(And in my house, hay.) Tangled-up brushes don’t just affect cleaning performance but also reduce battery life. “A brush clogged with hair means the motor is going to draw a lot more juice out of the battery and really reduce the amount of time that you can get out of the vacuum,” Gasko explained. In our tests, it offered outstanding shark pet vacuum performance, picking up debris particles of different sizes and weights on all types of floors. Its large, 27-ounce dustbin, which is more than double the size of our other top pick’s bin, won’t quickly fill up with debris or fur. Over a span of several months, we have tested 38 Shark vacuums in a variety of settings.
When we tested out this vacuum, we loved that it was able to be set up in seconds, with each part clicking into place. You just need to add in the cleaner and pad (both of which are included), and then you’re good to go. The vacuum glides smoothly (and quietly!) across the floor, thanks to its lightweight design, and the powerful suction gets both hair and dirt easily.
Engineered in Germany, Miele takes canister vacuuming to a whole new level. The Miele-Made 1200 W Vortex Motor achieves world-class cleaning performance with powerful, yet adjustable suction. The vacuum comes standard with a large electrobrush floorhead, great for wall-to-wall carpeting and area rugs, and a gentle parquet twister brush for smooth floors.
The Pure One S15 Pro removes much of the hassle involved in vacuuming, making for a much less harassing clean with mess-free emptying, to boot. We know that every home is different, so this guide will show you the best cleaners for every type of home and every kind of lifestyle. Whether you’re keen to get a state-of-the-art cordless that feels like it’s come from the future or something cheaper for smaller spaces, you’ll find it right here.
This vacuum can run for up to 25 minutes on its normal setting, but if you switch to “Max” mode, the runtime drops significantly — often to under 10 minutes. We also noticed that the vacuum occasionally gets bogged down when driving from hard floors onto carpeting, as the brush roll gets jammed. However, if you’re looking to invest in a Dyson, this is a quality pick that’s about half the price of the brand’s newest Gen5 series.
On the upside, they’re much easier to maneuver, more lightweight, and more flexible than their corded peers. This vacuum is straightforward to set up, and it’s easy to maneuver around both floors and carpets, thanks in large part to its pivoting head and swivel steering. You can detach the wand if you want to get into tight spaces, which we found to be quite helpful for detail work, especially since the vacuum is pretty heavy and bulky when put all together. Overall, we thought it felt lightweight and easy to maneuver, though if you’re not used to this type of vac, you might need a couple of cleaning sessions to get used to it.
Ogden also tested the Shark AZ1002 Apex Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum (our best upright pick), of which she’s a big fan. Shark makes a variety of vacuum types including upright, stick, and handheld models, all of which appear on our list. Choose the type of vacuum that fits your cleaning objectives and preferences—do you prefer to spot clean in short bursts, or do you lean toward deep cleaning sessions of your entire home? Do you want to do as little hands-on cleaning as possible, or do you like the satisfaction of a job well done? You can use the Shark Vacmop to clean sealed hardwood, tile, and laminate floors, and it glides effortlessly on them all. At just five pounds, this vacuum-and-mop combo is lightweight, making it a great option for small spaces, multi-level cleaning, or for those with limited mobility.
Consider this excellent cordless option, which stands out for how lightweight and small it is compared to other models. You’ll be able to maneuver it easily around furniture and tight corners of your home, thanks to both the vacuum’s tiny size and its helpful swivel head, and store it away in any space when it’s not in use. It also has a powerful battery that rarely runs out during cleaning sessions, and will undoubtedly become your go-to vacuum like it has for us. This shark pet vacuum vacuum comes with a 25-foot extendable hose that’s long enough to tackle most rooms without issue, and maneuvering it around different areas is easy thanks to its swivel steering. Setting up the vacuum takes minimal time, and you can use it either as a regular upright vacuum or a hand vacuum, if you choose to detach the handle. The versatile BLACK+DECKER™ 20-volt MAX dustbuster® AdvancedClean+™ Cordless Pet Hand Vacuum cleans hard to reach areas with less effort.
Save on Shark’s powerful robot vacuum with a HEPA filtration system that captures pet hair, dust mites, dander and allergens with ease. However, there is one area where they struggle to match corded vacuums, and that’s the capacity of the dust canister. On average, cordless vacuums have dust canisters with a capacity of anywhere between 0.2 and 0.75 liters, whereas traditional corded vacuums, whether it’s upright or a canister, have a capacity of anywhere between 1 and 2 liters. However, it’s also extremely expensive compared to other cordless vacuums and it’s much bulkier. We’ve tested all 10 of the featured cordless vacuum cleaners in this guide to challenge them for dirt pick-up, battery runtime and versatility across various surfaces throughout the home.