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10 Best Shark Vacuums: Based on Objective Tests & Real Data

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

In this in-depth buyer’s guide, we’ll be breaking down all popular Shark vacuum models and types. In addition, we’ll look at the highlights of our Shark vacuum testing series.

What is the best Shark vacuum? To answer this tough question we’ll compare and contrast all popular Shark vacuums to help arm you with the information you need to choose the best Shark for you.

Let’s jump in!

Exceptional High-End Upright

Shark Stratos Upright Wp 2

Shark Stratos Upright

The Shark Stratos is the latest and best upright from Shark. It is a HEPA upright vacuum with fantastic performance across the board. In our test it removed 98.9% of all debris across all floor types, removed hair without any tangles, and managed pet hair with ease. It comes in 2 models each with different sets of accessories. These accessories greatly aid cleaning around the house. 

Our guide below analyzes a litany of Shark vacuum cleaners. We’ll look at the most popular and high-performing models, brush roll design, cleaning features, suction power, and more.

Our aim is at the end of this guide you’ll have everything you need to determine if Shark is the best vacuum for you.

Shark Vacuum Comparison Chart

Best Overall

Shark Stratos Upright Wp 2

Shark Stratos Upright

Type: Upright Power: 30 ft. cord Weight: 17.2 lbs.

Best CORDLESS

Shark Stratos Corldess Grey

Shark Stratos Cordless

Type: Stick Power: Cordless Weight: 8.9 lbs.

Best CORDED STICK

Shark Stratos Corded Ultralight

Shark Stratos Corded

Type: Stick Power: 30 ft. cord Weight: 8.7 lbs.

Best Overall

Shark Vertex Cordless Grey

Shark Vertex Cordless

Type: Stick Power: Cordless Weight: 9.1 lbs.

Best UPRIGHT

Shark Vertex Duoclean Upright White

Shark Vertex DuoClean

Type: Upright Power: 30 ft. cord Weight: 16.4 lbs.

Best UPRIGHT

Shark Apex Duoclean Grey

Shark APEX DuoClean

Type: Upright Power: 30 ft. cord Weight: 17.1 lbs.

Best BUDGET UPRIGHT

Shark Rotator Pro White

Shark Rotator Pro

Type: Upright Power: 30 ft. cord Weight: 15.5 lbs.

Best FOR PETS

Shark Rotator Truepet Grey

Shark Rotator TruePet

Type: Upright Power: 30 ft. cord Weight: 16.7 lbs.

Best BUDGET UPRIGHT

Shark Navigator Pro White

Shark Navigator Pro

Type: Upright Power: 30 ft. cord Weight: 13.7 lbs.

Best Budget Stick

Shar Rock Ultra Light Grey

Shark Rocket Ultra-Light

Type: Stick Power: 25 ft. cord Weight: 9.7 lbs.

Best Robot

Shark Robot Ai Ultra 2 In 1 Wp

Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1

Type: Robot Power: Station Weight: 14.5 lbs.

Best Robot

Shark Ai Ultra Grey

Shark AI Ultra

Type: Robot Power: Station Weight: 14.5 lbs.

What’s in this guide

Shark Comparisons | Best Shark Vacuums | Model Names & Features | Which Shark vacuum is right for me?

YouTube video

The Best Shark Vacuum Cleaners

Shark tends to create models and sub-models with varying features, performance, accessories, and more. As a result, it can be difficult to know exactly what features each Shark vacuum has.

If you’re confused by the sheer number of Shark vacuum names, models, and sub-models, click here for our detailed explanation.

Shark Navigator Vs Rotator
What Shark vacuum is best for you?

With that said, let’s go ahead and take a look at what we think are the 10 best Shark vacuums on the market.

10 Best Shark Vacuums on the Market

Below, we take a more detailed look at each of these best Shark vacuum contenders.

We’ll discuss what we think each model is best at, which can hopefully help you decide which features, price point, and type is best for you.

