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We tested the highest performing shop vacs from popular brands like Craftsman, Ridgid, Dewalt, Vacmaster, and more to bring you the best products for your next big project
We tested nine shop vacs to find the top performers
Credit: Miles Knotek
By Miles Knotek ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Updated August 31, 2025
Tired of your regular vacuum choking on sawdust, screws, or big messes? A shop vac gives you serious power and durability to tackle heavy-duty cleanups that regular vacuums just can't handle.
We purchased 9 of the top shop vacs and used them in our own workshops to clean up after renovations and other messy projects around the house. From small handheld vacs to multi-gallon beasts, we tested a wide variety of products to fit different needs, budgets, and styles.
The Craftsman 16-Gallon is a top choice with strong suction, a wide hose diameter, and useful attachments that make it versatile for any mess. The Dirt Devil 5-Gallon is a budget-friendly pick for smaller DIY projects, while the Shark MessMaster offers excellent portability and storage along with surprisingly strong suction in a compact design.
Just need a small vacuum for quick jobs? Handheld vacuums can be more convenient for simple messes. If you're after something easier to use for everyday messes, cordless vacuums is better for inside the house.
Whether it was sucking up heavy debris like rocks and metal chunks or using one of its many attachments to get into every nook and cranny, the Craftsman 16-Gallon proved to be one of the most powerful and user-friendly shop vacs we tested. Its high airflow, wide-diameter hose, and large canister volume made this product capable of handling larger messes. When cleaning out our garage after a hefty amount of sanding, the Craftsman's variety of attachments, including two different crevice tools, helped quickly rid our garage of dust. We never experienced any clogs or hangups during use, and loved its storage on top of the caster feet, which made it easy to transport all the attachments quickly and securely between projects.
When assembling the Craftsman, it took more time and effort to assemble the casters. One tester noted that “the parts felt cheaper and the plastic was thinner than on other models.” So far during our testing, we have had no issues with the product's durability, but other models, like the Ridgid 14-Gallon, had slightly more robust plastic. It gets pretty loud at 96 dB, landing above the average for this lineup. However, if you're someone regularly doing heavy-duty shop work or home renovations that need a vacuum capable of cleaning up the biggest messes, the Craftsman 16-Gallon can handle it all.
For under $100, the Dirt Devil 5-Gallon delivers great value for those looking for a shop vac to clean up after smaller jobs. It is most at home tackling smaller debris like wood chips, plastic pieces, and sawdust, making it well-suited for light to moderate projects. With a long hose and three extenders, this vacuum can reach just about anywhere. It's small and compact for a traditional-style shop vac and weighs just 9.3 pounds, making it easy to carry upstairs. Its small footprint is great for crowded garages or work areas, and its reasonably strong suction makes it a reliable companion for everyday cleanup. “As a minor hobbyist, the Dirt Devil does more than enough for cleaning up my garage,” noted one tester.
Its tall, narrow design sits on a small base with tiny canisters, and with attachment storage mounted on top, the Dirt Devil easily becomes top-heavy and prone to tipping. If you only have small jobs and need something more portable, the Shark MessMaster is much more convenient around the house, but it only has a 1-gallon dust bin. Though the bristles on the heads of the tools made them more effective, you only get two tools to work with. The missing link, a crevice tool, meaning you won't be able to get into tight areas. The smaller hose diameter limited its ability to handle big or bulky debris, but if you don't need the most powerful machine out there, this shop vac stands out among budget picks and can clean up most small projects for casual DIYers.
Unlike the bulky, barrel-style shop vacs in our lineup, the Shark MessMaster features a compact design and long cord, making it a great pick when portability matters most. Its ergonomic handle is easy to carry around the house or project site and doubles as the power cord storage to keep things tidy. Don't let this vacuum's relatively small size fool you; it boasts some of the highest suction power of any vacuum we tested. It has a great filtration system that is easy to remove and clean. Unlike the other small vacs, this one is equipped with wand extenders, so you don't have to sacrifice your knees and back every time you clean something off the floor.
