to clean wet and dry messes from your car seats, carpet, floor, or upholstered furniture.

If you own an auto shop and you want one of the most versatile shop vacuums, you should consider adding this unit to your auto shop.

It is a small shop vac with incredible performance. The included crevice tool ensures you clean oil spillage from hard-to-reach areas. It features a cord management system on which its cord wraps for more compact storage.

The 8 feet cord length ensures you have an extended reach to clean every floor space of your room. 

Besides vacuuming your surfaces, you can easily convert your wet dry shop vacuum into a blower.

Therefore, it is one of the versatile wet dry shop vacs, and you should consider buying it.

Manufacturer	‎Cleva North America
Model Number	VP205
Product Dimensions	‎12 x 15 x 30 inches
Item Weight	‎6.39 pounds
Power Source	‎Corded Electric
Hose Length	‎4 Feet
Tank size	2.5 Gal
Horse Power	2 Peak HP

Pros	Cons
2HP powerful suction.	It has no grounding wire.
It is lightweight and portable.	It has no caster wheels.
It converts to a blower.
Best Overall Small Wet Dry Vacs Reviews

Vacmaster Red Edition VOM205P 1101 Portable Wet Dry Shop Vacuum

Vacmaster Red Edition VOM205P is also powerful since it features a 2HP motor. With the motor’s power standing at an incredible peak power of 2HP, the vacuum boasts one of the most powerful cleaning performances.

And this makes it one of the powerful vacuums for your shop, home, or office.

Besides being an incredible dust collector, the vacuum cleaner could also be the blower you need. And it boasts an incredible airflow rate of 65 CFM for removing debris, pet hair, and leaves from your shop.

As such, it is a multi-functional vacuum cleaner for keeping your room clean.

Since this unit collects dry and wet messes from the floor, it includes a tank in its design. The 2.5 gallon tank is spacious enough to handle your cleaning needs.

The unit includes accessories for blowing the dust off the floor, collecting dust from tight spaces, and cleaning your car seats.

Portability is a great advantage when working at a shop. And it’s a good thing this unit weighs only 6.16 pounds for excellent portability. The compact design of this vac makes storage space-saving.

The vacuum cleaner even lets you wall mount to save precious floor space at your auto shop.

Pros	Cons
2HP powerful suction.	It is a bit noisy.
65 CFM powerful blower.	The motor isn't very durable.
It is compact and space-saving.
Best Overall Small Wet Dry Vacs Reviews

Workshop Wet/Dry Vacuum WS0255VA Compact

WORKSHOP WS0255VA Wet/Dry Vacs Vacuum is reasonably powerful, boasting a 1.7HP suction power. Even with this suction power, you can still remove dry and wet messes from your floor.

As such, you also want to consider buying this vacuum cleaner. The 10-inch extension cord ensures you can plug your vacuum into a wall outlet to clean the entire floor space.

What’s more, the 4-foot hose is longer than any extension wand for cleaning surfaces high above the floor. The wide cleaning path attachment ensures you can clean a wide area with a single sweep.

Like many multi-functional vacuum cleaners, this one doubles up as a blower.

And it includes an attachment for blowing debris off your floor and other surfaces. The vacuum cleaner is versatile, and you can use it to clean the interior of your car.

The utility nozzle of the hose ensures all the surfaces needing cleaning are free from debris, wet and dry messes, and dust particles.

The collection tank has an impressive 2.5 gallons capacity to handle your light-duty cleaning tasks. The unit is portable, weighing only 7.24 pounds. It is also compact to save on storage space.

What’s more, the power cord wraps around the carry handle for more compact storage. This particular small vacuum cleans your car as much as it cleans your upholstered seats and floor.

Therefore, it is worth considering.

Manufacturer	‎Emerson Tool Company
Model Number	‎WS0255VA
Product Dimensions	‎15 x 12 x 15.15 inches
Item Weight	‎7.24 pounds
Power Source	AC
Hose Length	3 Feet
Tank size	2.5-Gallon
Horse Power	1.75 Peak HP

Pros	Cons
7HP powerful suction.	Short power cord.
It doubles up as a blower.	The hose is a bit stiff.
It has cord management.
Best Overall Small Wet Dry Vacs Reviews

SHOP-VAC 1.5 Gallon All-in-one Wet and Dry Vacuum

Shop-Vac 1.5 Gallon All-In-One is a more compact vacuum cleaner with the suction power of a high-end vac. It also boasts 2HP suction power that the other vacs on the list boast, making it earn its right spot among the best small wet dry vacs.

