These are the best Shark vacuums on the market – tested and reviewed by our editors

Shark have steadily been growing their standing in the vacuum market for years, and have now become one of the most popular vacuum brands worldwide. This is for good reason too, as the best Shark vacuums consistently perform well in our vacuum tests, topping many of our guides.

I'm Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, and a team of product testers and I have reviewed 50 of the world's best vacuums, including 13 of Shark's best. Personally, I'm a big fan of Shark vacuums. Strong cleaning performance, useful features, and smooth aesthetics – all for a reasonable cost. What more could you need?

Below are the three best Shark vacuums from our tests. These are the only ones you really need to consider, but if you're looking for something more specific, I've included alternatives further down the page.

The Quick List

These are the best Shark vacuums at a glance. For more info, scroll further or click the navigation links to take you to each product.

The best Shark vacuum cleaners in 2024

We've tested 13 of Shark's vacuum lineup with more on the way. Right now, these are the only three you need to consider, with alternative options below if you're after something more specific.

Best cordless Shark vacuum

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It might not be a surprise that Shark's most recent release is their best, but on test the Cordless PowerDetect performed better than any Shark cordless vacuum we've tested – and it's still priced reasonably. It features Shark's latest detection tech, where the vacuum can sense floor type and dust volume to automatically adjust suction power to the optimal level.

Tester James Holland has reviewed previous cordless Shark vacuums (like the Shark Stratos Cordless and the Shark Detect Pro Cordless), and the Cordless PowerDetect had the strongest suction. 'I tested it on carpets, upholstery, and hard flooring and it had no issues sucking up debris and dust,' James wrote in our review.

'I even used it to vacuum two rooms that had been untouched for a week, but that seemed clean, and found its 0.74qt dust cup to be a quarter full of pet hair, dust, and dirt,' he added. Cordless vacuums are traditionally not the best option for carpet floors, but the PowerDetect is able to handle it with ease, even when it comes to pet hair.

The Cordless PowerDetect can also bend at the wand, helping you to reach under furniture without straining your back. Not having to bend down as much saves a great amount of physical effort over the course of your home cleaning, and returning it to a straight tube is as simple as snapping it back into place.

The only downside was that the vacuum didn't perform quite as well when pulling it backwards. This shouldn't be a dealbreaker, but it does affect how efficiently you clean when half of your passes aren't as effective. The vacuum does, however, perform excellently on edges, and James found he rarely needed to use the crevice tool.

Previously, our favorite cordless Shark vacuum was the Shark Vertex Pro, and it still has incredible cleaning performance years after its release. It's a worthy alternative if the PowerDetect doesn't sound up your street.

Read more in our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect review.

Best upright Shark vacuum

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Not only is the Shark POWERDETECT the best upright Shark vacuum, it's the best upright vacuum we've ever tested. It's truly a powerful machine, and as the name suggests, it shares many of the same smart features as our best cordless pick.

It can sense floor type and dust volume to automatically maintain the ideal suction power. This is particularly useful for homes with delicate hard floors (like tile or hardwood) as the POWERDETECT will adjust as soon as it senses a change, and help prevent the brushroll from causing any damage at full speed.

The POWERDETECT excels on all types of flooring. 'It’s able to suck everything up in its path efficiently and proficiently, no matter the debris,' James noted after testing. 'And, it’s equally capable regardless of the surface I used it on.'

It's also incredibly reliable when vacuuming pet hair, and James found this out after a period of heavy shedding from his cat: 'With one pass, the Shark POWERDETECT had basically picked up every visible piece of hair (as well as litter near the litter box) from the carpet, filling the dust bin with an amount of hair equal to a second cat.'

After being able to leave floors 'spotless,' the vacuum leaves the room smelling fresher thanks to an odor-neutralizing cartridge that's become a staple of Shark's upright vacuums. It also has Shark's 'Lift-Away' feature which allows you to remove the pod from the main, heavy compartment, providing more mobility when vacuuming areas like stairs or car seats.

Its hose was found to be a little limited in length at only two feet long, especially when compared to the Dyson Ball Animal 3's 15-foot hose. Aside from that, it comes with a crevice tool and pet multi-tool, or you can buy the Shark POWERDETECT TruePet Upgrade

The Shark POWERDETECT is a relatively new release, and our top spot for the best upright Shark vacuum was previously awarded to the Shark Stratos. If you're looking for something slightly cheaper, but still a powerful, capable upright cleaner, it's a great alternative.

Read more in our full Shark POWERDETECT review.

Best budget Shark vacuum

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Considering it was released some time ago and is often priced at just $200, the Shark Rotator is still an impressive upright vacuum and shares a lot of the advantages of the POWERDETECT and Stratos.

It still has a HEPA filter, an odor-neutralizer and a lift-away function, although the only difference is the lift-away isn't powered, so demands more effort in comparison. It also has similar attachments like the crevice tool and dusting brush. And, most importantly, it cleans well.

'On its carpet mode, the vacuum has powerful suction, and its stiff brushroll pulled lots of dog hair, dirt, and dust out of the rugs in my living and dining rooms,' wrote tester Camyn Rabideau, also noting that it was easy to push around the medium-pile carpet despite its strong suction.

'I was even more impressed by its performance on hard floors. My dogs and partner often track small rocks, clumps of dirt, and leaves inside, and the vacuum had no problem sucking up the larger debris,' she added.

