You can find more criteria and how we rated models for each factor in our comprehensive canister vacuum ratings. FILTRATIONThe vacuum has three pre-motor filters – one foam, one felt, and one metal mesh. The foam and felt filters reside under the dust canister and are very easy to access. They can also be rinsed in water when dirty (Shark says do this every 3 months or so). It is designed to be pulled out through the bottom of the dust canister and you will sometimes have to clean it off. Large debris testWe placed Fruit Loops on low pile carpet and ran the cleaner head over them.
The brushroll has flexible fins (Shark refers to them as powerfins) and half-rows of soft bristles. We’ve seen this kind of brushroll on other Shark vacuums before and in previous tests it provided good pickup. When shopping for a vacuum, the decision between a corded and cordless model depends on your specific needs and priorities. A corded vacuum offers an unlimited shark pet hair vacuum runtime and is a good choice for whole-house cleaning. Pay attention to the length of the cord to minimize how often you’ll need to stop and switch outlets, though. Because of this vacuum’s initial quirks, we wanted to use it in one of our homes for a longer period of time to ensure that it was actually just a fluke start, rather than a long-term performance concern.
The bagless dust bin can be emptied as frequently as you like, which helps to keep the weight to a minimum during use. The washable filters mean you don’t need to fork out for replacements frequently, but you’ll need to wash out the foam and felt filters every three months. The HEPA filter only needs washing every 12 months, but in each case it’s worth keeping an eye on the filters and washing them out more often if you think they need it. It offers three suction levels and the flexible wand gives added maneuverability compared to other canisters, plus the bagless dust bin means no on-going cost of vacuum bags. We read all about Miele, Riccar, Sebo and other well-known makers who have canister vacuums that compete for shelf space at vacuum dealers. Miele is especially notable, since they consistently take top scores in publications like Consumer Reports and even the usually-budget-conscious Wirecutter.
Cordless sticks and robot vacuums are convenient, but the best plug-in uprights and canisters clean better and last longer. We’ve tested dozens of plug-in vacuums over the years, and the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 has been our favorite since 2014. We’ve updated this guide with several new upright and canister vacuums we plan to test. Shark claims the anti-allergen complete seal traps 99.9% of dust and allergens inside the vacuum and the large dust canister means you shouldn’t need to empty it too regularly either, great news for allergy sufferers. During use, the floorhead proved to have good general maneuverability and the canister followed behind, with very little effort required to pull it along.
Similarly, there’s an accessory holder that clips to the wand, so you can keep both the accessories close to hand while vacuuming as well as storing them on the vacuum. In order to compare the raw power of these vacuum motors, we plugged them each into a vacuum gauge rig and noted the maximum amount of negative pressure made by the motors. I’m Nigel Russco, a 50 year old professional engineer who loves to review vacuums, and I’ve been doing just that since 2008. If you really want to get up tight against the wall in this case you would have to use the crevice tool. While the flexibility of the wand may be an asset, we did find the overall weight and bulk of the wand to be a little off-putting. We were hoping for a more lightweight and perhaps even telescopic device.
In a now-famous Reddit AMA from 2013, vacuum-shop manager and repair technician Brian Driscoll called out the Shark brand as being repair-prone. Discount will be applied before applicable taxes, eco fees and additional fees (where applicable) at the time of purchase. ¹Based on the promotion prices as advertised in accordance with this flyer’s sale dates. Our Lowest Prices of the Year are defined as the period between January 1 to December 31, 2022.
We were able to pick up the Fruit Loops but there was a lot of back and forth and the vacuum had a tendency to push some forward (front of the cleaner head is low). It is likely that the Vertex version of the vacuum, with the soft roller brush at the front of the cleaner head, would be more effective in this test. You should keep in mind when shopping that Shark vacuums offer both powered and non-powered lift-away canisters. When it comes to powered lift-away canisters, you’re able to use the motorized floor head with its spinning brush roll while in lift-away mode. Almost all of them weigh less than 10 pounds, and many of them are very good cleaners. They can be top heavy, but we’ve used a few that are well-balanced and easy to maneuver.
The cleaning performance is impressive, and the vacuums feel great to use. The filtration is excellent, which is good for everyone, but especially great for people with asthma or allergies. That being said, this canister vacuum isn’t cheap, and you’ll also shark dustbuster pay for new filters and bags pretty regularly (around $20 per year, if you buy online). But a Miele canister can last so long that it works out to be an excellent long-term value. On test, this Shark canister displayed good performance and maneuverability.
Plus, accessories like the motorized brush, upholstery tool, and crevice nozzle can be used to deep clean specific areas of your home. The fully sealed system has a HEPA filter that locks in dander and allergens. We gave the process of emptying the machine a perfect score, and we’ll also noted that it’s pretty quiet for a powerful pick. While there are definitely less expensive upright vacuums on the market, this model from Shark is a great choice if your home has a mixture of flooring surfaces, and you’re hoping to stay in the $200 price range. The variants come with different combinations of cleaning heads and filters.