Shark, also known as SharkNinja, is an American company founded in 1994 that manufactures homeware goods like irons and mops in addition to vacuums. Unlike other brands like Samsung or BISSELL, which focus on a limited range of vacuum designs, Shark offers a little bit of everything, including robot vacuums, secondary handheld configurations, and corded and cordless designs. Their vacuums come at various prices, so you can find something that fits your budget.
For more recommendations, check our articles for the best vacuums for stairs, the best vacuum cleaner brands, and the best car vacuums.
The best Shark vacuum we've tested is the Shark Stratos Cordless. It's the flagship model in Shark's lineup of cordless stick vacuums, so it's no surprise that it has a wide range of convenience features. These include its Clean Sense IQ system, which uses infrared sensors to measure the amount of debris sucked into the dustbin and allows the vacuum to adjust its suction as needed. It also features an odor-neutralizing system that works via a replaceable cartridge in its floorhead, which emits a detergent-like scent as you clean. The vacuum's folding wand makes it easy to clean under most furniture since you won't have to crouch deeply, and it reduces its vertical footprint when stowed away. It has the newest iteration of Shark's DuoClean twin-roller floorhead, which comprises a soft roller and a finned multi-surface roller.
Unfortunately, despite being advertised as self-cleaning, it isn't the best Shark vacuum for pet hair, as pet hair can still get trapped in the floorhead. Also, the primary brushroll isn't removable, making it a nuisance to clean. This vacuum can run for up to an hour on a charge, which is good by the standards of other cordless vacuums. If you live in a larger residence and would prefer using a corded vacuum so you don't want to worry about running out of charge, the Shark Stratos Upright is a solid option with a substantially higher-capacity dustbin. However, it lacks the cordless model's automatic power adjustment feature and has a much bulkier upright body.
The Shark Stratos UltraLight is among the best Shark vacuums for pet hair we've tested and a great choice if you're looking for something a little more affordable. It's the flagship corded stick model in Shark's lineup and borrows some features from other vacuums that share the Stratos name, like the Shark Stratos Cordless. Like those other models, it features a replaceable cartridge to mask unpleasant odors as you clean, as well as the newest iteration of Shark's twin-roller DuoClean floorhead, which features a primary brushroll with built-in fins to minimize hair buildup. However, it shares a common downside: this primary brushroll isn't removable. While it doesn't have the go-anywhere range of a cordless model, its operating radius of over 30 feet is still reasonably long, allowing you to clean most large rooms without swapping outlets.
Its performance on bare floors, as well as low- and high-pile carpets, is excellent. Unfortunately, you can't adjust the height for its brushroll, so it can get tangled in thicker carpeting. It also feels noticeably less well-built than the Shark Stratos Cordless and has a smaller dirt compartment that'll need more regular emptying.
The Shark Pet Cordless (IX141) is the best budget Shark vacuum we've tested. This cheap vacuum delivers impressive performance on bare floors as well as low- and high-pile carpets. It comes with a crevice tool for handling messes in tight corners, an upholstery tool for cleaning fabric surfaces, and a soft-bristle brush to deal with dust on delicate, easily scratched surfaces. The downside, compared to a higher-end model like the Shark Stratos Cordless, is that it has far fewer features, lacking things like automatic power adjustment and a telescopic wand.
This vacuum is also a hassle to keep clean; its floorhead's brushroll isn't removable, so removing any long hair wrapped around its brushroll is a nuisance. Its battery life is pretty mediocre, as it can only run for up to 40 minutes on a full charge, though that's a downside shared with the pricier Stratos Cordless. If you want to avoid running out of charge, the Shark Rocket Corded is a good substitute, albeit one that feels more cheaply built and doesn't perform quite as well overall.
The best Shark robot vacuum we've tested is the Shark Matrix Robot. This robot vacuum can automatically empty its dustbin into an external dirt compartment mounted to its charging dock, reducing hands-on maintenance requirements. The RV2310AE variant has an extra-large dock with room for 45 days worth of debris, so you won't have to worry about emptying its content regularly. The vacuum's LIDAR mapping sensor allows for quick and precise room mapping; you can also use its companion app to schedule cleaning sessions or set up no-go zones to prevent the vacuum from entering areas where it might get stuck or knock over something delicate. Compared to older Shark robot models, like the Shark AI Ultra Robot, the integration with the SharkClean companion app is noticeably better, providing a smoother user experience and fewer glitches.