The vacuum has inconveniently placed controls, forcing you to bend town to reach the toggle switch, and it falls short on its ability to handle small rugs. While others like the POWERDETECT can adjust power depending on the surface, the Rotator will maintain its strong suction throughout your cleaning.

That being said, the upright vacuum uses dual brushrolls, and aside from small rugs, it can effectively pass between carpets and hard floors. It's also lighter than your average upright vacuum, weighing just 14 lbs compared to the average 16-17 lbs.

Read more in our full Shark Rotator Pet Upright Vacuum review.

Other Shark vacuums to consider

These are the three main Shark vacuums to consider after testing 13 of the brand's bests. But if they're not quite what you're looking for, Shark's range includes something for everyone.

If you already own a primary vacuum, it might be worth getting a budget cordless pick for spot cleaning. The Shark WANDVAC or the Shark Pet Cordless are great options; we've tested both, and while they don't offer deep cleaning or long battery lives, they're perfect for those in-between cleans.

If your home is mostly carpeted, consider a carpet cleaner on top of your vacuum. We've tested the Shark CarpetXpert and, while it won't handle solid messes, it will deep-clean your carpets unlike any vacuum cleaner could – and we awarded it a rare five stars because of how well it does so.

If you live in a busy home, it could be smart to invest in one of the best robot vacuums to take some work off your hands, and for regular, light cleans throughout the week to keep things fresher. The best Shark robot we've tested is the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 (available at Walmart) but it's an old model now. The current best in Shark's range is the Shark PowerDetect Robot which we're still in the process of testing.

If you find yourself regularly cleaning wet messes, then you need the Shark MessMaster. It's a portable wet/dry vacuum that can suck up solids and liquid spills (like a bowl of cereal thrown across the floor, for example) and you can even insert bags to keep it mess-free when you empty. On test, we loved how it was thoughtfully designed with features that are genuinely useful.

How to choose a Shark vacuum

Choosing a Shark vacuum is much like knowing how to choose a vacuum cleaner in general. Once you know your home's cleaning needs, then you browse the Shark range to see what fits.

For busy homes with kids and/or pets, and if there's a lot of carpeted flooring, you'll benefit from an upright vacuum. The POWERDETECT and Stratos (mentioned above) are the best upright vacuums we've ever tested and can easily handle large amounts of messes. Not being limited by battery life means upright vacuums can utilize more power.

Shark's range of cordless sticks are perfect for small homes and light cleaning. Typically, cordless models don't offer the same power as uprights, but the new Cordless PowerDetect comes the closest we've seen yet from Shark. If your home has mostly hard floors, then you don't really need the power of an upright, so a cordless stick is a great choice to save storage space and have more versatility when cleaning.

It's worth noting that Shark are known for their names of vacuum parts and features, and it might not always be clear. For example, 'DuoClean PowerFins' refers to a specific type of floorhead that uses two brushrolls for multi-surface cleaning. For more info on this, consult our vacuum jargon buster.

Meet the team

Dan Fauzi

I'm H&G's home tech editor and I test, review and write about vacuums almost every day. I've tested 12 vacuums for H&G so far, including the Shark Detect Pro Cordless, but I've been testing products and appliances since 2021.

James Holland

James is a contributing editor for H&G, who's tested the Shark Cordless PowerDetect and Shark POWERDETECT in this guide. He's been testing vacuum cleaners since 2022 and has now reviewed more than 20.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer who's tested more than 50 vacuums since she started in 2019. She's tested several Shark products for H&G, including the Shark Rotator, the Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum and Shark Stratos. With two dogs and a cat, Camryn is the perfect reviewer for assessing if vacuums can take on pet hair.

FAQs

Is Shark better than Dyson?

It depends on what you're looking for. We cover this in further detail in our Dyson vs Shark head to head, but essentially, Dyson produces vacuums with stronger suction power. They're the market leader for a reason, and they often boast unique features that set them apart from the rest, like a green laser that illuminates invisible dust.

If you're looking for the best cordless vacuum, Dyson's the one – if you can afford it. No Shark vacuums can match the cleaning power from the Dyson Gen5detect, V15 Detect or V12 Detect Slim.

But Shark shines when it comes to value for money. The best Dyson vacuums can cost upwards of $1,000, and people don't tend to spend that much on a vacuum. Instead, Shark produces thoughtfully-designed vacuum cleaners with useful features, and sells them at a reasonable price, without overcharging. They might not clean quite as well as a Dyson, but they'll still do a great job.

Also, Shark dominates the upright vacuum market. While Dyson have focused more on their cordless range, Shark have led the way with the POWERDETECT, Stratos and others to take that space. They also offer better features than Dyson's uprights, like odor-neutralization and lift-away pods.

For these reasons, it's no surprise that Shark vacuums make up a lot of our best Dyson alternatives guide.

When's the best time to buy a Shark vacuum?

We have a dedicated page for the best Shark vacuum deals – exactly for this reason. You'll find the biggest discounts around Black Friday and Prime Day, as retailers compete to drop their prices the furthest. But, in my years of covering deals and sale events, I've learned that Shark tend to launch deals year-round. You'll never have to wait long for a deal on the vacuum you're looking for, so remember to never settle for full price.

Not found what you're looking for? Instead, consider the best vacuums for pet hair.