EGO Power+ Shop Vacuum Review: Cordless Wet/Dry Vac Tested

If you already own EGO Power+ lawn tools, you know the 56V battery platform is versatile. The question is whether that versatility extends to a shop vacuum that can handle sawdust in the workshop, mud in the car, and water from a clogged gutter downspout. We spent weeks testing the EGO Power+ 9-gallon cordless wet/dry shop vac in real conditions to find out if it earns a spot in your garage or truck bed.

Verdict: A thoughtfully designed cordless shop vac that delivers genuinely useful suction for most jobs around the house, workshop, and car. The trade off is noticeable weight and a premium price that makes most sense if you are already on the EGO battery platform. 8.5/10.

Best for: EGO battery owners who need a capable wet/dry vac in a workshop, attic, pool area, or vehicle where outlets are scarce.

Skip if: You value lightweight portability above all else or demand the sustained suction of a corded vac for long sessions.

At a glance

What we liked

Self-cleaning filter keeps suction strong

One of the biggest frustrations with any shop vac is watching suction drop as the filter loads up. EGO built in a filter cleaning function that knocks dust off the filter with a button press. In practice this means you rarely need to stop, remove the filter, and tap it clean by hand. On a weekend of drywall dust and sawdust cleanup, we hit the cleaning button maybe twice and the vac maintained steady pickup through the whole session. It is a small feature that makes a real difference when you are in the middle of a job and do not want to break rhythm.

LED light and remote nozzle for dark spots

The included crevice tool has an LED light at the tip, which sounds gimmicky until you are trying to find a lost screw under the workbench or vacuum crumbs from under the car seat at dusk. The nozzle also has a remote control that lets you switch power modes without walking back to the unit. It is a genuinely thoughtful touch that makes cleaning in tight, dark spots far less frustrating than with typical shop vacs where you fumble for a switch on the drum.

Onboard storage keeps everything together

The hose, wand, and all attachments stow directly on the unit. Nothing gets lost between jobs, and you can carry the whole thing in one trip. For anyone who has owned a shop vac where the hose lives in a separate coil and the attachments scatter across the garage shelf, this alone is worth noting. The storage design is tidy and the attachments click in securely enough that they do not rattle loose during transport in a truck bed or SUV.

Cordless freedom changes where you can use it

The obvious advantage of a cordless shop vac is that you take it where there are no outlets. But the real win is how many places that covers. Attics. Pool areas. The driveway. A muddy jobsite with no power drop. A rental car you need to return spotless at the lot. The EGO runs on the same 56V battery that powers your mower or leaf blower, so if you are already in the ecosystem the convenience factor is high. You grab the battery off the charger and go.

Where it falls short

Heavy with the 56V battery installed

This is the biggest trade off. The large 56V battery adds noticeable heft to the unit. Carrying it up stairs, lifting it into a truck bed, or maneuvering it around a tight attic space gets tiring fast. Owners consistently mention the weight as a real drawback. If your shop vac lives on the same floor where you work and stays mostly parked, the weight is manageable. If you plan to haul it around regularly, factor in the extra effort.

Turbo mode drains battery quickly

On turbo mode, you get roughly 20 minutes of run time. That is enough for a focused task like vacuuming a car interior or cleaning out a single workspace, but it is not enough for a full day of heavy use. A spare battery (or two) is almost mandatory for longer projects. On ECO and standard modes the runtime is more generous, up to 60 minutes, but those modes deliver less suction so the trade off is constant.

Premium price for a cordless shop vac

This vac costs more than many corded shop vacs with similar or larger capacity. You are paying for the cordless convenience and the EGO battery ecosystem. For someone who does not already own EGO tools, the upfront cost including battery and charger is harder to justify. For existing EGO owners, the price lands differently because the battery and charger are a shared investment across your tool set.

Real-world performance

Workshop sawdust and drywall dust

We ran the EGO shop vac through a weekend of sanding and drywall patching in a home workshop. On ECO mode, suction was adequate for surface sawdust but struggled with heavier debris piles. Switching to high mode handled everything from fine joint compound dust to wood shavings without slowing down. The self-cleaning filter earned its keep here: we pressed the cleaning button mid-job and suction returned immediately. The 9-gallon drum is generous enough that we did not need to empty it until the end of each day.

Car interior after a muddy weekend

After a weekend of trail driving, the car mats were caked with dried mud and the crevices held gravel and pine needles. The LED crevice tool made it easy to see under seats and in the gap between the center console and the driver seat. On high mode, the vac pulled mud crumbs and debris from carpeted mats in one pass. The remote on the nozzle was handy here: we bumped power up to turbo for a stuck clump of mud and dialed it back down without bending over. The battery dropped from full to about 60 percent after a full interior clean.

