Buying guide for best Shark upright vacuums
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For years, I wasn't particularly picky about my upright vacuum. As long as it picked up the layer of dog hair that always seems to cover my floors and was relatively affordable, that was good enough for me. Maybe it's because I'd been burned once or twice — I've splurged on a couple of premium vacuums, only to find they didn't perform much better than budget-friendly machines. So when it was time to replace my vacuum, I'd typically pick whatever model claimed to be designed for pets and happened to be on sale at the moment.
That's how the Shark Navigator came into my life, but it must have been fate. Not only did it handle all the dog hair and crumbs around my house like a champ, but it offered versatility I'd never really looked for in an upright vacuum before. Ever since, I've been sold on Shark upright vacuums, having recently upgraded to a PowerDetect that I love even more than the Navigator.
But it's hardly a surprise that Shark upright vacuums have won me over. The brand is known for its intuitively designed, lightweight vacuums that are easy to maneuver and clean more than just floors. Its uprights range from space-saving compact models to full-size powerhouses that don’t leave a dust particle behind. No matter what your vacuuming needs are, Shark’s upright family has you covered.
At BestReviews, we've researched, evaluated and tested dozens of Shark upright vacuums to help us identify the best models. Our top pick, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum Cleaner, is excellent for pet owners, featuring powerful suction, a HEPA filter and a pet power brush to remove pet hair from furniture. It can handle even the dirtiest floors, too, because it has sensors that increase the suction power and brush speed when heavier dirt is detected.
Editors’ picks
Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Editors’ Favorite
Bagless: Yes | Capacity: 1.9 L | Weight: 17.6 lb | Cord length: 30' | Filtration: HEPA
When you have a bustling household, the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum Cleaner is what you need to stay on top of the dirt. It boasts advanced technology that delivers ultra-powerful suction for the deepest clean possible. The 30-foot cord makes it easy to navigate from room to room, and the HEPA filter traps up to 99% of dust and allergens.
DuoDetect automatically senses and adjusts suction power when the unit detects edges, dirt and the floor type. The dual brush roll system grips and captures long or short hair without tangling or wrapping, which is perfect for pet owners. However, it’s a bulky vacuum, which can make it slightly difficult for some users to maneuver.
The odor neutralizer leaves a pleasant scent behind, freshening up your home every time you vacuum. Overall, for heavy-duty commercial or residential cleaning, there are few vacuums as well-equipped to handle big cleaning jobs as this one.
Shark NV356E Navigator Vacuum Cleaner
Great Value
Bagless: Yes | Capacity: 0.87 L | Weight: 13.7 lb | Cord length: 25' | Filtration: HEPA
The Shark NV356E Navigator Vacuum Cleaner is an affordable yet powerful vacuum that still packs enough power to tackle most home or commercial cleaning jobs. It’s excellent at picking up pet hair and loose debris, and it deep cleans dander out of upholstery and other surfaces, leaving your floors and furniture pristine.
The brush roll shutoff function lets you switch from more maneuverability on carpets to gentle hard floor cleaning, and the swivel steering makes it easy to navigate around corners and furniture. The lift-away pod makes it more manageable to clean areas such as stairs and underneath furniture, and the crevice tool lets you access corners, baseboards, tight spaces and ceilings with ease.
This unit is terrific for pet owners who want to keep their carpets and hard floors clean. It’s not the most robust upright vacuum, but for general everyday home cleaning, it’s more than enough to get the job done.
Shark ZU503AMZ Navigator Lift-Away Vacuum
Best keyword
Bagless: Yes | Capacity: 5.3 L | Weight: 15 lb | Cord length: 25' | Filtration: HEPA
The Shark ZU503AMZ Navigator Lift-Away Vacuum is a powerful vacuum with an assortment of accessories and features to help you get your carpets and hard floors squeaky clean. The self-cleaning brush roll picks up hair with virtually no wrapping, and the completely sealed HEPA filter traps up to 99% of allergens.
It features a neat lift-away function that allows you to carry the pod around and clean areas such as underneath couches, tables, stairs, and cupboards with ease. The upholstery tool is excellent for picking up pet hair and debris from curtains, lampshades and other delicate fabrics, and the crevice lets you dig into cracks of couches and other tight spaces.
This vacuum is a terrific choice for residential and commercial cleaning. Its versatility is one of the top reasons so many customers love it, and it’s also noticeably quieter than comparable models. For the price, you won’t find many vacuums offering this kind of performance.
Shark NV151 Navigator Swivel Pro
Best for Cleaning Hard-to-Reach Places
Bagless: Yes | Capacity: 0.82 L | Weight: 13.1 lb | Cord length: 25' | Filtration: HEPA filter
The Shark NV151 Navigator Swivel Pro is a powerful upright vacuum that’s still easy to maneuver. Its excellent suction combines with a deep-cleaning bristled brush roll, allowing it to thoroughly clean both hard floors and carpeting. However, despite its impressive cleaning ability, it’s one of the lightest upright models we considered, so it’s easy to carry between the floors of your home. It also features swivel steering that allows it to easily move around furniture and get into corners and other tight spaces.
