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.
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.
You can read about some of these, as well as other models we’ve tested in the past, in The competition. This reliable, effective, easy-to-use, and reasonably priced bagless upright vacuum cleaner will work well in most homes, and it’s been our pick for seven years running. The dust cup is easy to remove and during our tests all of the dirt and dust fell straight out into the trash at the push of a button. Having said that, though, the large capacity means you don’t have to do this too often, which is particularly helpful if you’ve got allergies and are sensitive to the usual dust cloud that erupts upon emptying a vacuum. The filters are also easily removed and they’re washable, so keeping them in good condition doesn’t require expensive regular replacements.
Over the years, we’ve assembled a spreadsheet of 560 different vacuums (though a chunk of them are now discontinued). You can embrace hands-free cleaning with the Shark 2-in-1 Vacuum and Mop Robot. While it is fairly expensive, this robotic vacuum is extremely effective — it creates a map of your home, allowing you to label each specific room and create no-go zones, as well.
No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. Liam McCabe is a former senior staff writer for Wirecutter, and has covered the wild world of appliances since 2011. After testing dozens of robot vacuums, he is neither worried about AI nor holding his breath for self-driving cars. He enjoys visiting factories and learning about regulatory loopholes, and has flooded our testing area only three times. The last big downside to buying a Miele is that you may not have an authorized service center near you.
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.
You’ll only ever catch a few strands on the roller, which eliminates the maintenance needed on traditional roller designs. The Shark is also more agile than other fully-powered brushroll systems, and it has handle-switched lower-power settings that will keep it from eating up area rugs. For mixed flooring types, this vacuum is just as good as the Kenmore Elite, but you can’t shed the weight of the brushroll for quicker coverage of large bare-floor surfaces.
After a few passes, it was able to pick up most of the debris scattered. For the cleaning test Logan spread a good amount of oats and cheerios. Pet owners looking for a versatile canister should have this in their shortlist because it has what Shark calls the “anti-allergen complete seal technology” that will block allergens up to 0.3 microns.
You can set a schedule for this robot to run regularly in your home and it will automatically return to the base once the cleaning session is complete. We were disappointed to learn that this robot only self-empties when in vacuum mode, so we did manually empty shark canister vacuum it after using it in mop mode (a favorite feature among our team). One of the main appeals of this vacuum is its Matrix Clean technology, which moves across floors in a grid pattern, effectively passing every spot multiple times so no debris is left behind.