With its incredible suction power, you can remove wet and dry messes from your floor or car seats.

The dust collection tank is 1.5 gallons large to handle your everyday cleaning needs. Even though this tank capacity isn’t large, the vacuum cleaner still does an incredible job of handling most cleaning jobs.

Maybe this is the most versatile vacuum cleaner for your shop. It includes more cleaning tools than any other vacuum on the list.

The included cleaning tools are a crevice tool, dual-surface nozzle, round brush, and gulper nozzle. The 7-foot hose gives you an extended reach to clean even surfaces high above the floor.

The extension wands even ensure you can pick up dust from your walls.

This unit is also lightweight and features transportation wheels for excellent portability. The onboard storage lets you keep the cleaning tools and attachments on the vacuum cleaner before mounting the vac to your wall.

And it includes wall mount kits for this type of storage.

The blowing function is also powerful, and this unit features a rear blower port. This port instantly converts your incredibly powerful wet and dry vac into a blower for removing debris from your pavement.

If you’re looking for usage versatility, you should consider buying this multi-functional vacuum.

Manufacturer	‎Shop Vac
Model Number	‎589-51-00
Product Dimensions	‎12.25 x 9.63 x 17.25 inches
Item Weight	‎10.4 pounds
Power Source	‎Corded Electric
Hose Length	‎2.1 Meters
Tank size	2 Gallon
Horse Power	1.75 Peak

Pros	Cons
2HP powerful suction.	The collection tank is a bit small.
It is multi-functional.	It has no tank drain.
It is wall mountable.
Best Overall Small Wet Dry Vacs Reviews

MAKITA XCV11Z Brushless Cordless

Makita XCV11Z 18V LXT offers unmatched portability since it is cordless. It uses a powerful 18V LXT Lithium-Ion battery supplying reliable power for 60 minutes straight.

As such, you can use it to clean your room during a power outage. Carrying the vacuum cleaner around is effortless as it weighs only 10.5 pounds. This makes portability a non-issue.

Makita vacuum cleaner also does an incredible job blowing dust and dirt from your surfaces. It easily converts to a blower with an incredible airflow rate of 57 CFM.

The unit features two speed settings – high and low – to combat any dirt. 

Since it is a vacuum cleaner, it features a 2-gallon collection tank. This tank capacity ensures the unit cleans your room without filling up halfway through. I

t is a small unit featuring only one cleaning multi-functional tool. You can use the tool to suck up wet and dry messes from the floor and car seats.

The onboard storage allows you to store the hose and nozzle after usage. As a result, the vacuum becomes compact enough to save plenty of space.

The vacuum cleaner features Hepa filters that clean the air exiting via the exhaust port when using this unit as a blower. If you want a compact unit for cleaning your room or car, you can benefit immensely from this vacuum cleaner. Therefore, consider buying it.

Manufacturer	Makita
Model Number	XCV11Z
Product Dimensions	‎10.67 x 16.93 x 12.32 inches
Item Weight	‎10.5 pounds
Power Source	‎Battery Powered
Hose Length	‎4 Feet
Tank size	2 Gallon
Horse Power	1.75 Peak

Pros	Cons
Powerful 57 CFM blower.	It doesn't include the battery.
Very durable motor.	It drains the battery faster.
Incredible run time.
Best Overall Small Wet Dry Vacs Reviews

DEWALT 20V MAX Vacuum

DEWALT 20V MAX VACUUM cleaner retains the reputation that DeWalt has created over the years. First, this unit features a powerful motor that ensures the blower function boasts 31 CFM.

If you’re blowing dust particles from your driveway or floor, you will realize how powerful the motor is.

The fully integrated hose is 5 feet long for excellent reach.

What’s more, the hose is crush-resistant, making it heavy-duty and durable. It has a diameter measuring 1.24 inches and is flexible for excellent cleaning performance.

This vacuum cleaner is more portable since it is cordless. It features a powerful battery capable of giving up to 20V of electricity.

This powerful battery powers the 1.85HP motor for hours, giving you sufficient time to clean your room or car seats.

The Hepa-rated filters trap almost all microns and dust as it is 99.97% efficient. This makes the unit safe for use even in poorly ventilated rooms.

The filters are reusable to cut maintenance costs. The collection tank boasts an impressive 2 gallons capacity. 

This DeWalt vacuum cleaner is ideal for use in rooms with no electricity.

It is powerful, lightweight, and performs with impressive cleaning power. Therefore, it is one of the best compact vacuum cleaners for your car or shop.