The Navigator Swivel Pro can clean more than just floors, though. It features an extendable hose that provides up to 11 feet of reach, allowing you to clean above-floor surfaces, including furniture, stairs and window treatments. It also includes several accessories to enhance its versatility. The crevice tool gets into narrow areas, such as between your sofa cushions, while the Pet Power Brush effectively lifts pet hair from carpeting and furniture.
It’s also an ideal model for homes with individuals who suffer from allergies. Its HEPA filter can trap up to 99.9% of dust, allergens and other small particles as small as 0.3 microns, and the entire filtration system has an anti-allergen seal to ensure that the air inside your home stays as clear as possible.
Shark SV1106 Navigator Freestyle
Nimble & Easy to Store
Bagless: Yes | Capacity: 0.65 L | Weight: 7.5 lb | Cord length: N/A | Filtration: Washable foam filter
The Shark SV1106 Navigator Freestyle offers all the convenience and versatility you’d expect from a cordless vacuum but also provides surprising suction power for such a lightweight model. Weighing only 7.5 pounds, it’s easy to carry to any mess in your home, even if you have to go up or down stairs. It also features advanced swivel steering, making it a cinch to move around furniture and other obstacles.
The vacuum’s brush roll offers two speeds, so you can pick up debris on hard floors without damaging them and pull dirt and debris from carpeting with ease. Pet owners will especially appreciate how well the motorized brush lifts embedded hair from carpeting. The cleaning head also features a shorter nozzle, allowing you to remove pet hair from under furniture.
The Navigator Freestyle has an extra-large dust cup that holds 0.65 liters of dirt and debris. Its generous capacity saves you from having to stop in the middle of vacuuming to empty the cup too often. However, when you do have to empty it, you never have to worry about getting your hands dirty. You simply need to press a button to empty the cup directly into your trash can.
Shark DETECT Lift-Away Corded
Powerful & Reliable
Bagless: Yes | Capacity: 0.7 L | Weight: 13.1 lb | Cord length: 25' | Filtration: HEPA filter
If you dread vacuuming, the Shark DETECT Lift-Away Corded makes this chore as hassle-free as possible. It features an ultrasonic sensor that detects the type of flooring surface it’s on and automatically adjusts the brush roll’s speed to ensure effective cleaning on all floors. It can also determine what direction you’re vacuuming in and adjust the suction forward or reverse to thoroughly clean in both directions.
We love how versatile this vacuum is, too. It has a lift-away design that allows you to step on a pedal and then detach the cleaning pod from the rest of the vacuum to clean furniture, stairs and other above-floor surfaces. It also includes accessories, like the pet crevice tool, pet multi-tool and anti-allergen dust brush, that make it easy to clean other surfaces around the house.
In addition to the pet crevice tool and pet multi-tool, the DETECT Lift-Away Corded has a self-cleaning brushroll that pet owners will love. It prevents the hair that’s picked up from wrapping around the roll and stalling the vacuum. The large dust cup can also hold a great deal of hair and dirt, so you usually don’t need to stop in the middle of vacuuming to empty it.
How we analyzed
Our top considerations for the best Shark upright vacuums were maneuverability and suction power. From there, we analyzed other specs and features such as dust bin capacity, weight and accessories. The best vacuum delivers reliable cleaning on both carpets and hard surfaces and features advanced technology that automatically adjusts suction power according to the floor type.
What to consider in your search for the best Shark vacuum cleaners
Shark upright lines
First, let’s take a look at the various lines of upright vacuum cleaners made by Shark: The Navigator series, Rotator series, and Rocket series.
- Navigator: The Shark Navigator line includes the original Shark vacuum and is now home to the brand’s largest and heaviest models. These upright vacuums have the largest dust cups and impressive power, but their list of features tends to be shorter as a trade-off. They may include a few perks, such as one or two tools, multiple brush speeds, and the Shark Navigator lift-away mode.
- Rotator: If your home has angles, nooks, crannies, or stairs, an upright from the Shark Rotator line might be the right choice for you. These Shark uprights have the most maneuverability, like swivel steering and lift-away technology to clean drapes and stairs. They may also have variable suction control, wide heads, and LED lights.
- Rocket: The Shark Rocket line includes Shark’s upright stick vacuums. Though not as powerful as traditional uprights, some stick vacuums can work just as well. One of these lightweight vacuums may be all you need to keep a small home or apartment clean. However, for a heavily trafficked house, they’re best for touch-ups in between vacuuming with a heavier upright model.
