Are Shark Vacuums Worth The Money? 8 Brilliant Reasons Why They’re Loved
Shark vacuum cleaners have seemingly come out of nowhere in the last decade or so to dominate the vacuum cleaner market in the UK, US and further afield.
They can, however, be quite expensive depending on the model.
But are Shark vacuums worth the money? Based on our experience we believe so and in this post, we’ll tackle just that but flesh out both sides of the argument.
Let’s jump right in.
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Are Shark Vacuums Worth The Money?
Having used a Shark upright for some time at home, we thoroughly believe Shark are worth the money but let’s take a specific look at why.
Effective Cleaning Across All Floor Types
First and foremost from our experience what we’ve seen with Shark vacuums is that they’re incredibly effective in cleaning across all floor types.
Forget anything else, when looking at vacuum cleaners, if they get this part right the bells and whistles do not matter. You need to know will a vacuum leave your carpets looking renewed and your hard floors looking spotless? With Shark vacuums the answer is a resounding yes, yes.
What’s even better is that Shark designs their vacuums to be able to easily switch between different floor types either with a switch of a button or in the case of DuoClean (more on this later), automatically.
Great Suction
Shark vacuums come powered with a great level of suction which means they can cover the toughest jobs whether on your carpets or hard floors. Shark uprights are typically powered with a 750w motor which delivers a significant level of suction (the brilliant Henry hoover for example which has incredible suction power has a 620w motor by comparison).
To avoid the suction overpowering certain areas like your rugs or carpets and lifting them off the floor, Shark vacuums have different settings for various floor types meaning you don’t have to overthink this when cleaning.
What we never fail to notice when using a Shark is how effective their pickup is without having to keep going over the same spot.
This speaks to the effectiveness of the suction, which is fundamental to the operation of a vacuum cleaner and helps ensure Shark vacuums are certainly worth the money.
Two In One Upright and Portable Vacuum Lift Away Technology
An area which solidifies why Shark vacuums are worth the money is the excellent Lift-Away Technology which means you end up with two types of vacuum cleaner in one.
You get the standard upright functionality but then with Shark Lift Away you can also pull the pod off the main base and use it as a lightweight portable vacuum cleaner.
This is a real game-changer and one of our favourite features of Shark upright vacuums as it makes so many jobs around the house that much easier.
In particular, tackling the stairs in the Lift Away mode is such a delight as you don’t have to worry about trying to hoover them with the main unit at the bottom or top of the stairs.
The portable version of the upright also provides great flexibility when needing to reach up high in spots like the curtains or get rid of dust and cobwebs on your ceiling.
More recently Shark has also introduced the Powered Lift-Away models which means when you are in the portable mode you can also still attach their highly effective motorised brusheads. This is excellent as it gives you even more flexibility when you are in portable mode.
Repel Hair With The Anti Hair Wrap
There are some excellent Shark vacuum cleaners that come with a feature called Anti Hair Wrap which works to actively resist and remove hair that gets swept up in the brush roll.
This is a great feature as it means you don’t then have to spend ages with a pair of scissors or wire cutter trying to remove hair from your brush roll (a fun job I often have to tackle with my Dyson).
Though it doesn’t mean you’ll never get hair in the brushroll it does reduce the occurrence significantly and it safeguards the brushroll’s effectiveness whilst you clean.
This feature is particularly worth the money if you have a home with pets.
Great For Homes With Pets
Speaking of pets, Shark vacuums are definitely worth the money if you have pets in your home.
Shark vacuums have many features we’ve covered which are particularly suited to pets such as the Anti Hair Wrap.
But what’s even better is that most of the models available today have a special Pet version which is geared especially to those with pets in their homes.
Each pet model comes with a Pet Turbo Brush which is a device designed to get rid of pet hair and dander from areas such as your stairs, carpets, sofas and car seats.
Headlights on a Vacuum
If you want to know what makes Shark stand out as a wonderful designer of household goods then take a look at their LED headlights. This is the type of feature that tells you how deeply they think about solving consumer issues even if they didn’t know they had it.
At first, when you come across headlights on a vacuum it’s a little surprising and may come across a show feature.
That is until you are in a slightly darker spot in your home trying to clean the floors and see how useful it is to have that extra light right where you need it.
The headlights are particularly great under furniture and in the darker corners of the room when you don’t have enough light or don’t want to switch on your lights in the middle of the day.