The MessMaster is best used for lighter jobs or around the house, rather than on the construction site. At 1 gallon, its canister volume is too small to handle large amounts of debris. If you want something with more capacity, but is still small and compact, the Dirt Devil 5-Gallon is a great alternative. The Shark Messmaster easily removes light debris like sawdust and wood chips, but the 1.5-inch diameter hose struggles to suck up bigger items like tree bark and gravel. For anyone who needs a lightweight, easy-to-store vacuum with surprising power and thoughtful features, this is one of the best portable options out there.
The Ridgid 14-Gallon didn't take the top spot, but it put up a solid fight and deserves some recognition. It delivers one of the fastest pick-up times in both our wet and dry mess tests, helping us wrap up cleanup jobs quicker than most other models. Full of well-designed features like an effective squeegee tool and an easily removable filter, it surprised us with its useful attachments and convenient maintenance. The locking mechanism on the attachments is a great way to keep the vacuum held together during vigorous use, and the tool caddy on the side of the canister is thoughtfully designed to keep everything secure while in use or on the go.
With a very similar design, the Ridgid consistently fell right behind the Craftsman in our testing. Its slightly smaller motor had slower airflow, and sometimes when it tried to pull in thicker debris, it briefly clogged. The wide cleanup tool helped relieve some of the strain during heavier tasks. Because of this performance difference, we found the $20 price jump from the Ridgid to the Craftsman to be justified. Still, we were impressed by the Ridgid's thoughtful design, which makes it a strong choice for both hobbyists and professionals.
A durable build and great performance all around, this vacuum is great for most cleanup jobs.
Credit: Miles Knotek
Compare Product Specifications
Specifications
Craftsman 16-Gallon
Ridgid 14-Gallon
Vacmaster Beast 14-Gallon
Vacmaster 12-Gallon
Shark MessMaster
Dirt Devil 5-Gallon
Armor All 2.5 Gallon
Amazon Basics 4-Gallon
DeWalt DCV581H
Awards
Best Overall
Best Small Shop Vac
Best for Under $100
Calculated Airflow
274 cubic ft/min
208 cubic ft/min
223 cubic ft/min
94 cubic ft/min
24 cubic ft/min
44 cubic ft/min
28 cubic ft/min
25 cubic ft/min
10 cubic ft/min
Measured Suction
50 in
60 in
94 in
64 in
82 in
71 in
59 in
74 in
27 in
Measured Sound
96 dB
95 dB
89 dB
98 dB
92 dB
94 dB
94 dB
102 dB
84 dB
Canister Capacity
16 gal
14 gal
14 gal
12 gal
1 gal
5 gal
2.5 gal
4 gal
2 gal
Hose Length
84 in
84 in
84 in
84 in
36 in
84 in
72 in
72 in
60 in
Hose Diameter
2.5 in
2.5 in
2.5 in
2.5 in
1.5 in
1.5 in
1.25 in
1.25 in
1.25 in
Measured Weight
23.75 lbs
20.81 lbs
31.31 lbs
20.44 lbs
10.19 lbs
9.31 lbs
7.19 lbs
9.63 lbs
9.06 lbs
Dimensions
21"x21"x26.7"
22.2"x26"x19.5"
20.3"x20.12"x29.75"
24"x24"x12"
10.5"x16.5"x13.5"
12.95"x12.95"x17.52"
10.6"x14.2"x14.4"
15.8"x15.8"x18.2"
17.25"x12.32"x13.12"
Dry Mess Clean-up
35 sec
38 sec
66 sec
41 sec
120 sec
165 sec
132 sec
210 sec
238 sec
Wet Mess Clean-up
6 sec
9 sec
11 sec
7 sec
17 sec
15 sec
22 sec
19 sec
28 sec
Hose diameter plays a crucial role in how quickly and how large of debris a vacuum can pick up.
