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When it comes to reliable vacuum cleaners, the products made by Shark top most consumer lists. For many homeowners, Shark stick vacs stand out as exceptional thanks to their light, portable design and appealing price. A Shark stick vacuum makes it a breeze to clean up messes anywhere in the house.
A stick vacuum has a similar design to an upright vacuum cleaner, but it’s a lot more compact and doesn’t weigh nearly as much. The nature of its construction allows you to easily maneuver the machine through your home, cleaning both hard flooring and carpeted rooms while also ascending and descending stairs without carrying a bulky machine. Instead of a bag, these vacuums have a dust cup that you simply empty when it fills to capacity. Shark offers both corded and cordless stick vacuums, and their models are some of the lightest stick choices on the market.
Shark’s large and enticing variety of stick vacuum cleaners can make selecting the perfect one for your home a fairly daunting task. We researched all the latest models to help you choose between a cordless or corded model, decide which technologies would be prudent for your home and know what to expect in terms of price. Our top choice is the Shark PowerDetect Cordless Vacuum Cleaner.
Editors’ Favorite
Run Time: Up to 70 min | Suction Power: 380 W | Capacity: .18 gal | Weight: 18.48 lb | Dimensions: 10.24” L x 18.6” W x 46.34” H
The Shark PowerDetect Cordless Cleaner is one of the brand’s most powerful, deep-cleaning stick vacuums. It features a redesigned Shark DuoClean Detect nozzle with two brushrolls, allowing it to clean both hard surfaces and carpeting and pick up more hair than previous models. This vacuum is particularly unique because it uses four smart technologies to detect both the flooring surface and hidden dirt and automatically adjust the suction for the most thorough cleaning.
Its versatility also allows you to clean a wider range of areas in your home. It has a flexible design that lets you bend its wand to reach under and around furniture and even converts to a hand vac for cleaning above-floor surfaces. It includes a crevice tool for cleaning hard-to-reach spots, such as between cushions or along baseboards, and a pet multitool that effectively removes pet hair from furniture and other upholstered surfaces.
The PowerDetect is a low-maintenance vacuum, too. Its dock automatically charges its battery, so it’s always ready to clean. The dock also empties its onboard dustbin and holds up to 45 days’ worth of dirt and debris, eliminating the need to manually empty it after each use.
Great Value
Run Time: Up to 40 min | Suction Power: 181 W | Capacity: .08 gal | Weight: 6.89 lb | Dimensions: 10.24” L x 7.09” W x 46.09” H
The Shark IX141 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum is a lightweight model that still provides enough power for everyday cleaning. Weighing less than 7 pounds, it’s simple to maneuver and even features a streamlined design that fits easily under furniture. It also converts to a hand vac and includes a crevice tool and a pet multitool for removing pet hair from furniture, enhancing cleaning versatility.
However, despite its slim, lightweight design, it delivers hypervelocity suction that effectively cleans all floor surfaces. It features a bristled brushroll that directly engages with both carpeting and hard floors to remove as much dirt and debris as possible. It even has LED headlights to illuminate your cleaning path, so you don’t miss any dirt.
The IX141 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum delivers plenty of cleaning time, too. Its battery can clean for up to 40 minutes on a single charge, so it can cover a large area. It also has a large-capacity dust cup that doesn’t require frequent emptying. When it’s time to empty it, though, your hands stay clean, thanks to the one-touch dust cup design that lets you dump it right into the trash without touching any dust.
Best All-Around Value Corded Stick
Cord Length: 25’ | Suction Power: 500 AW | Capacity: 0.08 gal | Weight: 7.6 lb | Dimensions: 10.5” L x 9.8” W x 46” H
If you don’t want to worry about your stick vacuum running out of power mid-cleaning, the Shark Rocket Ultra-Light Corded Bagless Vacuum is an excellent option. It has a 25-foot cord that lets you clean large areas without constantly switching outlets. It also provides powerful suction that can clean both carpets and hard floors. At under 8 pounds, it’s incredibly lightweight, too, and features swivel steering that makes it especially easy to maneuver around furniture and into corners.
You can clean more than floors with this vacuum, though. It converts to a handheld vac and includes attachments for above-floor cleaning. The crevice tool makes it easy to clean hard-to-reach spaces, while the upholstery tool effectively removes crumbs, hair and other debris from furniture.
The Rocket Ultra-Light also earns points for its ease of use and maintenance. It has fingertip controls on the handle that let you easily switch between flooring surfaces, and you can empty the dust cup directly into the trash with the press of a button. Best of all, you won’t struggle to store the vacuum either. You can detach the hand vac and hang it from the wand base, making it more compact for storage.
