- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Vacuums
- Conclusion
- Discussions
We have currently tested over 15 Shark vacuums. Shark is a manufacturer of homeware goods such as irons and mops in addition to vacuums. Unlike other brands such as Samsung or BISSELL that focus on a limited type of vacuum design, Shark offers a little bit of everything, including robot vacuums, secondary handheld configurations, and corded or cordless design. They also produce several lines at different price points, so there's something available for all budgets and situations.
Updates
- 01/12/2021 Shark AI Robot reviewed
- 01/06/2021 Shark ION Robot 2020 reviewed
- 12/09/2020 Shark Vertex Lightweight Cordless reviewed
- 12/04/2020 Shark Vertex UltraLight Corded reviewed
- 12/02/2020 Shark Rotator Lift-Away ADV reviewed
Best Shark Vacuums
-
Best Cordless Shark Vacuum
Vacuum TypeHandheldBaglessYesCordlessYesAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)NoThe Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ is the best Shark vacuum with a cordless design that we've tested. This lightweight, cordless handheld delivers outstanding overall performance on everything from hardwood floors to high-pile carpet. It doesn't struggle at all with pet hair or bulky material like cereal, which can be an issue for some other handhelds. It has a simple design that incurs few recurring costs, and the few parts that need to be maintained regularly are easily accessible. It's light enough to be carried almost anywhere, and it comes with a self-cleaning turbo brush to clear stuck-on dirt on fabric upholstery, not to mention a hard bristle brush to dislodge stubborn debris and a crevice tool to tackle messes in tight corners.
That said, it has a very short battery life of a little over 10 minutes, so you need to work quickly to clean up big messes with it. It also doesn't have a HEPA filter to trap allergens as you clean, which could be annoying if you have a heavily-shedding pet. Otherwise, its versatile performance and compact size help make it one of the best cordless vacuums that we've tested.
-
Best Shark Vacuum For Bare Floors
Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldBaglessYesCordlessYesAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesThe Shark Rocket Pet Pro is the best Shark vacuum for bare floors that we've tested. This cordless model does an outstanding job on bare floors like linoleum and tile since it can pick up pet hair as well as small and large debris without a problem. It also has excellent maneuverability, and you can reconfigure it into a lightweight handheld if you need to clean hard to reach areas. Since it's designed with pet hair in mind, it uses a self-cleaning brushroll so that it can detangle hair wraps as you clean. Although it has a few parts that need regular maintenance, as long as they're properly taken care of, you shouldn't have to replace them.
Unfortunately, if you have a tough or large mess to clean, its battery lasts just over ten minutes on its most powerful mode before it needs to be recharged again. However, if you're using its less powerful default mode, you can get around 40 minutes of continuous cleaning time. That said, it's well-suited for cleaning bare floors and is one of the best cordless vacuums we've tested.
-
Best Shark Vacuum For Carpet
Vacuum TypeUpright/HandheldBaglessYesCordlessNoAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesThe best Shark Vacuum for carpet that we've tested is the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Upright. If you have a lot of low or high-pile carpet at home, this upright/handheld can easily clean pet hair as well as small and large debris on these surfaces. Thanks to its three surface level settings, you can adjust the head's height to better suit your carpet pile. It also has a HEPA filter to help trap allergens as you clean. You can use it in a semi-handheld configuration if you need to get into hard-to-reach areas or crevices. It also comes with a couple of accessories like an upholstery tool to help you clean different objects like furniture around the home. As long as you maintain its parts, it doesn't have any recurring costs either, which is fantastic.
Unfortunately, it has a few parts that require regular maintenance. It has mediocre maneuverability too, and it can be hard to clean underneath tables and couches due to its bulky design. It's also fairly heavy, so it may be a bit challenging to carry it up or down stairs. That said, this reconfigurable vacuum delivers versatile overall performance and is a suitable choice for tackling messes on low or high-pile carpet.
Compared to other brands
- Virtually no recurring costs. Most Shark vacuums have parts that can be washed or cleaned, so you may never have to replace them as long as you properly maintain them. Even though some models have a small dirt compartment, they're also all bagless, which further helps to cut down on recurring costs.
- Tools and brushes included. While they may not have specialized tools such as a pet grooming brush or a ceiling fan tool, they come with a solid selection of tools and brushes to help get done the job done.
- Can be configured into a handheld vacuum. Shark vacuums tend to be reconfigurable into a smaller, handheld mode so that you can access more difficult-to-reach messes.
- Okay build quality. Shark vacuums tend to have a plasticky build and certain parts, such as their dirt compartments, seem especially prone to cracking if dropped.
- Quite a few maintenance needs. Depending on the model, most Shark vacuums have several parts that need ongoing maintenance, depending on your usage.
- Manual cord storage. Corded Shark vacuums usually require manually winding the electrical cord for storage instead of automatically storing it away.
Shark produces a variety of different vacuum types at different price points. They're smartly designed to be reconfigured into a handheld design should you need a closer clean, and there are cordless options 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 albeit slightly worse performance on carpet. For upright vacuums, they usually perform better on all surface types than BISSELL vacuums. It also should be noted that Shark doesn't currently make canister vacuums.
Conclusion
Shark is a good household manufacturer that produces items such as mops and irons alongside a variety of vacuums at different price points and styles. No matter what type of model you're looking for, Shark vacuums can usually be used as handhelds as well, which is nice if you need to clean harder-to-reach places. Should you want something easily portable, Shark also sells some cordless vacuums. However, they tend to have a few maintenance needs, and some models can be a little more tricky to clean.
Test results
Recommended Articles
Gain early access to all tests results for new products
Prices will now be listed directly in reviews and tables
Have 5 votes per product category to choose which product we’ll review next
Gain unlimited access to detailed test results in tools and results (no blurred results)