Fantastic Warranty Period
We’re all used to the standard 12 months warranty on products so when companies offer an extra year or two it’s a big deal.
Well, Shark decided to seriously up the stakes in this area and offer a whopping five (5) years on their vacuum cleaner warranty.
You will simply not find another mainstream consumer brand with vacuums that are as affordable offering anywhere close. Sebo vacuum cleaners come with five (5) year warranty but you won’t find any models that are similarly priced to the Shark models.
Brilliant Designs
Another factor that makes Shark vacuums worth the money is their brilliant designs. Everything about Shark vacuums feels well thought through and put together. Their vacuums look sleek but they feel solid.
It’s clear with Shark that they have their user base’s pain points in mind when they design their products as it’s clear from the features they’ve built over the years.
Why Shark Vacuums Aren’t Worth The Money
Here are some factors to consider that may mean Shark models are not worth the money.
Low capacity
Typically upright vacuums have a capacity of around 0.8 to 6 litre (AO.com) however, most Shark models available in the UK range between 0.83 to 1.6 litres.
Though these more than serve the purpose especially at the higher end, strictly speaking they’re still on the lower end of the range in terms of upright capacity. The Sebo Automatic X7 upright for example has a 5.3 litre capacity though they are bagged.
However, whilst there are certainly bigger capacity upright vacuum cleaners available, you’ll be hard pressed to find ones that combine the excellent performance, design, features as well as reasonable price range as you do on the Shark models.
Also worth keeping in mind that bagless uprights will tend to have lower capacities than their bagged counterparts. The Dyson Ball Animal Multi-floor for example which is a bagless upright has a capacity of 1.8 litres though is quite expensive.
Cord Length Could Be Longer
A feature we’d love to see changed in future Shark models that may mean you consider whether they’re worth it is the length of the power cord.
Typically Shark upright vacuums come with an 8m power cord.
This does a good job of providing ample cleaning range but we’d have preferred a 10m cable like you get on a lot of other vacuums these days like the Henry range, Dyson Ball Animal and SEBO.
Conclusion: Are Shark Vacuums Worth The Money?
So, are Shark vacuums worth the money? Based on our own experience we firmly believe that Shark vacuums are definitely worth the money.
Shark upright vacuums combine innovative technology, elegant design with outstanding suction to give your floors the renewed feel you want after every clean.
Though they have some drawbacks such as limited capacity and a shorter cable compared to some competitors, they still provide a great option if you want effective cleaning with a two-in-one portable and upright model for a decent price.
Which Shark Vacuum Cleaner Is The Best?
Here are some of the best Shark upright vacuum cleaners if you’re convinced these are for you.
This excellent Shark NV602UK provides Lift-Away cleaning capabilities at what is typically one of the lowest entry prices in the Shark range. The NV602UK comes with LED headlights and only weighs 5.2kg making it very easy to get around with.
The highly rated Shark NZ801UKT comes with a host of excellent features including Powered Lift-Away allowing you to use the powered floorhead even in portable mode. It also includes Anti-Hair Wrap technology combating tangled hair as it goes.
Shark Stratos NZ860UK With Anti Hair Wrap Plus & Anti-Odour Upright Vacuum Cleaner
The brilliant Shark Stratos NZ860UK is an excellent option, especially for those with larger homes and comes with some innovative new features.
These include the Anti-Odour cartridge system which is designed to emit a pleasant scent as you vacuum to combat any nasty smells.
The NZ860UK is also equipped with Anti Hair Wrap Plus, Shark’s latest iteration of its brilliant anti-hair wrap system.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is a Shark as good as a Dyson?
Shark and Dyson offer very different styles in their vacuums but on based on our view, Shark vacuums can be just as effective as Dyson but without having to pay the higher premium.
What vacuum is as good as Shark?
The closest alternative to Shark in terms of performance and design is probably Dyson, though they tend to be more expensive. If your budget is not a limitation and you don’t necessarily want bagless, then German brand SEBO make world-class upright vacuums that are worth considering.
How many years should a Shark vacuum last?
How long a Shark vacuum or any vacuum lasts very much depends on a range of factors including how often it’s used, how well it’s maintained and the quality of the parts and build. If a vacuum cleaner is used every day but isn’t maintained according to the manufacturer’s guidelines its likely to last a lot less than one that is used each day but cleaned and serviced regularly. Shark vacuums do come with a five-year warranty.
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