Credit: Miles Knotek
How We Test
We purchased each shop vac at full price, ensuring our review remains unbiased and free from commissions or incentives. Then we put every model through the same repeatable tests to compare their performance fairly.
Our testing of cordless shop vacs is divided across four testing metrics:
We start by testing suction strength using a gauge placed at the end of the hose to measure the vacuum's ability to pull material off surfaces. Then we measured how much air the vacuum could move through the hose, which tells us how quickly it can pull in debris. These tests gave us a helpful baseline, but to see how that power holds up in real-world cleanup, we put each vacuum to work on heavy, dense debris, such as large gravel from the yard or bolts and nails from a construction site.
We look at two different types of messes you may come across with floor cleaning: dry and wet messes. Our dry cleaning test measured how long each vacuum took to clear two gallons of mixed construction debris from a hard surface, ranging from fine sawdust to wood chips, tree bark, plastic chunks, and metal shavings. For wet messes, we timed how long it took to suck up two gallons of muddy water off a hard surface. We continued working with these throughout our projects to identify any weak designs, either with clogs at the hose or difficulty grabbing material when attaching the floor head.
We tested every included tool to see how well it cleaned, noting which ones you could count on and which had designs that fell short.
To understand how easy each vacuum is to carry, store, and maneuver during everyday use, we moved them around to different areas of the house and into the truck to get a real feel for their portability. We measured the weight and overall size to provide accurate dimensions, so there are no surprises about what you'll get.
We combine real-world use with standardized, repeatable tests.
Why Trust GearLab
Testing was spearheaded by lead tester Miles Knotek. A lifelong DIY-er and recent first-time home owner, Miles is always working on one project or planning the next. With 15 years of experience in woodworking, projecting, and generally putzing around the garage, playing with his latest construction toy, Miles brings a methodical and inquisitive approach to his testing, seeking to explore every aspect of every product he reviews.
Analysis and Test Results
We break down the highs and lows from each of our testing metrics to show you which vacuums stood out and which ones are better left off your list.
Worse Value
Better Value
What's the Best Value?
Shop vacs can vary in price depending on how much you plan to put them through. Large capacity, high-horsepower machines will cost more, but the Dirt Devil 5 Gallon can handle fine dust, sawdust, and small debris well, thanks to its relatively high airflow power. It is not built for jobsite demands or large-scale messes, but for under $100, it can be a practical pick for basic garage or home workshop cleanup.
The Dirt Devil 5-Gallon is an effective shop vac at an attainable price point.
Credit: Miles Knotek
Smaller Capacity Cuts the Costs
Many shop vac product lines offer multiple tank sizes, which often come with staggered prices, so if you do not need maximum capacity, you can often save money by going with a smaller model. These mid-tier options tend to be more durable than budget picks and strike a nice balance between cost and performance. Just keep in mind that a smaller capacity often means reduced horsepower, which may affect how well it handles heavier cleanup tasks.
We break out the meters to get real numbers, making it easy to spot which vacuums actually pack the most power.
Credit: Miles Knotek
Airflow & Suction Power
The power needed for a shop vacuum to tackle demanding cleanup tasks sets them apart from typical household vacuums. Suction, measured in inches of water lift (inH2O), reflects the vacuum's ability to lift heavy or embedded debris from surfaces. Airflow, measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), moves lighter, bulkier materials like sawdust or dry leaves through the hose and into the canister. Horsepower is the motor's manufacturer rating at its peak performance, while our airflow and suction numbers indicate the output of the vacuum's hose.
