From there, we looked at the most popular Shark vacuums on the market and narrowed the field based on elements like pet tools, additional attachments, power, dustbin capacity and value. Only vacuums with an average rating of four or more stars made the final list. Full-size upright vacuums are best for cleaning homes with mostly carpeting or a mix of carpet and bare floors. Some upright models automatically adjust the height of the nozzle to accommodate different flooring types while others need to be manually adjusted. They usually come with an onboard hose, wands and attachments for cleaning above the floor or into tight spaces. Uprights usually provide the best cleaning performance on deep-pile carpets.
Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time). George Tjoumakaris, product manager at Miele, told us that the company tests all its canister vacuums for a service life expectancy of 20 years.
Looking for a vacuum that’s particularly effective on hardwood floors? It has a strong suction that won’t cause damage to hardwood floors, and it comes with helpful attachments like a pet crevice tool and an upholstery tool. We found that it transitions smoothly from floors to carpets to furniture, and it uses its powerful suction to pick up plenty of hair on the way. After six months of use, it’s just as powerful and easy to use as ever. Shark vacuums will rarely be the least expensive cleaning machine you’ll find, but the NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright manages to pack in a lot of the same features as our top pick with a $160 price tag.
After more than 50 hours of testing cord-free models, we landed Tineco Pure One S11 as the best cordless stick vacuum for most in 2024. Shark offers the full range of vacuums, including corded, cordless, robot and handheld, giving you plenty of options to choose from. If you’re looking for a great overall vacuum, consider the Shark Navigator Professional Lift-Away NV356E. It seamlessly cruises around carpet and hard floors thanks to its swivel steering, and it has a lift-away design for portable cleaning. If you want hands-free cleaning, the Shark AI Ultra Robot is a great option—it’s controlled by an app on your phone and even empties itself.
The IEC is a global standards body responsible for managing testing procedures, among other things, for vacuum manufacturers. Buy the right vacuum to clean the type (or types) of flooring in your home. Miele vacuums aren’t known for clogging often (which can happen to any type of vacuum), but if they do they come apart at all the major joints. Unfortunately, you do need a screwdriver to open its TurboTeQ brush head. Its bag captures virtually all the debris and dust sucked up by the vacuum. Its S-class pre-motor and exhaust filters make the Airbelt K3 an excellent choice for allergy sufferers.
But those that are billed for pets are indeed better suited for furbaby cleanup. To start, we timed ourselves to see how long it took to set up each one, including charging times for the cordless vacuum models. We then used a decibel meter to measure the noise output of the vacuum on the highest setting. The cord is long enough to allow you to carry the vacuum up and down the stairs; however, this vacuum is quite hefty. These vacuums will clean pet hair, kibble, and other messes with ease.
The bagless, self-emptying base holds up to 60 days of dirt and debris. This handheld vacuum’s motorized brush makes cleaning up pet fur a breeze, especially on upholstery. Its extendable crevice tool allows you to reach into nooks and crannies. All of the cordless vacuums we tested shark stick vacuum 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 Dyson models are both roughly 49 inches, while the Tineco A11 is shorter at just 43 inches tall.