The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is a cordless vacuum that sits close to the bottom of the manufacturer's extensive lineup of stick models. It's very similar in design to the Shark Anti-Allergen Pet Power but uses a smaller capacity battery and a slightly more limited set of attachments. Otherwise, it shares many of the same features as other models in the lineup, with a self-cleaning brushroll, a high-capacity dustbin, and HEPA filtration.
It's worth noting that there are multiple variants of this vacuum, though they only really differ in color, battery capacity, and included attachments. Further details on the differences between models are outlined in the Differences Between Variants section of the review.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is very good for bare floors. It easily clears away pet hair as well as small and bulky debris on hard surfaces. It isn't especially hard to clean, and its bagless design and washable filters result in minimal recurring costs. However, it's on the bulkier side for a stick vacuum and can be a bit of a hassle to maneuver in cluttered environments.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is a good option for cleaning low-pile carpet. It has no trouble dealing with pet hair on this surface, but you'll probably need to make an extra pass or two to fully clear away large and fine debris. It's decently well-built, incurs minimal ownership costs, and is somewhat easy to maintain. However, its battery life is on the short end of the scale, and it's somewhat bulky for a vacuum of this type.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is very well-suited to vacuuming high-pile carpet. While its floorhead can get tangled on shag-pile carpeting, it can manage lower-pile carpeting without too much trouble, where it's effective in clearing away pet hair as well as large and fine debris. On the downside, battery performance lags behind that of newer cordless vacuums.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is a decent option for pet owners. It's very effective in clearing away pet hair from a wide variety of floor types, and while it doesn't come with a miniature turbo brush attachment, its upholstery tool is very effective for clearing away pet hair on fabric-lined furniture. Its onboard HEPA filter is also very effective at sealing in allergens. Unfortunately, while its brushroll is self-cleaning, it isn't designed to be removable, and as a consequence, it's a bit of a hassle to clear away any remaining fibers.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is great for vacuuming stairs. While it's on the heavy side for a stick vacuum, it's still pretty lightweight compared to most conventional canister and upright vacuums. Since it's cordless, you won't have to worry about tripping over a power cord while climbing and descending staircases.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is decent for car cleaning. Its cordless design ensures you can reach every part of your car's interior without parking near an outlet or dealing with a power cable. It doesn't come with a miniature turbo brush, but it does have an upholstery tool, crevice tool, and soft-bristle brush for cleaning delicate surfaces. Unfortunately, this vacuum is somewhat bulky for a stick model, and you might find it a little tricky to clean tight recesses.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is a poor fit for workshop cleaning, though that isn't what it's designed for. Its real-world suction performance is unimpressive; it isn't designed to clear away liquid spills, and using it to clean up workshop debris like metal or wood shavings is likely to result in damage.
There are multiple models in the Shark IZ36/UZ36 series of vacuums. We tested the IZ361H model, you can see its label here.
Model Code | Included Tools | Color | Battery Capacity |
IZ361H | Anti-Allergen Dust Brush, Upholstery tool, Crevice tool | Blue | 1900 mAh |
IZ362H | Anti-Allergen Dust Brush, Pet Multi-Tool, Crevice tool | Red | 1900 mAh |
IZ363HT | Anti-Allergen Dust Brush, Pet Multi-Tool, Crevice tool | Blue | 2450 mAh |
UZ365H | Pet Multi-Tool, Wide Upholstery Tool, Crevice tool/dusting brush | Silver | 1900 mAh |
If you come across another variant of this vacuum, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
The Shark Cordless Pet is one of many Shark cordless stick vacuums. Compared to its closest analogue, the Shark Anti-Allergen Pet Power, it uses a smaller capacity battery, though debris pickup performance is remarkably similar. Otherwise, this vacuum differs little from other models in Shark's lineup and shares many of the same strengths and weaknesses: a high-capacity dustbin, HEPA filtration, but also a relatively bulky, heavy design and a non-removable brushroll that can be a nuisance to clean.
If you're looking for an alternative, check out our list of recommendations for the best cordless stick vacuums, the best cordless vacuums, and the best cordless vacuums for pet hair.
