Fanttik V8 Mate Review: Is This Handheld Car Vacuum Worth Your Money & Time?

Jun 12, 2023

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Automoblog earns from qualifying purchases. Commissions from Amazon and other affiliate partners come to us at no additional cost to you. The V8 Mate seen here was sent to us by Fanttik for this review.

Cordless car vacuums, like the Fanttik V8 Mate, offer the convenience of on-demand suction when you drop your snacks all over the seats and center console. Lightweight at a mere 1.2 lbs., the Fanttik V8 Mate is easy to stow and can be a helpful tool around the house or office in addition to your vehicle. As of this writing, the V8 Mate is available through Fanttik's website and via Amazon for $80.

Below we cover the main features of the Fanttik V8 Mate and go through the attachments, setup, and filter cleaning, to help you decide if you are in the market for a handheld car vacuum.

The V8 Mate has an extendable and flexible hose, crevice nozzle, 120-milliliter integrated dust cup, built-in stainless steel and HEPA filters, USB Type-C charging cable, an owner's manual, and a storage bag. Included are three different brushes to give the V8 Mate more versatility, depending on the cleaning job. The flex hose, crevice nozzle, and brushes snap into the opening at the top of the V8 Mate, although you can use the unit without any of the accessories.

When turned on, the V8 Mate will automatically operate in low-speed mode, indicated by a blue ring around the power button. If you need more juice, hit the power button again to activate the high-speed mode (the ring around the power button will turn green). According to Fanttik, when the battery is fully charged, the V8 Mate will run in low-speed mode for about 30 minutes and in high-speed mode for about 12 minutes.

The flexible hose and crevice nozzle are for the proverbial "hard to reach" areas inside your vehicle. At the end of the hose is a tapered point for vacuuming along the edge of your seats, cargo area, or down by the driver and passenger side floormats. The crevice nozzle is nice for the abyss between the front seats and lower door panels or center console.

Any of the included brushes will snap into the opening at the top of the crevice nozzle, which will provide some extra length if needed.

The multi-surface brush will work for nearly any space inside your vehicle. It's a good attachment for tiny rocks, pebbles, or leftover bagel crumbs that have fallen on your seat. Although the multi-surface brush is probably okay for leather seats, we didn't chance it, opting for the less-invasive flex hose instead. However, the multi-surface brush is excellent for cloth seats, cargo storage areas, office chairs, or the basement couch.

The pet brush, characterized by its rubber gray bristles, snaps into the multi-surface brush. If you have a loyal pup who travels with you, this brush will help collect the fur balls left behind. The drawback of the pet brush is the rubber bristles, which frayed on us after only one use. When you use the pet brush, you may find yourself also vacuuming up tiny rubber pieces of the bristles.

Since the bristles of the push brush are more rugged than the multi-surface and pet brushes, it's well-suited for dislodging more stubborn debris from your vehicle's carpet. We used the push brush when vacuuming our rear cargo area and the back of the rear seats after folding them down.

Ergonomic cordless vacuum makes short work of modest cleaning jobs.Three multi-function brushes provide added versatility.One-year manufacturer warranty.

The V8 Mate is lightweight and thinner than an average water bottle, so it's easy to hold and maneuver. Mild cleaning jobs are no sweat – say a bag of candy or popcorn tips over, or sand and dirt cover your floormats after a day on the lake or at the park – the Fanittik V8 Mate will handle quick cleaning jobs like that without issue. We recommend using the V8 Mate primarily for these instances, where it's more about convenience than elbow grease. If your interior is really nasty, you will have better luck with a more powerful wet/dry shop vac or standard car wash vacuum.

Despite its small size, the Fanttik V8 Mate is more robust than the Bissel AreoSlim we purchased in early 2023. Although a nice handheld vacuum in its own right and less expensive, the Bissel is louder than the V8 Mate (84 dB versus 76 dB respectively) and has fewer attachments. Emptying the dust cup and cleaning the filter is also more intuitive and user-friendly on the Fanttik V8 Mate.

Emptying and cleaning the Fanttik V8 Mate is a breeze. On the front of the unit, unlatch the little tab to pop open the dust cup lid. After dumping out the contents, twist the dust cup to unlock it from the rest of the unit (on the back are two little padlock illustrations). You will see a small handle for the filter element on the bottom of the dust cup. Give it a gentle pull to separate the dust cup from the filter element.

The "filter element" is really two filters in one. The stainless steel pre-filter is on the outside, which twists off to reveal the HEPA filter. Fanttik includes a small cleaning brush for the dust cup and filters, which can be washed with water if necessary. Let the HEPA filter air dry for 24 hours before reassembling the unit.

Fanttik recommends replacing the filter element after three months of continued use. A two-pack is available through Fanttik's website for $17.

Ergonomic cordless vacuum makes short work of modest cleaning jobs.Three multi-function brushes provide added versatility.One-year manufacturer warranty.

There are numerous options on the market for handheld, cordless car vacuums. Based on our research, the Fanttik V8 Mate is a nice middle ground in terms of price, performance, size, and accessories. It's also lightweight and easy to use, clean, and stow.

Indeed, Fanttik sent us the V8 Mate pictured here specifically for this review, but we feel confident recommending it as a good option if you are in the market for a small car vacuum. In time, we will likely purchase the larger Fanttik V9 ourselves to have around the garage. As of this writing, the Fanttik V8 Mate is available through Fanttik's website and via Amazon for $80.

Carl Anthony is the Managing Editor of Automoblog and the host of AutoVision News Radio and AutoSens Insights. He is a Midwest Automotive Media Association member and on the board of directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation. Like many Detroiters, Carl is holding out for a Lions Super Bowl win.

Photos: Alex Hartman, Danielle Anthony.