House Grail is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.
8 Best Wet Dry Vacuums in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks
Codee Chessher
Last updated:
Vacuums are a regular part of any household, but wet-dry vacuums combine the powers of vacuums and mops. You can wash, rinse, dry, and suck up debris simultaneously, leaving your floors sparklingly clean. In this article, we review the very best wet dry vacuums you can buy today, and what makes them so great.
Featuring iLoop Smart Sensor technology, Tineco’s wet-dry offering is one of the best overall wet-dry vacuums available. The sensor lights up when the vacuum is over a wet or dry mess, automatically adjusting suction to fit the severity. Dual-tank technology keeps your water and cleaning solution separate from dirt and debris, and the self-propelled design makes rolling it around the house effortless. The biggest con, however, is that the battery doesn’t last very long.
Pros
iLoop Smart Sensor tech lets you see how dirty areas are as you clean
Dual-tank technology ensures you always have clean water to mop with
Smart-cleaning system keeps you, your house, and the vacuum clean and dry
Vacuums and washes in one step
Cons
Battery life is a bit short
2. Craftsman Wet-Dry Portable Shop Vacuum – Best Value
Shop vacs are incredibly useful for all types of wet and dry messes, but most varieties are heavy and difficult to lug around. Thankfully, Craftsman has a mini version available! With a utility nozzle and 2.5-gallon capacity, this vacuum is possibly the best value for your money. The 10-foot cord is a bit of a letdown, but it’s light, powerful, and even compatible with a blower. If you need something for wet and dry messes alike, you can’t go wrong with this one, despite the cord being a bit short.
Bissell is a household name for their versatile vacuums, and the Crosswave is no exception. It can wash and dry tile, laminate, hardwood, and even rubber mats. Dirty water is stored separately from your water/cleaning solution, and the dual-action microfiber/nylon brush roller picks up dirt and dust. With the touch of a button, you can switch from mopping your hardwood to vacuuming your carpet or rugs, and the storage tray provides a place to clean and store your roller and accessories. Keep in mind that any powdery messes in the house, such as spilling baking soda, could leave streaks behind.
Pros
Innovative microfiber/nylon brush roller
Dual-tank design keeps dirty water separate from clean solution
Rinse & Clean Out Tray for easy cleaning and storage
Switch from mop to vacuum with one button
Cons
Powdery messes tend to streak without repeated cleaning
If you’re searching for a super-modern vacuum that does it all at the cost of a high price tag, the Dreametech provides the name brands with stiff competition. It sweeps, scrubs, rinses, and dries your floors at the same time, minimizing how many passes you need to make over the same areas. The brush roller cleans itself when docked, which improves its longevity and keeps your hands clean. It doesn’t make as sharp of turns as other vacuums, though. Plus, the water tank is pretty small with only 0.5 liters.
Pros
Can suck up liquid spills
4-in-1 action makes cleaning sessions faster and more thorough
A major con of many vacuums, wet or otherwise, is that they usually leave a dirty edge right against your walls. Thankfully, the Roborock Dyad has a main roller and two rear rollers so you can clean all the way to your walls without any dirty edges. The brushes clean themselves as you go, eliminating streaks and other frustrating issues. Finally, an unexpectedly welcome feature is the nozzle’s ability to rotate 180 degrees to reach under furniture and other hard-to-reach areas.
Pros
3 roller design for seamless edge-to-edge cleaning
Self-cleaning roller brushes cut down on streaking
Adaptive cleaning system automatically adjusts water and suction depending on the mess
180-degree head for cleaning hard-to-access areas like under furniture
Cons
Heavy
Self-cleaning isn’t as thorough as manual cleaning
The Shark Vacmop is one of the lightest wet dry vacuums you can buy, weighing under 5 pounds. It’s best suited for small messes and spot cleaning because of the short runtime, but it does its job very well. Dirt and debris are sucked into a special pad that locks in the particles for minimal mess, and you simply throw it away when you’re done. It also has handy little LED headlights that illuminate nearby messes. The battery life is short. Plus, the pads can only be used for a single use.