Manufacturer	Dewalt
Model Number	‎DCV581H
Product Dimensions	‎17.25 x 12.31 x 13.13 inches
Item Weight	‎10.71 pounds
Power Source	‎Corded Electric
Hose Length	5 feet
Tank size	2-Gallon
Horse Power	‎1.85

Pros	Cons
85HP powerful motor.	It has no canister wheels.
Powerful battery.	Unreliable customer service.
It has a highly efficient filter.
Best Overall Small Wet Dry Vacs Reviews

How To Pick the Best Small Wet and Dry Vacuum Cleaner

When buying a small wet dry vac for your cleaning jobs, you want to pick the best vacuum from the market.

You will check for a few features to ensure you’re buying the best model. The best small vacs have some must-have features that you want to check for before picking any unit.

If you want the best vacuum to clean your floor or car seats, you will check for the features below:

The Suction Power

You want to check the suction power of a small wet dry vacuum before buying it. Checking for the cleaning power ensures you buy a unit that’s powerful enough to leave your cleaned surface sparkling clean.

As such, ensure you check the suction power before spending your hard-earned cash.

Small vacuums express their suction power in horsepower (HP). A unit with more HP rating is more powerful. But small vacuum cleaners don’t have as much HP as full-sized vacuum cleaners.

As such, you can only expect a few horsepowers from your small wet dry vacuum cleaner. 

Generally speaking, small vacuums for cleaning your room or shop have between 1 – 3 HP. You can buy a small vacuum with more HP ratings if you want excellent suction power for power cleaning your surfaces.

Check the rated HP to buy a powerful small vacuum that sucks up every speck of dust and spillage from your cleaned surface.

Airflow Rate in CFM

Many small vacuums double up as blowers. They even feature a blower port to which you will connect the hose before blasting dust and dirt from your floor.

Since small vacuums feature the blowing function, you want to check if the blower is powerful enough to blast grime and dirt off your floor or car seat. And to do this, you will check the CFM rating of the blower.

The CFM rating tells you the airflow rate in cubic feet per minute. A small vac with a higher CFM rating blows out more air at any time. Also, high CFM units blow dust and dirt with more power

. As such, you want to buy a small vacuum with higher CFM ratings for power cleaning your surfaces.

Small vacuums have impressive CFM ratings ranging from 30 CFM to 60 CFM.

If you want to clean your surface with sufficient blowing power, ensure you buy a unit with more CFM rating, as we have already seen.

The Tank Capacity

When your small wet dry vacuum cleaner picks up dirt, dust, and food spillage from the cleaned surface, the collected debris ends up in a tank.

You will then empty the tank before using your vacuum cleaner to clean again. Therefore, the collection tank is an essential component of your small vacuum cleaner.

And you want to check its capacity before buying a vacuum cleaner.

A large tank takes time to fill up, meaning you can clean a larger area without stopping halfway to empty the tank. As such, you want to buy a vacuum cleaner with a spacious collection tank.

Small vacuum cleaners (and full-sized vacuums) express the tank capacity in gallons. Of course, the more gallon ratings on the tank, the larger its volume.

You want to settle on 2-gallon tanks and nothing less. Your small vacuum will collect wet and dry messes from the surface you’re cleaning without stalling halfway.

Therefore, consider buying small vacuums with 2-gallon tanks for impressive performance throughout the cleaning duration.

Power Supply

Your small vacuum cleaner uses electrical power to function. This electrical power could come from your wall outlet or a battery. That means you have corded and cordless vacuums to choose from when buying these cleaning machines.

A corded vacuum features a power cord that you plug into your wall outlet. On the other hand, a cordless unit has a battery that powers it.

Corded and cordless vacuum cleaners have their upsides and downsides.

So, you want to select the best one for you carefully. A corded vacuum cleaner boasts a longer run time because of power supply reliability.

But corded vacuums are not very portable since their usage relies on a wall outlet availability.

On the other hand, cordless vacuum cleaners are more portable since you can use them pretty much anywhere.

But they have a limited run time, depending on their battery charge capacity. If you want to clean your surfaces for extended periods, you should buy a corded vacuum cleaner.

But if you want a small vacuum cleaner that you can carry around to clean any surface, a cordless vacuum cleaner is your best choice.

However, you will check the battery capacity to buy a unit that runs for a few hours.

The battery capacity is usually in milliamp-hour (mAh). The more mAh ratings a battery features, the more power it stores. So, buy batteries with higher mAh ratings for extended cleanings.

Portability and Storage

You also want a small vacuum cleaner that you can carry around effortlessly to clean dirty surfaces.

