Credit:
Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
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Credit:
Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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The Shark Apex is a workhorse of a vacuum. It has powerful suction and plenty of features, but it's loud and heavy. Read More
Between the swivel joint in the brush head and the detachable canister, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away is a fine choice for small apartments. Read More
The Shark Rocket is a lightweight corded vacuum. With its six included attachments, the Rocket is able to deal with both car and home cleanup. Read More
The Shark IQ is a self-emptying robot vacuum that can also make maps of your home. While it's a good floor cleaner, the smart features need polish. Read More
If you've got pets, the Shark NV752 is worth paying a little extra for. Its clever latch-based design makes getting rid of cat and dog hair a breeze. Read More
Shark makes some of the most popular vacuums on the market. We’ve tested dozens of them, including everything from their robot and cordless vacuums to full-sized upright vacuums, so we understand why people like them so much.
No matter which type of vacuum, they all are full of features and cost a little less than their top-tier competition. If you’re tired of constantly wasting money on low-end vacuums that don’t last, you should step it up with Shark vacuum. However, choosing which to buy can be confusing because Shark makes so many different models.
Based on our research and in-house testing, we think the Shark Apex AZ1002 (available at Amazon for $401.38) is the best Shark vacuum for most people. It offers powerful suction, LED lights so you can see under furniture, and a lift-away feature that converts the Apex into a pseudo-canister that makes vacuuming on the stairs a cinch.
While the Apex, at its core, is a very good vacuum, it might not be what you’re looking for. In that case, we’ve also picked out and tested Shark’s best lightweight, cordless, and robot vacuums.
We think most people will fall in love with the Shark Apex AZ1002
Can transform into a pseudo-canister vac
Average dirt pickup
Difficult to use
Self-emptying
Good debris pickup
Finicky smart features
Picks up 52% of dirt in a single pass
Excels at picking up cat and dog hair
Makes it easy to clean stairs and under furniture
None that we could find
For starters, you can narrow down your options once you determine which type of vacuum will work best for your cleaning needs. Some people prefer lightweight or cordless stick vacuums while others may be in the market for a robot vacuum to help spot clean their floors.
Most Shark vacuums we’ve reviewed can effectively clean a variety of floors, but some models may work better or worse for certain flooring types.
For instance, if you’re looking for a vacuum that works well on plush carpet, then an upright vacuum like the Shark Apex (available at Amazon for $401.38) may be your best bet. Although if you’re looking for something that can easily spot clean hardwood floors, then a cordless stick vacuum may be the better choice.
Shark vacuums come equipped with a lot of accessories, like additional brush heads, crevice tools, and HEPA filters, but they also have plenty of additional features that can seem confusing at first. We’ve outlined some of the most important Shark vacuum terms below and what each one means.
Lift-Away
The Lift-Away feature is not unique to Shark, but the company does it better than anyone else. You click a button atop the main body and the vacuum transforms from an upright to a canister with no wheels. This form distributes the weight more evenly, allowing you to clean stairs more easily. You can also vacuum cars if you swap the main brush head for a miniature motorized brush.
The lift-away feature transforms a Shark upright into a canister with no wheels.
DuoClean
DuoClean vacuums carry two brushes in the head of the vacuum. The one on the front is made from a soft fleece-like material. Because it’s designed like more of a dusting cloth, the roller can pick up very fine particles or large debris. The front roller kicks up dirt and debris into the maw of the more traditional bristles.
The DuoClean system is made up of two different brush rolls.
Zero M
Zero M is a brush system that self cleans. In theory, Zero M Shark vacuums won’t get hair wrapped around the brush roller. Pet owners get the most utility out of this feature.
Shark vacuums typically either have a five-year or seven-year limited warranty. These warranties are much longer than most of the competition. Most vacuum brands have one-year warranties. It isn't until you get to the luxury brands like Miele, that you get a seven-year warranty.
Shark vacuums often come with washable filters.
Most Shark vacuums use HEPA filters. HEPA filter stands for High-efficiency Particulate Air. United States law requires that a HEPA filter be able to remove 99.97% of all particulate matter bigger than 0.3 micrometers. That’s smaller than pollen, dust, and pet dandruff. Remember, boxes that advertise HEPA-like, HEPA-type, or 99% filters are not HEPA.
You should also note that most Shark vacuum filters are washable as well.
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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