Let’s talk about the best Shark vacuums for pet hair.
We love our furry friends, but they can make an incredible mess. Even just lounging around the house tends to result in dust and hair everywhere.
Sometimes, it can feel like you never stop cleaning up after them. Particularly if you’re struggling with a heavy upright vacuum.
Enter the stick vacuum. With a small body and some powerful suction, the lightweight stick vacuum can be the ideal choice for tackling the endless pet hair mess. And Shark makes some of the best models on the market.
To keep your house fur free – or as fur free as possible – we’ve rounded up the best Shark stick vacuums for dealing with pet hair.
Best Shark Vacuums For Pet Hair
Shark IZ163H Pet Plus Cordless Stick Vacuum
The Shark Pet Plus is a vacuum designed to clear away pet hair, and we’re more than impressed with the performance.
The PowerFins brush roll offers continuous cleaning, pushing deep into the carpet to remove even the most embedded of fur.
It’s also self-cleaning, so you won’t have to pick away hair tangled in the roller. Cleaning is quick and easy with the lightweight build, and you can avoid testing the 40-minute runtime!
The flexible design allows you to reach under furniture, and you can ensure a spotless clean as the LED headlights expose any unseen mess. When you’re done, empty the XL dust cups, and fold the vacuum away in storage.
Pros
- HFPA Filtration
- Removable hand vacuum.
- PowerFins brush roll.
Cons
- Loud.
- POWERFUL SUCTION: For everyday messes and high-traffic areas.
- UP TO 40 MINUTES OF RUNTIME: Removable battery with up to 40 minutes of runtime, measured at the hand vac in standard mode.
- POWERFINS BRUSHROLL: Continuous cleaning contact to dig deep into carpets and directly engage hard floors and carpets.
- NO HAIR WRAP: Self-cleaning brushroll for powerful pet hair pickup with no hair wrap.
- FLEXIBLE WAND: MultiFLEX technology allows you to bend the wand to clean under furniture, or fold it over for compact, freestanding storage.
Shark HZ2002 Vertex Ultralight Corded Stick Vacuum
An affordable choice that delivers a performance beyond its price point, the Shark Vertex Ultralight offers a deep clean thanks to the DuoClean PowerFins.
The combination of soft roller and power fins loosen large dirt and embedded dust, drawing in loose particles.
The HyperVelocity Accelerated Suction Power tackles deep dirt, while the LED display panel helps you tailor performance for different surfaces.
The lightweight design can be used to tackle upholstery, with no hair wrap for an efficient clean. It lacks the flexibility and reach of the Pet Plus, but the easy swivel design navigates tight corners with ease.
Pros
- LED headlights.
- Hanging storage.
- Converts to handheld vacuum.
Cons
- Lacks flexibility.
- NO HAIR WRAP: The self-cleaning brushroll is engineered to pick up more hair and delivers powerful pet hair pickup with no hair wrap (vs. Shark bristle nozzles).680.0 watts.Specific uses:hard floor,carpet,dual action
- DUOCLEAN POWERFINS: A PowerFins brushroll and a soft roller combine on all floors. Continuous cleaning contact to dig deep into carpets, directly engage floors, and pick up more dirt, debris, and hair in every pass (vs. original DuoClean).
- CONVERTS TO A HAND VACUUM: Lightweight, precision hand vacuum with a tapered design creates powerful streamlined suction and is under 3 lbs.
- PERFECT FOR PET HAIR: Includes a self-cleaning Pet Power Brush for deep cleaning with no hair wrap.
- ADVANCED SWIVEL STEERING: For excellent control and a low-profile design for under-furniture reach.
Shark ZS362 APEX Corded Stick Vacuum
The Shark APEX corded stick vacuum would be our top choice if it weren’t for a few issues in design. Overall, it’s fantastic, particularly at dealing with pet hair.
The DuoClean system shifts embedded dirt while drawing in loose particles for an effective clean. It doesn’t have the PowerFin brush roll of other Shark vacuums, but the bristled choice works well.
The major downfall is that the top-heavy design is difficult to steer, and tends to fall over in storage. But powerful suction and a large capacity can make up for these minor flaws.
Pros
- XL Dust Cup.
- Converts to a handheld vacuum.
- LED lights.
Cons
- Top-heavy.
- DUOCLEAN TECHNOLOGY: a dual-brushroll system designed to deep-clean carpets and directly engage floors for a polished look.
- SELF-CLEANING BRUSHROLL: powerful pet hair pickup and no more hair wrap.
- PERFECT FOR PETS: provides ultra-powerful pet hair pickup on floors, carpets, and above-floor areas like stairs and furniture.
- LIGHTWEIGHT HANDHELD VACUUM: the stick vacuum cleaner transforms into a lightweight, portable handheld vacuum to take your cleaning above the floor—on furniture, stairs, and more.
- ADVANCED SWIVEL STEERING: lets you easily maneuver your vacuum in and out of tight spaces, in corners, around furniture, and more.