Upright vs. stick vacuums
Standard upright vacuums have a large dust canister that makes up the trunk of the vacuum. Most are corded, though Shark does offer cordless uprights. Upright vacuums are best for moderate to large homes. They have more power, features, and accessories.
Stick vacuums have a much smaller dust canister on the stick-like handle of the vacuum. They are lightweight, typically weighing 10 to 12 pounds or less. They may have a few onboard accessories for cleaning drapes or stairs, but they usually have fewer features than uprights. You can find both corded stick vacuums and cordless models.
Full-size vs. compact upright vacuums
Shark upright vacuums can be either compact or full-size. You may have to clean the dust cup more often with a compact model, but if you’re tight on space, they’re the ideal solution because they don’t compromise on power. However, if you’ve got a big house with lots of floor space, stick with a full-size upright.
The best Shark vacuum cleaner features
Self-cleaning brush roll
Hair wrapped around the vacuum brush can be a serious problem. It can be hard on the brush, belt, and motor of an upright. Shark’s Zero-M self-cleaning brush roll is supposed to prevent overall hair wrap. However, it works better on some models than others. Even with the technology, Shark vacuums often include a hair removal tool because some hair wrap is inevitable.
Dual brush rolls
Some Shark uprights have two brush rolls. A brush roll with soft, dense bristles picks up larger debris and can be used on hardwood floors. The other brush roll has stiff bristles for smaller debris and carpeting. The two work in tandem to thoroughly clean floors.
Brush roll indicator light
The brush roll on some Shark vacuum cleaners can be turned off for hardwood floors. These models also have a brush roll indicator light. Not only does this indicator light alert you if the brush roll is on, it also turns on if the brush isn’t working properly.
Hand-vac mode
A Shark stick vacuum with a hand-vac mode has a removable canister that can function as a handheld vacuum. These work well as upholstery tools and on stairs.
HEPA filter
Air and allergen filtration is a precious feature in today’s vacuum cleaners. Shark makes several vacuums with anti-allergen HEPA filters. Vacuums with this feature have a closed system so that allergens don’t recirculate. HEPA filters need to be regularly replaced to work at full efficiency.
Lift-away mode
Lift-away mode is Shark’s upright vacuum equivalent of hand-vac mode. In this mode, the upright vacuum’s canister can be removed and used as a smaller, more mobile vacuum for cleaning stairs, hard-to-reach corners, drapes, or upholstery.
Variable suction power
Some Shark vacuums have variable suction power. As the name implies, this feature allows you to adjust the suction for delicate carpets, rugs, drapes, and upholstery. If you’re worried about damaging your rugs or hardwood flooring, this feature is for you.
Shark upright vacuum prices
Inexpensive
Basic Shark uprights start at around $130 to $250. These models have swivel steering, extra-large dust cups, and HEPA filters. They have impressive suction and power, though they lack the extras like a powered lift-away mode, dual brushes, and a long list of accessories.
Mid-range
Between $250 and $325 are Shark uprights with lift-away or hand-vac modes, dual brush rolls, and extra accessories such as under-appliance wands, anti-allergen dusting brushes, and pet hair tools. Some may also include enhanced glide and steering options for increased maneuverability.
High-end
For $325 to $425, you’ll find Shark’s full-size uprights with all the bells and whistles, including motorized pet tools for cleaning upholstery and floors. These models also have fingertip controls for even easier transitions between flooring types.
Tips
- A Shark upright vacuum with a brush roll shutoff button is intended for hardwood floors. Once the brush is turned off, suction alone can remove debris from hardwood flooring without scratching the surface.
- Shark upright vacuums may or may not include onboard tool storage. The company offers an accessory bag that’s sold separately for models that don’t include storage.
- Some uprights come with Shark’s anti-hair wrap technology. Consider this technology if you’re dealing with long hair or pet hair in your home. The self-cleaning brush eliminates the need for you to break out the scissors and cut clumps of hair up yourself.
- If you want to vacuum carpet and bare flooring, consider an upright with DuoClean technology. These uprights are made to work on all types of flooring. You don’t have to stop and fiddle with settings as you cross the border from your carpeted living room to your bare-floored kitchen.
- Powered Lift-Away technology is designed to make your upright even more maneuverable. If you dislike cleaning stair steps because of the added muscle power it requires, consider a Shark product with Lift-Away tech.
- Sometimes, an upright becomes clogged and stops picking up debris. Don’t panic if this happens. Unplug your vacuum, and try to locate a clog in the hose or filter. Wait about an hour, and then restart the machine. If it still doesn’t pick up, consult an online tutorial, or call or email Shark customer service for assistance.
FAQ
Q. Can I buy extra accessories and replacement parts for my Shark upright?
A. While some models include every tool you might need, other Shark upright vacuums only include one or two tools. You can always purchase extra accessories later on when you know exactly what you need.