Best Cordless Vac for Pet HairRun Time: Up to 40 min | Suction Power: 181 W | Capacity: 0.085 gal | Weight: 7.94 lb | Dimensions: 10.24” L x 7.09” W x 46.1” H
Pet owners will love how easy and convenient the Shark IZ163H Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum makes it to clean up after your furry family members. It features powerful suction and a unique brushroll that digs into carpet fibers and directly engages with hard surfaces to ensure better dirt and hair pickup. You don’t have to worry about hair getting caught around the brushroll, though — it has a self-cleaning design that prevents hair from wrapping around it.
The vacuum’s flexible wand also ensures that you won’t miss any dirt or hair under furniture or in other hard-to-reach areas. You can bend it to easily fit under the sofa or bed to capture hidden debris. The IZ163H Pet Plus also converts to a hand vac, so you can clean dust and pet hair from above-floor surfaces, too.
Its filtration system features an anti-allergen complete seal and a HEPA filter, capturing and trapping up to 99.9% of dust, pet dander and other allergens within the machine to keep your home’s air clean. It also has a large dust cup that empties directly into a trash can, so your hands never have to come into contact with the dirt.
Best Corded Shark Stick Vacuum
Cord Length: 30’ | Suction Power: 600 W | Capacity: 0.1975 gal | Weight: 8.68 lb | Dimensions: 9.66” L x 10.24” W x 46.26” H
The Shark HZ3002 Stratos Ultralight Corded Stick Vacuum is another corded option among Shark’s stick vacuums and provides powerful suction for improved hair pickup. It features a two-brushroll system with Powerfins rather than bristles, allowing it to directly engage with hard surfaces and dig into carpets for deeper cleaning. The brushes are also self-cleaning, so hair doesn’t get caught around them.
This vacuum is also designed to make cleaning easier and more convenient. It has powerful LED lights on its nozzle that ensure you don’t miss any dirt or hair on your floors. It also converts to a hand vac for above-floor cleaning, offering an especially lightweight design at under 3 pounds. It even includes a pet power brush attachment to pull embedded hair from furniture and other upholstered surfaces.
The Shark HZ3002 Stratos Ultralight has a HEPA filter that traps 99.9% of dust, dander and allergens as small as 0.3 microns inside the machine, keeping them out of your home’s air. It also uses odor-neutralizing technology to prevent odors from building up inside the vacuum, so your home smells fresh, too.
Shark offers both corded and cordless stick vacuums. To decide which configuration is better for you, consider the characteristics of each. Below, we explore the difference between a corded vacuum and a cordless vacuum.
Corded: A corded stick vacuum is similar to a traditional upright vacuum in that it has a cord that must be plugged into an outlet. This means that, during your cleanup session, you might have to pause to unplug the machine and transport it to another, more convenient electrical outlet. Despite this minor inconvenience, a corded stick vacuum is often preferred by customers because, in most cases, it offers more powerful suction than a cordless model.
Cordless: A Shark cordless stick vacuum is battery-powered, which means you don’t need to plug it in to clean your floors. Further, when it’s time to move to another location in the home, you don’t have to worry about finding a new electrical outlet. However, the battery has a limited runtime, so you may not have enough power to clean a large home before the battery must be returned to its charging dock for some rejuvenation.
Even the best stick vacuums don’t typically offer the same degree of suction power as full-size upright vacuums or canister vacuums, although some are mightier than others. Suction power is usually determined by the vacuum’s wattage. A 150- to 350-watt model is sufficient for cleaning hard flooring, but for carpeting — especially high-pile carpet — you’ll want at least 400 to 450 watts of suction power. Shark stick vacuums typically range from 180 to 700 watts. Keep in mind that corded Shark models offer the most powerful suction, typically between 450 and 700 watts. Cordless stick vacuum models offer 180 to 350 watts, which makes them more effective as supplemental vacuum.
One of the primary benefits of owning a stick vacuum is that it weighs considerably less than a traditional vacuum, so it’s much easier to physically maneuver around the house. Generally speaking, stick vacuums weigh about 10 pounds, but Shark offers many models that weigh less — between 6.5 and 12 pounds — so consumers should be able to find a model that is the right weight for their personal needs.
All Shark stick vacuums feature a dust cup, also referred to as a dustbin, that collects the dirt and debris as the machine moves across the floor. Not all models have the same size dust cup, though. Dust cups range in size from 0.075 to 0.2 gallons. When selecting your new Shark vacuum, take note of the dustbin and how its size correlates with the real estate you intend to clean. Opt for a Shark stick vac with a larger dust cup if you don’t want to keep stopping to empty it.
Some Shark stick vacuums can convert to a handheld vacuum. To do this, the consumer physically separates the cleaning head from the handle. This maneuver allows you to use the appliance to clean hard-to-reach spots like stairs, upholstered surfaces, or beneath furniture. You can use it to clean your car, too.