Best Overall – Shark Stratos Upright

Leveling up from their previous uprights, the Shark Stratos Upright is truly an exceptional vacuum. It easily handled our performances tests, had fantastic overall usability, and a variety of accessories to choose from.

Shark Stratos Upright Cleaning
Shark Stratos Upright cleaning

What’s To Like

  • Fantastic cleaning performance: Across our cleaning tests the Shark Stratos showcased excellent performance. It removed 98.9% of all 4 debris types across all 3 floor types. Regardless of debris size or location, the Shark Stratos has you covered.
  • Manages long and pet hair: For those with long haired pets or pets that shed a lot the Shark Stratos is a great option. The DuoBrush cleaning head itself can handle hair without getting tangled. But if you are concerned about hair you can get the TruePet upgrade for the Pet power brush which is designed to manage long hair.
  • Highly modular device: The Stratos comes with a ton of attachments and accessories. These attachments increase the flexibility of how and where you can clean, giving you extra reach where you need it.

What’s Not So Good

  • Pricey. It’s one of the most expensive vacuum cleaners that Shark offers. Nevertheless, it’s still a good value, especially if you can find it on sale.

Other Shark Stratos Vacuums

There are a few stick variants available for the Shark Stratos lineup. They are fantastic vacuums in their own right and offer a lighter more maneuverable form.

Shark Stratos Cordless

Shark Stratos Cordless

There are a lot of good things to say about the Shark Stratos Cordless. Without saying too much now, it is a fantastic stick vacuum with excellent performance.

Shark Stratos Corded White

Shark Stratos Corded

With similar performance and specs to the cordless variant, the Stratos Cordless is an excellent stick vacuum. It offers a 30 foot cord to work with. This removes the limited run time of the cordless, in exchange for somewhat limited maneuverability.

Best Shark for Pets – Shark Stratos Cordless

The Shark Stratos cordless is already an excellent choice for a cordless stick, thanks to excellent usability and cleaning performance.

However, its pet hair performance truly shined above the rest, removing 100% of the hair we placed in the carpet during our test. Few other vacuums are able to claim this capability.

Shark Stratos Cordless Storage Height
Shark Stratos Cordless Storage Height

What’s To Like

  • Pivoting extension wand: This vacuum has the ability to bend at the neck which increases maneuverability and enhances storage. It can bend one way, folding up and storing easily, or bend the other way to reach under a couch.
  • Long battery life: On the lowest battery power, you have 80 minutes of run time to clean with which is more than any other stick vacuum we’ve tested. In addition, you have Clean Sense IQ mode, which automatically adjust suction power based on internal sensors.
  • Perfect long and pet hair management: Our tests showed how well the Stratos handled all forms of hair. Long hair didn’t tangle and all the pet hair was removed from high pile carpet. Perfect hair performance on all fronts.

What’s Not So Good

  • Slightly heavier cordless: Compared to other cordless stick vacuums we’ve tested, the Stratos is slightly heavier. In most cases it won’t be a major concern, but if you are looking for the lightest possible device, consider an alternative.

Other Shark Vacuums for Pets

While the Shark Rotator True Pet is a great model for high-capacity messes, it’s certainly not the only Shark vacuum that works well for homes with pets.

Here are a few other honorable mentions for the best Shark vacuum for pets:

Shark Rocket Ultra Light Hv301

Shark Rocket Deluxe Pro

The Shark Rocket DeluxePro is a lightweight stick vacuum (at only 8 lbs.) that easily converts to a handheld unit for 2-in-1 cleaning. It can hold just under 1 dry quart of debris in the dust bin and comes with a wide range of variable attachments.

Shark Ultralight Pet Pro Wp

Shark UltraLight Pet Pro

The Shark UltraLight Pet Pro more than lives up to its name, dominating our pet hair tests. It has great cleaning performance, removing 93.0% of all debris and managing pet hair with some minor tangling. It comes with a 25 ft. cord, is incredibly easy to use, setup, and maintain. Given the price point relative to the performance it’s truly a fantastic value.