Shark also makes replacement parts, such as belts and filters. Depending on why the part needs to be replaced, the cost of the part and labor may fall under your warranty. However, you’ll need to check the terms and length of the warranty for your upright vacuum.
Q. Does every Shark upright come in different color options?
A. Not all Shark models come in multiple color options, but many do. However, we always recommend buying a vacuum based on features and performance rather than appearance. After all, this is an appliance that will most often be stored away.
Q. I keep reading about the washable filters that come with the Zero-M. What does this mean?
A. A Shark washable filter is one that you rinse by hand with cold water and allow to air dry. But the filters included with the Zero-M aren’t the only ones that are hand washable. If you purchase a Shark vacuum with a HEPA filter or other forms of filtration, check the users’ manual to see if the filters are washable. Washable filters are convenient because you don’t need to buy new ones as often, and it’s easy to rid your filter of debris for a cleaner effect.
Q. As a pet owner, why should I consider a TruePet model?
A. Although all Shark vacuums are designed to pick up pet hair and long hair, a TruePet model comes with a motorized brush and pet tool that help you remove embedded pet fur with even more ease. Homeowners with multiple pets may be particularly interested in this type of Shark model.
Q. What is a “renewed” Shark vacuum on Amazon?
A. Some products sold on Amazon are gently used or open-box items. If you see the word “renewed” next to a Shark vacuum on Amazon, this is what it means. Sometimes, you can get a lower price for one of these vacuum cleaners.
Q. Does Shark make any cordless uprights?
A. Yes. For example, the Shark Vertex Pro is a cordless upright vacuum cleaner. This machine boasts the cleaning and suction power of a regular upright, but it is not corded. Instead, it has a removable and rechargeable battery with a runtime of up to an hour.
Even more common are Shark cordless stick vacuum cleaners. These are not uprights, and many do not have the same cleaning and suction power as Shark uprights. That said, many consumers love them because they are lightweight with swivel steering and no cord to worry about. In exchange, of course, you must keep battery life in mind when using a Shark stick vacuum.
Although the focus of this post is not Shark robot vacuums, we’d be remiss not to mention them here while discussing cordless vacuums. Many people love Shark robot vacuums for their convenience. These cordless machines run themselves based on app programming, and many are quite affordable. Also see our review of the best robot vacuums to find out about offerings from companies in addition to Shark, such as iRobot and eufy.
Q. What is the difference between an upright and a robot vacuum?
A. A Shark robot vacuum operates itself; you do not have to push it around. Instead, you program the robot vacuum through an app to clean areas of your home as desired. In between cleanings, it sits on a charging dock building up enough power for its next cleaning session.
Robot vacs are fairly new technology, and Shark makes some great ones. But these are not upright vacs. In fact, robot vacuums are low to the floor; they look a lot like a self-propelled canister.
If you’re debating between a robot vac and a traditional upright, think about your needs and your comfort with technology. Robot vacs offer a refreshing hands-off approach, but you must first program the machine to do your bidding. An upright may be considered more “old-fashioned,” perhaps, but many people still prefer to maintain this bit of control over their house-cleaning chores.
Q. What kind of extra accessories are available for Shark uprights?
A. The compatible accessories vary by model, but they may include:
- Pet power brush
- Pet multi-tool
- Motorized floor nozzle
- Accessory bag
- Extension wand
- Duster crevice tool
- Crevice tool
- Under-appliance tool
- Upholstery tool
Q. Is a cordless stick vacuum considered an upright?
A. No. A cordless stick vac is lightweight, compact, and easy to maneuver. You can push it almost flat to the ground in order to clean tight areas like under the bed. A cordless Shark is not intended for a deep clean. If deep cleaning is your goal, look to an upright. Upright vacuums are not as light or as flexible, but they offer a lot more power.
If you’re debating between an upright and a cordless stick vacuum, note that some people invest in both, reserving their cordless stick vacuum for daily light cleaning tasks and their upright for deep cleaning on a weekly basis.
Q. What is a “bagless” upright vacuum cleaner?
A. The term “bagless simply means that the debris you pick up is relegated to a dustbin rather than a bag. Many people prefer bagless vacuum cleaners because they don’t have to change the bag periodically. However, you will have to empty the dustbin periodically instead.
Our expertise
Jennifer Blair is a writer and product tester for BestReviews. She has tested a wide range of vacuums, from uprights to robot vacs, from all the top brands and has covered kitchen, home and lifestyle products for BestReviews since 2017.
Kevin Luna has a love for all things tech, sports, fitness and gadgets as well as home appliances. As a longtime writer for BestReviews, he enjoys writing engaging, high-quality guides to help shoppers make smart buying decisions.
