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Shark Pet Perfect 2 Handheld Vacuum Review

Derek Hales

Written By: Derek Hales

Updated on:

The Shark Pet Perfect 2 is a handheld vacuum built to tackle messes across all indoor surfaces, but its specialty revolves around cleaning pet hair.

Its longer body allows it to reach harder to reach places and the equipped wider head is great for removing pet hair.

With so many vacuums proclaiming to be the best pet hair remover, will the Pet Perfect 2 be able to compete?

Cordless Handheld Vacuum

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Shark Pet Perfect 2

If you’re a user looking for an inexpensive handheld vacuum with strong suction power and the ability to eliminate pet hair, the Shark Pet Perfect 2 could be a good option. This handheld vacuum may not replace your larger, more primary vacuum, but it could certainly serve as a solid choice when you’re in need of a quick fix for more localized messes.Check Price

Pros

  • Does a great job of removing pet hair from most indoor surfaces.
  • Extra accessories allow for multiple cleaning styles to be utilized.

Cons

  • The replacement part costs are a bit high.
  • The length of the vacuum becomes an issue when trying to get into hard-to-reach places.
YouTube video

Design

The Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum is built in a tubular shape with a simple purple and black aesthetic. At the nose of the vacuum is a slot where one of three cleaning tools (crevice tool, pet hair tool, dusting brush) can be inserted for a more specific cleaning style.

A power switch and dust bin button are located on the top of this Shark handheld vacuum. At the back / base of the vacuum is a small hole where the charging pin connects to the charging base.

An 18V battery powers the vacuum.

Features

  1. Handle
  2. Power switch
  3. Dust bin
Shark Pet perfect 2 handheld vacuum components

How It Cleans

The Shark Pet Perfect 2 offers two cleaning styles through the option of three different tools:

  1. Pet Perfect tool – This tool agitates dirt, debris, and pet hair to lift them before sucking them into the dust bin. Once you turn the unit on, the roller brush inside the Pet Perfect tool will begin to spin, which kicks off the agitation process for that cleaning mode.
  2. Crevice tool and dusting brush – The crevice tool and dusting brush do not contain a rolling brush; therefore, they work on strictly suction power.

While there are two different styles of cleaning, the main method of cleaning is completed through cyclonic technology. As dirt and debris are sucked into the dust bin, they are spun in a cyclonic motion to help separate the dirt and debris before being filtered.

Inside look at the filter included with the Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum

Suction is achieve through a cyclonic technology, separating the dirt and debris as it travels through the filter.

Additionally, this cleaning method allows for more consistent suction power.

Size & Dimensions

The Shark Pet Perfect 2 is of an average size for handheld vacuums. Its 15.7″ length and 6.1″ height are bigger than some other units we have tested, but by no means is this a large handheld unit.

Shark Pet Perfect 2 - size and dimensions

This specific Shark vacuum weighs 4.2 pounds and does a nice job of balancing that weight appropriately.

Accessories & Parts

handheld vacuum can add a lot of value to a household, especially when it comes to quick fixes and cleaning up more localized messes.

Accessories play a large role in making this style of vacuum a more convenient choice. In my opinion, Shark does a fine job of including some extra accessories with its handheld vacuum.

  • Charging base & cord
  • Pet Perfect tool
  • Crevice tool
  • Dusting brush tool

The simple design of this vacuum allows users to quickly swap between cleaning tools. Additionally, each tool is designed to meet the needs of a more specific cleaning.

The Pet Perfect tool virtually speaks for itself, as it is best used when cleaning pet hair.

FAQ:  What Shark is best for you? See our Shark vacuum review guide and find out!

The crevice tool is best used in smaller corners and crevices and the dusting brush contains soft bristles, which can be used on upholstery as well as for dusting.

  1. Pet hair tool
  2. Dusting brush
  3. Crevice tool
  4. Charging base
Parts and accessories included with the Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum

Cleaning Tests

The following vacuum cleaner tests are designed to show how the Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum performs on different surfaces, picking up a variety of debris types.

Overall

98%

Hardwood

100%

Low Carpet

97%

High Carpet

98%

We test on three different floor types, including hardwood floors, low pile carpet, and high pile carpet. For each floor type, we test the vacuum cleaner against:

  • Rice – 3 ounces
  • Dry Cereal – 1 ounce
  • Kitty Litter – 3 ounces
  • Sugar – 3 ounces

Each of the aforementioned debris types was spread across our testing lane. The base surface of our testing lane is an engineered hardwood floor. For our carpet tests, we slide in a low pile and high pile carpet insert on top of the hardwood floor.