That means you should check for portability. The weight of the small wet dry vac affects its portability. A unit weighing a few pounds is more portable.

Therefore, consider buying small vacuums weighing less than 11 pounds. Transporting such small wet dry vacuums will require less effort.

Also, you have to consider the storage space a vacuum cleaner demands before buying it. More compact vacuum cleaners require less storage space.

And for this reason, you should buy compact-sized vacuums. The good news is small vacuums barely take up any space while in storage. Some vacuums even feature onboard storage for more compact storage.

These are the small vacs to consider buying if you have limited storage space.

Cleaning Attachments

Wet dry shop vacs include attachments that make them clean your surfaces effectively. These attachments are essential for the excellent functioning of your vacuum cleaner.

As such, you want to check if your preferred vacuum cleaner comes with the necessary attachments.

Your favorite vacuum cleaner should include an extension wand for an extended reach to clean surfaces high above the floor.

Also, it should include an upholstery brush for brushing and cleaning your upholstered furniture or car seats.

A crevice tool is another excellent attachment for removing wet and dry messes between tight spaces.

The hose should be wide and long for efficient cleaning performance. A nozzle comes in handy when using your vacuum cleaner as a blower.

Your favorite unit should come with a dust bag and feature Hepa filters for efficient air filtration.

If a small vacuum cleaner comes with all these attachments, you should consider buying it.

Noise Level

Any vacuum cleaner, including small wet and dry vacs, feature an electric motor.

This motor usually creates the vacuum cleaner’s suction power to suck up wet and dry messes. But this motor produces a noise when it’s operating.

As such, you want to check the noise level of a small vacuum cleaner before buying it.

A quiet-performing unit is ideal for cleaning bedrooms and rooms requiring silence, like a study room.

Since the sound level is always in decibels, you should check the decibels rating of a vacuum cleaner before buying it.

If the vacuum cleaner produces below 50 decibels, it is quiet enough, and you should buy it.

Price Tag

Every product has a price tag. If you visit e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Home Depot, you will find a price tag on your favorite small vacuum cleaner.

The price tag tells you how much the unit costs. Before buying any product, you should check the price tag. Then you will allocate a budget for your small vacuum cleaner since it is a worthwhile investment.

FAQs

Do wet dry vacs clean up wet and dry messes from floors?

Yes, a wet dry vac has sufficient suction power for cleaning up after messes of small amounts. A small vacuum cleaner even features a collection tank that temporarily stores the collected mess.

You will then drain this tank before using your vacuum cleaner to clean again.

Since a small vacuum has sufficient power and a spacious tank, it cleans up dust particles and food spillages from the floor.

However, you want to clean only small quantities of messes with your cleaning machine. If the mess is significant, you want to use other cleaning methods.

Can my small wet dry vacuum cleaner blow dust particles away?

Yes, your wet dry shop vacuum can use its blower function to clean your floor.

Small vacuums are multi-functional as they easily convert to blowers. They even include a nozzle that blows away dust particles from the cleaned surface.

What’s more impressive is they boast a good airflow rate in CFM to blast even the toughest dust from your car seat and upholstered furniture.

These cleaning machines have the necessary tools and sufficient power to blow away dust and dust from your patio, driveway, or auto shop floor. 

How long does a cordless vacuum cleaner last?

The running time of a cordless unit depends on the battery charge capacity.

If the battery boasts a high charge capacity, it will run for hours before recharging it. As such, you want to buy more powerful batteries if you want a cordless vacuum cleaner.

You can check the rated running time first. Some batteries boast up to 5 hours of running time.

Since cleaning your shop or room doesn’t take this long, a 5-hour battery will serve you well. You can even opt for more powerful batteries to get an extended running time.

Wrap Up

You will need a small wet dry vacuum cleaner to clean up after your pet. A small vacuum cleaner is very portable, allowing you to carry it around to clean every surface in your home.

What’s more, some even feature caster wheels that improve portability.

They suck up wet and dry messes from every surface to thoroughly clean your home or car. Therefore, they are an investment worth making.

But you will harness their full potential if you invest in the best models. Finding the best small vacs might be challenging since the market has plenty of these cleaning machines.

But the selection process is easier if you have a buyer’s guide to help you. Fortunately, we have included a buyer’s guide to help you choose the best small vacuum for your cleaning needs.

We have even reviewed some of the best small wet dry vacs boasting incredible suction power.

They might surpass your expectations and are worth buying. If you want to keep your car seats or floor clean, a small vacuum cleaner does an excellent job.

Therefore, pick the best model and keep various surfaces in your home looking their best.