Mary also covers vacuums but finds cooking way more fun than cleaning. Since the mid-1990s, Mary has held senior positions at People.com, MSNBC, and Ladies’ Home Journal. You know you’re getting older shark pet vacuum when a vacuum review excites you haha – I am looking for something new because our Dyson is on the fritz. The Shark WANDVAC Handheld Vacuum has a narrow head design that reaches into small spaces.
Wall-mount charger keeps it out of the way between pick-ups. Lightweight and powerful, this lithium-ion battery powered hand vacuum is always ready to quickly tackle household messes. Cyclonic action helps keep its filter clean and suction strong. All of the cordless vacuums we tested were between 4 and 7 pounds, but none were so heavy that it affected our recommendation. All of the vacuums on this list were also very similar in height and overall size.
The Shark WANDVAC System is a better vacuum for most uses than the BISSELL Adapt Ion. The Shark does a much better job of clearing debris from all surface types and comes with more tools and brushes. On the other hand, the BISSELL picks up marginally more pet hair from carpets and has a more spacious dirt compartment. Shark’s generally-lower prices are also less impressive when you remember that they also mean fewer extras in the box. While brands like Bissell, Samsung, and Tineco occasionally slip a competitive cordless model into the fold, Shark and Dyson are two clear market leaders. Manufacturers will often boast about their vacuum’s suction power in terms of air watts, a figure that quantifies airflow in terms of power usage.
The Pure One S11’s black-and-white build is perhaps a bit bland, and we wish that it offered a bit more than 40 minutes of runtime under optimal conditions. Still, those are fair trade-offs at this price, especially considering how well it cleans. At $400 or less, it’s the first cordless vacuum we’d recommend for just about anyone in need of a new one. Shark has a more affordable baseline for intelligent suction power adjustment based on the debris level sensed, and offers an automatic emptying docking station with one of its smartest models for less than $500. You can only imagine how much a self-emptying Dyson would cost.
If you’re looking for an alternative, look at our list of recommendations for the best lightweight vacuums, the best cordless vacuums, and the best cordless vacuums for pet hair. Our team of CNET experts, editors and lab technicians has been testing vacuums in a smart home and testing warehouse located in Louisville for over 10 years. In that time, we’ve refined our testing methods and assessments in a controlled environment to measure the proficiency of robot vacuums, full-size models and cordless stick vacuums alike. For more details, check out this in-depth article on how we test vacuums at CNET. To simulate small particle size, we use a mix of play sand and landscaping sand.
Its small suction motor struggles to move large quantities of air, and it’ll have difficulty lifting heavier debris. Its relatively flat suction nozzle lets it seal pretty tightly against the ground. You can connect this vacuum’s crevice tool for a bit of added reach.
Washing the filter is done under a running tap in lukewarm water and you can also give the canister it lives in a wash out too. I always dread emptying vacuums because I usually make a right muck of it, even when it’s supposed to be easy… I had zero issues with the fast, efficient (and free if you order before 8pm) delivery of the Shark Cordless Handheld Vacuum WV200UK. The box was compact, as you might expect from a compact stick vacuum, and the packaging was environmentally considerate with a small amount of plastic.
It has no issue sucking up pet hair and small debris, but bulky material can clog the entry to its dustbin. Thankfully, it feels sturdily built, is easy to maintain, and incurs almost no recurring costs. Unfortunately, it has a short battery life and a tiny dirt compartment, even for a handheld vacuum, so it’s best suited for very quick cleanups. The Dyson Humdinger is slightly better than the Shark WANDVAC.
Cat litter scatter was a trickier one to suck up and I’m not surprised as even brushing it up can cause a great deal of angst. I used the pet nozzle attachment though and on the whole, shark stick vacuum it picked up most of the pesky stuff. When it didn’t, I went over it again and the second attempt worked, which isn’t bad compared to other vacuums I’ve tried to pick it up with.
Meanwhile, the Xiaomi is lighter, more maneuverable, better built, and offers much better battery life. The Shark WANDVAC System has an amazing performance on high-pile carpets. It picks up pet hair with no issue and easily clears debris like sand. However, it struggles more with fine material like baking powder and may require a few passes to clear it all. Its tiny dirt compartment needs to be emptied often, but on the plus side, it incurs practically no recurring costs.