8 best Shark vacuum cleaners, tried and tested by an expert

Emptying dirt from a cordless vacuum cleaner can be pretty grim. However, this Shark model reduces the need for this messy task by depositing debris into a sealed base that holds up to 30 days’ worth of dirt. This is a major plus for allergy sufferers or those sensitive to dust.

Although it’s one of the lightest vacuums on test (2.65kg), it delivers powerful suction. In ‘power boost’ mode, it noticeably lifts dirt from carpets, though this cuts battery life to less than 40 minutes.

I liked how smoothly this vacuum transitioned between surfaces, as the brush-roll automatically adjusted when moving from carpet to hard floors, and the performance on both was consistently strong. Anti-hair-wrap tech kept the rollers clear, and the bright LED display made it easy to monitor battery life and suction level. It was noticeably easier to manoeuvre than the heavier powerpro pet cordless model (also included in this roundup), too – especially around furniture and stairs.

This slim, lightweight corded stick vacuum punches well above its price tag, especially when it comes to cleaning beneath furniture. The flexible wand bends with the push of a button, making it easier to reach beneath beds and sofas without moving them. The foldable design also makes this model one of the easiest to store.

Performance on carpets and hard floors was strong, thanks to the dual brush-roll, which combines bristles for deep-pile rugs and a soft roller for lifting fine dust and larger debris from hard surfaces. The pet tool proved effective at removing embedded hair from upholstery, and the anti-hair-wrap tech meant less time untangling the rollers.

The 0.33l dust bin is the smallest on test, and needs emptying frequently, but that’s the trade-off for the relatively budget-friendly price. If you don’t mind having to go to the bin before you’ve finished cleaning, this vacuum offers solid cleaning without breaking the bank.

This ultra-lightweight cordless vacuum impressed us with its intelligent, targeted cleaning. Four ‘detect’ features work together to boost performance: ‘dirt detect’ increases suction over debris-heavy areas; ‘floor detect’ adjusts the brush-roll for different surfaces; ‘edge detect’ doubles suction along edges and corners; and ‘light detect’ activates a beam in darker spots. Together, they made deep cleans feel surprisingly effortless.

At just 2.76kg, this is one of the lightest Shark vacuums on test, and it was easy to use one-handed (ideal if you have a baby on your hip or need to Google something or send a message while cleaning). Households with children or allergy sufferers will appreciate that this has an anti-allergen seal certified to trap 99.9% of dust and fine particles, for better air quality in the home.

The biggest drawback is the small 0.42l bin, which fills up quickly. With 60 minutes of runtime in eco-mode, it’s not as long-lasting as the dual-battery IZ420UKT, but it is £100 cheaper and still perfectly respectable.

This is Shark’s smartest cordless vacuum to date. It automatically adjusts suction based on different floor types and dust levels, so you can concentrate on steering while it handles the hard work. On mixed flooring, it cleverly ramped up power for deep-pile rugs and eased off on hard surfaces, making the clean more efficient and helping preserve battery life.

Throughout testing, I didn’t notice a single dip in suction, either. The dual battery system offers up to 120 minutes of runtime. In real-world use, that translated to about 90 minutes on standard mode and about 45 on the high-power setting, which was still longer than any other cordless Shark I tested. Another standout feature is the folding wand, which collapses neatly for compact, freestanding storage. The only drawback? It’s also the most expensive model in this lineup.

This cordless stick vacuum is purpose-built for pet owners, with a motorised pet tool and anti-hair-wrap technology that lived up to its promises during testing. Long pet hairs that typically clog up rollers were lifted cleanly without needing manual detangling, even after repeated use on upholstery and carpeted stairs. It comes with a nifty upholstery tool to really get stuck into sofas, too.

It also comes with a FurFins attachment designed to pick up clingy pet fluff and dander from soft furnishings and rugs, which worked especially well on textured fabrics. Like other premium Shark models, the floor-detect feature adjusts suction automatically based on surface type and it handled hard floors especially well during testing – it proved to be ideal for an after-dinner dining room clear-up.

The flexible hose bends to reach under furniture without having to move beds or sofas and so on. At 5.68kg, it’s notably heavier than some other cordless models, and that weight can be tiring. However, it delivers serious cleaning power in return and has a decent 0.7l bin capacity.

What sets this corded Stratos model apart is how quickly it gets the job done. The powerful duoclean floorhead picks up fine dust and large debris in one go, while twin brush-rolls seamlessly handle hard floors and carpets. I never had to stop and adjust the settings, and I found this model ideal for quick after-dinner clean-ups or for zipping through rooms when time is tight for a ‘power clean’.

I especially appreciated the anti-odour cartridge in the floorhead, which subtly neutralised pet smells and dusty bin odours – something the cheaper corded vacuum cleaner with flexology lacked. This made the room smell fresher without the chemical effect of a room freshener spray.

At 4.55kg, this model is light and manoeuvrable, with a 10m cord that covered large areas without unplugging. It converts into a handheld, too, making it useful for ceilings and stairs.

If it wasn’t for the tiny 0.3l bin, which needs frequent emptying, I’d have given this vacuum a full five stars.

This upright model offers serious suction power and a large 2.5l dust bin, making it a great choice for bigger homes. With 700W of constant suction, it lifted embedded pet hair and ground-in dirt from carpets like a powerhouse. For ground-in footprints or trodden-in crumbs, this is the Shark model I turn to first, to dislodge everything.

I also appreciated the anti-odour cartridge, which left a subtle but fresh scent lingering in my home. Only corded Shark vacuums tend to have these anti-odour cartridges, which do make the house smell better after vacuuming.

At 6.5kg, it’s the heaviest cleaner on this list, and not suited to lugging up stairs. But with its LED headlights, 8m cord, and large bin, it’s built for whole-home, heavy-duty cleans.

An effective two-in-one tool for hard floor maintenance, this model combines a cordless vacuum with a mop and targeted spray. It’s ideal for quick clean-ups in kitchens, hallways and bathrooms, with the vacuum picking up dry debris, while the disposable pad mops up sticky spills, all in one pass.

I liked how intuitive this model was to use, with lightweight handling and no fiddly settings. It weighs less than 2kg and is much easier to store than any of the larger Shark vacuums, making it a great grab-and-go tool.

It’s not designed for carpets or deep cleaning, so it’s not the first model to buy if you have a lot of carpeted rooms. But it cleaned my kitchen floor better than a traditional mop and bucket, with much less elbow grease needed. LED headlights on the floorhead helped highlight hidden messes for a more thorough clean, too. My only niggle was that the pads need replacing frequently.