Cordless vacuum cleaners will also save you time on plugging in and out of different power sockets. Clean hardwood floors, low-pile rugs, stairs, sofas, mattresses, even the inside of your car with cordless convenience. Two cyclonic air streams shark handheld vacuum are designed to offer great suction that picks up big crumbs, fine dust and everything in between. Don’t buy one of the “bargain priced” older Dyson vacuums such as the v7 or v8 (the lower the “v” number, the older the Dyson model).
Corded vacuums, on the other hand, can be quite heavy and sometimes hard to maneuver, but their suction power is superior. By the end of the home testing period we had gotten rid of our old vacuum because this one performed so much better. It cleaned high-pile rugs more efficiently and had an easier time picking up bigger pieces of debris like kibble and popcorn kernels. With this vacuum, it’s very easy to remove the dust canister; however, emptying it was a different story, as hair tended to get caught on top. It’s small, which means you’ll have to take the time to empty it more often, too. However, we were thrilled to notice that there was no hair wrapped around the front roller, so we’ll take the tradeoff.
A couple of other complaints would be that the dust bin is difficult to empty. If you liked the look of the Shark Stratos above but want something a little cheaper, this Cordless Stick Vacuum is an excellent option. The battery didn’t last quite as long on test, the suction wasn’t quite as good and it doesn’t have anti-odour technology but it still out-performed so many other cordless vacuums I tried. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the price, as you can often find it on sale. A popular complaint I have when reviewing cordless vacuums is the lack of edge to edge cleaning, visible when you vacuum alongside sideboards or cupboards and find a thin trail of dust left behind.
The Cordless Pro isn’t as robust as the Stratos, but it comes with similarly show-stopping features. Those looking for equally impressive performance without the bells and whistles should snag the Shark Vertex instead, which offers similar features and price without the additional attachments. In its defence, the HX2 is extremely powerful and definitely punches above its shark stick vacuum 322W rating. I’d say its suction power was equivalent to the Dyson Gen5 Detect at the top of this list. Firstly, the large bezel makes it impossible to clean in tight corners and up to, or on top of, skirting boards (which is actually where most of the dust collects). Secondly, it doesn’t feature a handheld section as standard (it’s included as a bundle for £599.98).
The fins on its floorhead are quite effective in preventing hair wraps from occurring for the most part, but a small amount can still get stuck at the outer edges of its floorhead, as seen here. Thankfully, unlike most other Shark vacuums, its floorhead is fully removable, enabling you to easily clear away any tangled hair. It’s worth noting that a small amount of shark handheld vacuum hair can get stuck at the junction between the wand and the entry to its dirt compartment, close to the grip, as seen here. The Shark feels better built, is easier to maintain, and has a much higher-capacity dustbin. There are a few extra convenience features not found on the Dyson, like an automatic power adjustment system and an odor-neutralizing cartridge.
It also has an LED light, so you can really see what you’re vacuuming. The previous vacuum had struggled with the amount of fur and eventually given up suction, while this Shark vacuum cleared the space beneath the vacuum in one swipe, leaving the carpet visibly whiter. Better still, the brush head roller came away clean, meaning the anti hair wrap really does work. When not in use, the vacuum stands upright of its own accord and can also be folded in half for smaller storage.
In testing, this vacuum performed extremely well, having no problem picking up dog kibble or pet hair from a variety of surfaces. The only area it struggled with was the high-pile carpet, as the cleaner head doesn’t have a height adjustment option. Cordless Shark vacuum cleaners offer convenience, but are limited to shorter cleaning jobs since run time is dependent on battery life. Our pick for best stick, the Shark Wandvac Cordless Stick Vacuum with Self-Empty Charging Base, WS642AE, comes in at 17 minutes (though it does have a quick charge time to get you back to cleaning again shortly).