Suction Power Specs
Air Flow
Suction
Horse Power
Craftsman 16-Gallon
274 cubic ft/min
50 in
6.5 HP
Vacmaster Beast 14-Gallon
223 cubic ft/min
94 in
6.5 HP
Ridgid 14-Gallon
208 cubic ft/min
60 in
6 HP
Vacmaster 12-Gallon
94 cubic ft/min
64 in
5 HP
Dirt Devil 5-Gallon
44 cubic ft/min
71 in
3 HP
Armor All 2.5 Gallon
28 cubic ft/min
59 in
2 HP
Amazon Basics 4-Gallon
25 cubic ft/min
74 in
3 HP
Shark MessMaster
24 cubic ft/min
82 in
7 HP
DeWalt DCV581H 2-Gallon
10 cubic ft/min
27 in
1.85 HP
The best-performing models strike a careful balance between airflow and suction. A vacuum with high suction but low airflow might lift dense items, but clog easily with dry debris. On the other hand, high airflow with low suction can clear fine dust quickly, but struggles with heavier objects. While these measurements gave us a technical baseline, we also put the vacuums to work on heavy, dense debris to assess how their power holds up in real-world conditions.
The Vacmaster Beast posted the highest measured suction power at 94 inH2O, substantially higher than the average at 65 inH2O. This difference allows the vacuum to clean more thoroughly, reaching deeper into carpet fibers, cracks, or lifting sludgy mud and other messes where strong suction is crucial.
The Vacmaster Beast was one of the few machines that could pick up heavy debris like bolts and larger rocks.
Credit: Miles Knotek
The Craftsman 16-Gallon, on the other hand, had the highest airflow at 274 CFM, which is almost triple the average. While it does not have the strongest suction power, its superior airflow more than made up for it in our cleanup tests by moving debris quickly and efficiently. It was never a limiting factor and was easily able to pick up our biggest messes.
The Ridgid 14-Gallon was just behind the two standouts. With a 6-horsepower motor, compared to the 6.5-horsepower motors in the Craftsman and Vacmaster Beast, it delivered slightly less power during use, but still among the top performers. Among the budget models, the Dirt Devil had a higher airflow, at 44 CFM, which helped make it stand out when it came to moving large amounts of sawdust and dirt.
Though not as powerful a lift as the big machines, the Dirt Devil has decent suction power at 71 inH2O, and higher airflow to handle more moderate messes.
Credit: Miles Knotek
The Armor All 2.5 Gallon, Amazon Basics 4-Gallon, and DeWalt DCV581H 2-Gallon were all weak performers, with low air flow, suction, or both. The Dewalt was especially noticeable in practice, with only 10 CFM compared to top performers that were well over two hundred CFM.
We took to the floors next to see how these vacuums can clean different tasks in the garage or around the house.
Credit: Miles Knotek
Floor Cleaning
Floor cleaning is one of the most common uses for a shop vac, whether it's clearing sawdust from a garage or debris from a jobsite. A vacuum that can effectively clean floors saves time and effort by reducing the need to go back over the same area or break out the tools.
The Craftsman was the clear winner, thanks to its wide 2.5-inch diameter hose and powerful suction that handled every mess we threw at it. It never clogged, even when tackling large bark pieces and metal chunks that often stopped other models. It was also one of the fastest at pulling up water, and with its large tank capacity, it makes for an especially useful machine for floods or other wet jobs.
Comparing the best floor cleaning from the Craftsman to the worst from Dewalt helps us rank our lineup.
Credit: Miles Knotek
The Ridgid 14-Gallon has similar cleaning abilities, with an identical hose diameter. While only a few seconds slower on both the dry mess and wet mess pickup tests, this difference was only noticeable in real-world applications when the Ridgid struggled on wide pieces of mulch. Still, when we used both vacuums to clean our garage after a messy project, they cleared floors and surfaces quickly and thoroughly, leaving no debris behind. When you have the most demanding conditions, these will be the vacuums to hunt out.
The Ridgid was only a few seconds behind the Craftsman in our timed wet mess tests.
Credit: Miles Knotek
The Vacmaster Beast could easily lift debris with strong suction and had plenty of airflow to carry it to the tank, but it sometimes couldn't finish the job. It clogged more often than we wanted. The issue is a small debris diverter inside the canister that directs debris downward, but this design also limits its performance with bulky messes.
The debris diverter within the canister of the Vacmaster Beast is a source of clogging when vacuuming thick debris.
