Best Shark pet vacuum cleaners – powerful cleaning that will absolutely keep up with your pets

Shark are famous for their range of pet-focused vacuum cleaners, promising anti-hair wrap, tight filtration and powerful suction to deal with all the messes our pets leave behind.

But their vacuum selection has grown so much in recent years that it can be tricky knowing which is actually the best, and which is the right fit for your home.

That's why, as H&G's home tech editor, my team of product testers and I have tested 13 of the best Shark vacuums. I'm a big fan of Shark as they genuinely make some of the best vacuums in the world, and these are the three Shark pet vacuums I'd recommend for any home.

The best Shark pet vacuum cleaners

These are the best three Shark pet vacuums at a glance. Keep scrolling for the full guide or click the navigation links to take you to each product.

The best upright Shark pet vacuum

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There's a version of the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum with a 'TruePet Upgrade' that includes a HairPro Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush. For pet owners, this is one of the essential vacuum cleaner attachments for removing pet hair from beds and furniture without having to deal with hair getting tangled.

But in all honesty, the Shark POWERDETECT is one of the best vacuums for pet hair even without spending the extra $100 on this upgrade. It's a worthwhile upgrade if you're often needing to clean hair from pet beds, but for general house cleaning, the vacuum is powerful enough as it is. It's our number one pick for the best upright vacuums for a reason.

'The carpeting in one room required some deep vacuuming due to being covered in a ton of cat sheddings. 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,' our expert tester James wrote in his review.

Not only does it leave floors spotless, it leaves behind a fresh scent thanks to the vacuum's odor-neutralizing puck. It's not an overpowering smell, but one that'll help to reduce those odors left behind by pets that are seemingly impossible to mask.

The vacuum also features floor detection. As you pass from hard floors to carpets, it'll automatically adjust the power and brushroll to ensure each surface is given the proper treatment. It's also able to up the suction power when going over messy areas, floor edges and corners.

Read more in our full Shark POWERDETECT review.

The best cordless Shark pet vacuum

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While the Shark Cordless PowerDetect isn't officially labeled a 'pet' vacuum, it's still the brand's best cordless vacuum for pet owners thanks to its powerful suction and pet-friendly features.

'I used this vacuum on the carpet in a room where our cat likes to spend most of her time and it pulled up a good amount of hair out of the carpet that I didn’t even see,' our expert tester James wrote in his review. Cordless vacuums aren't typically the most powerful when it comes to vacuuming pet hair or carpets, so for the PowerDetect to pull hair that wasn't visible shows how powerful its suction is.

Like many Shark vacs, the floorhead has two brushrolls: one soft roller for hard floors and fine particles, and one with bristles that's better suited to carpets and hair. The bristled brushroll is anti-tangle to avoid having to manually remove any wrapped pet (or human) hair.

The PowerDetect comes with a pet multi-tool, and as it's a cordless vacuum, you can easily switch to handheld mode to clean pet hair from your upholstery. During testing, it was able to easily pull cat hair from sofa cushions.

It can also bend at the wand, reaching further under objects and furniture with less strain on your back. These hard-to-reach areas are often ignored while being breeding grounds for common allergens in the house, so this will help to reduce odors and allergies caused by our pets' shedding.

Another useful feature for pet owners is the option of a Clean & Empty System. This is a dock that stores, charges and removes all dust from the vacuum when it's not in use. It has tight HEPA filtration and can store dust for up to 60 days, minimizing how often you're emptying it yourself and coming into contact with allergens like pet dander.

Read more in our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect review.

The best Shark pet carpet cleaner

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If your home is a mostly carpeted one, it's worth considering a carpet cleaner. The best carpet cleaners for pets can banish stains and odors that our animals leave behind. As carpet fibers are effectively bacteria magnets, vacuuming only does the job, no matter how often you vacuum carpet. A carpet cleaner goes that step further and actually deep cleans the carpet rather than just vacuuming it.

The Shark CarpetXpert is one of the best we've ever tested, and impressed us so much that we awarded it a rare five stars. It comes with a special pet tool with its own self-contained tank that can clean accidental pet messes directly from the floor while avoiding it passing through the rest of the appliance.