Best Upright Vacuum – Shark Vertex DuoClean

While not quite as fantastic as the Stratos, the Shark Vertex DuoClean comes in at a close second. It removed 99% of all debris in our cleaning tests and managed long and pet hair well.

Shark Vertex Angled View
Shark Vertex DuoClean

Additionally, it includes a self-cleaning brushroll with the DuoClean system, a lift-away canister, and a 30 foot power cord.

What’s To Like

  • Good for multi-floor cleaning: The DuoClean system is a great option for users who have a combination of different floor types. The improved DuoClean combines spiral rubberized paddle and soft fluffy roller head at the front of the vacuum. This combination of both cleaning styles makes it powerful enough to agitate debris in carpets, while still being gentle on hardwood floors.
  • Continuous corded power: The upright Vertex is a corded vacuum. Meaning that it can provide continuous, fade-free suction power for as long as you need it, without needing to charge up a battery.
  • 2-in-1 usability: The Vertex Lift-Away canister lets you use this vacuum as an upright or as a powerful handheld by removing the canister from the vacuum base.

What’s Not So Good

  • Heavy to carry: Weighing in at 16.4 pounds, it isn’t the heaviest upright, but still can be bulky and more difficult to move than a stick vacuum.

Other Upright Shark Vacuums

Shark has no shortage of upright vacuum options within their lineup. Here’s the other good upright Sharks that we like the best:

Shark Apex Duoclean White

Shark Apex DuoClean

With almost equal performance to the Vertex DuoClean, the Shark Apex DuoClean houses similar features, an excellent build quality, and a self-cleaning brushroll.

Shark Navigator Pro Lift Away

Shark Navigator Professional

The Shark Navigator Pro upright is a larger model over the Shark Rotator Pro that comes with greater suction and a larger dust bin. But with the extra size, also comes less maneuverability and a heavier body.

Best Cordless Vacuum – Shark Stratos Cordless

The Shark Stratos Cordless is the best cordless stick from Shark and there isn’t really anything close.

Shark Stratos Cordless Cleaning Under Couch
Shark Stratos Cordless Cleaning Under Couch

It keeps many of the handy usability features Shark has had in previous stick vacuums, like the bendable extension neck and DuoClean brushes. But, it also adds new things such as the odor neutralizer which helps improve the smell of the air as you clean.

Shark Stratos Cordless Odor Neutralizer Knob
Shark Stratos Cordless Odor Neutralizer Knob

Furthermore, the Stratos had fantastic results in our tests, removing 96.7% of all debris across all floor types and perfectly managing all types of hair.

What’s To Like

  • Extension wand that can pivot: This vacuum has a button on the extension wand that you can use to transition from a straight stick to a right angle that allows the bottom half to be flush with the floor while you stay standing straight. This lets you clean under furniture without having to bend your knees. 
  • Long runtime: Using the eco mode, your cleaning could last about 80 minutes on one charge. If you use the Clean Sense IQ mode, which regulates suction power based on sensors, you could get about 46 minutes of cleaning time. At the highest setting, which has extremely powerful suction, you can get about 14 minutes on one charge.
  • Perfect hair cleaning performance: Not only does this vacuum remove all hair, even the bits that have been ground into carpet, but absolutely none of it was left in or tangled around the brush head during our tests.

What’s Not So Good

  • Heavier stick vacuum: Compared to other stick vacuums we’ve tested, the Stratos comes in slightly heavier at almost 9 pounds. However, the bendable extension neck helps mitigate this when cleaning.

Alternative Shark Stick Vacuums

Shark previous cordless stick, the Vertex DuoClean, is solid alternative to the Stratos.

