She also considered the latest technology, practicality, and real-life cleaning situations. Emma Phelps, an updates writer for The Spruce, also assisted in updating this roundup to note the latest Shark vacuums we tested that didn’t quite make our final list. However, the Shark vacuum does feature a flexible wand that is a real game changer for reaching under furniture. You can stop ignoring the dust bunnies under your sofa, since Shark designed this vac with a hinge that gives the floor head greater reach. Plus, the Vertex series from Shark includes dual rollers in the floor head and one is equipped with grippy rubber fins to maintain contact with the floor. While making use of the 60-minute battery life, which is significant compared to many other cordless models, you can feel this technology working.
However, like many other stick vacs, you can use the Shark Rocket in handheld mode, with or without an extension, to clean furniture, ceilings, stairs, and more. Need a handheld vacuum for car seats and hard-to-reach spots? The Hoover OnePwr Cordless Handheld Vacuum is more than up to the task with an onboard crevice tool and powerful suction that ensures no dust gets left behind. Battery life maxes out at 35 minutes, and although a charger is included, you can also purchase a spare 2Ah battery to extend the runtime.
Although the Shark IZ420UKT superficially looks like its predecessor, the Shark IZ320UKT, this new model retains the best features of the old cleaner and adds some new ones into the mix. It also doesn’t stand up on its own, which can bissell crosswave cordless be a pain if you need to move something out of its path. Still, it’s certainly versatile, and it glided well as a mop, leaving our floors sparkling and only lightly damp. If you can justify the price, you won’t regret the purchase.
It was given an overall rating of 4 stars for its cleaning effectiveness—meaning, on average, it cleaned up the cereal, popcorn kernels, and strands of hair in just three to five passes. At 3.5 quarts, the dust bin of this upright vacuum is larger than most, too. Our testing team loved this feature and found the dust bin to be super easy to empty.
It did well in most of our carpet-cleaning tests when it was running at maximum battery-draining suction, picking up a similar amount of sand and baking soda as the Dyson V8. However, in real-world testing, it failed to dig up nearly as much embedded hair and dust as the V8—particularly on its default, battery-saving suction setting, where it was notably weak. Even when the S11 did grab pet hair off the floor, the hair seemed more likely to get wrapped around the brush or jammed somewhere in the intake than with many other models.
Image Credit At 4.07kg, the Shark IZ420UKT is a lightweight cordless vacuum cleaner. I found it easy to push around and lift up for higher cleaning jobs, such as around the ceiling. Dyson’s latest offering brings serious ease to your cleaning routine. Complete with a comprehensive shark cordless selection of tools , an LCD screen also keeps you up to date on battery life. It excelled across all floor types and its notably powerful suction picked up pet hair quickly. This vacuum scored top marks all-round for its pick-up on carpet and hard floors.
Here are the best stick vacuum deals available ahead of the sales event. If you can find it for $300 or less, we still love the Dyson V7 Motorhead, which was our favorite cordless vacuum for several years and likely still would be if Dyson hadn’t removed it from the “core lineup” in 2021. (A representative tells us that the V7 will still be available from some retailers at times, but not consistently.) The new entry-level model that should be consistently available is the Dyson V8 Animal. Its standard price is $400, which is a little steep compared with many other solid options.
Shark don’t really talk much about this in their marketing, but the suction didn’t dissipate much when the battery was running low, so that’s a huge bonus. Unfortunately, this vacuum has a very short runtime of just over 10 minutes, so you’ll need to work fast when cleaning bigger messes. It also doesn’t have a HEPA filter dyson robot vacuum and does a terrible job of sealing in fine particles, so it isn’t the best option if you suffer from allergies. If that’s a concern, you could consider the Shark ION W1 WANDVAC, which has an onboard HEPA filter to trap allergens like pet dander, making it one of the best Shark vacuums for pet hair that we’ve tested.
In our tests, we found it super easy to assemble and use and we like the top-mounted dust cup that helps it get closer to the floor to better reach under low furniture. Brian Bennett is a senior writer for the home and outdoor section at CNET. He reviews a wide range of household and smart-home products. These include everything from cordless and robot vacuum cleaners to fire pits, grills and coffee makers. An NYC native, Brian now resides in bucolic Louisville, Kentucky where he rides longboards downhill in his free time. When shopping for a vacuum, the decision between a corded and cordless model depends on your specific needs and priorities.