'After just a minute or two of spraying and scrubbing, the machine has picked up the majority of the cat's vomit and the stain it left behind,' tester Camryn wrote in the review.

'Once I finished with stain removal, I decided to use the floor tool to clean the rug, as it was quite dirty from being outside all summer,' she added. 'There were quite a few spots that had old stains or discoloration thanks to dirt, but the CarpetXpert had no problem sucking up all the gunk. I had to use a whole tank of clean water and stop to empty the dirty tank at one point, but in the end, the rug was practically spotless.'

This incredible cleaning performance is paired with a straightforward design. Although there are lots of parts and attachments, it doesn't take long to wrap your head around how it works. Pair it with one of the best vacuums for carpet and your floors will never look cleaner.

Read more in our full Shark CarpetXpert review.

How to choose a Shark pet vacuum

The Shark Pet Cordless and the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro are two examples of Shark vacuums with 'pet' in the name, but that aren't necessarily the best Shark pet vacuums available. Shark will often add terms to their product range to appeal to customer's specific needs, but will usually reflect one or two specific features – in this case, it could be an anti-tangle brushroll or a HEPA filter.

But the best Shark pet vacuums are those with the most powerful suction to handle the tricky nature of pet hair. Their latest PowerDetect range is the best we've tested for pets. They're the most powerful upright and cordless vacuums the brand has ever released, and they adapt to your floors for the right suction at all times.

The essential features to consider when choosing a vacuum cleaner for pets are: tight HEPA filtration to trap allergens, anti-tangle floorheads and attachments, strong suction that can pull fur out of carpets, easy maneuverability in tight spaces, and tools for cleaning around the house. All of the vacuums fit in this guide fit this criteria.

When deciding between an upright or cordless pet vacuum, think about what your home needs. Upright vacuums are more powerful particularly on fur and carpets, but they're much less maneuverable, heavier to take up and down stairs, and take up more space. Cordless vacuums are more versatile, easier to use, easier to store, and don't require you to be near a power outlet. Busy homes with carpets will benefit from an upright, but a cordless is ample if not.

Read our vacuum jargon buster to stay clued-up on all the terms when deciding.

How we tested these Shark pet vacuums

The three vacuums in this guide were tested in homes with pets by product testers with years of experience with vacuum cleaners. We test over weeks and sometimes months to get a complete feel for the vacuum's performance.

We assess each vacuum on its cleaning performance, maneuverability, run-time, emptying of the dustbin (or bag), and general controls so you know exactly what you are getting for your money. We also test all tools and features to understand how versatile the vacuum is for our homes' varying cleaning needs.

We test across all floor types and on upholstery, mattresses, and pet beds where necessary. Find out the full low-down of how we test vacuums here.

Meet the team

Dan Fauzi

I am H&G's home tech editor, covering vacuums and floorcare on a near-daily basis. I've tested 12 vacuums in my time at H&G, including in our dedicated test center, in my own home and in pet shelters with plenty of need for effective cleaning.

James Holland

James has been testing products since 2021, and in that time has spent more than 100 hours testing 20+ vacuum cleaners. He tested the Shark Cordless PowerDetect and the Shark POWERDETECT Upright in this guide.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is a seasoned product tester of eight years who's reviewed more than 50 vacuums, including the Shark CarpetXpert in this guide.

FAQs

Which Shark vacuum has the strongest suction?

Currently the Shark POWERDETECT Upright Vacuum has the strongest suction, based on ASTM F588 and measured at the nozzle. Our tests confirmed this, with effortless cleaning performance across every floor type, pulling up fur from carpet that we didn't even see.

Which is better for pet hair, Shark or Bissell?

Bissell's floorcare range is one of the most comprehensive in the consumer market, covering vacuums, floor cleaners, carpet cleaners, spot cleaners and more. They're best suited to these complete floor cleaning appliances, while Shark is the better choice when it comes to traditional vacuum cleaners. They currently dominate the upright vacuum market.

Next, browse our tried-and-tested selection of the best Dyson alternatives for cleaning excellence at a lesser cost.