Credit: Miles Knotek
At the lower end of our lineup, the Amazon Basics 4-Gallon clogged so often, so easily, and at so many different points along the debris path to the canister that we were left frustrated. The DeWalt 2-Gallon was even worse. We couldn't go more than 10 seconds without it clogging during our test.
No matter how many times we went over this entryway carpet, the Amazon couldn't clean any stubborn dirt out.
Credit: Miles Knotek
The Amazon Basics and DeWalt are fine if you're just picking up some sawdust, but anything more demanding, like pulling pine needles from carpet or cleaning up a wet mess, overwhelms them.
Tool Use
Working on projects around the house or jobsite brings all kinds of messes, and that's where a shop vac's tools really come into play.
Tool Types
Crevice
Wide/Floor Nozzle
Utility Nozzle
Car Nozzle
Squeegee Add-On or Tool
Extension Wand
Hose Diameter
Craftsman 16-Gallon
2.5 in
Ridgid 14-Gallon
2.5 in
Vacmaster Beast 14-Gallon
✖
2.5 in
Vacmaster 12-Gallon
✖
✖
2.5 in
Shark MessMaster
✖
✖
1.5 in
Amazon Basics 4-Gallon
✖
✖
1.25 in
Dirt Devil 5-Gallon
✖
✖
✖
1.5 in
Armor All 2.5 Gallon
✖
✖
✖
1.25 in
DeWalt DCV581H 2-Gallon
✖
✖
✖
✖
1.25 in
Unlike regular vacuums, you end up relying more on attachments to reach into corners, clean up workbenches, snake behind toolboxes, or suck debris out from under saws and behind shelves.
The Craftsman 16 Gallon comes armed with four tools, including a wet cleanup nozzle with a built-in squeegee, making it one of our top choices for tool use. The squeegee made it easy to fully clean up muddy sludge while the utility brush had a wide opening for mixed debris sizes. These attachments are all stowed either on the casters or the top of the vacuum, where they are kept securely in place with a snug friction fit.
With a comparable set of tools, we had a similar experience with the Ridgid. They are unique in that they snap onto the hose rather than rely on a friction fit, keeping them extra secure during use. The floor tool's squeegee and bristle attachments equipped us to handle a variety of messes, from standing water to dried mud.
The Ridgid tools lock in place compared to most others that friction fit.
Credit: Miles Knotek
Among the portable vacuums, the Shark MessMaster's rubber-coated tips guaranteed a snug seal that proved exceptionally helpful for sucking up every drop of wet messes. The crevice tool is one of the thinnest we tested, letting us reach tight spots like the space between the console and car seat that most others couldn't access. It made cleaning out windowsills much easier and more successful.
The Armor All 2.5 Gallon is specifically designed for use in the car. A brushed utility nozzle, deluxe car nozzle, and detail brush nozzle all make this vacuum perfect for reaching into every nook and cranny of your vehicle. The brush nozzle, in particular, is great at removing stuck or embedded debris from car floor mats and seats.
Although the Armor All has a selection of tools tailored to car cleaning, we didn't find them the most useful.
Credit: Miles Knotek
The DeWalt only comes with a crevice tool and standard utility nozzle. They boast that it's wide, but it's only a few inches in width and nothing substantial enough to tackle floors, especially since there are no extenders. You'll have to be on your knees to tackle anything that falls to the floor.
The wide stable base of the Craftsman is sturdy and alleviates the worry of tipping.
Credit: Miles Knotek
Portability
Factors like weight, size, handle design, and wheel quality all play a role in the ease of transporting these heavy and bulky machines.