The Ridgid shop vac treads the fine line between weight and capacity and doesn’t suffer for it. The 5-horsepower motor can suck up even large liquid spills, potentially saving your carpets in a pinch. The large, comfortable handle doubles as a cord wrap for the 20-foot cord, and the hose is flexible and clog-proof. For cleaning your car, it comes with a car nozzle, and the fine-dust filter is suitable for even the dustiest spaces.
Nobody has time to haul out an upright or shop vac for every mess. That’s where handheld vacuums like the Black+Decker Dustbuster comes in. You can simply put the charging mount on your wall and grab it whenever disaster strikes. The squeegee attachment makes cleaning large liquid spills easier, and the dirt bowl is translucent, so you always know how full it is. As far as convenience goes, this is a winner. The battery life isn’t great, and the capacity of the bin isn’t ideal either.
Pros
Convenient design
Wall-mounted charger doesn’t take up counter space
Cleans wet and dry messes alike
Cons
Short battery life
Low capacity
Buyer’s Guide: Buying the Best Wet Dry Vacuum
There are several things to look out for and consider when buying a wet-dry vacuum. The type of vacuum, capacity, and ease of use are the primary factors to look for in a good wet-dry vacuum.
Type
There are a few major types of vacuums: upright corded, cordless, shop vacuum, and handheld. Depending on your needs, you may opt for one over the others. Let’s look at the major differences.
Types of Wet Dry Vacuums:
Upright: the most similar to regular vacuums, these usually come with water and dirty water tanks.
Cordless: these are more portable than corded vacuums but tend to have a limited runtime before they need to be charged.
Shop vac: the champions of construction and workshops everywhere, shop vacs have powerful motors and large capacities for handling any mess.
Handheld: these are best for spot cleaning because of their convenience but lack high capacities and battery life.
Capacity
Most wet-dry vacuums have separate water and dirty water tanks, as well as a dustbin. Cordless wet-dry vacuum design varies, but their tanks are invariably smaller. Shop vacs have the greatest capacity of them all, with gallons of bin space for both liquid and dry debris. Unsurprisingly, handheld vacuums of any kind have small bin capacities.
Larger capacity means you don’t have to make so many trips to empty the vacuum, and you can clean for longer. Bonus features include touchless or one-touch bin emptying, and self-cleaning adds to the bin as well.
Ease of Use
The best wet-dry vacuums will vacuum, mop, and dry the floor simultaneously, which cuts down on cleaning time. The size and weight of the vacuum matter as well, because you don’t want something heavy as your daily driver! Bells and whistles like headlights are nice, but features like self-cleaning and swiveling heads cut down your cleaning time even further.
Some wet-dry vacuums have disposal pads that suck up liquids and dry messes, but you have to stock up on the pads. Shop vacs are super easy to use, too, with a point-and-clean design. They have drainage plugs on the bottom, too, for simple disposal.
Conclusion
Wet-dry vacuums are incredibly useful for everyday life, able to handle any type of mess you can throw at them (or your floor). While not every vacuum will be suitable for your home, we’ve reviewed the best of the best so you can make a more informed buying decision.
In conclusion, those looking for the best overall wet dry vacuums should try out the Tineco Pure Floor One. If you would prefer to save some money, though, go with the Craftsman Portable Wet Dry Shop Vac. We hope these reviews have helped you make the best decision for you and your home.
Featured Image Credit: Piqsels
Contents
Writer
Codee Chessher
Codee Chessher is a freelance writer with extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects that include travel, sound engineering, automotive, DIY, pets, and more. He has a colorful past that includes building schools and commercial driving, but the written word was always his first love. He believes there's nothing a well-worded sentence can't accomplish.When not writing, Codee enjoys epic fantasy novels, home DIY projects, and memorizing useless pop culture trivia. He has lived in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. Most recently, he resides in northern Mexico.
Codee Chessher
