To this day, the shop vac that I use most often is an ancient Craftsman model that I remember playing with while visiting my grandparents when I was young. It’s served me flawlessly since I adopted it in 2018, cleaning out my cars, under my couch cushions, and anything else I’ve thrown at it.
Shop vacuums are an essential tool for homeowners, in my opinion. One of the few limiting factors with my old Craftsman is that it is corded, having been made long before battery-operated vacuums were a thing. I’ve never minded it too much, but now with a toddler who eats in the car, I find myself wanting to vacuum out the car more often. Suddenly, the time it takes to get an extension cord and then wind it up at the end of the vacuuming session feels needlessly long.
A couple years ago, Ego had sent us its 9-gallon shop vac to test out, but it ended up sitting in the Popular Mechanics office garage collecting dust. Since I’m already on the Ego battery platform at home with my T6 lawn tractor, I decided to give this vacuum a try. I took it home and have found myself using it regularly.
Not only do I not have to bring out my extension cord anymore, but I also don’t have to manipulate it around my car as I go from one side to the other. This is minor in the grand scheme of things, but small conveniences like not dealing with cords go a long way toward life improvement when you are the parent of a toddler.
The small attachments and remote are stored in this lid-covered section.
Overall, the packing of this shop vac is thoughtful. The crevice tool, brush head, wide floor head, and hose extensions all fit into the vacuum body without changing its overall dimensions, which I appreciate. The smaller attachments are housed in one section on top of the machine under a lid, which helps keep them in place. There are two brackets on top to drape the hose in so it doesn’t drag on the floor. There’s even a drain plug on the bottom of the canister to make it easier to empty if you’re using it as a wet vac.
So far, I’ve used the Ego primarily to vacuum out my cars and also to clean ash out of the base of my pellet smoker, which is essential preventive maintenance. The Ego has handled both of those tasks with ease. There are three suction modes—1 (Eco), 2 (High), and Turbo. I typically run it in Eco or High, which has been sufficient for everything I’ve thrown at it.
The Ego Wet/Dry Vacuum made quick work cleaning ash out of my pellet smoker.
Vacuuming the ash out of the smoker was easy, as the ash is dry and loose. The car cleaning is a bit more of a challenge, but nothing this shop vacuum can’t handle. The crevice tool handles the bulk of that duty unless I encounter something too big to fit through its tip.
One especially nice feature is that the Ego has a remote control that can be attached to the end of the hose. While a remote to turn your shop vac on and off sounds a bit gimmicky (and it is), what’s not gimmicky is that this remote also comes with a light. That light shines down through the crevice tool and illuminates the immediate area you’re vacuuming, which has been handy for finding food debris in the nether regions in and around my son’s car seat.
This vacuum is a wet/dry vac, so you can use it to suck up water. There are two filters under the vacuum mechanism, which you’d need to remove, plus the debris collection bag, but that is a simple process. Flip two large tabs, one on each side of the housing, and you can lift the mechanism off. The filters are right there and easy to remove.
As mentioned above, this shop vac does have a collection bag, which helps to keep dust down. Its opening is somewhat narrow, making it more difficult to empty than just dumping the vacuum base upside down over a trash can. Replacement bags come in a five-pack and cost a little under $7 per bag.
The light on the detachable remote illuminates the crevice tool, making it easier to see into dark areas you’re vacuuming.
In terms of moving the Ego vac around, it is on two stationary wheels and two casters, and it turns fairly easily. However, the battery makes it heavier to carry than a corded shop vac would be, but there is at least a large handle on top of the machine that makes it easy to lift from an ergonomic standpoint.
Generally speaking, this is not a compact machine. It’s not what you’d throw in the car when you’re headed out on a beach vacation to clean up quick messes—it’s too bulky for that. You would use it for the big cleanup after your trip to get sand out of places you didn’t know existed. This is sized more for bigger challenges rather than quick touchups.
The Ego vac runs on a standard Ego Power+ battery, so if you already have any tools on that platform, they will work in this tool as well. Runtime depends on what suction level you select when you use the vac. On the included 5-amp-hour battery, Ego claims runtimes per charge of 60, 30, and 20 minutes in Eco, High, and Turbo modes, respectively. Unless you are doing a lot of vacuuming and only using Turbo mode, you probably won’t need to charge this after every use.
The main controls are located on a panel next to the storage area for the smaller accessories.
The caveat with most battery-powered equipment is that it’s ideally suited if you’re already on that battery platform. In the case of the Ego platform, this definitely is a great vacuum and a no-brainer if you already run Ego batteries in other tools. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend basing your entire arsenal of outdoor tools on your decision to buy this shop vacuum, but removing the battery ecosystem subject, this is a good vacuum on its own that’s well suited to heavy cleaning tasks, and the fact that it’s cordless adds a strong dose of convenience to everyday use.
Buy the Ego Power+ 9-Gallon Shop Vac
Best Overall
Best Value
Best Portable
Colin Aylesworth attended Binghamton University and is a Deputy Editor with the Gear team at Popular Mechanics and Runner’s World, where he has been since 2022. Prior to joining Hearst Magazines, he worked for 11 years at U.S. News and World Report on the autos team.
His personal pursuits fit in well with the work he does for PM and RW. Aylesworth was on his college’s club rowing team and has maintained a routine running habit through most of his adult life as a means of getting exercise and spending time outdoors. Running creates a hearty appetite, which brings us to Popular Mechanics. That publication's expertise in the area of grilling is relatable to Aylesworth, who is an adherent to charcoal grilling. In fact, he’s been primarily using the same Weber charcoal kettle he bought on Craigslist in 2012.
Aylesworth also has experience in the lawn mower industry. Not only has he been mowing his and neighbor’s lawns during adolescence, one of his more recent endeavors is a side gig of repairing and restoring gas lawn mowers given up by their previous owners. Since joining PM, he has gotten more involved with the publication’s mower testing efforts and especially enjoys testing out new electric and zero turn mowers.
John Gilpatrick is a Senior Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics, covering tools, home appliances, yard and garden accessories, and smart home tech. He previously worked for Men’s Health and has bylines on numerous other websites, covering topics as disparate as nutrition, tech, and pet care. He is also a former film critic who’s unusually fond of the Star Wars prequels, and he appeared on Pop Culture Jeopardy in 2025 while wearing jorts and a fanny pack. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS).
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