Portability Specs
Capacity
Weight
Size (L/W/D)
Power Source
Craftsman 16-Gallon
16 gal
23.8 lbs
15.8"x15.8"x18.2"
Corded
Ridgid 14-Gallon
14 gal
20.8 lbs
10.6"x14.2"x14.4"
Corded
Vacmaster Beast 14-Gallon
14 gal
31.3 lbs
21"x21"x26.7"
Corded
Vacmaster 12-Gallon
12 gal
20.4 lbs
17.3"x12.3"x13.1"
Corded
Dirt Devil 5-Gallon
5 gal
9.3 lbs
13"x13"x17.5"
Corded
Amazon Basics 4-Gallon
4 gal
9.6 lbs
22.2"x26"x19.5"
Corded
Armor All 2.5 Gallon
2.5 gal
7.2 lbs
10.5"x16.5"x13.5"
Corded
DeWalt DCV581H 2-Gallon
2 gal
9.1 lbs
24"x24"x12"
Corded/Cordless
Shark MessMaster
1 gal
10.2 lbs
20.3"x20.1"x29.8"
Corded
Over multiple hours of testing, we wheeled shop vacs outside and around the jobsite, carried them upstairs, and lugged them into the bed of a truck to test their portability.
For smaller vacuums (those with a canister volume of 5 gallons or less), the DeWalt stands out. It is the only product in our lineup that has the option to go cordless. Under 10 pounds and compact, you're able to haul this upstairs without having to sweat or bump into doorways and other furniture like traditional style shop vacs.
The 20V additional battery gives you the option to not rely on a cord for work with the Dewalt, giving you a little extra freedom around.
Credit: Miles Knotek
While the Dewalt stands out for its cordless option, the Shark MessMaster is a better pick for a small option since its cleaning and power performance will help you complete cleaning jobs and not leave you frustrated with areas still dirty. Its well-designed handle doubles as secure power cord storage, and its small size makes it highly portable. We also loved its extra-long power cord and hose with extender wands, making it have a much longer reach than its small size would initially imply.
The ergonomic handle makes transporting ths MessMaster easy.
Credit: Miles Knotek
Among the larger vacuums (canister volume 10 gallons or more), the Ridgid's wide caster radius helped it have a solid base when moving around. It's a few pounds lighter than the Craftsman as well, so it was easier to lug around to diffeent areas of the house and take upstairs.
Although the VacMaster Beast is big and bulky, its large rear wheels and ergonomic handle made pulling and pushing easier than expected. It's the only vacuum we tested that can actually roll over uneven terrain, making it appealing if you tackle a lot of outdoor projects. However, if you'll be carrying your shop vac upstairs or maneuvering in tight spaces, it can feel every bit the beast its name suggests.
The large wheels of the Vacmaster Beast allow it to roll over any terrain.
Credit: Miles Knotek
The Dirt Devil has a small footprint with equally small wheels, but its tall build, especially with the tools and extender wand mounted, makes it prone to tipping. As a result, we often carried it even for short distances rather than pulling it around.
How to Choose a Shop Vac
If you're tackling heavy-duty messes like construction debris or wet spills, look for a shop vac with strong suction and high airflow. These two factors work together to move both fine dust and larger debris more efficiently.
A bigger tank means fewer trips to empty it, which is great for larger jobs like garage cleanups or flood recovery. But if you're mostly doing quick DIY tasks or car cleaning, a smaller model is lighter and easier to carry around. Think about what kind of messes you deal with most often.
Prioritize models that include attachments for the kind of cleanup you do, like crevice tools for sanding areas with gaps, brushes for car upholstery, or a squeegee for wet messes.
You'll be moving this vacuum around, so it helps if it's not awkward or heavy. A good handle, smooth-rolling large wheels, and tidy onboard storage can make a big difference when you're navigating through a garage or carrying it up stairs. If storage space is tight, check the overall size too.
A wide variety of shop vacs are available to fit different uses and budgets.
Conclusion
After weeks of testing, you can rely on these results to help you find the highest-performing shop vac for your space. Our testing highlights what really matters so you can confidently choose a tool that fits your cleaning needs. If a shop vac isn't quite right for you, there are other vacuum styles that may suit your lifestyle better. We hope this guide helps you find the vacuum that makes your cleaning tasks easier and more efficient.