The Dyson V8 is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus for most uses. The Dyson takes up less room while in use, weighs a lot less, is easier to maneuver, comes with a wider array of attachments, and exerts a stronger suction force at its floorhead, enabling it to clear away debris in cracks and crevices with less effort. On the other hand, the Shark has a larger dustbin, charges a lot faster, and feels sturdier.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus and Shark Cordless Pro are similar vacuums, though the Cordless Pro is an improvement in most areas. The Cordless Pro has an automatic power adjustment system and is fitted with an odor-neutralizing cartridge. The Cordless Pro's fluffy brushroll is also fully removable, allowing it to clean cracks and crevices far more effectively than the Cordless Pet Plus.
The Dyson V15 Detect is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus. The Dyson is lighter, more maneuverable, has a wider variety of attachments, and has a longer battery life. It also has a more powerful suction motor, resulting in superior deep-cleaning performance across a variety of surfaces. Meanwhile, the Shark feels fractionally sturdier and has a higher-capacity dustbin.
The Dyson Cyclone V10 is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus for most uses. The Dyson weighs considerably less, is easier to maneuver, lasts longer on a charge, has a removable brushroll that's easy to clean, and comes with a wider array of attachments. It also exerts a stronger suction force, resulting in superior crevice-cleaning performance. However, the Shark feels sturdier, has a larger dirt compartment, and does a better job of picking up debris on high-pile carpet.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is better than the Shark Pet/Rocket Pro Cordless. The Pet Plus is effectively an upgraded version of the Rocket Pro, with a higher-capacity, easily removable battery pack, a HEPA filter, and a self-cleaning brushroll, though both vacuums are otherwise identical.
The Samsung Jet 60 is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus for most uses. The Samsung weighs considerably less, is easier to maneuver, charges faster, and comes with a miniature turbo brush attachment as well as a wall-mount rack station with storage for two of its included attachments. It also exerts a stronger suction force through its floorhead and does a better job of clearing away debris on carpeted floors. However, the Shark feels sturdier and has a larger dustbin.
The Dyson V11 is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus. The Dyson takes up less room, has a much longer battery life, comes with a wider array of attachments, has a substantially more powerful suction motor, and is easier to maneuver. However, the Shark has a higher-capacity dustbin and feels a little bit sturdier.
The LG CordZero A9 is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus. The LG is considerably lighter, has fewer parts that need to be cleaned periodically, takes up a little less room when not in use, can be bundled with a highly effective miniature turbo brush attachment, and delivers better debris pickup performance on most surfaces. Higher end models also come with a second battery, yielding a longer maximum runtime as long as you start with a full charge for both packs. On the other hand, the Shark feels a little sturdier and has a higher-capacity dustbin.
The Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus. The Vertex has a higher-capacity battery, which results in a much longer runtime, an LED display to inform you of the battery's charge level and the selected surface and suction modes, and exerts a stronger suction force. Unlike the Cordless Pet Plus, it also has a dual-roller floorhead that allows for superior crack-cleaning performance and a flexible wand, making it a lot easier to clean under most tables and chairs.
The Tineco PWRHERO 11 is better than the Shark Cordless Pet Plus. The Tineco weighs a lot less, has fewer parts needing regular cleaning, takes up less room when not in use, and offers stronger real-world suction force, making it more effective in drawing away debris embedded in carpets or shallow cracks and crevices. Meanwhile, the Shark has a larger dustbin that won't need emptying as often. Despite its bulkier design, it's also a little easier to maneuver than the Tineco.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is decently well-built. It's practically identical to the Shark Anti-Allergen Pet Power in terms of design, with a bottom-mounted dustbin running parallel to its wand. It's made mainly from plastic, with a motor unit encased in glossy-finish plastic and the wand being made of lightweight metal. It feels relatively sturdy for the most part, though its clear plastic dirt compartment is a tad fragile. Thankfully, it's very easy to take apart and reassemble, with most of its components attaching via easy-clip mechanisms.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is fairly easy to maintain.
Any part that's washed with water should be left to dry for at least 24 hours before using it again.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus incurs very low recurring costs.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus isn't especially hard to store. You can dismount its canister body and slot it lower down the wand to minimize its vertical footprint when not in use. Unfortunately, there's no rack or onboard storage for the included attachments, so you'll have to stow them away elsewhere.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus has a relatively large dirt compartment, especially for a handheld vacuum. You won't need to empty its dustbin very often when compared to a similarly-priced model with a smaller dustbin, like the Tineco PURE ONE X.