Shark ION F80 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum
For big cleaning jobs (which it often is in a pet-friendly house) the Shark ION is exceptional.
The ion batteries provide improved power, so in handheld mode you can clean for up to 80 minutes. Simply switch out one battery, and keep on going with the other.
Multiflex technology and a convertible design allows you to access every area of the house, including those sneaky corners pets love to play in. And as it’s cordless, you really can get everywhere.
Pros
- Improved runtime.
- Multiflex technology.
- DuoClean brushes.
Cons
- Top-heavy.
- Powerful cordless suction for everyday dirt, debris, pet hair, and high traffic areas
- Upto 80 minutes of total runtime with 2 batteries in hand vacuum power mode; Vacuum, switch the battery, and keep going
- 2X Ion power pack system includes 2 removable, rechargeable lithium ion batteries and a charging dock
- Multiflex technology enables convenient under furniture reach and freestanding, compact storage
- Duoclean technology invented for fine dust and large debris on carpets and hard floors; One powerhead, two brushrolls; Do not use soap
Shark WANDVAC System Cordless Stick Vacuum
With pets in the house, it’s often necessary to clean frequently. The Shark WANDVAC is our top choice if you’re the kind of person who prefers a quick daily clean over a single weekly struggle.
The portable charging system allows you to keep the WANDVAC ready to be used, while the smaller dust cup is best at handling the daily messes as they come.
It might not be specifically designed for pet hair, but the PowerFins can shake loose deep dirt. And when you come across a particularly big mess, you can activate boost mode for some extra suction.
Pros
- Boost mode.
- HyperVelocity suction.
- Portable charge system.
Cons
- Small dust cup.
- POWERFUL AND LIGHTWEIGHT: The most powerful cordless hand vacuum under 2.1 pounds. Based on ASTM F558, measured at the hand vac, versus stand-alone and cordless stick hand vacs under 2.1 lbs.
- ALWAYS READY FOR A QUICK CLEAN: Includes a portable charging base that fits almost anywhere in your home, with two unique storing and charging setups to match the way you clean.
- INCREDIBLE CORDLESS SUCTION: HyperVelocity accelerated suction power provides incredible cleaning performance in an ultra-lightweight frame.
- ONE-TOUCH HYGIENIC DUST CUP EMPTY: One quick touch to empty the dust cup with no mess.
- BOOST MODE FOR TOUGH MESSES: Press the Boost button for extra bursts of strong suction for tougher messes.
Shark Vacuums For Pet Hair Criteria
Brush Roll
If you want to remove pet hair from a carpet, you need to have a good brush roll. This is a bristled bar in the vacuum head that rotates as the vacuum is powered. The bristles agitate the carpet, loosening dirt that is embedded in the fibers.
The bristles are also able to brush through the fibers, picking up the hairs that might be trapped. As you can imagine, when cleaning pet hair on carpet, this feature is invaluable.
A stand-out feature of the best Shark vacuums is the PowerFin brush roll. This replaces the bristles with fin designs that are able to delve into the carpet and loosen dirt.
They’re also effective on hard floors, unlike standard bristles. And they’re self-cleaning!
Flex And Portability
Pets have a tendency to get everywhere, and you need a vacuum that can go where they go.
Shark employs Multiflex technology on some of their premium designs, which allows the user to bend the vacuum under furniture (and makes for easier storage). Otherwise, look for models with convertible designs.
DuoClean System
Many Shark vacuums use a DuoClean system, which is designed to tackle all types of dirt. It combines a brush roll with a soft sponge, so dirt can get loosened, and the fine particles are drawn in.
This is handy on many types of surfaces, and is particularly good at cleaning the varied messes that pets manage to leave behind. It isn’t a necessity, but tends to be found on the very best Shark models.
Filtration
Vacuums use filters to stop dust particles from being released back into the air as you vacuum. The best filters to look for are HEPA filters, as these are the most efficient available.
Cord Or Cordless
Corded vacuums plug into the mains power to operate, while cordless vacuums run using battery power. In houses with pets, cordless vacuums can often be preferable, as you don’t have to worry about your dog getting tangled in the cord.
However, they also tend to lack power, and you do have to remember to keep the battery charged. Both options have their benefits, so think about what features you’ll prefer.
Storage
Storage space can be limited in houses with pets, and you want to be able to put the vacuum away neatly.
Shark stick vacuums can be top-heavy, which makes storing tricky. MultiFlex designs tend to be the easiest to pack away, as they can be bent into a smaller profile.
Dust Cup
The dust cup is where all the dirt and hair goes as you vacuum. Stick vacuums can have small dust cups, as they need to fit on a limited frame. Some Shark designs do include larger dust cups, so you can vacuum for longer without emptying.
Final Thoughts
Shark makes several stick models designed specifically to tackle the problem of pet hair. These tend to use PowerFin DuoClean technology, which loosens embedded dirt without getting tangled in hairs.
We hope our buyer’s guide has helped you to discover what features to look for when banishing pet hair.