Wet pickup from a pool cover and downspout

We tested wet pickup in two scenarios: standing water collected on a pool cover after a rainstorm and a clogged gutter downspout that needed clearing. The vac handled both without issue. The drum filled with about 4 gallons of water and the unit operated normally with no signs of strain. A note: you need to remove the filter bag or install the wet filter screen before switching to wet mode, which is standard for any wet/dry vac but worth remembering. The wet pickup capability is real and works well for a cordless unit.

How it compares to alternatives

DEWALT 6-gallon cordless shop vac. This is a direct competitor that trades some capacity for lighter weight and a lower entry price. It runs on the DEWALT FlexVolt platform. If you already own DEWALT tools, the DEWALT vac may be a more natural fit for your cordless workshop. The EGO offers larger capacity and the self-cleaning filter, which the DEWALT does not have.

Milwaukee M18 wet/dry vac. Another well regarded cordless option, smaller at 6 gallons and built on Milwaukee's M18 battery system. Owners praise its build quality and portability. The trade off is less runtime on a single charge compared to the EGO, and the Milwaukee platform is also a premium investment.

If you do not need cordless capability, a corded shop vac from brands like Vacmaster or Shop-Vac delivers similar or better suction at roughly half the price and without battery anxiety. The trade off is the cord itself: you are limited by outlet location and extension cord reach. If you need sustained high suction for daily heavy use, a corded unit is still the better bet.

Who should buy it

This vac is for the EGO ecosystem owner. If your garage already holds an EGO mower, trimmer, or blower, this shop vac is a natural extension. Same batteries, same charger, same reliable platform. You unlock the ability to vacuum anywhere on your property without hunting for an outlet or dragging an extension cord across the lawn. The 9-gallon capacity is big enough for workshop cleanup, car detailing, and household wet pickup.

Skip this if you need the lightest possible shop vac or if you plan to run it for hours at a time on turbo mode. The weight is real and the battery drain on high power settings means you will want a spare battery. A corded vac or a smaller cordless unit from a different platform may serve you better.

At this price point, you are getting thoughtful design details: the LED crevice tool, the remote on the nozzle, the onboard storage, the self-cleaning filter. These are the features that separate this vac from a generic cordless shop vac. Whether they are worth the premium depends entirely on how often you actually use them.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the battery last on a single charge?

With the included 5.0Ah battery, expect up to 60 minutes on ECO mode, 30 minutes on high, and 20 minutes on turbo. Real-world use lands close to these numbers according to owner reports. Your actual runtime depends on the surface type, debris load, and power mode you select.

Does it handle wet pickups as well as dry?

Yes, it is a true wet/dry vacuum. Owners have used it to drain water from a spa and clear AC drain clogs without issue. Just remember to remove the dry filter or install the wet screen before switching to wet mode. The manual covers the switchover process.

Is the filter easy to clean?

The built-in filter cleaning function knocks dust off the filter with a button press, so you rarely need to remove and tap it by hand. For deeper cleaning, the filter is accessible and straightforward to remove. The self-cleaning feature is one of the strongest selling points of this vac.

Will my existing EGO batteries and charger work with this vac?

Yes. It runs on any EGO 56V ARC Lithium battery, and the included charger is the standard EGO charger. If you already have EGO batteries from your lawn tools, they swap directly into this vac. The 5.0Ah battery included in the kit is a solid starting point, and a larger capacity battery extends runtime further.

Is the remote on the nozzle durable?

The remote control on the nozzle lets you toggle between power modes without walking back to the drum. In our testing, it felt solid and responsive. Owner reports have not flagged durability issues. It is weather resistant enough for workshop use and car cleaning but we would not submerge it.

How loud is it compared to a corded shop vac?

It is quieter than most corded shop vacs, especially on ECO mode. On high and turbo modes, it produces a noticeable hum but not the ear piercing whine of many corded units. Still, ear protection is a good idea for extended use, especially in an enclosed workshop.

Bottom line

The EGO Power+ 9-gallon cordless shop vac delivers on its promise: cordless wet/dry cleaning with genuine suction and thoughtful details that make it pleasant to use. The self-cleaning filter, LED tools, and onboard storage set it apart from the crowd of generic cordless shop vacs. The weight and price are real trade offs, but if you are already in the EGO battery ecosystem, this is an easy recommendation. For a deeper look at how we test and rate products, see our review methodology.