Cleaning test debris types
Testing Debris – From left to right: Rice (3 oz.), Kitty Litter (3 oz), Cereal (1 oz), Sugar (3 oz)

Our vacuum cleaning process strives to be as consistent, fair, and true to real-world use as possible. Our tests utilize the following procedure:

  1. Measure the weight of the testing debris and the weight of the empty vacuum debris container.
  2. Spread the respective debris type evenly across the central portion of the testing lane.
  3. Run the vacuum cleaner over the testing lane.
  4. Measure the weight of the now filled container and take notes on the cleaning performance.

Hardwood Floor

The hardwood floor tests were no match for the Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum. All four debris types were cleaned up at a level of 100%.

Cereal

100%

Kitty Litter

100%

Rice

100%

Sugar

100%

Shark Pet Perfect II handheld vacuum hardwood cleaning test

Low Pile Carpet

Low pile carpet offered a similar result. The lowest amount of debris cleaned up was 92% (kitty litter). Each of the other three debris types were cleaned up at a level of 95% or higher.

Cereal

100%

Kitty Litter

92%

Rice

99%

Sugar

100%

Shark Pet Perfect II handheld vacuum low carpet cleaning test

High Pile Carpet

After testing the Pet Perfect 2 on the low pile carpet, I expected the high carpet to show a drop in results. The exact opposite occurred. This handheld vacuum was able to remove rice and cereal completely (100%), kitty litter was lifted from the carpet at 99%, and sugar was cleaned up to a level of 91%.

Cereal

100%

Kitty Litter

91%

Rice

100%

Sugar

91%

These scores are some of the best we have seen to date. The suction power of this Shark handheld is strong, without a doubt.

Shark Pet Perfect II handheld vacuum high carpet cleaning test

Usability

Using the Shark Pet Perfect 2 is extremely easy. There is only one power switch and one button to release the dust bin.

Therefore, you do not have to worry about swapping between power modes after turning the unit on. Simply flip the switch one time and you’re ready to rock and roll.

Before using the vacuum you have to set it up. This process consists of unboxing the vacuum and accessories, charging the vacuum, and choosing which tool, if any, that you would like to use.

There is no real setup required with this handheld vacuum. Simply remove it from the box and charge it.

Close up shot of the dusting brush tool included with the Shark Pet Perfect 2

When it comes to swapping out the cleaning tools, all you have to do is slide the appropriate end of the tool into the nozzle’s hole at the nose of the vacuum.

Each tool will grab tightly to the interior of the vacuum, ensuring it is properly secured for cleaning.

If you decide to not use any of the cleaning accessories, the open end of the nozzle has a great  degree of suction and works just fine by its lonesome.

Ultra close up shot of the crevice tool included with the Pet Perfect 2

Charging the Shark Pet Perfect 2 is also quite simple. Place the tail end of the unit on the base of the charger and a small light will illuminate, letting you know when it is charging. The light will then turn off once the battery has reached a full charge.

Maneuverability

The maneuverability of this vacuum is all in the hands of the user. As a cordless handheld vacuum, users have the ability to take the unit almost anywhere, change the cleaning tool, and tackle the mess at hand.

That said, there are certainly areas where the Pet Perfect 2 could struggle. Deeper, more hard-to-reach crevices should not be counted out, but the overall length of this handheld does not necessarily make it easy to reach these places. There is no hose attachment, meaning the length you get by adding the crevice tool is the max distance you will get solely from the unit.

On the flip side, it is beneficial that this Shark handheld is skinny, as it gives users the opportunity to squeeze into tighter spaces. All in all, the maneuverability of the Pet Perfect 2 is more beneficial than derogatory, but there are a few items I would have liked to see done differently.

  • Weight: 4.2 pounds
  • Power: 18V battery
  • Height: 6.1″
  • Width: 4.6″

Maintenance

The following table indicates the frequency at which you will likely want to replace the various parts and components of the vacuum. The following replacement frequencies are what the manufacturer recommends. However, your individual experiences may vary.

Accessory / PartReplacement Frequency*Replacement Cost
Empty dust binEmpty after each useNA
Filter6-9 monthsCheck Price
Battery1 yearCheck Price

Maintaining the Shark Pet Perfect 2 is not a difficult task, but one that should be considered. The only maintenance required is changing the filter and making sure the battery is still running, which should be fairly obvious. If the battery does run out of life, you will have to replace it, which can be the most expensive replacement part.

