This affordable upright vacuum has a battery-powered design, making it quick and easy to move between rooms, and it weighs less than 8 pounds, so virtually anyone can use it. In our testing, we loved its swivel steering and easy-to-empty dustbin, and we found that it does a superior job picking up pet hair from both carpeting and hard floors. The CRAFTSMAN® V20 cordless stick vacuum provides strong suction power for those who take pride in and around the home. With up to 45 CFM and up to 1 hour of runtime, you can tackle clean up in the mudroom, indoor/outdoor spaces and around the house.
The AirRam ran for 42 minutes — nearly twice as long as many other models we tested — and the power didn’t wane at all before dying. It wasn’t too noisy, either, and the dust bin emptied with the push of a button. One thing to note is that this vacuum doesn’t come with any attachments, but we thought it worked just as well as a standard upright vacuum and think it’s a great value.
Pay attention to the length of the cord to minimize how often you’ll need to stop and switch outlets, though. For context, our best overall pick, the Shark NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum, has a 25-foot cord, and our best upright, the Shark AZ1002 Apex Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum, has a 30-foot cord. Notably, at nearly 4 feet, this vacuum can feel tall, which is a regular observation about Shark machines.
With the clear canister, you can see how much debris is collected, making it easy to know when it’s time to open the canister and empty it! Failure to use genuine Prolux filtration bags, filters & accessories with your Prolux appliance will immediately void your appliance warranty. The Prolux warranty does not apply to any non-Prolux branded products or Services (including repairs). Shark produces a variety of different vacuum types at various price points. They’re smartly designed to reconfigure into a handheld design if you need a closer clean, and cordless options are available. When comparing their stick vacuums to Dyson’s offerings, Shark vacuums feel better built and sturdier.
Shark’s Lift Away pod conveniently and easily transforms the upright into a portable canister or low-reaching stick vacuum, and the dust cup and filter are easy to remove, clean and replace. This Dyson model was a star in our recent test of 22 cordless stick vacuums. It aced all of our cleaning tests with its powerful suction and great brush action, removing virtually all of the pet hair we spread across our test carpets in just one pass.
At 2.6 pounds, it is comparably light, and its curved, closed handle allows for an easy grip. If you don’t own pets and need a hand vac only for the occasional spilled Cheerios or coffee grounds, buy the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean CHV1410L. We’ve recommended the CHV1410L since 2017, and in our most recent round of testing, it proved once again to be one of the best basic handheld vacuums available—with a few caveats. But perhaps the biggest design flaw of the AdvancedClean+ HHVK515JP07 is the looseness of its filters. Although that doesn’t impact the vacuum’s performance, it can be a pain when you’re emptying the dustbin—as you tap the bin against a trash can to empty it, the filters can slip out and fall into the trash. The Shark IQ methodically cleans row by row and then navigates room to room for complete home coverage.
The cordless stick vacuums were scored for ease of setup, battery life, noise, effectiveness, maneuverability, portability, ease of emptying, and value. Some vacuums were PR samples, and some were purchased at full price, but testers had no knowledge of either. With effectiveness accounting for half the overall score, those with the highest ratings were featured in this roundup. The vacuum maneuvered around obstacles easily, fitting underneath dining chair legs and into corners. We found it was comfortable to carry around and operate, even during the long battery life test, where it was able to clean for 25 minutes on low and 11 minutes on high.
You’ll also be able to find dirt-chasing vacuums on sale like the Shark Navigator Anti-Allergen model, which has a built-in HEPA filter to remove pollen, dander and other microscopic particles in your home. “Mini” handheld vacuums that weigh 2 pounds or less have recently emerged as a new category. Such models are smaller and shark stick vacuum lighter than all of our current picks and not as powerful. They’re good as desk or snack vacs for midsize debris such as cookie crumbs, and they’re easy to store on countertops or desks. But they can’t easily pick up and properly filter dust and other fine particles, and bigger debris fills up the small dustbin too quickly.
Since we started testing vacuums here at The Spruce years ago, the Shark brand has regularly risen to the top of the pack. The brand consistently shows up with powerful suction, sturdy yet maneuverable designs, and convenient additions that make it easier to clean quickly and most importantly, thoroughly. So far, shark pet vacuum we’ve tested over 30 Shark vacuums in The Lab and at home, evaluating them on their setup, maneuverability, noise level, effectiveness, and emptying process. Both perform well and have pluses and minuses, so which to choose hinges on what type of vacuum you’re looking to buy and how much you want to spend.
We didn’t find corded models to be better cleaners than our picks in our tests, there’s no guarantee they’ll last longer, and they’re much less convenient. Featuring a self-cleaning brushroll, this corded stick vacuum ensures powerful pet hair pickup with no hair wrap. This robot vacuum provides deep-cleaning power, great for large and small areas as well as pet hair on carpets and floors. Today’s best cordless cleaners are often so good that they can be your sole vacuum cleaner.