Shark Vertex Cordless White

Shark Vertex Cordless DuoClean

The Shark Vertex DuoClean is a cordless stick vacuum with a run time up to 60 minutes. The DuoClean cleaning head is great for carpets and hard surface flooring. It has a 10″ cleaning path, 5 year warranty, and weighs just 7 pounds.

Best Budget Vacuum – Shark Navigator Pro

If you’re looking for a great deal in an upright vacuum, the Shark Navigator Pro is a solid option. This upright has strong suction with multiple configurations, helping to provide the right tool for the job when you need it.

Shark Navigator Brush
Shark Navigator brushroll cleaning head

What’s To Like

  • Extra Large Dust Bin. The dust bin canister can hold up to 2.2 dry quarts of debris, which is almost twice the capacity of the Shark Rotator Lift-Away and significantly larger than any cordless stick Shark vacuum. For homes with big messes, the extra large dust bin canister is a must.
  • Great Value. The price tag of the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro is also right. The Shark Navigator Pro is a quite affordable vacuum, compared to similar models on the market.
  • 2-in-1 Design. The Navigator Lift-Away has a canister that separates from the body of the vacuum for portable cleaning. Using the lift-away canister also doesn’t diminish the size of the XL canister.

What’s Not So Good

  • Less Maneuverable. The Navigator Lift-Away Pro is a great vacuum and very powerful, but lacks the easy maneuverability of the Shark stick vacuums.
  • Average Cleaning Performance on High Pile Carpet. The cleaning performance on high pile carpet was less than impressive, during our cleaning tests. It especially struggled with large debris types during our cereal cleaning test.

Other Shark Budget Vacuums

For a Shark upright vacuum on a budget, there are a few options. Some models are quite similar to the Shark Navigator Pro, like the Shark Rotator Pro.

Another option would be to go with a slightly more compact vacuum, but still have the feel of an upright– that would be the Shark Navigator Freestyle, a lightweight cordless, budget-friendly Shark vacuum.

Shark Rotator Vacuum

Shark Rotator Lift-Away

The Shark Rotator Lift-Away is a little heavier and bulkier than the Navigator (with a smaller dust bin capacity), but is still a nice option for cleaning performance. Compared the Navigator Lift-Away Pro, the Rotator Lift-Away Pro actually performed much better on rice, kitty litter, and sugar tests. There was still a struggle with large debris during the cereal test.

Shark Navigator Freestyle

Shark Navigator Freestyle

The Shark Navigator Freestyle is a cordless stick vacuum that is designed to tackle small or large jobs, with a cord-free cleaning time of around

Best Robot Vacuum – Shark AI Ultra

The Shark AI Ultra is a substantial improvement upon previous robots made by Shark.

Shark Robot Ai Ultra 2 In 1 1
Shark Robot AI Ultra 2-in-1

It removed 97.8% of all debris on all floors, having nearly perfect performance on hardwoods. It struggled with pet hair and long hair, but navigate our cluttered office space extremely well.

Shark Robot Ai Ultra 2 In 1 Robot
Shark Robot AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot

The Shark AI Ultra comes with an auto-empty docking station with a bagless dustbin for reduced maintenance costs. But it lacks any way to automatically manage the mop attachment for the 2-in-1 variant. Despite it’s flaws, the AI Ultra is still an excellent robot vacuum.

What’s To Like

  • Great Navigation: During our navigational testing the Shark AI never got stuck. What’s more, it fully cleaned our space and always returned to the base for charging even during low-light conditions. 
  • Fantastic Cleaning: Our cleaning tests showed the AI Ultra 2-in-1 had fantastic cleaning performance. It removed 95.3% of all debris across all floor types. While it struggled a little more on carpet, it always removed over 90% of the debris. 
  • Bagless Maintenance: When the base station automatically empties the debris from the robot, it does so in a bagless dustbin. This reduces annual costs of the robot and is incredibly easy to manage.