PETS:  Prefer a corded handheld pet vacuum? Check out the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser review

If you were to replace the filter twice and the battery once per year, you annual costs to maintain this vacuum would be $53. This is more than the actual vacuum itself, which is a major ding on the value, in my opinion.

Given the price to replace the battery ($48 currently on SharkClean.com) versus the price of the handheld vacuum cleaner, it probably makes more sense to simply get a new vacuum if / when the battery dies.

Noise

All vacuum cleaner reviews on Modern Castle are put through our standard noise test. For this test, we use a sound meter to measure noise in terms of decibel level approximately 3′ away from the vacuum.

At 3' away, the Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum emits 77 dB of sound.

At 3′ away, the Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum emits 77 dB of sound.

Battery

All cordless handheld vacuum reviews on Modern Castle are put through a standard assessment of battery size, run time, life, and replacement cost.

BatteryDetails
Size18V
Charging Time3-4 hours
Run Time30 minutes
Replacement CostCheck Price

After searching we were able to find Shark Pet Perfect 2 (SV780) replacement batteries on SharkClean.com and other third party retailers.

That said, the price of the replacement battery is much higher than anticipated. The cost to buy the vacuum is low, but the replacement battery is sold for $48 on Shark’s website.

In my opinion, there is no reason the battery should cost this much.

Value

When looking at the value of the Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum, it’s hard to determine whether it is above average, below average, or somewhere in the middle.

If you compare price to performance, the value is exceptional. Yet, when you consider the cost to maintain this handheld, the value takes a hit given the high cost of a replacement battery.

The warranty is a positive. Shark offers a 2-year limited warranty with the purchase of the Pet Perfect 2. A 30-day return policy is also effective if you purchase through Amazon.

Most of the terms are reasonable with regard to the warranty, and the extra year is certainly a benefit included with your purchase.

While the cost of a replacement battery is still an annoying thorn in my side, all things considered, I would still say the Shark Pet Perfect 2 is a good value. The relatively low-cost, 2 year warranty, and outstanding cleaning performance is a strong combination.

Specifications

Below is a complete list of important specifications and features included on the Shark Pet Perfect 2:

Specifications
TypeHandheld vacuum
ManufacturerSharkNinja
ModelPet Perfect 2
Length (inches)15.7
Width (inches)4.6
Cleaning Path (inches)2.25
Weight (pounds)4.2
Floor TypeAll (indoor)
Dust Bin0.3 liters
CordlessYes
BaglessYes
ReturnsVaries by retailer
Warranty2 Years
PriceCheck Price

Who Should Buy the Shark Pet Perfect 2 Handheld Vacuum?

The Shark Pet Perfect 2 is a great performer overall and certainly a product worth considering. The low cost of this vacuum makes for a great value, but the high price tag of a replacement battery is a negative, in my opinion.

Aside from this flaw, the Pet Perfect 2 is one of the most well-rounded handheld vacuums we have tested to date.

I would recommend the Shark Pet Perfect 2 if you’re looking for the following features in a handheld vacuum.

  • Need a good pet hair vacuum – The Shark Pet Perfect 2 is a great choice for those who struggle with pet hair around their home. This handheld vacuum has a powerful degree of suction and does a nice job of lifting and removing pet hair from your floor, couches, or upholstery.
  • Like the idea of additional accessories – This handheld vacuum comes with three additional cleaning accessories, which could make more specific cleaning styles possible.
  • Want a very good deal – Priced well within the $ low price tier, this vacuum is a steal. The performance level you receive for the price you pay is top notch from all aspects.

For more information on the Shark Pet Perfect 2 visit here.

Update Log

  • August 6, 2018 – Updated the review score as part of our site-wide 1.0 scoring overhaul. Score remained the same at 95%.
Incredible Cleaning Performance, Good Value
  • Design - 93%
    93%
  • Performance - 98%
    98%
  • Quality - 93%
    93%
  • Usability - 93%
    93%
  • Value - 96%
    96%
95%

Summary

The Shark Pet Perfect 2 handheld vacuum offers a high level of performance for a low price. The value this vacuum has to offer is simply hard to beat. Pet hair is easily lifted and removed from all indoor surfaces and additional accessories allow users to tackle an even wider range of messes with just a quick swap of the tool. All things considered, this handheld vacuum could be an excellent option for both pet owners and those who need a quick fix vacuum.

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.