Its performance on bare floors is excellent, though the vacuum has a harder time dealing with debris on low- and high-pile carpeting. However, this variant of the Matrix doesn't have a mopping system to deal with stains. If you're shopping at a similar price point and don't mind giving up its self-emptying capability for a mopping system, you could opt for the Shark IQ 2-in-1; this robot vacuum's mopping system isn't especially complicated, but it does a fantastic job of handling stains on hard surfaces.
Another similar robot vacuum to consider is the Shark Matrix Plus. It has better debris-pickup performance on bare floors and is slightly better at picking up pet hair, but its battery life isn't quite as good, lasting a maximum of about 1.5 hours compared to the Matrix Robot's three hours. Also, this model may be harder to get for some since it's a Costco exclusive.
The Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ is the best cordless Shark vacuum with a handheld design that we've tested. Unlike the Shark Pet/Rocket Pro Cordless or any other Shark stick vacuum, it's only intended for quick spot-cleaning. It does a fantastic job picking up pet hair and solid debris on flat, even surfaces, and it delivers a superb overall performance on carpets and rugs. It feels surprisingly sturdy and has a simple, easy-to-clean design that incurs minimal recurring costs. The CH951 variant comes with a crevice tool for tackling messes in tight corners, a hard-bristle brush to dislodge stuck-on dirt and debris, and a turbo brush for cleaning furniture, though unfortunately, the latter isn't very effective for dealing with pet hair on upholstered surfaces.
Its battery life of a little over 10 minutes isn't especially noteworthy, even by the standards of other handheld vacuums, so you'll need to work fast when cleaning bigger messes. It also has terrible air filtration performance, making it less ideal for those with allergies. If that's a concern, consider the Shark WANDVAC, which does a much better job of sealing in allergens like pet dander; you can further bolster its filtration performance by purchasing an aftermarket HEPA filter. However, it has a much smaller dustbin.
When comparing their lineup of cordless stick vacuums, Dyson's offerings provide better debris pickup performance than most Shark models and come with a broader range of attachments and unique quality-of-life features like automatic power adjustment. However, they're also notably pricier than comparable Sharks, which usually feel better built. You can see a more detailed comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of each brand's offerings in this comparison article.
BISSELL vacuums are generally cheaper than comparable Shark models, though their lower price tag often results in inferior build quality, debris pickup performance, and air filtration performance.
Shark produces a wide range of vacuums at various price points. They often have a smart design that lets you switch to a handheld mode for a closer clean, and many cordless options are available. When comparing their stick vacuums to Dyson's offerings, Shark vacuums feel better built and sturdier. However, they also tend to have a similar but slightly worse performance on carpet. Their upright vacuums usually perform better on all surface types than BISSELL vacuums.
Shark has a diverse lineup of vacuums, and their naming convention can sometimes be confusing. In broad strokes, you can outline their model lineup as follows.
Upright Models
Stick Models
Canister Models
Robot Models
Common Terminology/Features
Sep 18, 2024: Verified that all picks are valid and available. Small text changes for conciseness and clarity. No change in recommendations.
Jun 12, 2024: We've checked all picks for their ongoing availability and pricing. We made a minor text update to add the Shark Matrix Plus as an alternative to the Shark Matrix Robot.
Mar 07, 2024: We've reviewed this article and verified the price and availability of all our recommendations.
Feb 09, 2024: Removed the Shark Cordless Pro from the recommendations due to current pricing.
Jan 11, 2024: Ensured all main picks are still available and are suitable for user requirements.
Shark is a good household manufacturer that produces items like mops and irons alongside vacuums at different price points and styles. You can also use many Shark vacuums as handhelds, which is nice if you need to clean hard-to-reach places. If you want an easily portable model, Shark sells some cordless vacuums. However, the best cordless Shark vacuum models tend to have a few maintenance needs and can be a little more tricky to clean.