What’s Not So Good

  • Can’t vacuum and mop at the same time: While there are multiple versions of the Shark AI, the 2-in-1 version lacks the ability to mop and vacuum at the same time. Instead, a mop attachments needs to be switched out with the dustbin to enable the mopping features.
  • Struggles with hair: Regardless of the version, the AI Ultra struggled with hair. Long hair tangled around the brushroll and it failed to remove pet fur from high pile carpet.
  • Lacks obstacle avoidance: Most high-end robot vacuums come with some form of obstacle avoidance. While the Shark AI Ultra navigated well, it lacked any substantial form of obstacle recognition.

Other Shark Robot Vacuums

Outside of the Shark AI Ultra, there are a few other models that offer some different features and price points. Check out the other options below.

Shark Iq Robot Vacuum 2

Shark IQ

Despite being an older model, the Shark IQ still has many advance features that enhance usability. Wi-Fi connectivity, an auto-empty docking station, and advance digital mapping all create an easier to use device.

Best Handheld Vacuum – Shark UltraCyclone

The Shark UltraCyclone is a lightweight cordless handheld vacuum with a self-cleaning brushroll. This helps to reduce hair tangles, reducing maintenance overall.

Shark Ultracyclone Pet Pro Plus Ch951

It includes a 0.45 quart dust cup, a crevice tool and scrubbing brush, and CleanTouch dirt ejector to easily empty the dust bin.

What’s To Like

  • Cordless Power. It’s hard to not like anything that’s cordless, especially when it is still able to retain a sizable run time of approx. 30 minutes.
  • Nice Accessories. They’re simple, but it’s nice that this compact handheld comes with a motorized pet brush as well as a small crevice tool. They are easy to swap out and allow for a variety of cleaning applications.
  • Budget Friendly. This vacuum is small in size and small in price. The low price makes this handheld a nice addition to your vacuum repertoire.

What’s Not So Good

  • Not an End-All, Be-All. This vacuum is handy for some cleaning tasks, but it’s certainly not an end-all, be-all to all of your vacuum woes. For certain messes, this little vacuum will likely lack the power or sheer coverage size in order to be effective.
  • Short Battery Life on Max: On the highest suction power, you only get around 15 minutes of battery life. For most messes, that shouldn’t be necessary, but it can lead to short cleaning sessions.

Shark Stratos vs. Vertex vs. APEX vs. DuoClean (and others)

Shark has a TON of different models and feature names. It can be really confusing to know exactly what all these terms mean in terms of features and technology.

Below we’ve listed all of the major features the differentiate Shark models and what all the different names mean.

What is Stratos?

In many ways the Shark Stratos is an evolution of the previous models. It includes many of the advanced and useful features the older version have, while including the odor neutralizer.

Shark Stratos Upright Odor
Shark Stratos Upright odor neutralizer

This device can plug into the head of the vacuum and helps to eliminate unwanted odors that occur while cleaning, replacing them with something more pleasant.

What is Vertex?

The Shark Vertex improves upon the brushroll, giving it improve self-cleaning capabilities. This allows for the vacuum to better avoid hair tangles.

Shark Vertex Duoclean Brushroll2
Top view of the DuoClean brushroll on the Shark Vertex upright vacuum

In our tests, this proved successful having the Shark Vertex DuoClean remove all of the long hair and having none of it tangle around the brushroll.

What is DuoClean?

The Shark APEX DuoClean also uses a style of cleaning head that combines the traditional spiral brush bar with a soft roller. The combination of the two brushes makes it easier to clean up large debris messes, like cereal.

Shark Apex Duoclean Brushrolls Underside
Shark APEX DuoClean brushroll head

Vacuum cleaners with the DuoClean use a larger roller and don’t have the hard front bumper that a traditional cleaning head has. Without this barrier, the vacuum is able to roll over large debris and the roller can pick it up to be transferred to the dust bin.

What is APEX?