If you opt for a Shark cordless stick vacuum, pay attention to the advertised battery life. The average cordless stick vacuum can operate for 15 to 40 minutes before the battery is exhausted and requires recharging, but all Shark models can run for 20 to 80 minutes on a single charge. If you have a larger house, we suggest opting for a cordless model with at least 40 minutes of runtime.
With a Shark corded stick vacuum, the length of the cord impacts how easy it is to use around the home. If the cord is too short, you’ll need to stop cleaning frequently to find a new outlet for each area of your home. With a longer cord, you’ll have a larger reach, so you won’t need to look for a new outlet too often. For the most convenient cleaning, we suggest opting for a stick vacuum with a cord that’s at least 20 feet long. Shark corded stick vacuums have cords that range from 25 to 30 feet in length, so you can cover a fairly large area.
Some Shark stick vacuums are equipped with LED lights that allow you to see your flooring more clearly as you navigate cleanup. Whereas some models only have lights on the floor nozzle, others feature both a lighted floor nozzle and a hand vac. The ability to see what you’re cleaning is quite helpful, especially if you’re attempting to clean darker spaces like under the bed.
For added versatility, some Shark stick vacuums are accompanied by a collection of accessories. Some come with a crevice tool to get into tight spaces, a pet multi-tool that can handle pet hair and dander, and/or a dusting brush for surfaces other than floors. The inclusion of added tools may add slightly to the price, but most consumers find the tools to be worth the extra cost. It’s often possible to purchase cleaning tools separately, too.
Shark stick vacuums vary in price based on the type and special features. Most models cost between $200 to $350.. The most affordable Shark stick vacuums are corded models with less suction power. What’s more, they typically don’t have many special features. That said, for many consumers, a basic tool is all they need — especially if the stick vac is intended to supplement their upright vacuum. You can expect to pay between $200 to $300 for these budget models.
These Shark stick vacuums include corded models with greater suction power and cordless stick vacuums with less suction power. They have some special features, such as LED lights or accessories, and typically cost between $300 and $400. Many consumers find the mid-range to be the sweet spot when striking a balance between budget and quality.
The most expensive Shark stick vacuums are cordless models with greater suction power. These have plenty of special features, such as LED lights, accessories, and an extra-large dustbin. The most expensive stick models usually cost between $400 and $550.
Shark offers a wide range of stick vacuums, making it challenging to choose the right model for your home. To identify the best Shark stick vacuums, we analyzed customer reviews from several online retailers to see which models best met customer needs and expectations. Specifically, we considered which Shark stick vacuums offered the best suction power, provided the longest cleaning time, were easiest to maneuver and required the least maintenance. Ultimately, we evaluated more than a dozen Shark stick vacuums and chose our top picks based on cleaning performance, ease of use and maintenance, maneuverability and most convenient features.
A. In most cases, a stick vacuum isn’t powerful enough to serve as your primary vacuum. Instead, it works best as a supplemental vacuum for cleaning up messes in between deep cleaning sessions. However, if you live in a home with no carpeting or pets, you may be able to get away with having a Shark stick vacuum as your primary vacuum cleaner.
A. You can usually tell when your filter needs cleaning because the vacuum will stop picking up dirt, or it will simply not have as much suction power as it normally does. For optimal performance, it’s best to be proactive by washing the filters every month to keep the vacuum performing well.
A. This refers to the Shark vacuum cleaner’s ability to transition from hardwood floors to pile carpeting without the user pressing any buttons or turning any dials. Vacuum cleaners with Shark DuoClean technology have a bristle brushroll and a soft brushroll; the bristle roll is for carpeting, and the latter is for bare floors. With both types of technology on deck, the stick vacuum is ready to handle the flooring in your kitchen, bedroom, living room, and anywhere else you need a cleanup.
A. No. Thus far in the progress of robot vacuum technology, these vacuums huddle close to the ground. In fact, they look a bit like moving “pods” that clean as they scurry around the room. (Many are self-emptying and can follow a map, returning to the charging dock when cleaning is done.) A stick robot vacuum with these capabilities may be possible in the future, but part of the draw of a stick vac is actually the maneuverability it gives to its human operator.
A. Powered lift-away technology makes the lightweight stick vacs from Shark even more portable and maneuverable. If you have limited mobility, or if you simply want something that’s even easier to use than the typical stick vacuum cleaner, look for this technology on the packaging. Powered lift-away is not available on all of Shark’s stick vacs, so if it’s a convenience that you know you want, we encourage consumers to check the product specs before purchasing.
A. Most Shark stick vacs are accompanied by a five-year limited warranty. The warranty covers any damage that results from defects in the materials or workmanship, but it doesn’t cover damage due to misuse, poor maintenance, or accidents. When you purchase your vacuum, you can read about it in the product literature. You can also learn more about the warranty by visiting sharkclean.com.