The IZ362H, IZ363HT, and UZ365H variants come with all of the above, along with:
The following attachments are exclusive to the UZ365H variant:
The Shark IZ361H's range is limited only by the remaining battery life and the room left in its dirt compartment.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is pretty portable, though it's still on the heavier side for a cordless stick vacuum. Compared to a lighter stick vacuum like the Samsung Jet 60, you might feel fatigue after using it for an extended period.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus has decent battery performance. Most variants use the same 1900 mAh battery as the Shark Rocket Pet Pro. It yields a max runtime of about 40 minutes when used in its bare floor mode with no attachments. Using it in its 'MAX' power mode drains its battery in about 15 minutes, making it best-suited for quick clean-ups. If you want a longer runtime, the IZ363HT variant uses a higher-capacity 2450 mAh pack that can last for up to almost an hour. You can keep tabs on the remaining runtime via the trio of LED indicator lights on the battery, which turn off one by one as the charge level decreases.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus has a couple of quality-of-life features. The slider on top of the grab handle allows you to switch between 'Hard Floor' and 'Carpet' modes, which decrease and increase the rotational speed of the brushroll, respectively. Pulling and holding the trigger inside the handle activates the vacuum's 'MAX' power setting for cleaning stubborn debris.
The Shark IZ361H comes with a couple of attachments. There's a crevice tool for cleaning tight spots, an upholstery tool for cleaning furniture, and its Anti-Allergen Dust Brush, which has a set of soft bristles to clear away dust from delicate surfaces.
The IZ362H and IZ363HT models come with a similar set of attachments, with the Anti-Allergen Dust Brush and a crevice, though they also feature Shark's Pet Multi-Tool, which is essentially an upholstery nozzle with a clip-on hard-bristle brush.
The UZ365H model comes with the Pet Multi-Tool, a separate wide-nozzle upholstery tool, and an upgraded crevice tool that features a swing-out soft-bristle dusting brush.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus performs superbly on bare floors when used in its bare floor setting with the 'MAX' suction trigger pulled. It easily clears away small debris like rice and bulkier material like cereal.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus does an okay job of cleaning low-pile carpet when used in its carpet surface setting with the 'MAX' suction trigger pulled. It clears away the majority of fine material like baking soda and larger debris like sand. A noticeable amount of debris can be left behind after only a pass or two.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is impressively effective on high-pile carpet when used in its carpet surface setting with the 'MAX' trigger pulled. It can clear away fine debris like baking soda and larger debris like sand without too much trouble, though you'll probably need to make an extra pass to clear away everything.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus does a fantastic job clearing away pet hair on a myriad of surfaces. However, while its brushroll is self-cleaning, it isn't removable, making it quite hard to clear away any pet hair that's gotten tangled in the mechanism.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus has poor real-world suction performance. Its suction inlet is positioned too high off the ground to generate a tight seal with the contact surface. Take a look at the Tineco PWRHERO 11 if you're looking for a cordless stick vacuum that exerts a stronger real-world suction force.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is pretty quiet. It's a little louder than comparable models like the Samsung Jet 60 but won't be disruptive for people in other rooms, though it can mask the sound of a nearby conversation. That said, it's much louder when running in its 'MAX' mode, so don't use the vacuum in this setting for long if you don't want to disturb people nearby.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is decently maneuverable. It's heavier than most cordless stick vacuums and has a somewhat bulky floorhead that doesn't pivot as sharply as other stick vacuums like the Dyson V8. Unlike the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight, it doesn't have a flexible wand, so you have to crouch pretty deeply to clean under tables and chairs. That said, it's easy to switch out the various attachments as needed, and the vacuum can roll over obstructions like electrical cords pretty easily. You'll need to be careful around shag-pile rugs, which can get tangled in the floorhead, as there's no brushroll off switch.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus does a great job of dealing with pet hair on furniture, even when used in its standard suction power setting. Its upholstery tool is effective in collecting pet hair on fabric, though the vacuum's relatively bulky design can make it a bit of a nuisance to use for extended periods. The UZ365H variant comes with an additional wide-nozzle upholstery tool that's better-suited for cleaning large fabric-lined areas.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus is effective in sealing in fine allergens, thanks in part to its onboard HEPA filter.
The Shark Cordless Pet Plus does a poor job of sucking up debris in cracks and crevices, with a brushroll positioned too high off the ground to generate a tight seal with the contact surface and draw debris out from cracks and crevices. It doesn't do as well as the Shark Anti-Allergen Pet Power in this regard, which does draw more power from its higher-capacity battery. You should use the included crevice tool to deal with debris in deeper cracks.