Shark Apex vacuums include a series of advanced features, including Active-Glide wheels and Noise Reduction Technology. The body style is a bit more rectangular (at least on the uprights) with a clear dust bin viewing panel on the front of the vacuum.

Shark Apex Duoclean Vacuum
Shark APEX DuoClean

Apex Technology is basically always paired with DuoClean Technology (listed below) although it doesn’t always go the other way around. The most popular APEX upright vacuum is likely the Shark APEX DuoClean Powdered Lift-Away upright vacuum (AX951).

Shark Apex Duoclean Zero M Brush
Shark APEX DuoClean Zero M brush

Build quality on the APEX vacuums feels and looks to be a step up as well compared to less expensive models, like the Shark Rotator and Shark Navigator Pro series.

What is IONFlex?

Shark IONFlex vacuums are a combination of features, including:

  • ION = meaning they are powered by a battery and therefore use a cordless design
  • Flex = meaning they have a flexible stick body.

Shark IONFlex vacuums are Shark’s most high-end cordless vacuum cleaners. The ION distinction means they are cordless battery powered. The Flex means it has a pivoting joint about halfway down the stick body.

Shark 2x Duoclean Vacuum Folding Release Button
Shark IONFlex DuoClean 2x Vacuum Flexibility

This pivot joint lets you more easily clean under furniture and around obstacles, while also making the vacuum easier to store.

What is Shark ION?

Simply put, it’s a cordless battery powered vacuum.

These vacuums are typically either robots or cordless stick vacuums.

What is Shark Flex?

This is the same distinction as the IONFlex above.

A Shark Flex vacuum means it has a pivoting joint on the body of the vacuum. This allows easier maneuverability and cleaning around obstacles.

There are not as many Shark Flex vacuums, as most Flex vacuums are IONFlex. However, there are some, including the Shark Flex DuoClean. This vacuum has the Flex body, DuoClean brushroll, and is corded.

What is Lift Away?

Shark vacuum cleaners that are labeled as lift away mean the dust bin canister can be lifted out of the vacuum base and carried with you. This lets you more easily clean stairs, your car, and other hard to reach places.

Shark Navigator Lift Away Pro Vacuum Stairs Test2
Shark cleaning stairs

Typically, you only see the lift away feature on the upright vacuums. Most notably you’ll see on Shark’s Rotator Lift Away and Shark Navigator Lift Away.

What is TruePet?

There are many Shark models that are labeled as TruePet, however, most are upright vacuums.

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Shark vacuums with the TruePet model distinction typically include extra accessories designed to help remove pet hair. In addition, they also usually have anti-allergy seals to trap more dust, pet dander, and fine particulates.

What about other Shark model types and names?

There are a ton of different Shark model classes, feature names, and sub-types.

Below we’ve listed a quick reference list:

  • Stratos = high-end vacuum with odor neutralizing pods
  • Vertex = high-end vacuum with self-cleaning brushrolls
  • Rotator = budget upright vacuum class
  • Navigator = budget upright vacuum class
  • APEX = the earliest high-end Shark series, now preceded by Vertex and Stratos.
  • DuoClean = dual designed brushroll that has a soft roller head, traditional bristle brush roll, and open faced head
  • TruePet = includes extra accessories and features for pets
  • IONFlex = cordless stick vacuum with a pivotable joint on the body
  • ION = battery powered
  • Flex = pivotable joint on the body
  • Lift-Away = canister that lifts out of the vacuum body
  • Rocket = stick vacuum class
  • Professional = includes more accessories
  • Zero-M = requiring less maintenance due to lifetime filters and belts
  • Ultra Light = among the lightest Shark vacuums, usually stick vacuums
  • Deluxe = includes additional accessories

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Shark Lift-Away is the best?

Shark vacuum cleaners labeled as “Lift-Away” make it easier to clean hard-to-reach places, such as your cars or stairs. These models have a sleek design, with a detachable pod that can be moved around effortlessly. 

In our cleaning tests, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro and Shark Rotator Lift-Away Pro performed similarly well. The Navigator Pro, however, is sleeker and lighter than the Rotator Pro. It also comes with a larger dustbin (2.2 vs. 1.3 dry quarts) and produces less noise (77 dB vs. 80 dB) compared to the Shark Rotator. Either model can be a good choice, depending on what you’re looking for in a vacuum cleaner.

Which Shark model is best?

The Shark Stratos is the newest model from Shark. It includes all the useful features from previous models and creates an incredibly successful package. Both the upright and cordless variant have proved to be excellent devices.

Both handled debris, hair, and pet fur with ease. In addition, the odor neutralizing pod creates a pleasant aroma while you clean.

Which Shark Rotator model is best?

The Shark Rotator Lift-Away Pro scored 91% in our cleaning tests. Like other Lift-Away models, it can turn into a handheld device and has high suction power. Plus, it offers excellent value for the money. 

This 2-in-1 upright/handheld machine has multiple configurations for different types of surfaces and debris. It also comes with an extra-large dust canister and lots of accessories, including a crevice tool, hardwood floor tool, crevice tool, pet power brush, dusting brush, and three filters.

Which Shark vacuum has the strongest suction?

The Shark Stratos upright has the strongest suction of all Shark vacuums we have tested so far. It removed 98.9% of all debris by weight across our 12 cleaning tests.

Which Shark Vacuum is Best for Me?

Shark vacuums provide a nice range of vacuum styles, product features, and reasonable price points (from $ to $$$). It’s the balance of price and performance that makes Shark one of the most popular brands for vacuums.

If you want to see our long-form Shark vacuum reviews you can find those here:

That being said, it can be difficult to know which model is best for you and your needs.

To help narrow down the field, here are two main questions to ask yourself:

  1. What is your budget?
  2. What features are most important to you?

What’s your budget?

First you should ask yourself what your budget is.

$ – Basic

For a simple vacuum that gets the job done without any bells and whistles, the Shark Navigator Pro and Rotator are great choices considering their price points.

The only other Shark vacuums that falls within the $ range is the UltraCyclone. Other Shark vacuums are above $$.

$$ – Middle of the Road

For a budget-friendly upright the Shark Vertex and APEX Zero-M are fantastic options. They offer useful accessories and fantastic cleaning performances in our tests.

For a lightweight alternative look for the Shark Vertex Cordless DuoClean. It has a bendable extension neck and a 60 minute runtime while cleaning.

$$$ – Best of the Best

For the best-of-the-best, you could go one of two routes.

Option 1 would be a cordless stick vacuum like the Shark Stratos Cordless. It had powerful performance in our tests, removing 96.7% debris across all floor types. Furthermore, hair performance (both pet and long) were perfect. None of it tangled and all of it was removed. It bends at the neck, has an odor neutralizer, and 80 minute run time.

Option 2 would be a powerful upright like the Shark Stratos Upright. This is one truly exceptional device, removing 98.9% of all debris, avoiding hair tangles, and managing pet fur. It is completely sealed, offers lift-away features, and is ultimately the most powerful Shark on the market.

What features are the most important?

The next thing you’ll want to consider is what features are most important to you. There are a number of options and feature sets to consider.

The best cordless stick Shark vacuums include:

The best upright Shark vacuums include:

The best light weight Shark vacuums include:

The best robot Shark vacuums include:

And lastly, the best DuoClean Shark vacuums include:

Still have questions?

Looking for more models, more information, or just not sure which one is right for you? Please use our comment form below to ask any questions you may have.

We do our best to respond within 24 hours.

About Derek Hales

Derek HalesDerek Hales is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ModernCastle.com. He has been featured in Fast Company, Reader's Digest, Business Insider, Realtor.com, She Knows, and other major publications. Derek has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Kansas State University. Hales has been testing and reviewing products for the home since 2014.